Some Thoughts - E3 2019: Pre-E3 Announcements, Stadia Connect and EA Play

We back again for E3 2019, very different this year, no Sony, no proper EA conference, a Google Gaming platform known as Stadia and next gen seeming very imminent. It seems to be a weird year for the convention, but nevertheless I am still extremely excited by just some of the pre announcements already. Let's go through them in no particular order.


Destroy All Humans! Remake

I didn't play a lot of these games back on the PS2 but I did play it round friends houses and enjoyed what they were. Honetly this is a series I have always been curious in and the announcement of a remake seems like a great time to jump on. The trailer is really fucking cool as well, I think it must be a Rammstein song but it just really rules, the graphics in the trailer look so good, it is definitely just a pre rendered cut scene but if the game looks half as good as that I will be over the moon.


Spongebob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated

AW HELL YEAH, we're getting some good as Spongebob games back, now we just need the flying dutchman game, lights camera pants and the movie game. There wasn't much of a trailer for this so unsure what it could look like but it's still exciting from my opinion.


Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair

Didn't play the first game, but it looks as if this game is going for a side scrolling platformer and a top down styled over world, unlike the first games, 3D platformer collect-a-thon. Seems cool and fun looking!


Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare

Haven't been a big CoD guy in a long time, but after play the first Modern Warfare remake recently and remembering the enjoyment I got from some of those games I actually am interested in this game. Trailer is really good too. I have a feeling that this might still be in a conference, or this beig announced Pre-E3 confirms that Microsoft had no room for Call Of Duty this year, which would be interesting.


Death Stranding

I still don't know what the fuck this about, but there was a lot more shown here than there was last time and it looks really good and interesting. That's about as much as I have to say because idek what it is gonna be especially after all those tweets Kojima made about the game afterwards saying it isn't an action game its a strand game.


Pokemon Direct on Sword & Shield

DYNAMAX, what a cool ass looking game. I love the open world, I love the seeming fous on arena battles, thats the kinda stuff I want to see in Pokemon as someone who isn't massively attached to the franchise. I think it looks like enough of a change that a lot of fans will be really interested in trying it out.


Stadia Connect

Honestly the promise of Stadia continues to be intriguing but the (maybe) death of physical media still upset me as someone who loves to buy and own physical media. I think the pricing and how it will all work is still confusing even though they have announced it all.


EA Play 

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

So they showed off an uncut 15 minute gameplay session from the game, and initial thoughts are that it looks really really cool. Combat looks like God Of War, thats the closest I can get to describing it, they kept saying the footage was being played by a 'skilled player' it's a game that hasn't come out yet so I don't know how skilled he is supposed to be, but he was getting hit a lot, and to me that either shows that the game is really hard, the combat is possibly messy or he is purposely trying to show being hit, not sure? Also I found it a little worrying with the way the combat looks, it looked (again) a bit messy, there was only a few cool abilities shown, and it makes me wonder if the game will have a combo list like God of War and a ability tree like God Of War that you can unlock more moves for your lightsaber and the force. This demo made it look like a linear level structure, maybe a little too linear? Not sure maybe I'm just being very cautious about the whole thing? Overall it looks really great. Excited to see more at Microsoft.


Apex Legends

I haven't played much Apex since it came out, not that I didn't like the game, I really loved the game, I think I lost my passion for playing because I wasn't building to anything I really wanted a lot like a skin, like I would do in Overwatch a couple years ago. Well that has changed with what they showed here today, they said 'I think we've upped our skin game' and I agree with that, just with the short few illustrations it looks really cool. Also the new Wraith skin (who is my main) that is out now looks really rad. The big reveal for this was the Season 2 character Watson, which I love everything about, a really different styled character, art direction wise and game play wise, she seems like she might be too over powered but we wont know until we get our hands on her. She has a back story which is the first time this game feels like it's building more of a heavy lore around it, which is what I really wanted out of the game. I always liked the designs of all the characters but Watson looks like they have a made an effort to go out in a different direction. I'm really excited about her and the way the game is going, feels like they understand what made the game less than perfect and aiming to fix that. Overall Season 2 looks very exciting especially with the tease at the end of seemingly a giant dragon!? Very interested and I will definitely playing over the weekend to get that sweet double XP.

E3 2017: Nintendo Conference - The Plus and The Minus

Going into this conference I had my expectations low, I didn't expect any announcements considering they had a recent solo conference announcing Pokken to Switch and Ultra Sun and Moon to 3DS consoles. But I have got to say, they have truly made me get a new console this generation which I didn't expect at all.

The Plus

+ Kirby

There is a new Kirby game coming out for Switch and I cannot be more excited. Kirby games are always a constantly great avenue to go for your great platformer fix and a new one for Switch is the right way to go, I can't wait.

+ Pokemon Switch

WE HAVE FINALLY GOT VERBAL CONFIRMATION OF A POKEMON SWITCH GAME!! This has been what everyone has been waiting for since the Switch got released and even though it was just a verbal confirmation it is enough for everyone to stay excited and to know that Nintendo are being up front with everyone.

+ Metroid Prime 4

Similarly to Pokemon Switch this is just a confirmation of the game being in development, but to be honest that is enough.

+ Yoshi

Again, similarily to Kirby, Yoshi games recently have been a very good source to get your platforming fix and this recent game looks to be working with a two side mechanic.

+ Breath Of The Wild DLC

It seems like some cool additions added to Zelda and anyone who is a fan of the game will enjoy this stuff added to their game.

+ Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

YES it still looks good, yes it still sounds good, yes they showed gameplay afterwards and it makes me wanna play the game more. This is a complete blind side of a game that is now very high on my list. AND ITS OUT IN OCTOBER!!

+ Rocket League

Not only have we got one of the most fun casual pick up and play games of recent memory coming to a console it feels like it was made for, but it also announced how online on the Switch would also be cross-platform with online on other consoles, which means the sad part of some Nintendo games that have no online players won't have that issue here.

+ Super Mario Odyssey

I don't think I can accurately explain in writing how impressed, hyped, and just out right blown away I am with the trailer and game play demo that they showed us of this game. I think this may be a very strong contender for being Game Of The Year against Zelda and other Triple A titles that have come out this year. The mechanics are phenomenal and the fact that Nintendo a couple years ago felt out dated and in a slump we have absolutely flipped this year and this game is the epitome of that.

+ Metroid: Samus Returns

A remake of the second Metroid game is beautiful stylised graphics and looking like some solid game play. The best part is the fact that this is being made for 3DS which is more confirmation that this Nintendo are definitely not finished with 3DS consoles. Personally, even with the portability of the Switch I wouldn't want to be playing it out in the open because of how expensive it is and how large it is. The Switch is much more of a 'take while travelling' 'play while watching tv' 'take round friends house' than a 'play on the train, bus or outside' maybe that's just me, that's why support to the 3DS is still so important to me.

There was not one minus to me at this conference, granted it was short but it was sweet and we had quite a few surprises when we didn't think there would be any, there was more of a focus on full exposure with fans on games that they are anticipating as well as full frontal game play, nothing staged and all natural. I think the Switch is gonna be something we'll be talking about for years to come so everyone pick one up.