CHENNAI: There is simply too much E3 news to cover in a single week, and so we’re back to continuing to sift through the deluge. Let’s start old-school with:
Death Stranding
The more of Death Stranding I see, the more confused I am; and I suspect that’s exactly what Hideo Kojima wants. I still don’t know anything about it, but Death Stranding certainly has my curiosity. (It’ll have to make a little more sense to get my attention, though!)
Doom Eternal
After the runaway success of the Doom reboot in 2016, it was only a matter of time before Bethesda announced a sequel; and so Doom Eternal arrives as not much of a surprise. More of the (excellent) same would have been just fine but they’re also shifting the battleground - Hell has come to Earth, and though it seems weird to be happy about that, there’s a lot to look forward to - many wishlists to be filled out, many ‘sick days’ to be planned in advance, and so on. It’s a good time to be a gamer!
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
The next Assassin’s Creed, set in ancient Greece, is releasing in October this year, and looks spectacular. Players will play as an outcast Spartan mercenary, and will engage in much of the same gameplay as last year’s Origins but with more complex combat, more RPG mechanics and more naval gameplay. (Origins + Black Flag? Sign me up!)
Skull & Bones
Even if Skull & Bones was just the naval gameplay of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag spun off into a different game, many people (myself included) would have been fine with it. However, it looks like they’re going for a more ambitious take on multiplayer pirate battles, and looking to outdo the recently-released Sea of Thieves.
Gears (of War) 5
Gears of War is back, although they’re ditching the ‘of War’ bit. Thankfully, that isn’t all that’s new about Gears 5. Picking up after the events of Gears of War 4, it looks you’ll be playing as the returning Kait Diaz (also the series’ first female protagonist!) and looking to discover the origins of the Locust.
Ghost of Tsushima
Set during the Mongol invasion of Japan in the 13th century, Ghost of Tsushima casts players as Jin Sakai. At first glance, Sakai appears to be a fairly non-traditional samurai, having ditched the famous armour and occasionally opting for the stealthy approach. Also interesting is that this might have been the best-looking game at E3.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Could it be? Could this actually be a good Spider-Man game? Early signs point to ‘maybe, just maybe’, with new gameplay showing off Spidey’s acrobatic moves in combat and some trademark daredevilry against some familiar villains. (It also looks like they’ve taken inspiration from the Arkham series, which is not a bad thing!)
