Month: June 2018

Bungie is gearing up to make what sounds like a big Destiny 2 announcement ahead of E3 2018. The studio announced today that its Year 2 livestream will take place on Tuesday, June 5. The stream, which you’ll be able to watch on Twitch and here on GameSpot, begins at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET.

The reveal event will offer a first look at what Bungie has lined up for Destiny 2’s second year. This includes “some big ideas for how we’re going to transform your Guardian lifestyle and reinforce your hobby as an interplanetary hero.”

A number of Destiny 2 developers will appear on the stream, including game director Steve Cotton and project lead Scott Taylor. “We’ll respond to a bunch of community feedback and unveil some other things you haven’t even been looking forward to… yet,” Bungie said. “We’ll top it all off with a look at a new Roadmap with exciting new promises for everyone.”

The reveal event is just the beginning, as Bungie says it is only the “beginning of a conversation that will last all summer long.” We’re expecting to see and hear more about Destiny 2 Year 2 content at E3 2018.

Following Warmind, Destiny 2’s next big expansion is coming this fall. It will introduce an “incredibly engaging new mode,” according to publisher Activision.

Activision’s Coddy Johnson said recently that this new mode introduces a “whole new style of play for first-person shooter gaming generally and certainly for the shared-world shooter space that Destiny created.” He added: “It’s a really exciting development. It’s one of the things we think will really speak to the community when it comes out in the fall.”

Confirming rumors, Ubisoft has announced Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The announcement was made with a short teaser clip and a logo, where a helmet occupies the central spot that the Eye of Horus sat for Assassin’s Creed Origins. The tease is short but promises a more extended look at E3 2018.

Rumors began circulating today after a purported promotional keychain with the title appeared. It appeared to imply this game would take place in ancient Greece or Rome, which this tease also supports. Last year’s Origins featured some Greco-Roman architecture, characters, and political intrigue.

This would also appear to put Assassin’s Creed back on an annual schedule. After Assassin’s Creed Syndicate‘s release in 2015, Ubisoft notably took a year off to give the next franchise entry more time. Assassin’s Creed Origins was the result, and it benefitted from the extra time according to the critical consensus on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

Ubisoft’s press conference will take place on Monday, June 11 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, and presumably that’s where we’ll see more of Odyssey. Check out our thoughts on what we want from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the meantime.

A new Assassin’s Creed game was inevitable; it was only a matter of time before it came along. May’s big Walmart Canada leak suggested an announcement could be coming soon, and following another, more specific leak, Ubisoft has confirmed the game and said it will show up at E3. Here’s what little we (possibly) know about the game–titled Assassin’s Creed Odyssey–and what we want to see at E3 2018.

What We Know So Far

Ubisoft has done little more than confirm the new Assassin’s Creed, so little is certain. The publisher did recently say it has an unannounced triple-A game launching during the current fiscal year, which runs through March 2019. It’s unclear whether this game is a new IP or part of an existing one, but the fact that it didn’t tout it as a new one suggests it’s a sequel–meaning Assassin’s Creed fit the bill perfectly. (Of course, it could have also been a new Splinter Cell.)

The aforementioned Walmart Canada leak has already been proven correct about a pair of games, Rage 2 and Lego DC Super-Villains. That doesn’t mean the other games that were listed are real, but it did make the one for something simply called “Assassin’s Creed” a bit more believable.

Further bolstering the case for a new game is a report by JeuxVideo, which obtained an image of a collectible keychain. The packaging features what could be the name of the game, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The keychain itself is what looks like an Ancient Greek helmet; combined with the name, Ancient Greece could very well be the game’s setting. The teaser video above also features a rather 300-ish clip of someone being kicked off a cliff, further reinforcing this assumption.

What’s Confirmed For E3?

The new game is officially called Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The Walmart Canada leak and possible release timing would make E3 the perfect time for an announcement, but we’ve gotten that a bit early, presumably thanks to the leaks. Ubisoft had previously teased it would have something to reveal during its press conference.

