Top 10 List of 2018

We have reached the end of another year; full of gaming, surprises and a lot of games players have been eager to get their hands on for years. And while some games came and went, some faded into memory and others completely ignored as the Fortnite train continues its march, here stand my personal picks for the games of 2018.

10: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
When I originally bought this game, I had to put it down almost immediately. Not due to any sort of issue or timing, but purely because my original viewpoint was how...boring the game had become. Admittedly controls, animation, art style, graphics, or any major parts of this game were changed from sequel to sequel. But what helps this game reach the top of the list is the story. Still hunting Trinity, Lara now embarks to stop their leader's plans to reshape the world. But in doing so, her own hubris has set about the world's destruction, leading to the deaths of thousands of people. Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes a look at the darker side of Lara, as she slowly turns from this caring, naive woman to a ruthless killer, willing to do whatever it takes to make sure peace is restored and her goals are achieved. The gameplay, musical score and story still holds up incredibly well, but in a game called Tomb Raider, continuing to have so few tombs with meaningful story elements, and so few manditory in the story, shortens this game on the list
I'm glad to see the series end on something more closely lined to the original series, I do hope we see Lara return in a few years from now, so that the devs not only get an easier timeline but all game aspects can be improved.

9: Kingdom Come: Deliverance
While admittedly it had a rocky start, the game overall had a great promise: the ultimate RPG. Set during 14th century Prague, you are a simple blacksmith, aiding your father in your small community when your town is raided and killed by invaders. From yearning for adventure to a journey to deliver your father's sword to its heir, this game was every RPG fans dream. If you wanted to read the books you collected, you needed to learn how to read. Wanted to be the best knight (or sellsword/thief/etc) in the land? You had to train. Food and drink management, cleaniless, armor and weaponry upkeep, this game had you roleplaying in the greatest way. If you ever wanted to experience what true knighthood was like, I highly suggest picking up this game. Since the patches and the fixes, it definitely deserves your time.

8: AoT 2
Admittedly, it's harder to review games from series you enjoy and like, but for this my time was truly tested. Attack on Titan 2 (why they abbreviated it I have no idea) set players at the very beginning of Eren's story of the anime and manga, but with a twist; you had your own character. I carry a small soft spot for self insert customisation in video games purely because I adore how immersive this device becomes; well written characters hold much weight (as you can see further on in this list), but putting yourself into a beloved series is a fantastic way to not only retell the main story, but involving you the player in the characters too. While this does negate ever playing or purchasing the original game (if only to play as the characters/as a titan), AoT 2 is an improvement from the last in so many ways.
Now all I need is a sequel. That ending with my character was way too open for my liking.

7: Far Cry 5
Taking a break from the traditional "You're stuck on a island, go kill the bad guy" comes Far Cry 5: you're stuck in the middle of an American state, you're a cop, go kill this cult's leader who's a pretty bad guy.
Far Cry 5 does repeat a looooot of game elements from previous installments, but what sets this game above is how they're done; gameplay is heavily improved, ally aid is useful with the AI being clever enough to help out in complicated parts of the game (Cheeseburger is the best bear) and what truly makes this game great? You can fight alongside a bear, watch it rip apart some enemies, blow up their base, steal their plane, fly off to a remote little stream and immediately spend the next hour just fishing away. This game goes from 11 to 1 in a matter of minutes and I highly admire that in this game. Yes you can go all out and blow up your enemies, but yes you can also just simply stealthily take them out, avoid a massive ruckus of bad guys finding you and go back to fishing, hunting or simply exploring. 
The story, the gameplay, the missions, all of it just clicks.

6: Detroit: Become Human
This was my first time with a David Cage game. I had barely touched any of his previous games (only viewing them through gameplay videos or memes - I miss the "SHAWN!" meme...) and I went into this game blind. I left it questioning my own humanity. Three androids in the future, three stories of all different meanings, all tied to choices and consequences of those actions. Yes, its a QTE heavy, point and click game, but I have always firmly believed that what makes a game great is how its told. Well running games with great stories, characters and mechanics will always take place over games focused on only one of those other aspects. Players resonated with Connor, trying to define what it meant to achieve his tasks by his morality, or with Kara as she broke through her barriers time and again to protect Alice from her father, or with Markus losing everything he held dear and rising himself up from near death to lead his followers to a better future the only way he knew how.
If you're searching for a heavy story chill out game, this is the place to start from this years lineup.

5: Pokemon Let's Go: Pikachu
When this spiritual remake of the original series, admittedly I was very skeptical of the reception this game would receive: the core mechanics were altered, the main goals were changed, and even though they were only changed slightly, it still resonated a modest amount of doubt within the older fans of the series. But I was happy enough to be proven wrong! I thought catching multiples of the same pokemon would become a grind, and at times it could be if you were after favourites, but what stood out was how it revamped the love of pokemon not just to battling, but to catching. I felt like a kid again pretending to capture pokemon in the playground, even more so when I used the pokeball plus (I would pay double for it to expand and shrink like in the show) and I loved every second of catching pokemon, battling trainers, discovering how to make Pikachu sneeze or giving him a new haircut. This title has revamped my love of the series, and I cannot wait to see what a new take to the series brings to the table.

4: God of War
As some of you may be aware, I never had much to do with Playstations in their earlier years. I dabbled in Crash Team Racing, tried out Shadow of the Colossus, but never had time to fully sit down with one of their titles back then. God of War was my first real taste of a game in this series, and while I went in expecting a third person fighter game, what I found was a meaningful story fighter with RPG customisation elements with a fantastic backdrop, gameplay, sound and score, all tied together with well rounded characters and acting. I didn't expect myself to spend so much time with Kratos and Atreus, and this was a welcome surprise for myself and old hats of the series. There's not much else I can say about the game without spoiling it, but this is definitely a must buy for PS$ users.

3: Assassin's Creed Odyssey

The predecessor Origins was meant to be seen as a soft reboot to a repetitive series, and in this they succeeded. Odyssey will forever be seen as the sequel that perfected that reboot. Gameplay was massively overhauled with proper weapon damage, animation and fighting styles. The massive world of the Greek Islands were littered with side missions, hunting tasks, and things to explore. Ship combat made a return to the community delight, massive player battles were introduced, RPG elements such as meaningful choices, huge customisation options, upgrading and world building were also improved, every aspect of Origins was enhanced and additional content from previous games were reintroduced here as well. 
What sets this game so high on the list is how enthralled I became in the world. Just like God of War, I wanted to explore everything and experience everything this game had to offer, and I'm still finding things to this day. And when I messed up my original run and lost over 50 hours (due to me accidentally deleting old saves), while my immediate discouragement made me faulter, I still went back and played it again. And again. And again with Kassandra instead of Alexios to see how different the game played and felt. Admittedly I wish the historical facts still remained, or that the modern day story wasn't so cut and dry, but this is only a smudge on a clear piece of glass. Free content updates monthly, plenty of replayability, new things to explore, now free to keep your gear you like without affecting your stats, it's well worth your money and then some.

