E3 2018 is finally over, and boy, it has been one heck of a year! So many games, so little time! Now it is time to finally go over the best- and the worst- the show had to offer this year! I have made a little award ceremony congratulating what I think are the winners of this year’s E3- as well as chastising the losers for their incredibly weak showing. Here is a list of awards I will hand out in this ceremony. Only one winner per trophy, with a few runner-ups.
- Worst Conference of E3
- Best Conference of E3
- Best Racin’ Game
- Best Shootin’ Game
- Best RPG Game
- Worst Trailer
- Best Trailer
- “It actually showed up!” Award
- “No-Show” Award (for best game not to be at E3)
- Worst Fanbase Reaction
- Worst Game of the Show
- Most Surprising Game of the Show
- Best Game of the Show (MOST PRESTIGIOUS!)
Now that you know the awful awards I’m going to give out, let’s begin the Ceremony!
WORST CONFERENCE
AND THE WINNER IS….. EA
RUNNER-UP: SQUARE ENIX
Once again, EA have proved that their names doesn’t stand for Electronic Arts, but rather Elusive Asshats- so out of touch, so uncaring and ignorant of what gamers want that it’s a wonder how they still have a means to operate. With only a few indie games and Anthem being the most notable things they showed off, everything else was SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS and other garbage. The worst bit, however, is the announcement of Command and Conquer: Rivals, which spent Westwood spinning in their grave. I don’t think EA will ever change….
BEST CONFERENCE
AND THE WINNER IS….. MICROSOFT
RUNNERS-UP: NINTENDO, SONY, BETHESDA
Can you believe it? Microsoft finally one something! Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh, but all things considered, I thought Microsoft actually brought their A-game (and actual games as well!) It really helped that they were right after the absolutely abysmal EA conference, but was further cemented by the abundance of exclusive premieres and reveals. Halo Infinite, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Devil May Cry 5, and Cyberpunk 2077- the list of games shown was monumental. After I watched I simply said the following. “Now this is E3!”
BEST RACIN’ GAME
AND THE WINNER IS…… FORZA HORIZON 4
RUNNER-UP: THE CREW 2
This one’s pretty straight forward, as there wasn’t a lot of Racing games at this years E3, sadly. A quick recap of the Forza Horizon series- every single game has been good. FH 4 looks to continue that tradition with new features like seasonal racing and world events. The fact that the game is going to be on the Xbox Game Pass day one is also good. Looks to be racing game of the year, easily (which isn’t saying much, as Racing games are far and few between anymore…) And yes- I’ll talk about the Crew 2 when I play the open beta…
BEST SHOOTIN’ GAME
AND THE WINNER IS…… DOOM ETERNAL
RUNNERS-UP: ANTHEM, HALO INFINITE, JUST CAUSE 4
I know what your thinking. “But Brian- they didn’t show any gameplay! You can’t say its the best shooting game if there’s no gameplay!” Well, Mr. Guy I Made Up, excuse me for assuming that Doom Eternal was any good! Seriously though, if the game is anything like the 2016 version, it should be everything I want it to be. Nuff’ said.
BEST RPG
AND THE WINNER IS……. FALLOUT 76
RUNNERS-UP: ELDER SCROLLS: BLADES, KINGDOM HEARTS III
Again- I know what your thinking. “KINGDOM HEARTS III, BRIAN! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN KINGDOM HEARTS III!” Well, sorry, but I’m not that big on Kingdom Hearts, as I’m just now starting to play though the series. FO 76 looks like an interesting take on the Fallout formula I love, and hopefully it all doesn’t go south. I’d wait to hear more about it, and others should too, but I really do think it could be the best RPG from this year’s E3- if they can manage.
WORST TRAILER
AND THE WINNER IS…… THE QUIET MAN
RUNNER-UP: GEARS FUNKO POP, C&C RIVALS
This one’s simple. We did not find out who ordered the chow. Also, the trailer was clumsy edited, and the live-action actors felt lifted straight from a Tommy Wiseau film. I still don’t know what the game is…. some kind of brawler where you play as a deaf person? What is it, Square Enix? TELL ME!
