The Electronic Entertainment Expo is right around the corner, one of the most exciting gaming events of the year. Developers and publishers will flood the event with a range of new and upcoming games, hoping to captivate you and grab your attention. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of games (both confirmed and expected to be shown) that we feel are up there with the best, games that deserve your time and attention. So, without further ado, here’s a handful of experiences to be especially excited about at E3 2018.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Oh yes, we all knew that this one would be first to make the proverbial cut. Rockstar very rarely fails to excite, if ever. Red Dead Redemption to this day stands as one of their finest games released. There’s a lot of weight and expectation riding on Red Dead Redemption 2, something we have no doubt Rockstar will deliver in just under one month.
Cyberpunk 2077
If I was to ask you for the best RPG of the gen, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt would no doubt immediately spring to mind. CD Projekt Red’s care and attention to detail, world building and depth. Their upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 has been in the forefront of our minds since its initial reveal a few years back, something we suspect we’ll see much more of at E3 2018.
Kingdom Hearts III
Marking the first from the series to release on Xbox One, Kingdom Hearts III is especially exciting for fans of that platform. Square Enix has drip-fed the promotional run of this game for a number of years now, with 2018 showcasing more than ever before. The game is set to arrive later this year and we’re expecting to see a great deal of focus on it during the event.
The Division 2
Ubisoft already lifted the lid on The Division 2 earlier this year, which if you ask me, speaks a lot about what else they could have up their sleeves, including the unveil of a new AAA IP. The first game went on to become an absolute smash hit, so there’s understandably a heap of anticipation regarding the sequel. Can Ubisoft pull it off? Only time will tell…
Battlefield V
Battlefield V was announced earlier this week, despite leaks and rumors. Following the release of the massively successful Battlefield, grouped with EA’s sticky recent history regarding MTs, there’s a lot of pressure on them to get this right from the get-go. Still, with that shit to the side, Battlefield V is on the minds of most first person shooter fans.
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII
Treyarch released a great deal of information regarding Black Ops IIII earlier this week. We know that there’s no single-player campaign, we know that the game will include a Battle Royale mode and we know that it will be boots on the ground. These decisions split the crowd, but with Treyarch at the helm, we’re willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the best platformers of the gen, for me at least. Everything from the soundtrack to the wonderfully created gameplay and theme, was nothing short of outstanding. The sequel was revealed at last year’s E3, though, we’re expecting to see much more of it at E3 2018. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait.
Anthem
No thanks to EA’s background during the last year, the fanbase of Anthem remains finely split. Many are expecting a Destiny-esque experience that’s actually worthwhile, while others are expecting an action game that’s packed with MTs. Only time will show us where Anthem sits, but there’s no denying that the game seems to be shaping up well.
Destiny 2’s Fall Expansion
Ah, the elephant in the room, hello there. Destiny 2 was a solid game, hindered only by poor post-launch support and rubbish (shallow) expansions. Much like Destiny’s The Taken King, we’re expecting this fall expansion to be a massive improvement upon Curse of Osiris and Warmind. Bungie quite simply needs to deliver something better than ever to save this IP.
Skull and Bones
Having sunk well over forty hours into Sea of Thieves, I’m itching for Skull and Bones. Sea of Thieves is a decent game, make no mistake about it, but it lacks content and depth. Ubisoft tends to deliver this is spades, which is why I’m especially looking forward to learning more about their upcoming multiplayer pirate adventure. Let’s see what E3 brings.
Splinter Cell 2018
Leaked, but yet to be confirmed, Sam Fisher is expected to greet our screens once more via a new Splinter Cell game. It’s been a while since we saw Splinter Cell and gaming in general has come a long way since. We’ve no doubt Ubisoft will nail this in their presentation, but until then, we’ll just have to contain our energy and pretend it doesn’t exist.
Life is Strange 2
Life is Strange 2 is another game that has yet to be confirmed for E3 2018, but I think it’s a safe bet to assume that we’ll be seeing it make an appearance. The predecessor and its prequel series received wide spread acclaim for their story telling, presentation and character depth. Safe to say that there’s a lot riding on the first true follow up.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Lara Croft, what a journey she’s been on in the last few decades. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is said to be the conclusion of the origin trilogy (Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider). The first two games, despite the bombed exclusivity deal of the latter, were nothing short of amazing. We fully expect the third and final game to follow suit.
Metro Exodus
Little is known about Metro Exodus. We caught a glimpse of some gameplay at E3 2017 and a few tidbits since then, but we still don’t know as much about it as we would like. E3 2018 is set to change that and although this game doesn’t have a gigantic following, we’ve every reason to believe that this upcoming presentation will aim to change that and more.
The Walking Dead
Activision butchered one of the last games to take place in The Walking Dead universe, producing nothing more than a quick cash grab on one of the series’ most favored characters. Overkill may not have the best background (PayDay, I’m looking at you) but it has to be said that their seemingly ambitious take on the universe seems to be paying off.
Beyond Good and Evil 2
The announcement of Beyond Good and Evil 2 at E3 2017 took many of us by surprise, given the niche following of the first game. Though, Ubisoft seems to be taking no punches when it comes to this game. We already know that the scale is set to be absolutely huge and despite not knowing much outside of that, I’d bet that that’s all set to change at E3 2018.
Below
Below, now there’s a game that’s not shy of delay. We’ve been excited for Below for far too long. The developers state that they hope to release the game this year and suggestions seem to point to a decent presence at E3 2018. It’ll be interesting to see how much the game has changed since the last reveal, something that hopefully comes with launch date.
Rage 2
Rage 2 was only recently announced by Bethesda via a short teaser, followed closely by some gameplay. With Avalanche Studios, masters of open world insanity, and id Software, the gods of the first-person shooter, collectively at the helm, there’s a lot to look forward to. If you ask me, Bethesda will have more than a few tricks up their sleeves for the event.
Crackdown 3
This very almost failed to make the list and even as I type, I feel dirty just talking about it in the midst of all of these great titles. Crackdown 3 hasn’t done itself any favors with its mediocre trailers and wide trail of delays, but still, it enjoys a decent enough following to make the cut. This is its one and only chance to regain its since extinguished hype.
Forza Horizon 4
Rumor suggests that Forza Horizon 4 will take place in Japan and if that’s true, this may well be the best game in the Horizon series. Japan is such an interesting setting, that much alone has to be said. Hopefully this serves a better experience than Forza Horizon 3, but then, that’s hardly a high bar to reach now, is it? Racing fans, let’s hope we get blown away.
Do you have any submissions that you believe deserved a spot on this list? If so, feel more than free to sound off in the comments below.
Want to keep up to date with the latest Xt reviews, Xt opinions and Xt content? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Kyle
Im definitely looking forward to Crackdown 3. While when it got delayed it was disappointing it was good to give the teams the extra time and to release Crackdown 3 into a slower timeframe instead of the super busy fall. I really dont understand the negativity accross the internet towards Crackdown 3 to me it looks to retain the expected comic book look instead of cutting edge realistic graphics which wouldn’t fit with the game. Plus It looks really fun just a vastly expanded Crackdown 1 which is exactly what I wanted it to be.
Kyle
Crackdown 3 is definitely reason why its good for all publishers to hold off on announcing games until they are ready to ship in a year instead of announcing games while they just started being made.
Mark Sherwood
Definitely agree with you there, regarding publishers holding off on announcements. Something I think MS have done well to learn from. Hopefully we see a much better product when it ships.
I don’t think MS have helped with its handling at all; delay, delay, really poor presentations, lack of transparency regarding its features, cringe-worthy celebs play sessions and so on. Only time will tell, but yes, I fully agree with you on that score.