Now Ubisoft, I've asked, I've pleaded, now I'll beg.
Give. Me. Sengoku Jidai Era Japan. You've been teasing it for 5 years. I will spend all the money.

2: Red Dead Redemption 2

Now before you all click off for the simple fact that this isn't first, here me out. Don't get me wrong; I adore this game. I never got the chance to play RDR unspoiled, or when it first came out, and this was my first experience right from the get-go, and Rockstar went all out for this game. The only way to describe it is as the ultimate Cowboy simulator; you get dirty from being in a bar fight, you need to wash yourself. Your hair grown all out and looks horrible? Trim it, and your beard, get it stylised. Collect food for the gang, but deliver it before it spoils. Rob people, banks, train stations, anyone in sight. Arthur Morgan is yours to control, and watching him experience the life of a cowboy (and as a person nearing the age of the 20th century and all its comeuppance), any person can pick this game up and play it for what they want. Only care about horses? You can upgrade your relationship with your horse so it trusts you and whatever you need it to do, be it use firearms or explosives, or maybe track down legendary horses and tame them. Sick of being a gunslinger? Go fish for a time! Find a nice, quiet piece of america and fish until you can store any more in your bag, or even try to snag some larger game to sell for a new gun, but be careful of bears!

There is simply just too much to do in this game, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those rare titles that come along where nothing gets tedious, or boring. If you care about being a neat and clean cowboy who obeys the law as much as he can, you can do that. If you don't care about your looks or smell, and just rob and kill everything around you, you can do that too. Now that the multiplayer has launched, players are flocking in drones to grief and tie up fellow cowfolk, or partake in the huge amount of side missions or gameplay aspects, trying to earn as much gold as they can and level up.

If Rockstar keep to this game as much as they have to GTA 5, I highly expect this title will not be going away any time soon.

1: Marvel's Spider-Man

I don't know how else to describe this game other than this; if you have ever wanted to be Spider-Man, be it as a kid playing on rope swings, or as an adult as a form of escapism while your boss criticizes your work ethics, this is a must own. There has not been a Spider-Man game, or even a superhero game in the last ten years, that has reached this level of both gameplay, fun and excitement. The story is fantastic (albeit with a teeeeny tiny plot hole near the end - but only if you recognise it), the gameplay is fun and quick to pick up, the exploration of Manhattan is phenomenal, truly showing the level of detail and love the development team put into recreating New York. 

Gameplay, voice acting, story, the massive upgrade and customisation options for a superhero game, and all of it canon! Everything in this game works and improves one another. Usually the lower the list I go, the more I write about the series (Which is kinda true here), but Marvel's Super-Man does not need it. If you have a PS4, this is a must own. If you don't, you need to save up for both console and game. This is above and beyond worthy of a console buy.

That brings us to the end of another gaming year! I understand not everyone will be pleased with my picks, but the top five was an incredibly hard choice, but I feel comfortable leaving it the way it is. I cannot wait to see what's in store for 2019, and I'll be there to show you what it's got! 

Review: Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu + Poke Ball Plus

As some of you may recall, I've been a Pokemon fan since the very beginning. I very badly sung the anime theme song at my school assembly, I hobbled over the lucky kids who had a GameBoy playing Pokemon Red or Blue, and even got a short try at one, but it was many years later that I got it. I saved up for a year to get Pokemon Gold, then all the others, and then, for no reason, my mother bought me Pokemon Yellow. I finally had a Pikachu of my own, and seeing his happy face on the screen made me more happier than I can describe in one paragraph. 
I achieved that exact same feeling when I started Let's Go Pikachu. 

You play as Chase or Elaine (or as your own chosen name); a fresh faced Pokemon trainer wannabe new to Pallet Town. You and your childhood rival Trace (or whatever name you chose for him) are going to the Pallet Town Lab to receive your own Pokemon, but Professor Oak is nowhere to be found. Finding him in the grass, a wild Pikachu or Eevee comes out of nowhere, and your story starts there.
To anyone who has played the original or remakes of Gen 1 Pokemon, you can immediately notice the story similarities, but there are small differences here and there, which I'll let you discover on your own. If you do pick up LG Pikachu, the game will feel more like Pokemon Yellow than anything. The game is treated as a soft reboot, but there are plenty of callbacks to the original gen.

Gameplay wise is of course, your natural Pokemon RPG with the new added element of catching pokemon outright. Players finding wild pokemon will automatically begin to capture pokemon instead of battling them traditionally. You can use berries to make them calmer or more loving to you, then use whatever pokeball of your choice to try and capture them. Using the Switch, you can track them with motion controls and throw the ball by pressing A. But worry not! Catching Pokemon levels up your pokemon regardless of battling or no. This is where the game is much more forgiving than previous titles; players can level up all their pokemon without the need of any extras by catching pokemon and battling trainers. This makes playing the game a lot more easier by keeping your dream team with you throughout the game. There are also a smaller mini-game where you can play with Pikachu. Put into a first person mode, you you can interact with your Pikachu or Eevee by feeding them berries, patting them, poking their tail, ears or cheeks, or simply by playing small pattern games like patty cake. It adds a real level of detail and love into what you can do, but I do wish you could do it with other pokemon.
The graphics of the game look absolutely stunning; player characters to the pokemon in the world look incredible and suit the art style tremendously. The music is utterly phenomenal and redone with an entire orchestra (which explains the Braxton Burkes situation a few years back) which sounds gorgeous alongside the scenary. 

Finally I want to mention the Poke Ball Plus. While it's not a necessity for the game (and it can be a small hinderance admittedly), I cannot express enough how it fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. Using the small analog stick, you can control your character to roam the world, and when capturing a pokemon, you throw the ball. The ball, in turn, vibrates to indicate the Pokemon being caught, it makes noises depending on who is caught or if your main is inside it or not, and it lights up depending on the pokemon's colour, or if the catch was successful or not. The Poke Ball only can operate with A and B, which makes other options (changing your pokemon move order, checking party, etc) much harder. There is also the issue of A being the joystick button: I have wiped out new moves I wanted more than once due to a slight decline on the stick pressing A. In retrospect, the top B button should have been swapped, but hopefully this is fixed in a controller patch, or can be remapped.

