Hello all and welcome to my super long ranking of the E3 press conferences of 2018. I got a lot to write so I'll get straight into what this list is. This list will actually have two levels of rankings: on the outer level I am ranking the press conference itself based on what is presented, how they presented it, and more. On the inner level, I am ranking all of the announcements made within each press conference based on my interest in the game and other factors like release date. So, let's get right into this list and see if my format works out. None of these lists will include anything announced or done in any pre-show or after-shows. The press conferences I will be covering are Devolver, Ea, Square Enix, PC Gaming Show, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and Nintendo. Let's get started.
9. Square Enix
Square Enix comes in dead last because of many different aspects. The biggest reason they come in dead last was for the fact that they didn't have a stage presence. I am personally not a fan of having a press conference just be a video, which is why all of the video-only press conferences are going to be ranked low on this list. But above that, I don't think the game lineup was that interesting. Props on getting a good narrator though. Overall, this press conference shows why not everyone needs to have a press conference.
At this point, I will rank the game announcements made by Square Enix. Each press conference is going to have their own and these lists will not affect any of the other lists. Also, this will be the last time I explain this. So, here is my ranking of the Square Enix announcements.
11. Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood
I haven't played Final Fantasy 14, so I have no feelings on the expansion.
10. Monster Hunter World x Final Fantasy 14
I haven't played Monster Hunter World, so I don't have any feelings on the crossover. The reason why this ranks higher than FF14 is that I want to play Monster Hunter more than FF14.
9. Dragon Quest 11
I only really put this here because I wanted the game updates to be last. I don't have any interest in this game.
8. Nier Automata Xbox One release
I ranked this higher than Dragon Quest because I want to play this game still, but it didn't feel fair to rank this higher considering it released last year. So, it lies right here.
7. The Awesome Adventure of Captain Spirit
I haven't played any of the Life is Strange games, but I still enjoyed this announcement. I am not a fan of narrative games, but I really liked its heart-warming vibe.
6. Kingdom Hearts 3
Man, coming out on these blogs and saying all of the games I haven't played is kind of tough. I haven't played any of the previous Kingdom Hearts games, but I am still interested to see what is to come of this game.
5. The Quiet Man
Shhhh. Despite its bad live-action scene, I am still interested in seeing what this game really is and how its quietness plays into whatever this game is.
4. Octopath Traveler
This beautiful RPG is just around the corner, and I am excited to try out this game.
3. Just Cause 4
I actually did enjoy Just Cause 3, so I do have excitement for the game. Let's hope they fix the flaws of the last game and make an enjoyable Just Cause game.
2. Babylon's Fall
Babylon's Fall is one of only two games I was really interested in out of this press conference. I thought its trailer was great and knowing the game is being made by Platinum makes it all the better. The thing that puts this game at number two and not one is that the other game has a closer release date.
1. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Yep, it's more Tomb Raider. But that isn't a bad thing; quite the opposite actually. I have played the previous two new Tomb Raider games, and I enjoyed those games quite a lot. So I have no doubt this game will be great. On top of that, I liked its new story and environment, and the improvements talked about with the game sound promising.
That is the end of the ranking of game announcements in the Square Enix press conference. I couldn't find a better way to break up the press conference, so I wrote this. Onto the next press conference.
8. Devolver
Saying that the Devolver press conference is weird is an understatement. It feels more like a skit than a press conference, and entertainment has always been the forefront of these press conferences than game announcements. I actually enjoyed this press conference because of how wacky it is, but putting this press conference any higher doesn't feel right. I would love to talk about it more, but there is so much to talk about that it could almost be its own blog. So I would recommend just watching their press conferences from last year and this year (don't worry, they are short), and seeing for yourself why they are hard to talk about in one paragraph. Even though it was wacky, they still managed to squeeze in a few game announcements (and I mean a few). So, here are the three game announcements they made.
3. Scum
Despite the interesting premise, I am not a fan of hardcore survival games, especially games full of health mechanics like this game. The game looks fine, but it's not my cup of tea.
