E3 2018: 30 of the biggest games from this year’s show
The annual E3 showcase in Los Angeles did not disappoint
E3 2018 has been pretty spectacular so far.
In fact, there have been too many great games to keep track of.
That's why we've done the hard work for you, and picked out the very biggest titles set to land this year and beyond.
Let's kick off.
Unravel 2
Platform(s): Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release date: June 29
EA announced Unravel II at EA Play - then revealed it was out now.
This time around, there are two Yarnys, who work together to progress. They can be controlled by one or two players, who can hop in and out at any time.
The world is vibrant and colourful, as expected, with various platforming and puzzle elements designed to really make you think.
One section we played through, involving being chased by a very angry grouse, helps break up the platforming elements.
All in all, it's looking like a solid return.
The Crew 2
Platform(s): Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release date: June 29
Ever wanted to park a hyper car on top of a skyscraper? Or 'skydive' from 36,000ft sat in the driving seat of a BMW? How about 'ski' a speedboat down a mountain?
For The Crew 2's creative director Stephane Beley, fun is the driving force behind this huge open-world racer - which parks realism in favour of adrenaline-fuelled thrills the Fast and Furious series could only dream of.
Its piece-de-resistance? The ability to transform on-the-fly from a car to a boat or plane.
"We have to say we are an arcade game," Beley explains. "The Crew 2 is an easy-to-access game but you have a steep learning curve, too.
"If you want more of a challenge, you can get rid of all the driving assists - which really help the more causal players - to create a more simulation-like experience."
To keep things interesting, there are four different hubs - each with their own theme and playstyle.
These range from off-road motocross events to pro-racing and drifting competitions (the latter of which takes some getting used to).
The world can be explored co-cooperatively, too - so if you've ever wanted to go on a virtual US road trip with a pal, this game is for you.
Start your engines.
Strange Brigade
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC, PS4
Release date: August 28, 2018
This 1930s co-operative survival horror game is shaping up to be one of the year's more intriguing prospects.
Here, you and three others team up to take on a bunch of 'strange' supernatural forces - lurking in treacherous tombs and forgotten civilizations.
Gameplay is fast and frantic as you battle against hordes of nasties - harking back to zombie shooter, Left for Dead.
Bring it on.
PES 2019
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: August 29 2018
Konami's football game will arrive a couple of months before FIFA 19 - which may help it bag a few early sales.
This year’s game takes player individuality to the next level by introducing a variety of new skill traits. These include cross over turn, no-look pass, controlled chip, dipping shot and rising shot.
Thanks to ‘Enlighten’ software, true-to-life visual effects and 4K HDR is supported across all platforms.
Real time ‘Global Illumination’ lighting and shadows results in better crowd detail, real grass textures and the return of the popular snow weather effect.
You can read more about here.
Spider-Man
Platform: PS4
Release date: September 7, 2018
Marvel and Insomniac Games have teamed up to create a brand-new and authentic Spider-Man story, which we saw more of during Sony's show.
This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met before, or seen in a movie.
This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting crime in New York City.
At the same time he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of nine million New Yorkers rests upon his shoulders.
Want. Want. Want.
FIFA 19
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: October 2018
The has made a sensational return to EA after UEFA parted ways with Konami earlier in the year.
The Frostbite engine will once again return, so don't expect a huge visual overhaul. However, there are a load of new gameplay tweaks.
Passing has been re-worked to feel more natural, while an active touch system allows for better first touches from different parts of the body.
It also opens up the possibility of a feint attack - where, as the ball approaches, you can shift your weight one way, before going the other.
Shooting has been tweaked, too.
If you tap Circle or B just as your foot hits the ball, you massively increase the chance of striking it into the top corner.
It's all about timing, so get it wrong and you'll be punished with a scuffed shot.
Check out everything you need to know about here.
Assassins Creed Odyssey
Platform(s): Xbox One, PS4 and PC
Release date: TBC 2018
Ubisoft has kept most details under wraps, but we now know it's set in ancient Greece.
For the first time in the series, you need to choose to play as either a male or female. The world will respond differently depending on you choice.
Early reports say the combat system has been tweaked - to allow for faster, more fluid fighting.
There are now special abilities, such as a 300-style kick or a rain of arrows to damage targets from distance.
Battlefield V
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: October 11, 2018
As suspected, Battlefield V is set during World War II.
The game has no loot boxes and all the maps will be free (well played, EA).
For the first time, you'll be able to shoot grenades out of mid-air or drag a downed soldier out of the line of fire to heal them.
You'll also be able to fortify your encampments with things like sandbags or stationary weapons.