The game has cause a lot of controversy with the older crowd due to being so different from previous titles, but personally speaking, I've adored this game and enjoyed my time thus far into it. The compatibility with Pokemon Go is the icing on top to transfer your pokemon over into the game. There are a few frame rate issues when using a Lure (attract pokemon to your area), as the animations of all the wild pokemon on screen can really slow down the frame rate, but I haven't seen any other bugs like this otherwise.

Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee is a chance to introduce newcomers into the world of Pokemon and for older fans to relive their childhoods in a new and more calming way. This game is what we envisioned as children on the playground. 

Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu: 9/10

Review: Fallout 76

I was unaware of the Fallout series until the current decade of writing this. It's something I'm a little ashamed of, considering when a friend turned me onto Fallout 3, I fell in love with the series immediately. The aesthetic, the gameplay, the story, the lore, everything about the game clicked. And yes, I got to experience the original "you automatically die at the end" ending, thanks to being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no DLC. New Vegas, while flawed, was fantastic, and when Fallout 4 was announced, I was in awe.
I love that game. I still love that game.

I do not love Fallout 76. And I don't expect to ever like Fallout 76.

Fallout 76 is the earliest set Fallout, taking place only 30 years after the bombs fell. You are a resident of Vault 76; the first vault to open to take on a wild world full of fresh radiated beasts ready to take you out. What makes this game unique in the Fallout series is that it is a full fledged MMORPG; an online Fallout. Fans, admittedly, where skeptical of such a thing, especially with Bethesda at the wheel (insert "It just works" joke/reference here). And it hurts me to admit how above and beyond this game not only misses the mark, but doesn't even land in the field.

Gameplay wise, the game is still Fallout. Controls will feel familiar to anyone who has played Fallout 4 or any recent shooter. Firing weapons and using melee has a lot of weight behind them and feels organic to the situation, especially using rifles. Of course, many aspects were taken straight from Fallout 4, but we'll get into more depth about that later on. In short, the gameplay holds its own. 

Graphics wise looks interesting enough and downright brilliant at times, but I do feel at times that the saturation has been turned to max to compensate in specific loading areas. Sound effects and musical score are as great as always, minus the repeated Fallout music from Fallout 3. It becomes really hard to concentrate on anything else when you're listening to Butcher Pete for the millionth time, so you tend to turn off the radio. Why am I mentioning this? Because this sums up the next few paragraphs; repetition, frustration, disbelief and disappointment. 

The main story, while does show some promise later on, is incredibly lackluster and very hard to get into. I was more interested with dead corpses I found in the world than I did with any main missions. The only one I found the most interesting was the Overseer retracking her life. She was the only character I could relate to, even above my own character. And that is where I find a massive issue with this game; without character insentive, you take a silent protagonist and put them in an insane scenario...to no inner or outer reaction. What makes other silent protagonists great (Chell, Master Chief, Corvo Attano, Link, etc) is a combination of their actions and the reactions of the world around you. Antagonists to allies alike reacting to how you become the villain or hero in your actions, people admiring or forsaking you for the things you've done, your own character suffering from something in the world. Silence can speak so many words, but only through body language, emphasis or other characters. 
Here, there is nothing. World quests can often reappear right after finishing them, finishing side or main quests has no affect on how the world looks to you. And all the while, your character reacts to nothing. The voice acting in the holotapes are quite good, but its hard to get attached to just a voice, and a lot more of them just end up being melodramatic.

And that doesn't even begin to mention the bugs. Oh man the bugs. Models flying off through the map, lighting showing through dirt, being stuck on terminals, the now infamous Power Armor body glitch, not even beginning to mention the more serious issues like hackers taking over servers, servers crashing from all three nukes firing.
But personally speaking, what hurts the most? Simply how empty this world is. Sure, we were told not many people would be in each server (12 per game), but there were none in previous Fallout games, but interesting stories and outcomes. Helping Travis out changes how you hear the Radio in Fallout 4, killing Benny Terminator style completely wipes out a story branch for you in New Vegas, setting off Megaton's nuke destroys several quest lines in Fallout 3, but here, I can walk for twenty minutes, get into a fight with over-spawning Super Mutants while the buildings next to you and the ground are barely rendered, then falling through the ground and dying, respawning all the way back at Vault 76 cause your CAMP isn't responding. 

I preordered the Power Armor edition, and unboxing that awesome helmet was the most fun I had with this game, minus one moment. There was a holotape I found of a girl stuck in a room slowly dying who commits suicide. It was dark, it was powerful storytelling, and it was compelling. The mission I was on, was not. And when I realised this, I slowly shifted back to Fallout 4. And then, two days ago, I just stopped going back to 76. I honestly don't expect myself to play this game again. 

The game does do some things right; crafting is great, gameplay is just as good, but you'll find it's only the repeated elements that make this game fun. The disease, food and water management can be a huge deterrent since gathering supplies can take up a lot of time, and buying items will take you forever. But I digress, anything else this game does wrong if up to you to discover. 
If you have a group of friends who are just as die-hard for Fallout as you are, you'll find some entertainment in this game. But this West Virginia isn't almost heaven, it's purgatory.

Fallout 76: 3/10

Review: Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption has lived in infamy since its launch over eight years ago, and rightfully so, building its world, characters and beautiful gameplay to a point that even now, it's still revered. A spiritual successor to Red Dead Revolver, it holds a tremendous place in the hearts and minds of many gamers, further considered the best cowboy simulator to date.
That was, until a few weeks ago, when its sequel was released. 

Players find themselves taken back to 1899, when the original Dutch Gang was just beginning to climb to infamous levels. The protagonist, Arthur Morgan, is one of the original members of the Gang and its first recruit by its founders, Dutch and Hosea. On the run from the law from a botched job in Blackwater, Arthur and the gang are in dire straights, their hopes of finding a place to call home dwindling and it is up to him and each outlaw to raise enough money robbing, stealing and killing every man they come across in order to achieve that final place Arthur can call home. But naturally, saying it and doing it are two very different things. 
Before I get into the highlights, I want to praise this game for something I tend not to highlight; bugs. Generally speaking, I leave them for the end so that people get to see the good, bad, then good again to compare, but I want to mention the incredible lack of bugs. Of course, other people have found some serious glitches, but I've seen or heard nothing about any KTDs or serious crashes. I myself can only compare to what I've experienced. Frame rates do tend to bend a little when smoke is present on the screen. So for example, if I start a large scale fire and the smoke takes up my screen, the game does noticeably slow down. Also, reloading failed checkpoints over and over, especially in duels, does result in the enemy AI glitching out into T pose every time after the first until you succeed. I assume these are just the game loading something too fast before we can see them, but it doesn't overly detract from the experience. 


