Alright, it's been a while but we're back again to cover the PC Gaming Show, the Xbox Showcase and the Ubisoft Forward. After this, that's it, that's all, we're done here. PC Gaming Show The Most Questionable Stuff 3. Road to Vostok (???) Choosing to look down on a game for overt familiarity from the word ‘go’, even if all it has done at this point is have its existence announced to the world, is not inherently an act to be proud of. Much of gaming iterates and builds upon what came before, much of the medium as it stands (for good or ill) exists because someone looked at a past work and were inspired to develop their own take on the material. How many excellent games would cease to be if people decided that “it’s just a clone of X” was a valid argument in itself? I establish this now to make it clear that I do not roll my eyes at Road to Vostok for taking the form of a sparsely-populated shooter set in a post-apocalyptic wilderness area… but rather because it loo
Electronic Arts
Rather Interesting - Unravel 2
I'm not personally familiar with the original Unravel, so I can't speak to its quality. But I found myself drawn into the latest plight of the little yarn creature Yarny with surprising ease. The exquisite naturalistic environments shown in Unravel 2's trailer - staggered terrain obscured by plentiful long grass, moss-coated trees that could be clambered using the twin Yarny's connective string - beautifully contrasted with the brighter, simpler style of the red Yarny and his blue companion.
That they went a step further and announced it was available for sale the day of the conference is especially astounding. Okay, y'all have grabbed my attention, well played.
Runner-up - Sea of Solitude
I want to see more before I draw any further conclusions, but the nervous excitement of the on-stage writer/director (Cornelia Geppert) coupled with the artistry of what footage was shown gives me hope. I can appreciate the "literal monsterhood as metaphor for what loneliness & despair does to us" angle, and I get the sense everyone involved is giving their all. Put me down as sufficiently intrigued.
Has Potential - Anthem
BioWare has had it rough, no two ways about it. Mass Effect 3 being a hotbed of controversy, Dragon Age: Inquisition having to be defended for the crime of... *looks at notes* including LGBTQ+ characters in its cast, Mass Effect: Andromeda's troubled development and even-more-troubled public reception - basically, they could use an out-and-out win.
Something about Anthem makes me uncertain that this is such an unambiguous victory in the making - perhaps it's the Destiny-esque open-world segments and look of the combat that raises red flags. Nevertheless, I'd be remiss if I didn't admire the slickness and scale of this game's proposed power-armored-soldiers-versus-giant-monsters conflict. And if BioWare brings their patented talent for character dynamics and intriguing story threads to the single-player portion, well, that'd be just aces.
Runner-up - Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
Respawn's good at what they do, if the Titanfall games are anything to go by. Yet EA's penchant for dropping the ball even with presumed "sure things" makes me nervous. So Jedi: Fallen Order is a maybe in my book, at least 'till we've actually seen the damn game in action.
Also, cut down on the colons. More than one is excessive. Please, the English language (and the poor pedants like myself teasing you about it) will thank you.
Not Especially Impressive - Command & Conquer: Rivals
So this is what it's come to, huh? Stripping away all but the most basic brand identifiers and mechanical features of the Command & Conquer games, leaving behind a void that will almost certainly be used for another EA-produced pay-to-win mobile adaptation? And not even a trace of the series' beloved campaign mission design or wholehearted embrace of camp-fueled full motion video?
Cool. Just wanted to know the score.
Runner-up - All that FIFA and MADDEN business
I just. Do not. Care. It's fine if this is for you, I'm just not the target audience who's going to get the most out of more than a hour of FIFA match commentary.
Microsoft
Rather Interesting -Tunic
OH MY GOSH IT'S A CUTE LITTLE FOX DOING ZELDA-STYLE SWORDFIGHTING AND WORLD EXPLORATION, GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Ahem... Sometimes cuteness and quaint old-school design win the day. If Tunic proves even half as charming as its trailer implies, I'll be a happy lad.
Runner-up - Devil May Cry 5
Real talk: I got a latter-day Resident Evil vibe from the opening moments of the teaser and thought that was the route Capcom was going. Not disappointed, though - cyborg arm Nero (yes, I had to confirm that it was Nero and not Dante with Games Twitter) going up against monsters in what looks like a post-apocalyptic cityscape seems fun. The hints of snark and character banter, the prospect of Bearded Dante showing up on motorcycle, it's all looking good thus far.
Has Potential - Dying Light 2
I didn't play Dying Light the first for a number of reasons, most significant of which was hesitation brought on by developer Techland's messy handling of their previous open-world zombie-killing series Dead Island. So I came to this teaser relatively cold.