2. Metal Wolf Chaos XD
I like its zany premise, but my interest in the game isn't incredibly high. Gameplay of the original game looks fine, but honestly I am more excited for the next game announced.
1. My Friend Pedro
I am not a fan of the 'bananas' aspect to the game, but I think this game looks like a lot of fun. The classical music mixed with the ballerina-esque gameplay looks like a blast to play, and that is what got this game to be number one.
That concludes the end of the shortest list of this ranking. Now onto number seven.
7. EA Play
I said earlier that I am not a fan of just playing a video for your press conference, so by that logic Nintendo would be here. But in my opinion, EA's press conference was so bad, it ranks lower than Nintendo. I appreciate them actually doing a stage show and how they are trying to repair their name with various things like charity and addressing their issues; but the lack of any really big announcement, or many announcements at all, made the press conference predictable and boring. Also, how can I trust anything they say when they are notorious for making a good thing terrible? There were other aspects big and smaller that either helped or hurt the conference, but in the end this conference can be described as predictable and boring, and the whole thing felt like an apology tour. So, let's get into the ranking.
10. Battlefront 2 Update and Content
I don't play Battlefront 2, so this update doesn't affect me and it doesn't interest me into playing the game. Also, I think Star Wars spinoff films are ultimately ruining the franchise, so inputting the new Solo film into the game almost makes me want to play the game less. It's still nice they are putting in content into the game though.
9. Command and Conquer Rivals
The only reason this is ranked higher is because it is a game and not an update. I do not like mobile gaming, but I still decided to give this game a try. It's pretty bad. It feels like Clash Royale with a slightly different take on gameplay, so I deleted it after a few matches. Moving on.
8-6. FIFA 19, NBA Live 19, Madden NFL 19
I decided to combine all of these games as for my thoughts on these three games are all the same: it's another yearly released sports title. I have no interest in playing any of these games, so they are all pretty much tied for third-to-last place.
5. Star Wars Fallen Order
Now we're talking. I love Respawn Entertainment and I still think that Titanfall 2 is one of the best multiplayer games released in the past five years, so anything they are working on is exciting to me. And if they are working on a proper Star Wars game, then I think it has hopes to be something great. The only reason I am putting this game up so high is that I do not see this game releasing this decade (I know he said holiday 2019, but I seriously doubt it). Their wasn't even a trailer for the game, so hopes of it coming out any time soon are slim. Still, I will have my eye on this game. Also, free my boy Vince Zampella.
4. Battlefield 5
I enjoyed my time with Battlefield 1, so I am interested to see what is to come of this game. Plus, some of the new stuff they have talked about with this game sounds neat. But I am not Battlefield's #1 fan, so this game will probably come-and-go for me. Still, it looks like a solid game and I may pick it up if the new parts to the game are any good.
3. Anthem
The more Anthem is talked about, the less excitement I hold for the game. I still wanted to put this game up high because I am always interested in new IP's, but this game seems like just another loot-shooter but with Ironman suits. Let's hope I am wrong.
2. Unravel 2
What does it say about your show and about your company (at least to me) that the two most interesting things to come out of it are not your large titles, but the smaller titles you are publishing? I didn't play the first Unravel, but I thought what they showed of the game was interesting, and the platforming with a partner looks like a lot of fun. Also, darn that stupid bird.
1. Sea of Solitude
Easily the most interesting game to come out of the this press conference, Sea of Solitude both surprised me and intrigued me. Its surprisingly dark atmosphere, interesting world, and its take on solitude and loneliness makes this game fascinating and the best announcement at this press conference.
That concludes part one of this three (maybe four) part series. Looking at the amount of announcements made at each press conference, this list will probably be the shortest of the three (or four), so if you are in this for the long ride then buckle up. I will link the other parts in the comments once I get to them. If you have a ranking for the press conferences, put them in the comments and see how they compare. Thank you for reading and I will see you very soon for the next part.
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