Secondly, I want to special mention the game's realism; to put it bluntly, RDR2 is beyond levels of hyper realism to the point of horse genitalia in an open world sandbox. The fact that someone, somewhere had to spend months of their life modeling and animating that shows just how detail they poured into this game; animations, weather patterns, affects on the world and character models, sound effects from varying animals, objects and things, I can go on. Weapons need to be pulled from your horse before being able to be used, weapons lost in a brawl need to be retrieved in order to be used again, either from your camp or the ground. It's utterly mind-boggling to see this level of detail in any open world game, especially one this large.
That doesn't even begin to mention the events that happen in the game; you shoot a guy who recognises you, his friends may just track you down, or hire a hostile gang to exact revenge. Find a lady lost in the woods? Watch out, she's a distraction from a feral group trying to kill everyone who trespasses on them. A man bitten by a snake? Give him some medicine, rob him and leave him for dead, shoot him and walk away, maybe a bit of all of them, the choice is yours and yours to make.
To shorten down an extremely long explanation at this point, almost everything you can expect out of a game tailored to cowboy and old west fans is in this game, whether you choose to be the hero or villain. 

Gameplay is phenomenally simplistic with some things, and takes practice with others. Any person who has played a Rockstar shooter will be able to pick this game up, but horse controls, mini games, and other activities do require a bit of skill. Personally speaking, using the handcar is by far the most infuriating. But again, this doesn't detract from what is there; shooting has weight depending on what weapons you use, horse speeds and levels of affection are clearly seen depending on which you use; my original horse was slow but terrified of predators, my next horse was faster, but would always get spooked if you pushed it to its breaking point. Traversing the world requires you to take your beloved horse out almost 90% of the time, but if you have the cash for the train, or a trolley, or a carriage, or even just hitchhike and hope you get lucky, you can do that too. Of course, if you're just tired, you can switch to Cinematic mode and just hold down A while your horse follows the path you chose. There is so much to see and to do and to experience. That beautiful lake down there has plenty of fish to catch, by fishing pole or by spooking fish to shore. Extra cash can be earned by playing poker, completing Stranger quests, robbing good and bad people, holding up a bank or store, and the world around you is affected by that. Greet everyone in town and keep morale up, and soon everyone will call you by name and like you. Shoot up a town and be a plague, and you'll notice people fleeing a room as soon as you enter. 
Musical score is wonderful. It beautifully captures both the original Redemption as well as creates a name for itself with Arthur and his struggles between loyalty, his morale and what he wants. The sound effects are also just as captivating and enticing, truly bringing you into this world. I highly expect someone to patch in a VR mode sometime into the future, so that people can experience this game to its full capability.
Voice acting is just as perfect, as a new cast alongside the old make this world truly captivating. The original voice actors for Dutch, Abigail, Bill, Javier and more return, and of course, the internet collectively squealed with delight as Rob Wiethoff returned as John Marston. But let's not forget the new protagonist Arthur Morgan, voice and face supplied by the wonderfully talented Roger Clark. His first step into a video game role, I cannot praise him high enough not only for his acting, but his character building and wonderful attention to detail in his character. It's refreshing to see an actor new to this sort of genre go all out for the role.

At the time of writing this review, the multiplayer has not been released, and while Rockstar multiplayer launches have left me cautious (I still remember the GTA V launch...), it will not be applied here. Keep in mind of Rockstar's past and what they're doing to GTA now, but be hopeful in the future.

I was able to complete the game at almost 60 hours, and that was doing all the side missions, plenty of the Strangers, a lot of mini quests and wasting a loooooot of time making sure Arthur was bathed, washed, clean shaven, nicely dressed and raking in all the money at Poker and Blackjack (eight years later and I still suck at the knife minigame), but it's left me wanting more. Sure, some players may not be interested in hyper realism, or will be annoyed at being killed desperately trying to get a weapon from a scared horse while in the middle of a fight, but I am utterly delighted by the game. Not only has Rockstar improved on their former Red Dead formula, but they have completely enhanced it, going above and beyond not only in detail, but gameplay and things to do. The biggest fault RDR1 had was the massive open world with nothing to do in it other than killing animals or picking flowers. Red Dead Redemption 2 improves on all aspects and then some. I laughed as I got drunk with Lenny, I was devastated how badly Arthur was hurt in gunfights, and I enjoyed every second I've spent in this game so far. Even after completing it, I still want more, and the game provides. Knowing what I know, I still want to restart it over, and that, is the mark of a perfect game.

TDLR: Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterpiece and must own title. 

Red Dead Redemption: 10/10

Review: Assassin's Creed Odyssey

As time goes on, I have come to contemplate upgrading my Assassin's Creed tattoo, and each generation of Assassin's Creed games furthers my love for this series. Eleven years this series has been going, admittedly with its ups and downs, but Ubisoft have come out swinging with a fresh take on their series. Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Set in 431 BCE, you play as Alexios or Kassandra; a mercenary on the run from their past actions. Given an assignment from a client to kill the Wolf of Sparta, their father, the mercenary sets out from their home to explore the world outside their tiny island, and uncovers a plot that threatens not only his life, but every life in ancient Greece. 

It's no secret that Odyssey is heavily based on it's predecessor, Origins, in base of gameplay. But in spite of that, the developers have taken the formula and increased upon it greatly; combat still involves minimalistic controls, but has the addition of controllable upgrading with a proper upgrade tree. Players can upgrade what path they chose to follow, that being, Hunter, Warrior or Assassin. Upgrade limit is currently capped to 50 and you can't deselect whatever ability you choose, so there is some limitations but otherwise it implies to the sense of choice, but we'll talk about that later. bows make a return, as well as customisable weaponry, however lacking true choice; there aren't any different colour schemes outside different classes (Same armor, higher level. EG: common to legendary), and naturally, being a level based system means unless you can track down materials for your upgrades, you're stuck with no other choice but to play with the better equipment. Granted, the massive majority of Legendary equipment is by far the best looking, but sometimes event the Epic or Common clothing looks better. That being said, the true element of the gameplay is the choice, and yes, it will affect how your overall story ends. Minor choices will have world affects to specific areas of the map, while things you say or do in game may affect how your missions turn out. Too slow to escape a camp with a prisoner? Well he's dead and your next mission just got way harder. Kill the man who tried to kill you for money? Now people think the rumours about you are true. Decide to drink that concoction? You and your enemy are sick now.
While some of the bigger choices amount to nothing (Which I'll get into in the next paragraph), a lot of them will amount to what happens in your world around you, and how your story ends.

