The Best Games of E3 2018 (Best of Show)

E3 2018 is officially over! Most of our editorial team made the trip to LA and before we left, we each picked our own personal best of shows based on what we either played, or saw on the show floor. In no particular order, and starting with senior editor Hayes Madsen, let’s run through all of the Twinfinite team’s personal best of shows from E3 2018.

Dragon Quest 11

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Hayes Madsen’s Picks

Senior Editor Hayes Madsen: “It may seem like I had the opportunity to do a lot in my demo, but the minutes just fell away and I was left with so many options and things I still wanted to do. I wanted to check out the stores, I wanted to follow the main story, and I sure as heck wanted to find the perfect place to take a desert photo for a nice gentleman. Dragon Quest XI is simply a joy to explore, with fun characters and secrets tucked away, and even just the gorgeous art style left me wanting to see everything I could. The game’s world feels lived in and realistic with great tiny details like the way butterflies and insects flutter around, or the way your character’s hair blows in the breeze, or how horses munch on grass and flip their tails.

I’m dying to jump back into the world of Dragon Quest XI, get to know its cast of characters better, and see what other wondrous sights await me. Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, this is one JRPG that absolutely needs to be on your radar.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Hayes Madsen’s Picks

Senior Editor Hayes Madsen: “The scope of Smash Ultimate truly is staggering, and the demo showed me that the focus is definitely on keeping things moving and smoothing out everything. Most characters’ Final Smashes have been changed to happen quickly and make it easier to cause damage, instead of requiring you to play out some gimmick like before. Loading times, at least in the build I played, were exceptional. In terms of the game’s speed itself, it felt somewhere between Melee and Smash 4 on Wii U, and it played smooth as butter in every occasion I had a controller.

With all of the changes and additions, Smash Ultimate is clearly a game built from the ground-up and not simply some kind of port of the Wii U game. Getting my hands on the game showed me how much thought has gone into its development, and the myriad of items, characters, stages, and more reminded me of the many years I’ve spent playing Smash. It’s incredible to see everything culminate in this epic entry, and the game almost feels like some kind of ridiculous greatest hits album of Smash, with everything fans loved thrown together with something brand new.”

Kingdom Hearts III

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Hayes Madsen’s Picks

Senior Editor Hayes Madsen: “Kingdom Hearts III is easily among the most anticipated upcoming games, and as a fan of the series since the beginning I was anxious to get my hands on it. What I played left me impressed, and more excited for the series than I’ve been in years. My demo took me through two different sections, one that had me meeting Buzz, Woody, and the others in the world call Toy Box and the other that had me taking down the enormous Rock Titan in the Hercules world.

Jumping into Kingdom Hearts III’s combat was about as natural as things can get, and I found myself falling right into the rhythm almost immediately. This is Kingdom Hearts combat through and through, and fans should immediately recognize it. There are, however, a number of enhancements and changes. Magic spells function a little differently, summons each have their own unique mechanic, and the over-the-top Keyblade transformations add a ton of variety into the minute-to-minute combat. Even though I played a short snippet of the game, there was so much variety packed in, and that makes me optimistic for the future. It’s been a long time coming, but Kingdom Hearts III might just be worth the wait.”

Honorable Mention: Sekiro: Shadow’s Die Twice

Editor’s Note: Hayes noted that the reason he didn’t pick Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is that he needed to see more to feel comfortable calling it his personal best of show. However, it did look quite impressive in his hands-off demo.

Cyberpunk 2077

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Alex Gibson’s Picks

Features Editor Alex Gibson: “I arrived at CDPR’s Cyberpunk booth expecting the game would leave an impression on me. It certainly did, but not at all in the way I imagined. There’s no question that drawing on the experiences of The Witcher 3 has been pivotal in the developer’s ability to produce such an ambitious project, but the DNA isn’t at all obvious at a glance.

Cyberpunk is an entirely different animal; a bold new direction for the CDPR that seems destined to push the boundaries of video game design. Right now the only comparison I can draw between the two franchises is that just as The Witcher 3 pushed open-world RPGs into the next generation, Cyberpunk promises to reinvent the wheel in exactly the same fashion.”

Dying Light 2

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Alex Gibson’s Picks

Features Editor Alex Gibson: “There’s more to look forward to in Dying Light 2 than just the addition of a meaty story, of course. The presentation we saw showcased some of the most compelling first-person gameplay we saw during the entirety of E3. The weighty melee combat is plush with much more nuance now, requiring careful strategy and timing to block and parry attacks. It’s also unbelievably violent — more than one occasion had our protagonist beheading enemy thugs and decapitating zombies in gory red explosions. Traversal, too, looks as fluid as ever, especially in moments where tricky platforming sections required our protagonist to string together combinations of timed jumps, wall runs, and leaps onto dangling ropes.

I left Techland’s Dying Light 2 presentation thoroughly impressed at what I consider an incredibly promising package. There’s still no word on a release date but it looks thoroughly polished.”

Resident Evil 2 Remake

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Zhiqing Wan’s Picks

Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: “Early on in the demo, I ventured into the east wing with nothing but a handgun and 10 bullets. The RPD’s press room is still as elegant as always, though it certainly does look a lot prettier now. As was the case with Resident Evil 7, Capcom makes fantastic use of audio and sound design to constantly keep you on edge as you’re exploring. The gurgle from a closed stall in the women’s bathroom never failed to keep me jumpy, even though I knew for a fact there wasn’t anyone there. Even walking past the windows gives you a foreboding sense of unease because you just know that something’s going to jump you at some point. It might not be now, or even in the next 15 minutes, but you know it’s going to happen.

