What’s Hiding In The Shadows Before E3 2018?

If Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t one of those games that gets mostly shown behind doors this year, I think it could be the main sleeping giant of E3 2018. We know almost nothing about it, but what little we do know sounds extremely ambitious, and it’s from the developer of one of the best-rated games of this console generation. To me it just feels like it has the most potential in proportion to how little people are talking about it in the run-up to E3. Other than that I guess Super Smash Bros. for the Switch is the big thing I’m looking forward to. That’s another game we know almost nothing about other than what’s obligatory in Smash Bros. games, but is gonna be a main-pillar game for some people (myself included).

Those are the two games that immediately pop into my head in terms of personal interest and potential future hype at E3 2018. In March I wrote about my anticipation for a new Splinter Cell as well, which is looking increasingly likely to be revealed at E3. Something else I hope E3 reveals is the Prey expansion pack Arkane has been teasing. Microsoft is also rumored to be bringing out the bulk of its first party lineup at E3: Halo 6, Gears of War 5, and Forza Horizon 4. I guess enough time has passed since the last entry in each of those franchises for at least one of them to show up this year. Another rumor going around is Mortal Kombat 11. The last rumored reveal I can think of right now is that people are speculating Nintendo will show off the new Metroid Prime and a new Star Fox game… or whatever it is Retro Studios has been working on.

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Is Witcher 3 The Next Game Everybody Wants To Imitate?

I still don’t quite know what to think of information on an upcoming Assassin’s Creed game being broken on 4chan of all places, but one thing did catch my eyes — the mention in that 4chan thread of a desire for a “Witcher-feel” in the game. All I could think upon reading that was “here we go.”

I guess I should have expected it. The Witcher 3 has been named game of the year by over 150 publications (and this blog) for 2015. It’s the hot new game everybody likes. Of course it would become the next secret sauce everybody else is trying to capture. Even if the 4chan thread itself was bunk, we still might see other developers make similar desires known in the near future. Everybody should definitely be learning from good games including Witcher 3, but when big developers say they want to be like this good game or that good game, in my opinion they usually end up missing the point of why those games are good.

Obligatory GOTY Post, 2015 Edition

Every year I seem to count a different number of “top” games I played. I don’t like having to struggle to figure out a top 10 or top five or whatever. Do the academy awards have a set number of nominees they have to have every year? I just go over whichever games in a year actually stood out in terms of quality as well as how continually drawn I am to them, no matter what number they come up to. In 2014 that number was pretty much zero (maybe one), this year it’s three, listed in order below.

As I said last time, I like to think of 2015 as the year when AAA video games became interesting again. Not since 2011 had I been truly hyped about any new major game coming out. I’d also like to say that 2015 seems like a year when we got some unusually good writing in video games. Some other people say it’s also been a great year for adventure games. I don’t know if that’s true or if I just hadn’t been playing enough adventure games or games with good writing in previous years. In any case, both of those trends seem to be set to continue into next year if nothing get’s delayed.

Game Patches Should Be Available As Separate Downloads Again

CDProjekt RED is doing something pretty interesting for the release of The Witcher 3. Like most high-profile releases today it’ll have a day-one patch, but on PC that day one patch will be available as a separate download for everyone regardless of whether they have the game yet (just like The Witcher 2)*. Everyone should start doing this, on both PC and console in fact. It’s basically a regression to how patches used to be distributed, but why not do both the new and old ways?

When And Where To Call “Downgrade” On New Games

I’ve been wanting to talk about The Witcher 3’s downgrade controversy for a while now, but since reviews are coming around and the retail game is in the hands of at least some people, I think we can make better analyses. Most importantly though, I just want to explain why I think most downgrade controversies we’ve had over the last few years have been a load of crap.

Examining People’s Hopes For The Witcher 3

I’ve pretty much spent today immersed in the new onslaught of Witcher 3 media from CDProejkt RED’s latest press event — the first time people from a bunch of publications got to play the game. This is probably my most anticipated game of 2015 — the only one for which I’m willing to wade through previews, and I think I’m starting to form a realistic view of how it’ll turn out in May, that includes its strengths and weaknesses.

I think discussions on this game have been somewhat distorted by the unique reputation CDPR has gained since 2007. That’s affected how people think about Witcher 3’s graphics, the developer’s attempt at an open-world game, its combat, whatever. I have a sinking feeling it’s going to distort the heck out of how the game is received in May. Over the last year or so I’ve been trying to put together in my head why we see CDPR the way we do and what the developer will probably bring to the table in its biggest production to date.