Our top picks from E3 for each platform.
Our top picks from E3 for each platform.
The fever-pitch of E3 2018 has come and gone, leaving gamers worldwide with shiny new wish-lists for their platform of choice. While we’ve seen a flood of news for titles old and new, large and small, we’re distilling all that excitement to bring what we feel best encapsulates the thrill of E3: the big announcements, the games that’ll have everyone talking, speculating, and saving for months to come.
NINTENDO SWITCH
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The latest iteration of this fighting game franchise reunites past characters – “every single one!” – to form a massive roster of 66. Even guest characters such as Mega-Man, Ryu, Bayonetta, and Snake are making their return. Notably, players will now select a stage before the character select screen, to better match a fighter’s capabilities to the battlegrounds. (Out: 7 Dec 2018)
Super Mario Party
Local multiplayer is still a strong part of Nintendo’s DNA, which is why Super Mario Party is capitalizing on the Switch’s co-op features. You can get up to four players in-game with just two pairs of Joy-Con controllers, while syncing two or more handhelds will link them up into a giant, configurable display. (Out: 5 Oct 2018)
Fortnite
The co-op multiplayer, base- building, and a battle royale mode has pushed Fortnite to the front of the open-world survival race. Now, it is seeing equal success on Nintendo’s Switch, as the pick-up- and-go gameplay, coupled with a strong and playful art direction, meshes well with the handheld’s strengths. (Out: Now)
PLAYSTATION 4
Spider-Man
Superpowers may not be new to videogames, but web-based locomotion is very much Spider-Man’s thing. Add developer Insomniac Games’ flair for speed and animation, and this PS4 exclusive is already shaping up to be a blockbuster. It features an original story set well into Peter Parker’s double life, with multiple Spidey suits for players to pick from. (Out: 7 Sep 2018)
Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch are taking a more rooted approach with this samurai action- adventure game. Set during the 1924 Mongol invasion of Japan, players must resort to stealth and slick swordplay in the face of overwhelming odds. They’ve only shown a slice of this open- world game, but it’s a visually impressive slice nonetheless. (Out: TBA)
The Last of Us: Part II
Fans were treated to some tantalizing gameplay as a grown- up Ellie comes to a horrifically violent clash against a band of cultists. We spot improved scavenging and AI systems for this highly-anticipated sequel, though it’s the animation work that has observers blown away. Could this be the high-flying swan song of the PS4? (Out: TBA)
PC
Fallout 76
Like The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76 seeks to translate what has traditionally been a single-player RPG into an online multiplayer experience. With open-world survival being a hot topic, players step into the shared-world wastelands of West Virginia to rebuild America… provided they don’t get shot in the back by someone else. (Out: 14 Nov 2018)
Just Cause 4
Though there are plenty of open-world games out there, few compare to the Just Cause series in terms of player freedom and scale of destruction. To ramp things up even further they’re adding extreme weather, with lightning storms and tornadoes ripping up the landscape in a stunning display of graphics and in-game physics. (Out: 4 Dec 2018)
Metro: Exodus
Where “traditional” single-player games are concerned, the Metro franchise stands as one of the better examples out there. The third iteration of this first-person shooter sees its blend of combat, stealth, and story-driven gameplay taken to the great, cold outdoors, where hostile factions and unknown monsters await our tunnel-slinking hero. (Out: 22 Feb 2019)
XBOX ONE
Forza Horizon 4
Seasons have been implemented in a big way for this shared-world racing game. These dynamic changes alter the courses, open previously inaccessible areas, and dot the map with new world events. With more than 450 vehicles to pick from, we foresee plenty of time spent racing through the British country. (Out: 2 Oct 2018)
Gears 5
A new Gears of War was almost guaranteed in the wake of the Xbox One X release, and they’ve aptly raised the visual bar for this shooter. Take control of Kait as she journeys across the series’ largest in-game world, either alone or with a friend, to uncover the origin of the Locust. (Out: 2019)
Halo: Infinite
Speculation is running hard and fast with a title like “Infinite”, especially when games-as-a-service are the industry’s current trend. The developers have confirmed that this continues Master Chief’s story on a new engine, but gameplay itself remains to be seen. That Microsoft are willing to switch up such a key pillar for Xbox spells an exciting future. (Out: TBA)
Read more at gameaxis.com
PICTURES NINTENDO, EPIC GAMES, SONY INTERACTIVE ENT., BETHESDA SOFTWORKS, SQUARE ENIX, DEEP SILVER, MICROSOFT STUDIOS