Add to the mix a new Grand Operations mode - battles set across multiple stages - and a co-operative campaign, and you're on to a winner.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: October 12
This is the first COD to ship without a single-player campaign.
Instead it focuses on various online multiplayer experiences, including a new battle royale mode called Blackout.
Zombies will also return, with co-operative play, while Treyach also announced classic maps - such as Nuketown - will feature.
Single player was scrapped after stats revealed a tiny proportion of gamers played it - with most jumping straight into multiplayer.
Still, it seems a such shame.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: October 26, 2018
Red Dead will be one of the biggest games of the year - and introduces loads of new characters
RDR2 is a prequel to 2010's incredible Red Dead Redemption and follows the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Dutch van der Linde gang.
That's all we know for now - other than, like GTA V, we'd expect to control multiple characters.
Oh, and it looks as though it's running on a modified version of the GTA V engine - so expect some pretty sweet visuals.
Fallout 76
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: November 2018
Fallout 76 will be the biggest Fallout game ever made - and played online - much like RUST and DayZ.
It's set before any of the other games in the Fallout timeline - a little more than 20 years after the bombs dropped.
You'll play one of the first survivors of the Great War - which reduced the planet to an irradiated wasteland.
That being said, it's going to be far more colourful than the previous games - with the trailer showing off plants and trees of all colours and types.
Bethesda's Todd Howard says the game's rendering engine has been given a major overhaul.
"We always start with the world," he said at E3. "This time, it starts with new lighting, rendering and landscape technology."
Ambitious? Check. Excited? You betcha!
Just Cause 4
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: December 1, 2018
Another game Avalanche is working on promises to be one of the most fun shooters ever created.
Just Cause 4 adds extreme weather, including blizzards, tornadoes, lightning and sand storms.
There are a load of new vehicles, too - including wrecking balls and car transporters.
Oh, and the handy grapple has been upgraded to allow for some spectacular moments.
Yoshi
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release date: TBC 2018
Another big release from Nintendo will see the return of egg-gobbling dino, Yoshi.
Here, you'll guide Mario's trusty sidekick through a load of different worlds - all brought to life via a paper-craft style.
Don't let its childish looks fool you - this will be far tougher than it looks.
Days Gone
Platform: PS4
Release date: February 22, 2019
There may be a host of zombie games around right now, but this PS4 exclusive should be a dead cert for your collection.
You play Deacon who has the unenviable task of trying to survive in a world overrun by 'Freakers' - infected humans who have gone feral.
The incredible thing about this gem is just how many zombies appear on the screen at once.
It's developed by the team behind the brilliant Syphon Filter games - so expect plenty of action and a well-paced narrative.
Sadly it's been pushed back to 2019... hopefully it's worth the wait.
Metro Exodus
Platform(s): Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release date: February 22, 2019
Metro Exodus is the third instalment in the popular first-person shooter series.
Set in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the former Russian Federation, you must battle to survive mutated creatures and psychopathic humans.
While the last games were quite linear, Exodus promises to be a lot more open world.
Plus, there's a dynamic weather system and a day / night cycle to help add a new challenge to the combat.
Perhaps our favourite feature is that the environments change depending on what season it is.
The Division 2
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: March 2019
One of Ubisoft's most exciting announcements was the return of The Division.
Taking place in Washington, The Division 2 focuses on a civil war between survivors and villainous bands of marauders.
Like the last game, it'll be played from a third-person perspective, with players (offline / online) having to work together to complete objectives.
It's far more colourful than snow-covered original, which we think really helps.
Halo Infinite
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
"With Halo Infinite we will join Master Chief on his greatest adventure yet to save humanity," head of Xbox Phil Spencer said after the initial trailer was revealed at Microsoft's E3 event.
The game will be powered by the "Slipspace Engine," a new engine for the game series, which works across Microsoft Windows and Xbox.
"The team also heard feedback loud and clear on the amount of time spent playing as the Master Chief in Halo 5," developer 343 Studios said in a blog post.
"In Halo Infinite, the game will focus on the Master Chief and continue his saga after the events of Halo 5."
We can't wait.
Devil May Cry 5
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: Spring 2019
At long last DM5 made its E3 debut - and stars Nero, the main character from the last game.
As expected, gameplay looks smooth and stylish, coming "complete with its signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly and original characters the series is known for," according to a press release.
It's set for spring 2019 release.
Cyberpunk 2077
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
One of the most exciting releases of the event and arguably our favourite trailer.
Cyberpunk 2077 is being developed by CD Projekt Red - the team behind the brilliant Witcher games.
It's set in a city overrun by crime - much like the Judge Dredd universe's Mega City One.