Finally the game also features so damn much to do. Conquest Battles between Sparta and Athens will happen frequently and you can take place in the battles to decide the winner. However, they will consistently fall out and have to be redone, and there is no overall winner. So be warned now; if you were like me and thought you'd be able to bring an end to the Paloponnesian War, this will never happen. You can side with Athens for the duration of the Conquest Battles, but your story will ultimately side with the Spartans. Granted, by the end of the game you see a little of the Peace of Nicias, but nothing more. Dozens of side missions (although I only found half as much interesting or fully cinematic), the return of ship combat, and just as many places to explore, dive, loot, the gameplay does not get tiring even after 70 hours. 
What does get tiring, is the grind.
Many of the main quests are level locked and impossible to play unless you reach these levels, and there's two main ways to get there; grind, or use boosters.
If you've ever used Ubisoft Club, there is a 2 hour booster you can get for simply getting a Ubisoft Club achievement. I was able to go up three levels thanks to it, but for the rest, you have to pay $15 for a permanent booster. I have not purchased it, but the fact that I want to play a second playthrough as the opposite character but don't want to grind and rather buy the booster shows why it's there, and that is not a very good thing to have for an RPG you want people to replay.
But enough about that, moving on.

Storyline is fairly well written and delivered. So much focus has been on Kassandra as the protagonist that most people have forgotten about Alexios, and I personally liked him as my character. Admittedly some of his lines seemed a little off, but I would put it down to rusty editing than anything else. Michael Antonakos does a wonderful job and Melissanthi Mahout has sass for days which the fandom has fallen in love with. The rest of the cast go above and beyond to help create a world that feels truly lived in.
The modern setting is honestly disappointing this time around. All the modern day scenes and gameplay can be boiled down to no more than half an hour, with even less story than ever before. The fandom hasn't enjoyed the modern day setting for quite some time now (six years to be precise, hint hint), but here it almost seems...lazy. Like Ubisoft needed to check off a box. New characters aren't explained, new settings aren't explored, new information isn't given and all of it has been gutted for the comics. If I have to go outside the game for my information, that is not a good thing. This can also be applied to the historical facts, which has been removed entirely. The game does its best to point out specific historic locations, but gives little to no information on them or noteworthy people. 

Sound effects are wonderfully mastered and the musical scores are just as good, albeit a little repetitive in combat (and admittedly, hearing small alterations to Ezio's Family in each new game is getting a little tiresome). Finally graphics is downright beautiful, especially the ocean. Waves and splashes look utterly enticing and incredible, character models look great, and the world from battlegrounds to peaceful forests look amazing. 

If I haven't been clear in this review, I will be here; for the first time reviewing Assassin's Creed games, I am heavily conflicted. I love this game, and even now only a few hours after finishing want to go back and start it again. There is plenty of replayability in this game, and many of it's elements hold it up, but in a fan and reviewer's perspective, there's enough here to hold it down as well.
With a bit more polishing, a few more interesting side missions, and a heavier choice aspect outside the main story, this game would score almost perfectly. In the end, although my criticism are small and mostly few, they do weigh the game down just enough to avoid this.
Please don't get me wrong; Odyssey is a massive improvement on Origins, and I would absolutely recommend this game.

Odyssey has a little bit of everything from the previous games, improves them and adds a whole lot more new. After over 70 hours playing the game, I can honestly say there is something here for every casual or hardcore gamer.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey: 8/10

Review: Spider-Man (2018)

Spider-Man has been my favourite superhero since a young age, as he was for many other youths. A broke, clever young man putting everything good in front of him before himself. Growing up it was inspiring, and when the games of his adventures feel into my lap, I was ecstatic; the first two games on the original Xbox still being a highpoint of my childhood, with Breaking and Entering being my top pick for "Love It But Hate It" level (seriously though, I still see those computers in my nightmares), and need I say anything about pizza deliveries? I'm listening to a loop of the theme as I write this intro!
There has been plenty of buzz over this new addition in a long string of disappointing games, and some of you may be worried about the hype currently around it, or the extremely high ratings.
I am here to say this; Spider-Man deserves every drop of praise.

You play as a slightly older Peter Parker, shortly out of university and working with Doctor Octavius on limb replacements. But late as ever, Spider-Man is taking down Fisk and opening New York to a new wave of peace and safety...for a time.
The story is surprisingly well written, planned and thought out extensively, with a serious amount of plot correctional pivots; when one bad guy ends and just as you forget about the calm before the storm, Peter is brought back to reality that his work will never truly be done. There is one tiny plot hole when it comes to one of its antagonist (two significantly at that, one disappearing right near the end), but can be easily overlooked with all the happenings at the time. The game sets up so many different plot points that saying there's going to be a sequel would be an understatement. But I'll have to digress to avoid spoilers, but I will say; each Act left me in awe.
Gameplay wise, the game is phenomenal: the team behind Insomniac Games have clearly shown a level of love for this project as not only are the controls familiar to the old retro players of the movie era, but it also creates its own stance; web slinging and swinging is beautiful, and creates a realness to the physics and how Spider-Man traverses, but it doesn't end there. Stunts to perform, speed boosts by slinging yourself on anything that your web can cling to, using your enhanced strength to leap into the air, or simply taking the subway, every single way to get around is enticing each and every time. The combat is a fighters dream as combos and using every ability under your belt will become a necessity the further you progress. Gadgets you unlock along the way will also play a role in how you fight, both creatively and in desperation. While it can get repetitive once you figure out how to quickly defeat each style of opponent (flying, weapon based, shield based, tank, vehicle, etc), it no less detracts from how each fight can be similar or give you the opportunity to test your new play style. There are plenty of side missions and extra actives to take part in as well; disrupting Fisk operations, chasing pigeons, collecting smog reports, taking down criminal bases, not to mention Crime activities. Spider-Man hears a call for help on his on-board scanner and rushes to help; car jackings, robberies, police stand offs, hostage situations, bomb threats, the list of what you can do goes on, and all of it randomised.
All of this, every bit of it, built in a realistic, Marvel style New York world.

Voice acting was excellently done all around, even by background characters. Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker is something I never expected, but something I never wanted more until now. He absolutely nails the role in both the silliness, the quips and the serious moments. Nothing felt overdone, every single person helped immerse you into this world.
Every single supporting role was excellently done, and I must say, that Short Order Cook was by far my favourite cast role.
Sound effects were incredible, musical score was enchanting, the graphics were downright beautiful and lifelike, there is nothing more I can say on this game that can praise it enough.