It might feel a little soon for a new game, as Assassin’s Creed Origins only released this past fall. But with the exception of the gap that preceded it, AC has traditionally seen annual installments. Odyssey could be a return to that release schedule.

What We Hope To See At E3

One welcome change we’d love to see is more variety in mission design. Origins frequently boiled down to clearing an enemy camp or rescuing a prisoner from one. Those are fine, but having more things to do–and more options in how to tackle a given situation–would help to keep things fresh, particularly during side quests.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Origins also improved upon the series’ combat, but it remained relatively loose and unrefined. With Ancient Greece having such a rich history when it comes to fighting and warfare, we’d love to see this area of the game further overhauled.

Likewise, we want to see the world itself bolstered. Origins’ cities were fascinating to explore, but outside of them, there were huge swaths of empty land that did little but pad out the world’s size. One way of doing this could be to provide meaningful reasons to go places and collect things, rather than the numerous “go here and collect an object that serves no purpose” objectives in Origins. Our fingers are crossed that Discovery Tour also makes a return.

After so many rapid-fire sequels, Origins was lauded for introducing a number of new mechanics and RPG elements, even if it wasn’t a complete reimagining for the series. The number of changes can perhaps be attributed in part to the additional development time that was spent on the game. If Ubisoft does plan to bring out a new entry this year, what we’d love more than anything is for it to demonstrate that this is another meaningful step forward for the franchise.

We’re several years into the the life cycle of the PS4 and Xbox One, and Nintendo just released the Switch last year, which means one thing for E3 2018: it’s going to be all about the games. Sure, there’s always the possibility of some of kind of big tech or hardware tease, but it’s more likely that the major console companies will save any of those types of announcements for another time. Instead, the focus is going to be on gameplay and trailers for many of the games we already know are fast-approaching this holiday, as well as a slate of new and unannounced games.

Here, in alphabetical order, are some of the biggest games we’re pretty sure are going to be at E3 in some form or another. Hopefully most of them are playable, but even if some only show up as a trailer, it’s another chance to get a feel for what lies ahead. Many of these titles have been announced, but others are ones we’re guessing at based on the list of companies on the official E3 homepage (as well as our infallible intuition).

The first potential look we’ll get at most of these games will be during the press conferences before E3 even begins. To make sure you’re up to date with the times as well as the location for our E3 video streams, we have a hub rounding up all of that info as well.

The following games are only a potential sampling of all the exciting titles that will come out of E3, and in the coming weeks, we’ll also reveal our editor’s picks for the games we’re personally hyped to hear more about. But in the meantime, what games do you hope to learn more about at the show? Let us know in the comments below!

We’re five years into the the life cycle of PS4, which means it’s going to be all about the games at E3 2018. While there’s always the possibility of some of kind of big tech or hardware tease, it’s more likely that Sony will save any of those types of announcements for another time. The focus is going to be on gameplay and trailers for many of the games we already know are releasing this holiday, as well as a slate of new and unannounced games.

Here, in alphabetical order, are some of the biggest PS4 games we’re pretty sure are going to be at E3 in some form or another. Hopefully most of them are playable, but even if some only show up as a trailer, it’s another chance to get a feel for what lies ahead. Many of these titles have been announced, but others are titles we’re guessing based on the list of companies on the official E3 homepage.

The first potential look we’ll get at most of these games will be during the press conferences before E3 even begins. To make sure you’re up to date with the times as well as the location for our E3 video streams, we have a hub rounding up all of that info as well.

The following games are only a potential sampling of all the exciting titles that will come out of E3, and in the coming weeks, we’ll also reveal our editor’s picks for the games we’re personally hyped to hear more about. But in the meantime, what games do you hope to learn more about at the show? Let us know in the comments below!

