Games
Gamescom is upon us, and given the surprises and quality of product on display at E3, we look at the second show of the year to see where we stand as consumers, and what the creators might give us!
We won’t preamble this one too much. Gamescom has become one of the premiere gaming events on the information calendar. E3 was excellent this year, but it was only one part of the picture for what’s to come this year and beyond. And as we all gear up to sink into our couches in the saddle of the incredible-looking Red Dead Redemption 2, the horizon beyond is looking incredible.
So here’s our predictions for what Gamescom will deliver in both the outlandish, the new and the unforgettable.
2019: YEAR OF THE CYBERPUNKS
CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 was the absolute standout at E3. The game is unarguably in another open-world action-RPG stratosphere, and while there was no release date revelation at the event, the gameplay slice we saw was simply too far along, too polished and too complete to not consider the game very, very far along. Further along than many might know. And we reckon CDPR held back any release date information in order to reveal it in their own European backyard.
So, our prediction is we’ll not only see an even better, newer slice of gameplay, they’ll publicly release the gameplay video from E3 and announce that Cyberpunk 2077 will release in 2019. But we’ll go one further -- November 2019. Mark our words.
TRIPLE-Z (IN A GOOD WAY)
That Dying Light introduced Assassin’s Creed-level parkour – in first-person – while also offering up numerous enemy-types and specific day/night game-world biomes, all in an open-world environment, has them at the fore...
Over the years, gaming has afforded us a first-look at the life of the undead. Zombies, to be exact. And while many have worn the coagulated vascular crown in the likes of Resident Evil, Dead Rising, The Evil Within, Call of Duty Zombies and DayZ, to name just a few, it’s Techland’s Dying Light series that has elevated the genre. Is it a genre? I don’t know, but either way, that Dying Light introduced Assassin’s Creed-level parkour – in first-person – while also offering up numerous enemy-types and specific day/night game-world biomes, all in an open-world environment, has them at the fore of at least taking zombie games to where they need to be.
It’s no surprise then that Dying Light 2 is front and centre as far as zombie games go, but more importantly at Gamescom the company continues its support of the first outing with Dying Light Bad Blood – proving once and for all that this Polish-developed sleeper hit is now the king of the undead.
So what else will we see at Gamescom? Well the biggest question around the seemingly dynamic nature of Dying Light 2 at E3 was how binary will these decisions be, from an outcome perspective. We predict we’ll see a more tangible, dynamic outcome unfold based on the decisions you make, as well as more about the game-world and its ties to the original game. Nothing outlandish, mind. Oh, and absolutely no Battle Royale mode. But it will establish itself as the new Triple-Z franchise moving forward.
AND IN THIS CORNER, NINTENDO
Nintendo is going to have a proper presence at this year’s Gamescom. This might not sound like such a big deal, but over the past two-ish years, The Big N has turned its marketing and PR strategies back towards traditional gaming media (and influencers). Where once the company (nin)tended to do things their own way, going either through mainstream press or their own platforms (thus preaching to the already converted), they’ve now come back to the hardcore gamer fray. And it’s glorious.
They’ve now come back to the hardcore gamer fray. And it’s glorious...
It’s also clever as the landscape has dramatically changed, and while they continue to undersell Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Esport credentials, that game will have a huge presence here and will be shown off in all its competitive glory. Nintendo knows it will become one of their biggest Esports titles, and what better place than Gamescom to showcase that given the numbers the event consistently turns out (since 2013 Gamescom has averaged between 340,000 and 350,000 visitors). They should also announce their online service’s launch date and give punters a better look at it.
Welcome back, Nintendo.
EVERYONE IS A YEAR AND FORTNIGHT BEHIND FORTNITE
With Call of Duty and Battlefield making their own spins on the mode, and numerous copycats attempting to BitCoin the success, none will be able to break Fortnite’s ceiling...
PUBG certainly started the ruckus, but Fortnite was the first to emulate the Battle Royale game-mode and has completely made it its own. Every kid at my son’s school talks only about Fortnite. PUBG doesn’t matter much to them and while Epic’s master stroke continues to pay dividends to them, they’ve also effectively cornered that slice of the market -- much in the same way Mojang did with Minecraft.
So what’s the prediction here? Well with Call of Duty and Battlefield making their own spins on the mode, and numerous copycats attempting to BitCoin the success, none will be able to break Fortnite’s ceiling and will all end up failing pretty miserably as we’ve already seen. Leave well enough alone developers and publishers -- unless you have something that absolutely elevates the popular game-mode, you’re always going to be behind Fortnite.
