Each year, gamers of all types (yes, including you console plebeians) gather on the show floor of the Los Angeles Convention Centre for what is the biggest event in the gaming industry: the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
E3, as it is more commonly called, usually sees the announcement of new consoles and games, and this year’s events were no exception. Over the course of roughly a week, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda, Square Enix, and other developers took to the stage and presented their vision for the future of gaming.
Curiously, Sony and Activision took an absence of leave from E3, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer saying the show just wasn’t the same without them. The makers of the PlayStation would be holding a separate event for what we’re guessing is the official launch of the PlayStation 5.
But until then, catch up on all the biggest announcements of E3 here.
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Xbox Project Scarlett
It’s been six years since the announcement of the Xbox One, and the next generation is here. At its keynote conference, Microsoft announced that the next edition of the Xbox would be named Project Scarlett.
Designed to make gaming more immersive, Project Scarlett will boast a custom-designed processor that makes the most out of AMD’s Zen 2 technology, and is set to be four times faster than the Xbox One X. With the addition of solid-state drives and GDDR6 RAM, gamers will be able to play their favourite AAA titles in 8K resolution and at a framerate of up to 120fps.
The Xbox Project Scarlett is set for a release date of end-2020.
Google Stadia
This announcement was made just ahead of E3, but it’s one of the most important developments in the gaming industry. Imagine a future where all you need is a browser tab to play your favourite games. That is what Google Stadia is all about, a service that lets you open up a Chrome tab and launch your games, no installation necessary.
The cloud service is set to cost US9.99 (SGD14) per month, but don’t be expecting it to run on a potato of a computer. You won’t need to drop a couple of thousand on a gaming rig, with the recommended settings sporting at least an AMD Radeon R9 290 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970. You’ll also need a stable Internet connection of at least 15Mbps.
Did we mention that if you are the proud owner of a Google Pixel, you’ll be the first to experience Google Stadia?
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Cyberpunk 2077
If there’s a celebrity who can make any game immediately better, it’s Keanu Reeves. The breathtaking John Wick star is cast as Johnny Silverhand, a titular character in the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 from The Witcher III developers, CD Projekt Red.
Set in a dystopian future where cybernetics are all the rage and organ scavenging is not limited to the underworld, you’ll play as V, a mercenary outlaw seeking the holy grail of implants. Be prepared for lots of shooting, dodging, and chasing after romantic relationships.
Cyberpunk 2077 will be playable on April 16, 2020.
Final Fantasy VII
After more than two decades, we’re finally getting Final Fantasy VII, this time in an updated remake. Coming to our PlayStations next year as a console exclusive, it’s a two-part tale that brings one of the best RPGs of old into this era with updated graphics and a new battle system.
The remake will first feature the Midgar portion, with a second disc featuring the rest of the game. You can now preorder your copy of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which will be available come March 3, 2020.
Bleeding Edge
Combine the FPS gameplay of Overwatch and the RPG elements of Paladins and Borderlands and you get Bleeding Edge. The game is an action-packed shooter that pits two teams of four against each other. Whether you’re playing as a DPS character or a support hero, the main objective is to capture and defend points from your foes.
Bleeding Edge will be available on Xbox and PC initially, with a PlayStation 4 release planned sometime in the future. The alpha begins on June 27, 2019.
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Borderlands 3
Speaking of Borderlands, the highly-anticipated sequel to Borderlands 2 has finally taken concrete shape. Borderlands 3 continues to pile on the mayhem in a post-apocalyptic world where vault hunters are still doing the one thing they do worst at – searching for vaults.
Four new playable characters are introduced: Amara, Moze, Zane, and FL4K. This time, they’re off searching for more vaults which the new antagonists, the Children of the Vault, are also in pursuit of. Take up the cause later this year on September 13, 2019, as Borderlands 3 arrives on the PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Google Stadia.
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Doom Eternal
Bethesda welcomes you back to hell with Doom Eternal. You, as the Doom Slayer, are pitted again against a swarm of the most ghoulish demons as they ravage the corporeal worlds of Earth and Mars (amongst others).
Besides the story mode, there’s also a player-versus-player battle mode that reminds us of a Left 4 Dead 2 on steroids. It’s coming to your favourite consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch) and PC on November 22, 2019.
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