The trailer showed off the in-game engine, which looks spectacular, not to mention some extreme violence.
Doom Eternal
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
Bethesda had an amazing E3 showcase and Doom Eternal was one of the highlights.
The 2016 reboot took combat back to its basics - locking you in a room with a load of demons, and not letting you escape until they were all killed.
The trailer suggested play areas may be less linear - although developer 'id' won't want to stray too far away from what made the last game such a killer hit.
Expect plenty of blood and some seriously creative melee combat.
Gears of War 5
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
One of the big announcements from Microsoft - although not surprising - was Gears 5.
This time, Marcus Phoenix et al. take a back seat and the main character is Kait Diaz, the daughter of Reyna Diaz, who was an Outsider of Locust descent.
In Gears 5, you'll be able to travel across various terrains - from glaciers, deserts and sunken ruins.
To help build out the universe, there's a turn-based strategy called Gears Tactics that's inbound for PC, while mobile users will get a mobile game called Gears Pop.
Interesting.
Elder Scrolls 6
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
Bethesda brought the roof down when they revealed a new Elder Scrolls game was inbound.
There's next to nothing apart from a vague trailer to go on, but expect to see a few more details emerge from Gamescom in August.
A winter 2019 at this point seems likely.
Rage 2
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
Rage 2 will run on Avalanche’s APEX engine, known for powering games such as Just Cause.
It blends Avalanche's expertise for open-world design with iD Software's nous for first-person gunplay.
Vehicular combat was a dominant theme in the trailer they released last month, so expect a huge variety of cars to choose from.
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Platform(s):Xbox One, PC, PS4
Release date: TBC 2019
Jade, the star of the original game , will once again take on the lead role here.
You'll start the game at the ‘very bottom of the social system’ - rising through the ranks from pirate to a legendary captain, leading ships into huge battles.
Much like the 2003 original, gameplay will be a mixture of action and adventure - with puzzle solving and stealth-based elements.
Ubisoft said they're partnering with , a company run by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to let fans directly contribute “music and visuals” to the development of the game.
Crackdown 3
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: February 2019
The third instalment of the popular Crackdown series was meant to be an Xbox One X launch title - but has been delayed yet again to February next year.
Gameplay sees you play as a cop tasked with 'cracking down' on the city's growing crime problem.
Microsoft has promised the environments will be fully destructible, thanks to cloud computing technology. Don't get too excited, though.
The game relies on Microsoft Azure for all the mayhem - so mass destruction will only be available in multiplayer - not in the single-player campaign.
Death Stranding
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is keeping his cards very close to his chest with regard to Death Stranding.
Even though we were finally treated to some gameplay, it's very hard to get a a gauge about what to expect.
All we know right now is that is stars the Walking Dead's Norman Reedus and Hannibal's Mads Mikkelsen.
Oh, and that it looks absolutely amazing. Don't worry - Kojima assured fans it's coming to PS4 - not PS5.
The Last of Us: Part 2
Platform: PS4
Release date: TBC 2019
Yet another massive PS4 exclusive - and one that seems to have taken an age to materialise.
Fans were finally treated to some gameplay - which was every bit as brutal as we expected.
There's no release date as yet, but expect more to news to drop at Gamescom.
Bayonetta 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release date: TBC 2018
The witch is back in the latest action shooter from PlatinumGames.
Weird, sexy and with hyper-stylised gameplay, Bayonetta 3 will build on what made the last two games hits.
There's no firm release date as yet, so be sure to check out the original and brilliant sequel, which both arrived on Switch earlier this year.
Control
Platform: PS4
Release date: TBC 2019
Control, the next game from Alan Wake and QuantumBreak developer Remedy, blends Matrix-style action with telekinesis.
It looks pretty spectacular, if worryingly similar to QuantumBreak (which wasn't all that) so here's hoping it carves out its own path.
The action, it has to be said, looks incredible.
Anthem
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2019
Another game to be pushed back to next year.
This stunning sci-fi open-world RPG sees you and three friends work as 'Freelancers' - warriors tasked with exploring dangerous new worlds.
Graphically, it's one of the most impressive games we've ever seen.
To make things more interesting, developers Bioware has added massive world-altering occurrences - including ferocious storms.
Dream Team World Cup has landed
The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.
That's because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer's tournament.
Dream Team World Cup
- Completely free to enter
- £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament
- £175k total prizepot (for UK players only)
The game officially launches on June 1 - but you can pre-register for the game now.
If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter , but if you’re not follow these simple steps:
- Download the Dream Team app
- Create an account
- Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions
From Russia with a whole lot of love.