I did come across a few bugs here and there; performing stunts and hitting the ground causes a slight delay in transition and can make for some awkward transitioning, and my personal favourite is performing into the water and rolling like Sonic across the waves. There has also been some cutscene awkwardness where character models haven't fully loaded their scripture, but I have no experienced them so I cannot put them into judgement.

While there can be some issues with the repetitive gameplay at times, if you've ever had a love of Spider-Man games, or superhero games in general, this is the time to come back. Even if you don't like superheros or fighter games, I implore you to give this game a try. It has small issues, but those issues are just that; small. After 30+ hours of the game, I am left wanting so much more, and even if you manage to not do everything in the world, you'll still get a chance after you complete the story.
As I said earlier, to expect a sequel after this game would be an understatement. There is a reason it is doing well in reviews, selling incredible amounts of copies, and showing gamers worldwide that a good story is still something to not turn your nose up at. Spider-Man is a must buy game for any PS4 owner and definitely a great starting point for those considering to get one. This is everything I've wanted in a Spider-Man game...although I do miss the pizza deliveries.
Insomniac, I eagerly await to see what you do next. Thank you, and all the kudos to your team.

Spider-Man: 9/10

Review - Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Over the years of this website, I have written many reviews about the Naruto UNS series. I hold fond memories for some, and terrifying memories for others, so naturally, when I heard of a new Naruto game coming out, I wasn't too highly impressed at this move.
On closer expection, the gameplay and synopsis was enough to draw my attention and begin this review you are reading. So, what of Naruto to Boruto?
It's almost like enjoying spicy food and trying something stronger; you're enjoying it but you're still in pain and it hurts the more you chew.

Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker takes place during the Boruto era, where your customisable character is the protagonist; you are an unnamed Shinobi in the Leaf Village for the World Tournament. After being shown around by Konohamaru, you are free to play with the modes and explore what you can. Sound effects are well sourced and are clean, and the musical score is finally, fiiiinally unique to the game. While it does remind me a little of old school Runescape, as a long time Naruto game user, this was a wave of fresh air. Graphics look quite clean and bright and characters almost resemble oil paintings. This can be a little offputting with the character models (Personally speaking Sakura looks a little...off), but this will soon become easily avoided.
Voice acting is decent enough; the player characters sound fantastic and the older characters sound well toned. With all that aside, lets look at the big attraction: gameplay.

The VR Missions are training missions you can run solo or with a group of four friends; missions are unlocked the further your level grows or by meeting key characters in the HUB world. They range from escort, defend-your-position, and boss fights, all within ranks of difficulty, fighting against AI opponents. You gain more time the faster you complete events in these missions. 
From here, you have the Online portion of the gameplay being Open Match or Tournament Mode. Similar modes are shown in both of these options: Bases (King of the Hill), Defend, Capture the Flag and Free Fight mode. It's a little disappointing that the modes shown in both Online and VR are incredibly similar and show little variety. Free Fight is fun and can take a lot of time to master, but I expect many gamers to grow tired of both Online and VR fighting very quickly.

Players also have the opportunity to customise their character; starting off with chosing your home village, you can choose your outfit. Other accessories must be bought with coins collected or earned in gameplay or accessed by random luck. During gameplay, players will achieve scrolls of varying value. The higher value scroll, the better equipment you're more likely to unlock. This does limit some progression; players will have to use the undesired clothing to gain an advantage than what they'd prefer to wear. Perhaps they unlock the robe they're after but the colour is off, or they want a hairstyle but it costs 3000 coins that they'll have to grind for an hour or two to get.
Customisation, additional missions, even the core gameplay for what slim story is thereof being a ninja in the Naruto universe, all of it is a grind.
I do have to give the developers a little credit when it comes to Scrolls; as of writing, there are no microtransations for Scrolls. While there is a few costume DLCs (show me a Naruto game in the last decade that doesn't), I am oddly impressed by this lack of corporisation from the developers and publisher. 
The amount of customisation is extensive; players can mix and match abilities (two Ninjutsu, one ultimate ability, one tool and a substitute), weapons (depending on your class) and players also earn new abilities with Mentors: using the VR Master, players can unlock and choose from twenty tutors across the generations to learn new abilities. Although I must admit I'm a little disappointed none of the Sanin make an appearance in the list.

This brings me to glitches and hoo boy is there plenty, at least on the Xbone version; any sort of gameplay online will result in a coin toss of being Kicked To Dashboard or simply freezing. VR and especially Tournament mode are riddle with this glitch. The loading screen will often cut to black and either time out or result in a KTD, and main gameplay has its own bugs; players can randomly die for no reason, or fall off the boundaries. Players also cannot mix and match classes: an Attack class cannot have a sword, Defence cannot use specific Ninjutsu, etc.
The biggest annoyance is the wait time for matches. After timing myself for two hours, I was able to play three seven minute matches, four of the matches glitched out and resulted in a KTD, and another four simply timed out. This doesn't even begin with the servers for an online only game being down on release day. On a positive note, as of writing, the game has received a patch of 15.91GB.
Wow. I mean at least they're addressing the issue in force!

While I've highly enjoyed this new breath of fresh air into the Naruto game genre, I am utterly disappointed in how it has turned out. New models, new gameplay style, a variety of maps in the lack of modes, but still so much progress that needed to be done. If it wasn't for the glaring issues, bugs, and general player needs, this game would definitely be able to score much higher. But I simply cannot. For full price, a lack of modes, a lack of stability and just general lack overall in most departments, I'd even advice longtime fans of the show to be careful buying this game. I hope this new patch fixes a lot of issues the game has, but I write the view for the first hand experience.

A breath of fresh air to the series, but in need of extra love.

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker - 6/10

Upcoming reviews and schedule

Hello all!

So some of you may have been wondering where I've been these last few months! In the shortest sense: life. In the longer sense of things; opportunities arise, plans change, surprises happen and life continues on whether you have time on your side or not.

That being said, I am just one guy giving an honest opinion about a video game, and I do this so that you the reader can get an unbiased, and original thought, on the games that take your favour.
That being all said, I know these sorts of posts aren't incredibly popular so to keep this nice and short.

The next two month's schedule

Yes I'll definitely be reviewing:
- Spider-Man
- Telltale's The Walking Dead Final Season (When it's all released)
- Super Mario Party
- Red Dead Redemption 2

The current maybe pile:
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
- Battlefield V

Upcoming projects:
- GAME SINS: Everything wrong with Metro Last Light
(Link to the 2033 sins video)
- Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition Unboxing

Until the time comes, have fun and game on!