E3 2018 promises to bring news on lots of big games, and EA’s Battlefield V is definitely one we’re excited to learn more about. Following the game’s announcement earlier this month, EA and developer DICE plan to talk a lot more about it next month at E3. In this feature we’re rounding up important details about the game including what we know about it so far, what’s confirmed for E3, and what we hope to see from the game at the show. Here we go!

What We Know So Far

After weeks of rumors, EA officially announced Battlefield V during a livestream event in May. As suspected, the game is set during World War II, and it sounds like it builds on what made Battlefield 1 so great with its own set of exciting new features. Starting with what’s on everyone’s mind–the game has no loot boxes and all the maps will be free. EA is ditching the Premium Pass model of past games in favour of giving players access to maps and modes for free as part of an ongoing service model called Turning Tides. This is great news because it means no longer will players get separated based on DLC ownership. It’s a smart move on EA’s part because it will theoretically keep people in the game more–and spending more. EA is no charity, and you can still spend real money on cosmetics to create a unique-looking character. There are loads of new features in Battlefield V, including the ability to shoot grenades out of mid-air or drag a downed soldier out of the line of fire to heal them in a safer environment.

Battlefield is known for its destruction, and this is a big deal in Battlefield V, but also new for the franchise is the ability to fortify your encampments with things like a sandbag wall or by building a stationary weapon. One of the more intriguing new additions for Battlefield V is the Grand Operations mode. Building on Operations from Battlefield 1, Grand Operations are bigger and more involved multiplayer skirmishes that play out across multiple stages and modes–and there are rewards up for grabs. In addition to all the multiplayer updates and changes, DICE remains focused on single-player modes, too. Little is known about the campaign, but we know it’ll be playable in co-op (the first time since Battlefield 3), and it will tell stories that “may be unfamiliar to players” instead of the well-known ones from Battlefield 1942. At least one of the War Stories will take place in Norway, with a narrative following a young Norwegian soldier fighting to stay alive during the German occupation. In what sounds like a refreshing, more unique take on war games, Battlefield V will offer War Stories from the perspective of saving your family members as opposed to saving the world.

What’s Confirmed For E3

Being one of EA’s biggest upcoming games, Battlefield V is expected to have a major presence during the publisher’s E3 2018 briefing, EA Play. The game will be playable at EA’s showcase, which is good news for fans who don’t want to wait until October or the open beta. EA Play takes place at the Hollywood Palladium from June 9-11. You can find details about how to register for the event and buy a ticket here on EA’s website. If you can’t make it to the show, you can rest easy knowing GameSpot will have lots of news stories, previews, and gameplay videos for Battlefield V, so keep checking back for those.

What We Hope To See At E3

While EA and DICE have already shown off Battlefield V and offered the first details during the reveal event, we are hoping to see lots more of the WWII shooter at E3. EA would be smart to show off actual gameplay to help players understand what it looks like to shoot a grenade out of mid-air or pull a downed soldier to safety.

There are no loot boxes in Battlefield V, and we hope to see EA address this decision and stress to players that the game will not go down a pay-to-win path with the items it does allow you to buy with real money. Given what happened with Star Wars: Battlefront II, this will be front of mind for many, and EA would be smart to address this right away.

We also hope EA and DICE shine a light on Battlefield V’s campaign, which could be one of its more intriguing elements. The story mode in Battlefield 1 did a fantastic job of showcasing lesser-known elements and locations from the Great War. World War II as a historical event has already been covered extensively in film and games, so it’s refreshing to hear DICE plans to show off more intimate stories of how the war affected everyday people. At E3, we hope to see and learn more about the stories DICE plans to tell and the places the game will take players.

The Battlefield franchise is known for its impressive sense of scale–and it sounds like Battlefield V is going bigger than ever with its Grand Operations multiplayer mode. We hope to see EA discuss this mode at greater length and in more detail to help players get an idea for what this all about and why they should be excited.

Further Reading

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.