Honestly, I didn’t think Death Stranding could get any weirder following the terrifyingly bizarre Game Awards trailer last year that had me scratching my head. Boy was I wrong though as Hideo Kojima showed us all once again why there’s so much interest in the game. This latest trailer not only confirms the addition of two strong female characters played by Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner, which is already awesome on its own, but it also shows off just how graphically stunning Death Stranding will be. While this game isn’t a new announcement, it certainly was the best moment from E3 for me. Kojima grabbed my attention with this latest trailer and at this point, he may as well just take my money because this is a game I’m picking up 100%. If that wasn’t clear before E3 2018 it certainly is now.
– Erin Castillo
Fox McCloud in Starlink: Battle for Atlas
My favorite announcement of E3, based on how it was presented on-stage and how completely unexpected it was, is the inclusion of Fox McCloud and the Arwing in Starlink: Battle for Atlas. The Starlink portion of Ubisoft’s event started out as expected, new info and some story elements, but the transition to Fox electrified the room. In a year where leaks came from everywhere, this announcement staying under the radar until it’s grand entrance, and that is what E3 is all about.
– Jason Fanelli
My personal favorite game of E3 has to be Cyberpunk 2077. I had little in the way of expectations going into that extended demo, other than a certain aesthetic. What I got was a massive world being blown wide open by a slick, sexy, downright incredible look at just what CDPR has been up to for the last five years. Everything from the branching quest paths to the combat has me absolutely fucking salivating for this game’s release. When they announce the release date for this game, that day will (or should) be an international holiday.
– James Paley
My top E3 moment was the Devil May Cry 5 reveal. I love fast-paced action games and I’ve always been interested in the DMC series. This new game looks like it’ll be great and I’m really looking forward to playing it!
– Isaac Monterose
Something about combining the wild themes of Borderlands with the gruesome intensity of DOOM was just awesome. Bethesda has long been one of my favorite studios, so this high octane and explosive open-world environment is just icing on the cake. It looks incredibly badass and if it hadn’t been leaked before E3 I feel like it would be much higher on people’s must-have lists. It’s violent, it’s dirty, and it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun.
– Alexander Thomas
Cyberpunk isn’t my pick because its presence at E3 was surprising – I was as close to certain as one can be that it’d be shown in some capacity. Nor did it do anything particularly new: the ground it’s covering is well trodden. Nay, Cyberpunk 2077 melted my face right off because it strikes an absolutely glorious balance between things I want out of a game. A fantastic, well-realized world full of lore and characters to discover. A robust and interesting combat system with player agency that directly affects gameplay. An aesthetic that makes me weak in the knees. Cyberpunk 2077 is taking the brilliance of The Witcher 3 and applying to the classic megacorp dystopia that’s never really been nailed in the gaming space. It’s primed to be a damn masterpiece.
– Paul Sullivan
Though many games flaunted at E3 2018 appeal to me greatly, few contest my deep adoration for Insomniac’s Spider-Man. I managed to get my hands on the demo following Sony’s Showcase, and God as my witness, I nearly shed tears in doing so. It feels better to play than I’d ever hoped, and it may very well be the Spidey game we’ve all been waiting for. Dreams do come true, and they’re swinging onto PS4 on September 7.
– Garrett Drake
E3 2018Â
My top E3 moment is not a game or announcement but is one that is a bit sappy. For me, it was just a great experience to spend nearly a solid week with 6 other amazing COGconnected leaders who tirelessly worked their asses off all week long. But it goes beyond that. The crew this year is a mix of folks with incredible talents and without this team there is no COGconnected. Whether it is Paul staying up late to produce our podcast; or Judi sifting through hundreds of applications (okay maybe dozens) to join our team; or Garrett cranking out one amazing video after another; or Alex constantly promoting our work over social media; or James relentlessly taking on games nobody wants to touch; or Michael who gets up early with me to edit, publish and promote work, I consider myself lucky and blessed to be a part of this team. Everyone on this E3 crew gives up so much time and energy throughout the year to COG, so it was nothing but a pleasure and honor to be able to spend time with all of them at the biggest gaming extravaganza of the year. It was truly a blast and an unforgettable year.
– Trevor HoustonÂ
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