On June 10^th, Microsoft held their yearly E3 conference. For those unfamiliar, E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Think of it as the Superbowl of gaming. The conference that the three big companies (Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft) do every year is to get people hyped about new games. Here are some of the best things about E3:

Kingdom Hearts III gets a release date:

Kingdom Hearts III was announced at E3…back in 2015. Finally, during the Microsoft press conference, the game was announced to release in January of 2019. This also marks the first time that a Kingdom Hearts game will be playable on an Xbox platform (being primarily on the PlayStation family of consoles). Square Enix (the developer behind the Kingdom Hearts games) have been busy, making games such as Life is Strange 2, and the Final Fantasy VII remake (also announced in 2015). Now what they need to do is to remake Final Fantasy VI for the Switch.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

In 2017, the game “Cuphead” became a cult classic. Now, slated for release in 2019, Cuphead has its first round of downloadable content (or DLC). It is worth noting that the “Delicious Last Course” also spells DLC, effectively making it “Cuphead: DLC” either way. This content will include a new isle (Cuphead’s version of an overworld map), new bosses, and a new playable character called “Ms. Chalice.” That is all of the information that was given during the Microsoft press conference, and all of the information that will probably be released until a later date.

Dying Light 2:

This is what I want the visual novel genre to be. A game where all of the choices you make matter…supposedly. From the looks of it, Dying Light 2 will be a visual novel-esque adventure game, in 3D. Just the concept of having everything you do affect the game world is cool. Now if only Japan could learn from this game’s concept.

Cyberpunk 2077:

At the end of the Microsoft press conference, the entire stage glitched out in red. The screen showed multiple lines of complex code, all culminating in one thing: the final trailer for a new game. Cyberpunk 2077 was Microsoft’s big reveal at the end of their press conference. The trailer showed a world that had been integrated with technology, with the main protagonist calling it “One of the worst places to live in.” However, aside from the game looking like the real world for “Ready Player One,” there is no more information given about this game, which is unfortunate because it looks amazing.

Death Stranding:

After being announced at the Game of the Year awards in 2017, Hideo Kojima’s newest game (that is not a Metal Gear Solid game) finally has a new trailer. Per it being a Kojima game, the graphics look like real life. However, the trailer looked more like a movie than a video game. This looks like a game that will push the PlayStation 4 to its limits. However, something interesting to note here is that the game did not get an official (or any) release date. This leads some (me) to believe that this game is not for the PS4, but rather for Sony’s newest console (which fans and the like call the “PlayStation 5,” with good reason). The game is being developed in the DECIMA game engine, which Kojima’s new studio: Kojima Productions, helped to create.

Marvel’s Spiderman:

[SPOILER ALERT] You thought Spiderman died in Infinity War? Well, by the looks of this game, he is alive and kicking! [SPOILER ALERT OVER]. Spiderman is back in this game, with the trailer showing five of the spider’s worst enemies escaping from high security prison RAFT. Some familiar faces include Electro, Rhino, and the Vulture. Something interesting to note is that Green Goblin—Spiderman’s arch-enemy—is missing from the action. This leads some (me) to speculate that this will be some kind of game involving Spiderman’s worst enemies, aka the Sinister Six. No news on that yet, but keep your eyes and ears peeled.

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE REVEALED!!

The newest entry in the Super Smash Bros. franchise, dubbed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has finally been announced! This title features every playable character in Smash Bros. history (Snake!) and is set to release on December 7^th, 2018. There are 65 confirmed fighters, with new characters including the Splatoon Inklings, Daisy (as a clone or “Echo Fighter” for Peach), and the biggest reveal: Ridley from Metroid! Fans of the franchise have wanted Ridley in the game for years, and it looks like [Masahiro] Sakurai is finally delivering. The main theme alone can get one hyped for this game. Truly, this is the greatest game that was revealed at E3 this year. Go to smashbros.com for more information.

Other news:

Fortnite is on the Switch starting at 10am on June 12, 2018.