Gamers would tell you that E3 is even better than Christmas unless, of course, you get all the games for Christmas that you were hyped about from E3. In that case Christmas could compete with E3, but for most people E3 is the Mecca of video games.
OK, enough analogies for now, let’s get to my pick.
There were so many great games shown off at E3 2018 so, as you can imagine, picking a favorite was incredibly tough. One company that needed to knock it out of the park this year was Microsoft. So were they able to actually accomplish that? It’s a loaded question for sure, but for the most part… yeah, they really did.
One thing was clear from the Microsoft event this year – they are playing the long game. With only three big exclusives shown, they spent a big part of their show talking about the five studios that they bought and even made the first known mention of “next gen” publicly. For the first time in their history they announced games in the Halo, Gears of War and Forza franchises at the same time. Though it had never been done in the past, this was exactly what Microsoft had to do in order to let everyone know that they are here, and the games are coming. Not only first party games, but their relationship with third party developers is still strong as well.
Of the three franchises, Gears 5 gave the Xbox faithful something to really cheer for. At this stage in both the Gears and Halo series, the games are starting to all blend together and both need to head in a new direction. While the teaser for Halo Infinite showed us some promise, Gears 5 showed us gameplay and story elements that seem to be ready to turn the series upside down.
This time around you play as Kait and, while we’ve seen her in previous games, she’s never been the main character. Not only is this her first time taking the helm, this is the first time in franchise history that a woman has been the main playable character. This is a huge step for both Gears and Microsoft. The conflict inside of her stemming from her half locust heritage sends her on a quest to find answers and bring possible resolution to the war they’ve been fighting for what has now become generations.
Gears 5 feels like a much more intimate story this time around, but all the gory action we’ve come to expect from the series is still present. Kait’s journey to find answers and end both her inner conflict and the war appears to have many different consequences.
Little else is known about the game, but the reveal trailer showed a ton of promise. The series has never looked better. Lush jungles and even inside environments alike look gorgeous. The Coalition appears to be the right studio for Gears of War going forward. Even if Gears of War 4 played it a little safe, this time around they are playing for keeps and we cannot wait to see the final game.
For Microsoft to gain some ground moving into the next console generation they need to have exclusive titles that can compete with Sony and to a lesser degree Nintendo. Whether or not they succeed will be a few years in the making but, if the Gears 5 trailer is any indication, they are doing everything they can to get back on top.