Resident Evil 2 Remake is both a wistful trip down memory lane and an exciting venture into the unknown. That cramped feeling of claustrophobia is out in full force with the third-person camera, providing a new and more intimate look into the labyrinth that is the Raccoon Police Department. ”

Control

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Zhiqing Wan’s Picks

Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: “Control is probably the most mysterious game we’ve seen at E3 2018. Remedy’s new project made its debut during Sony’s press conference with a very stylish trailer, but didn’t tell us much at all about what it actually was. This year, we got to take a peek at the game through a closed doors presentation, and we have at least some idea of what Control is about.

The game puts you in control of protagonist Jesse Faden, who works for the Federal Bureau of Control. When the Director mysteriously passes away, she assumes the new position, and with the job comes a few added perks and powers….

Control isn’t satisfied with just being a third-person shooter, however; Jesse also has telekinetic abilities that allow her to manipulate objects in the environment. She can manipulate debris to form a protective shield around her, or use them to attack her enemies. Control’s visual design is rather impressive, with every enemy encounter looking beautifully chaotic as trash starts flying all over the screen… Control is really weird and mind-bending, but in the best way possible. It’s hard to really make sense of what it is, but the game’s unique setting and self-assured attitude has left me wanting more.”

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Ed and Yami’s Picks

Publisher Yamilia Avendano: “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey might not be anything new after all. It features much of the same gameplay that we got to love through Origins, after all. But that’s precisely what makes it such a stand out game at E3 this year. It’s more of the same, but Origins was that good. On top of that, the rumblings around the block are that this is the game Ubisoft *wanted* to make: an RPG featuring choices in conversation. Not to mention that you could date whoever you want (from a handful of options) within ancient Sparta.

Taking on the role of Leonidas’ nephew (or niece), this setting takes place years before what we saw in Origins. Some might say it’s hardly an AC game because of this, but the fact that it has a modern day storyline might entice fans of the series to not let this one slip by. Although optional, it will fill in a lot of blanks.

So, ultimately, it looks like Origins in a whole new world, with more player choice when it comes to dialogue and story. If you enjoyed Origins but felt like improving upon the story would be a positive step forward for the Assassin’s Creed series, then you should have no problems diving right into Odyssey later this year.

Valkyria Chronicles 4

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Ed and Yami’s Picks

Editor in Chief Ed McGlone: Valkyria Chronicles 4 is apology tour in video game form. The series since the incredible original first game, has slowly devolved into irrelevance. Valkyria Chronicles 2 was a serviceable game, but released exclusively for the PSP which prevented some PS3 owners from picking it up. Valkyria Chronicles 3 never made it out of Japan and the most recent release, Valkyria Revolution was generally poorly received by many critics. I wouldn’t have been shocked if that was the end for the series.

Thankfully that’s not the case. SEGA is doing right by fans of the original and finally delivering a proper follow up. In fact, multiple times while writing this, I kept slipping up and writing Valkyria Chronicles 2 instead of Valkyria Chronicles 4. It feels so much like a direct sequel to the first. The gorgeous watercolor in motion art style is back in full effect, as is the larger scale tactical-RPG gameplay that made the first game stand out. From a story perspective, the game is returning to the timeline of the original game and it also has a darker plot that focuses on the hardships of war, racism, and leaders doing whatever it takes to survive and win.

You’d have every right to be skeptical about Valkyria Chronicles 4 based on previous history, but we have nothing but positive vibes after playing it at E3 2018.

Rage 2

Twinfinite’s Best of Show for E3 2018 – Ed and Yami’s Picks

Editor in Chief Ed McGlone: “I’m surprised how much I enjoyed Rage 2. I knew very little about the first game other than it was a commendable, but largely forgettable first-person shooter that struggled to stand out in a crowded genre. I thought it was just going to be left behind, but nope! Only a few weeks ago we found out Rage 2 was a thing.

The timing for Rage 2 should be much better this time around. There seems to be a resurgence in single-player focused first-person shooters. In fact, Bethesda’s own Wolfenstein and Doom were big players in leading the charge in that trend. Which is probably why they feel so confident in this second try.

It’s a good thing that Rage 2 then appears to have what it takes to make a splash this time around. The gunplay is reminiscent of Doom, but with more emphasis on using destructive abilities that slowly builds up a meter that allows you to go completely berserk (more than usual), and tunes everything you do up to an 11. Rage 2 liberally allows you to go buck wild, and doesn’t seem concerned with balance or taking itself too seriously which sounds perfect for us.”

Honorable Mention: Destiny 2: Forsaken

Editor in Chief Ed McGlone: When I asked everyone if they thought it was fair if I went with Destiny 2 as my game of show, they told me no. Fine, but nothing is stopping me from at least throwing it an honorable mention. I am very encouraged by what Bungie has revealed so far about the upcoming expansion, Forsaken. Going hands-on with Forsaken’s new Gambit game mode, and getting a taste of its darker story campaign has only left me even more excited.