The medieval vibe to this game's setting and especially the governing Peace Keepers (presumptive irony in naming) seems compelling, and the returning emphasis on parkour-aided city exploration is definitely distinctive. All well and good...
...And then those four beautiful words, "Narrative Designer Chris Avellone". Coupled with hints of a Mass Effect/Dragon Age-esque dialogue interface and Avellone's own emphasis on complex branching choices, it proved difficult not to want to root for this one. Maybe the implied emphasis on role-playing doesn't pan out or maybe it does, but Avellone's involvement makes me very eager to keep tabs on this one.
Runner-up - We Happy Few
Gearbox being tied to this, conversely, makes me less eager to believe in the strength of this game. Yet I'm nonetheless intrigued by its psychedelic alt-60s aesthetic influences and its fixation on drug-induced emotional control as one aspect of wider societal control. I'd advise a close eye and cautious optimism here.
Not Especially Impressive - Session
Breathing new life into the skateboarding sim genre after Skate went dormant and Tony Hawk spiraled into irrelevance would be swell. And when there's more than the barest of teases for such a successor, I'll be there. Until then, Session is just not on my radar.
Runner-up - Halo Infinite
Halo 4 was not a fun time for me, nothing about Halo 5's wider reception makes me want to leap from my chair and buy an Xbox One, and the debacle that was The Master Chief Collection's launch-period matchmaking speaks for itself. Point being, I just am not really feeling much about Infinite beyond deep-seated resignation.
Bethesda
Rather Interesting - Doom Eternal
Yes, I know what I said about the barest of teases. Yes, it's just a bit of ruined, demon-littered Earth and the back of the Doom Slayer we see. Yes, it's still a ways out from release.
But god damn, Doom 2016 brought its A-game with regards to embodying the spirit and frantic energy of the original. I'm ready for more - I yearn for it.
Runner-up - Wolfenstein Youngbloods
Again, more was said than shown for Youngbloods. What was said is quite interesting, though; pushing the timeline forward to the 80s and focusing on BJ's twin daughters sounds like a fun starting point for a sequel. Plus, MachineGames' track record for Wolfenstein games feels way too secure for me to worry that this won't be brimming with pulp sci-fi action and gory Nazi-killing good times.
Also: Fuck Nazis.
Has Potential - Rage 2
Never much cared to check out the first Rage given that the buzz after release was "It's fine post-apocalyptic shooter fare but not exactly id's best work". The more anarchic punk-rock excess of Rage 2's apocalypse, though? That's more my style AND far more distinctive as a whole.
And after Doom got its own lovely revival, I'm feeling good about id Software's chances on this one.
Runner-up - Fallout 76
I've got reservations about Bethesda's grasp of the tone, narrative intent and basic backstory of the Fallout universe. I'm not super keen on an always-online experience, given that the online multiplayer scene is an unceasing nightmare of over-competitive dickishness and casual bigotry. And nuclear weaponry being this game's party trick is problematic at best.
Still, for all its flaws, Fallout 4 was compelling and often surprising in its construction. Bethesda's gift for emphasizing playful experimentation with mechanical systems in a big open sandbox is rarely matched in scope, if not in depth. So I've reason to suspect that Fallout 76 might manage the feat of being fun even while being far removed from the Fallout of days gone by.
Not Especially Impressive - Most of the Elder Scrolls business
Setting aside that the mobile title Elder Scrolls Blades looks promising, every other bit of Elder Scrolls news felt just a tad tiresome for someone not particularly invested in the franchise. ES: Legends getting a visual update (and console releases) wasn't especially compelling information, the Sommerset expansion for Elder Scrolls Online looks pleasant but MMOs are not of personal interest, and I'd be more inclined to care about Elder Scrolls VI if we hadn't been shown just a bit of forested terrain and the title.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Runner-up - Starfield
I like when new IPs get announced. I like it even more when we get to see said new properties in action.
To be continued... in Part 2!
Microsoft
Rather Interesting -Tunic
OH MY GOSH IT'S A CUTE LITTLE FOX DOING ZELDA-STYLE SWORDFIGHTING AND WORLD EXPLORATION, GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Ahem... Sometimes cuteness and quaint old-school design win the day. If Tunic proves even half as charming as its trailer implies, I'll be a happy lad.