BEST TRAILER
AND THE WINNER IS…… CYBERPUNK 2077
RUNNERS-UP: EVERY OTHER TRAILER
After years of waiting, we finally got our first major glimpse into the world of Cyberpunk 2077, a game that has been hotly anticipated for what feels like a century. There’s so much going on- every scene is so dense. It’s like poetry, it rhymes. Really though- the game really looks like something special, despite what some people are saying about it online….
“IT ACTUALLY SHOWED UP” AWARD
AND THE WINNER IS…… RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE
RUNNERS-UP: CYBERPUNK 2077, HALO INFINITE
Another game that people have been waiting years for, Resident Evil 2 Remake felt like it was never coming. Then, during Sony’s press conference, we were treated with a surprising trailer that threw us a curveball. Not only was the game playable on the floor at E3, it’s also coming quicker then imagined- early next year. I can’t wait to learn more about this hotly anticipated sequel!
“NO-SHOW” AWARD
AND THE WINNER IS…… ROCKSTEADY’S SUPERMAN
RUNNERS-UP: SEE TOP 10 NO-SHOWS
Okay, so hear me out. Right before E3, I saw many people saying that Rocksteady’s fabled Superman game would finally be revealed. This would have been super interesting, as Superman, to put it bluntly, really never has a much luck with video games. Is the project real? Where the rumors of incorporating other DC heroes true? We probably won’t know until next year- and again, is if the project even exists!
As for the runner-ups, I actually have a whole list of them that I will post tomorrow in my first ever Top Ten List- Top 10 E3 2018 No-Shows.
WORST FANBASE REACTION
AND THE WINNER IS……. CYBERPUNK 2077
RUNNER-UP: SUPER SMASH BROS ULTIMATE
I couldn’t choose between how people reacted to Cyberpunk 2077 or Smash Bros Ultimate. I finally just came to the realization that the Super Smash Bros community is beyond saving, and that the biggest crybabies from E3 were those who had a total kneejerk reaction to 2077’s trailer. After the world premiere, many people went onto their usual places and complained about how bright everything was and where the hell the rainy night time aesthetic the Cyberpunk genre is known for was. Then it was revealed that the game was first person, and another hissy fit was had…. even though only a choice few actually got to see actual gameplay behind closed door. Just goes to show you- you can’t please everyone. (And Sakurai will NEVER be able to satisfy smash fans. Man I feel sorry for him…)
WORST GAME OF THE SHOW
AND THE WINNER IS……. COMMAND AND CONQUER: RIVALS
RUNNERS-UP: JUST DANCE 2019, FUNKO POP GEARS
This one was easy. Everyone thought that Command and Conquer was dead, as 4 pretty much screwed the series tried and true formula into something awful (and not to mention giving Kane a send off he didn’t deserve) but here comes EA, being their usual greedy selfs and resurrecting their once beloved series to sell all kinds of microtransactions with a new entry made for mobile phones. How can one company be so incompetent?
MOST SURPRISING GAME OF THE SHOW
AND THE WINNER IS……. BATTLETOADS
RUNNERS-UP: SUPER MARIO PARTY, HYPER SPORTS R
Who saw this one coming? A new Battletoads game has been a meme for years, and now, a new game in the series has been memed to life. Will if take after it’s incredibly difficult NES origins, or will it be an over-the-top brawler like the arcade game? We don’t really know, but one things for certain- Gamestop employees are f@#ked!
BEST GAME IN SHOW
AND THE ULTIMATE WINNER IS……. CYBERPUNK 2077!
RUNNERS-UP: SUPER SMASH BROS, FALLOUT 76, RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE
This was an easy pick for me- and I’m not even a big CD Projekt fan! From what I heard about the behind closed doors demo and from the trailer itself, Cyberpunk 2077 looks like one of the most promising projects in the industry in years- if they can pull it off! This is CD Projekt Red though, so I’m sure this game is in good hands!
So there you have it- another E3 is over, and this time, we are actually left with a lot of promising games across the board! But my E3 content is not over! In the next few days expect two Top 10 lists- Top 10 No-Shows and Top 10 Games I’m Looking Forward to. Also look out for the my thoughts on games that weren’t at the major conferences as well!
What did you think of E3 2018? Did it deliver? Did I make the right choices? Please let me know!
Gamer's Edge 