Unplanned Leave

Hello everyone! 

I hope you're all enjoying the E3 hype, but by now some of you may be wondering where's the next Checkpoint post. It's with a heavy heart that I must bow out from this year's E3 and take care of my health.

Long story short, I have been experiencing dental surgeries for the last few months and they take not only a lot of time to perform but a lot of stamina. This time around I am exhausted enough that I must take time to rest and recover.
Ergo, I will not be able to continue my coverage of E3 this year.

My deepest apologies to those eagerly awaiting the next post and watching the live-tweeting of my reactions, but this is something I must put first, ahead of everything else.
Regardless, reviews for the newly released games will still be worked on and released as soon as possible, including Vampyr and Unravel Two. Thank you for your patience in my time of need.

Have a wonderful E3, enjoy the remaining conferences, have fun and game on!

Checkpoint - Bethesda E3 Conference 2018

G'day there!
Checkpoint is all about covering the long E3 conferences and boiling them down to the key features and comments about their upcoming products. All other conferences will be linked below
Have a great E3!

EA, Microsoft, 

RAGE 2

• "Devoid of all society/reasoning"
• Walker - Last Ranger of the Wasteland - protagonist
• Open world
• "An orphan of this wasteland"
• Vibes of Doom creatures from the flying enemies
• Swamps and forests, deserts
• "If you see it you can drive it"
• Rockets from cars main weapons
• "Seamless open world"
• Boomerang can explode and send enemies flying
• Protagonist has a Trevor-eske rage mode - weapons become more powerful
• Ground Slam ability
• Large mutant humans make a return
• Mad Max with a Party Boy attitude
• Spring (Autumn) 2019

Doom: Eternal

• Spiky brain demons
• Hell has come to earth
• DOOM GUY
• Twice as many demons, more powerful Doom Guy
• Full Debut at QuakeCon in August

Wolfenstein: CyberPilot

• VR game
• No release date given

Fallout 76

• Map size 4x  of Fallout 4
• "Untamed, very different wasteland."
• Same trailer as Xbox conference
• "One of the very first vaults to open"
• "Spent 25 years underground waiting for the vault to open (reclamation day)"
• New animations, similar art style to Fallout 4
• 16x the detail and different weather systems
• Six distinct regions - mission given from Overseer
• Folk lore used in the game
• New enemies, mythical monsters shown
• Each of the characters is a real person - Fallout 76 is entirely online
• You can play solo if you choose!
• "More softcore survival"
• Death won't mean the end, your character isn't tied to a server
• "All your progression goes with you"
• "You'll decide the heroes/you'll decide the villains"
• New weapons - flintlock pistol,
• Playable musical instruments
• Emotes
• GIANT MUTANT SLOTHS, Robot enemies
• DRAGONS?! "Scorchbeast"
• "Build where you want, move to where you want"
  C.A.M.P allows you to fully build your home and pack it up to take it where you want
• Nuclear Sites on the map "Do whatever you want with them"
  Get all the keycodes and information and drop nuclear bombs on your enemies
• World changes when you use the nuclear bombs
• Ghouls look fresh and wounds are still open
• "100% dedicated servers"
• Beta coming - Break It Early Test Application
• Special Edition: glow in the dark map, figures, POWER HELMET
• 14th November, 2018 release date

The Elder Scrolls: Blades

• Mobile game
• Console experience on a mobile
• "Follows your specific timings"
• Procedurally made dungeons
• Spells, combat make a return
• Character creator makes a return
• Entire game can be played in portrait mode
• Outdoor areas to explore
• Abyss - Rogue like experience - Endless Dungeon
  Arena -1v1 fighting
  Town - HUB story and quest mode
• Protagonist - Blade member in exile
• Town building mode in Story mode - visit your friend's towns
• Phone, to PC VR - all connect
• Someone on a phone can play against a guy in VR
• Free download - preorder is open tonight

Starfield

• "All new franchise in 25 years"
• Sci-fi
• Release date unannounced, possibly 2019-2020

The Elder Scrolls VI

• ASNFJDSFJGFJDLKSN
• New location, no information given, 

Announcements

• Elder Scrolls Legends: - coming to Switch, Xbox and Playstation
  Progress on BethesdaNet carries over
• Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset - Wolfhunter/Murkmire Story DLC (Later this year)
• Quake Champions - This Week Only Trial - Keep it free if downloaded this week
• Prey - Free Update - Story Mode New Game + and Survival Mode
  DLC: MoonCrash - "Every run is unique, every death matters"
  DLC: Typhon Hunter - One human, five mimics fight to the death
• Wolfenstein 2 - DLC: Young Blood following BJs twin daughters - 1980s Paris
  Can play solo or co-op - 2019
• Fallout Shelter coming to Switch and PS4, "still free" - released later today

Checkpoint - Microsoft E3 Conference 2018

G'day there!
Checkpoint is all about covering the long E3 conferences and boiling them down to the key features and comments about their upcoming products. All other conferences will be linked below
Have a great E3!

EA, Bethesda

Halo Infinite

• Powered by Slipspace engine
• Master Chief(?) returns
• No further information given

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

• No information given
• Side scroller like the original

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

• Japanese themed combat - linear world - platformer
• Giant monsters and boss battles
• 2019 release

Fallout 76

• Prequel - 4x size of Fallout 4
• West Virginia
• Protagonist is first to emerge into the wasteland
• Just as colourful as Fallout 4
• New mutants - flying enemies too

Captain Spirit

• In the Life is Strange universe
• Chris - protagonist - young boy
• Showing off the strength of a child's imagination - fighting their monsters, flying spaceships etc
• June 26th 

Crackdown 3

• Mr Crews shown off straight away
• Destructive capabilities return on explosives
• Cars and weapons can transforms to what you need
• Feb 2019 release date

Metro Exodus

• Multiple new areas to explore - ocean, inland
• Artyom confirmed, Anna your partner
• New weapons
• Gasmasks still a necessity
• MUTANT HUMANS
• Different forms of Nosalises
• Main antagonists - A Cult
• Feb 22nd 2019

Kingdom Hearts

• All major princesses from the last few years
• Jan 29th 2019 release date

Battlefield V

• Same story aspects from EA shown

Forza Horizon 4

• Multiple weather aspects - appears cleaner on cars - "Seasons change everything"
• Off road to standard to sports racing stylised cars - bikes also
• Set in Britain - all in a contained world
• 60FPS-Mode
• QuickChat on D-Pad - interact with people in the world
• "Great to play with others - seamlessly play in co-op"
• "Entire community will experience (the seasons) together"
• Winter allows new areas to be explored
• Blimps show off new World Events
• "New gameplay, new events" when seasons change
• Xbox One Windows 10 release: October 2nd, Xbox GamePass same day