Runner-up - Devil May Cry 5
Real talk: I got a latter-day Resident Evil vibe from the opening moments of the teaser and thought that was the route Capcom was going. Not disappointed, though - cyborg arm Nero (yes, I had to confirm that it was Nero and not Dante with Games Twitter) going up against monsters in what looks like a post-apocalyptic cityscape seems fun. The hints of snark and character banter, the prospect of Bearded Dante showing up on motorcycle, it's all looking good thus far.
Has Potential - Dying Light 2
I didn't play Dying Light the first for a number of reasons, most significant of which was hesitation brought on by developer Techland's messy handling of their previous open-world zombie-killing series Dead Island. So I came to this teaser relatively cold.
The medieval vibe to this game's setting and especially the governing Peace Keepers (presumptive irony in naming) seems compelling, and the returning emphasis on parkour-aided city exploration is definitely distinctive. All well and good...
...And then those four beautiful words, "Narrative Designer Chris Avellone". Coupled with hints of a Mass Effect/Dragon Age-esque dialogue interface and Avellone's own emphasis on complex branching choices, it proved difficult not to want to root for this one. Maybe the implied emphasis on role-playing doesn't pan out or maybe it does, but Avellone's involvement makes me very eager to keep tabs on this one.
Runner-up - We Happy Few
Gearbox being tied to this, conversely, makes me less eager to believe in the strength of this game. Yet I'm nonetheless intrigued by its psychedelic alt-60s aesthetic influences and its fixation on drug-induced emotional control as one aspect of wider societal control. I'd advise a close eye and cautious optimism here.
Not Especially Impressive - Session
Breathing new life into the skateboarding sim genre after Skate went dormant and Tony Hawk spiraled into irrelevance would be swell. And when there's more than the barest of teases for such a successor, I'll be there. Until then, Session is just not on my radar.
Runner-up - Halo Infinite
Halo 4 was not a fun time for me, nothing about Halo 5's wider reception makes me want to leap from my chair and buy an Xbox One, and the debacle that was The Master Chief Collection's launch-period matchmaking speaks for itself. Point being, I just am not really feeling much about Infinite beyond deep-seated resignation.
Bethesda
Rather Interesting - Doom Eternal
Yes, I know what I said about the barest of teases. Yes, it's just a bit of ruined, demon-littered Earth and the back of the Doom Slayer we see. Yes, it's still a ways out from release.
But god damn, Doom 2016 brought its A-game with regards to embodying the spirit and frantic energy of the original. I'm ready for more - I yearn for it.
Runner-up - Wolfenstein Youngbloods
Again, more was said than shown for Youngbloods. What was said is quite interesting, though; pushing the timeline forward to the 80s and focusing on BJ's twin daughters sounds like a fun starting point for a sequel. Plus, MachineGames' track record for Wolfenstein games feels way too secure for me to worry that this won't be brimming with pulp sci-fi action and gory Nazi-killing good times.
Also: Fuck Nazis.
Has Potential - Rage 2
Never much cared to check out the first Rage given that the buzz after release was "It's fine post-apocalyptic shooter fare but not exactly id's best work". The more anarchic punk-rock excess of Rage 2's apocalypse, though? That's more my style AND far more distinctive as a whole.
And after Doom got its own lovely revival, I'm feeling good about id Software's chances on this one.
Runner-up - Fallout 76
I've got reservations about Bethesda's grasp of the tone, narrative intent and basic backstory of the Fallout universe. I'm not super keen on an always-online experience, given that the online multiplayer scene is an unceasing nightmare of over-competitive dickishness and casual bigotry. And nuclear weaponry being this game's party trick is problematic at best.
Still, for all its flaws, Fallout 4 was compelling and often surprising in its construction. Bethesda's gift for emphasizing playful experimentation with mechanical systems in a big open sandbox is rarely matched in scope, if not in depth. So I've reason to suspect that Fallout 76 might manage the feat of being fun even while being far removed from the Fallout of days gone by.
Not Especially Impressive - Most of the Elder Scrolls business
Setting aside that the mobile title Elder Scrolls Blades looks promising, every other bit of Elder Scrolls news felt just a tad tiresome for someone not particularly invested in the franchise. ES: Legends getting a visual update (and console releases) wasn't especially compelling information, the Sommerset expansion for Elder Scrolls Online looks pleasant but MMOs are not of personal interest, and I'd be more inclined to care about Elder Scrolls VI if we hadn't been shown just a bit of forested terrain and the title.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Runner-up - Starfield
I like when new IPs get announced. I like it even more when we get to see said new properties in action.
To be continued... in Part 2!
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