ASSASSIN’S CREED HAS SET A NEW ANNUAL RELEASE STANDARD
Vilified in the past for churning out too much Assassin’s Creed struck by the same formula, Ubisoft has found what appears to be confident development ground with an entirely new spin on the series. If The Witcher 3 was released in annual increments by two teams maintaining the open-world action-RPG tentpole that was The Witcher 3, only with updated components and an essential ‘challenge’ laid between teams, I’d just give them my bank details, sit back and wait. Assassin’s Creed appears to be heading in that direction. The point of difference between the Call of Dutys and Battlefields of the world and Assassin’s Creed is that AC follows a singular, connected timeline. And while the forthcoming Odyssey appears at odds with Origins in the sense of the AC “origin story”, the teams at Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Shanghai,and everyone else involvedhave come up with what appears to be a heavy Spartan-themed link to the Brotherhood proper -- we just need to see and learn more.
Importantly to all of the above, however, is the level of quality across both Origins and Odyssey which sets them both apart as perhaps a new benchmark annual series, when stacked against other yearly franchises. And there are honestly no complaints here.
FORZA HORIZON 4 IS BRITISH TOURISM AT ITS BEST
Playground Games probably helped Australian tourism with Forza Horizon 3, or at least the Gold Coast -- which probably needs it, specifically from Australians *cough* Titans *cough* Suns *cough* ...
Playground Games probably helped Australian tourism with Forza Horizon 3, or at least the Gold Coast -- which probably needs it, specifically from Aussies *cough* Titans *cough* Suns *cough*. But the team now gets to play in their own backyard, and having taken on the elements to help create an even more dynamic game-world, this might be the best entry in the series yet.
Visually we know they can pull off just about anything, but it’s in their rewarding gameplay loops that Playground Games shines, and that’s often an unheralded part of their design ethos (which makes us even more excited for their secret open-world action-RPG). And when people think of the UK, who don’t leave there, it tends to be one of dreary grey skies, rain, dark cobblestones and little-to-no sunshine. So they may have inadvertently created an interactive, seasonal tourism ‘brochure’ for just how gorgeous the UK can be. And at Gamescom it will stand out as the best racing game on the track, by an English country mile.
Either way, we can’t wait to tear up those cobblestones.
THQ IS ON A STEADY, IF SLOW, CLIMB BACK TO RELEVANCE
THQ Nordic, which has taken on a lot of THQ’s stable is working diligently to bring those important, and much-loved franchises back to relevance. Darksiders 3, the recently re-released Red Faction: Guerilla ReMARSted edition, De Blob Remastered, Darksiders 1 and 2 Remastered… and more to come. The publisher also has plenty of hands in other ventures too, including SpellForce 3, Battle Chasers and the hotly anticipated Biomutant.
They didn’t have a presence at E3 this year, electing instead to show off their wares more locally in Europe at Gamescom, which should see us being treated to some seriously far-along code. Specifically where Darksiders 3 is concerned and we couldn’t be happier about that series remaining alive. It’ll be some time yet before they reach a stratosphere in the likes of Ubisoft, EA or Activision, but every move they’ve made in franchise acquisition, development and re-branding has them seriously on-track to become a major creative player in the Triple-A space.
SKULL & BONES WILL SET A NEW MULTIPLAYER BENCHMARK AGAINST BATTLE ROYALE
In line with our comments around Fortnite and the Battle Royale game-mode copycats emerging everywhere, Ubisoft’s high-seas pirate multiplayer romp will set a new standard, while easily standing out against everyone else.
The game is not only already gorgeous and fun to play, but we’re being steadily introduced to new game-modes and a larger idea of how the player is attached to this persistent game-world. And at Gamescom we predict we’ll get a better glimpse at the player-hideout, ship customisation and how the economy actually works. There’s also likely at least another new game-mode to be revealed and, we’ll be bold, a more specific release window than the delayed “2019-2020” we’ve been told up until now.
We can’t wait to set sail with this one. Battle royale be damned, yaaarrrrr.
EUROPE IS THE NEW GAME DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL OF CREATIVITY
Then we add the companies whose games we won’t see this year but who help make up the creative manifest of designers in Europe...
Europeans love spruiking their wares at their local gaming expo. And this year they have a lot to celebrate. And even with Brexit, the UK will be lumped into this celebration of design, with all this year being lead by CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077. Then we throw in the likes of Forza Horizon 4, Dying Light 2, Metro: Exodus, Rage 2, Biomutant, Battlefield V, Crackdown 3, Call of Cthulhu, Dreams, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and many, many more.
Then we add the companies whose games we won’t see this year but who help make up the creative manifest of designers in Europe (and the UK) in the likes of Ninja Theory, MachineGames, Guerilla Games, Arkane (France), Crytek, Crytek UK, Creative Assembly, Starbreeze… the list goes on and on. And this Gamescom prediction around this entry is pretty obvious -- everything we see at the event this year from a European and UK base is going to be next-level.
Because they have Cyberpunk 2077 (and everything else).
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