We Happy Few

• Deeper adult content - appears to be a larger game
• August 10th 2018

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition

• New characters
• "Brought to the West for the first time"

The Division 2

• "How do you save a nation when the enemies come from within?"
• Summer has arrived: Humidity instead of snow
• Wildlife appears - world appears more wild than NY
• Control Points appear in world to control
• UI seamless, menu options much faster
• Fast acting foam stops players
• "Hive" mine - finds enemies with explosives
• March 15th, 2019

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

• Mayan temples -"The Cleansings" major threat
• Lara unleashes a plague
• Puzzles and exploring mechanic makes a comeback
• Jonah also returns
• "He wants to alter the course of humanity"
• "Become the Tomb Raider" Sep 14th

Session

• New skate game - no release date mentioned

Black Desert

• Mediveal game - magic and mythical creatures
• "Reveal the hidden secrets - once and for all"
• Beta in the Fall

Devil May Cry 5

• Dark tentacle creatures destroying humanity - Demons now transformed
• New mechanical arm - time stopping abilities
• Giant Demon boss battles return
• Upgrade and change your mechanical arm 
• Dante has lost is original demon arm
• "Render them as realistically as possible"
• "We made it for you"
• Spring 2019

Cuphead:The Delicious Last Course

• New character: Ms. Chalise
• 2019

Tunic

• Fox - protagonist
• 3D mutliple platform explorder - chibi-eske
• Combat fighter
• Boss fights

Jump Force

• "The impossible is a reality" in separate worlds
• NARUTO?! LUFFY?! GOKU?!?!?
• Fighter
• 2019

Dying Light 2

• Open world combat and parkour
• Your Choice, your world
• "The Modern Dark Ages"
• "Your choices has concequence" everything you do changes your world
• Rope swinging
• "Peacekeepers" Faction(s) in the city 
• "One out of hundreds you have to make - carve out your own world"
• 
  

Battletoads

• Comic book stylised
• 3 player couch co-op
• 2019 release

Just Cause 4

• "The rules have changed, the enemy has changed"
• Black Hand - antagonist
• "This isn't a war, its survival"
• December 4th 2018

Gears Gears Tactic

• Mobile game
• Turn base genre

Gears 5

• Kait - protagonist
• War for humanity escalates
• All the original team members return
• Visit the original sites of the start of the Locust war
• New Hive antagonists - almost look like zombies
• 2019 release date

CyberPunk 2077

• "A city of dreams, and I'm a big dreamer"
• Living city, showing both the good and bad of it all
• Male protagonist - no name given
• No release date

Small announcements

• Fallout 4 on Gamepass today
• Nier Automata coming to Xbox 26th of June
• Sea of Thieves DLC, Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores - July and September release
• New Microsoft Studio - The Initiative, Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games
• PlayerUnknown: Battlegrounds - War Mode - new weather system - Winter 2018
• Xbox Gamepass Fast Start - June Update for select titles - Fast Start for many game releases
  Dision, Elder Scrolls online, Fallout 4, ready today
• New Games: Outerworld, After Party, The Gold Club 2019, Fringe Wars, Below, Conqueror's Blade, Waking, Raji An Ancient Epic, Super Meat Boy Forever, Planet Alpha, Islands of Nyne Battle Royal, Sable, Harold Horbut, Bomber Crew, Children of Morta, The Wind Road, Wargroove, Generation Zero, Dead Cells, Ashen
• Gears Pop -2019
• Steaming network - Console-quality on any device
• New console hinted

Checkpoint - EA Play 2018 Conference

G'day there!
Checkpoint is all about covering the long E3 conferences and boiling them down to the key features and comments about their upcoming products. All other conferences will be linked below
Have a great E3!

Microsoft, Bethesda


PRE-CONFERENCE

• Madden Overdrive - Mobile game
• The Sims Seasons DLC - Seasons and their holidays - June 22nd

Battlefield V 

• Multiplayer
• Dive and smash through windows - move heavy weaponry with vehicles- deeper destruction mechanic
• Customise soldiers, weapons, vehicles
• Single player - focused on untold stories
• Xbox briefing further info - Nordly's War Story
• No lootboxes, no premium pass
• Battle Royal after launch

FIFA 19

• UEFA Champion League Tornament Mode - Career Mode
• Alex Hunter your protagonist - Career Mode
• Free World Cup expansion for FIFA 18
• Create your own ultimate dream team for the World Cup
• Sep 28th Launch Day

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

• Announcement: more info later
• "During the dark times, when the Jedi's are being hunted - between 3 and 4"
• Holiday 2019

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

• Further development on Heroes Ship
• Command Posts making a return
• Clone Wars returning as well - Geonosis "Largest level ever built"
• General Grievous, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku, Anakin Skywalker - new heroes

Unravel Two

• "You lose everything, even your spark"
• "Form a new bond" - blue Yarny
• "Fresh starts, second chances" 
• Co-op, or play it alone, "there's always two characters and one yarn
• Pick up other character if playing alone
• Split apart and play as both characters - physics puzzles
• Cling onto walls temporarily
• Constantly chasing your "Spark"
• RELEASED NOW

Sea of Solitude (SOS)

• "When humans get to lonely, they turn into monsters"
• Theme is loneliness
• Both bright coloured and incredibly dark
• Kate - protagonist
• "Bring all those emotions into balance" to make Kate a human again
• Open world
• Early 2019

NBA Live 2019

• Sep 7th release

MADDEN 19

• Trailer - no information given

Anthem

• "The Anthem is all that remains"
• Fighting giant monsters, robots, etc
• "Dynamic and living world - that will change whenever you play it"
• "Shared world we all experience together"
• Outside the walls is the meat of online, inside is the singleplayer
• "Gods left behind their tools - (they) clash against the Anthem of Creation"
• You are a Freelancer - skilled in your "Power armor" aka Javelin 
• Dominion - your "Ancient enemy"
• Customise/Personalise how your Power Armor plays and looks
• Cosmetics are purchasable - but you know what you're buying - no lootboxes
• It's possible to swim and fly (instant mechanic still remains)
• "Playing with other people feels like a choice" - Playing solo will be a little harder
• February 22nd, 2019 release date

EA Announcements

• Play Anywhere, Anytime - full HD stream coming in the future
• Origin Access Premiere - All new titles, access to the Vault, (Winter) launch
• Command and Conquer Rivals - capture areas and fire two missiles at your enemies to win - Android players can play Pre-Alpha now