Publisher, Bethesda, has wrapped up their E3 presentation. The hour and a half long conference was packed with news, tidbits, and major reveals. For those of you that may have missed it or are just looking to see if you missed anything, here’s a recap.
Rage 2
Leading things off was ID Software’s latest, Rage 2. The company opened the full unveiling with a musical number from the game’s soundtrack. A full gameplay trailer was given that showed off numerous new enemies and scenery. It seems like a departure from its predecessor that will leave fans satisfied. There will be no loot boxes or games as a service elements in this Spring 2019 release.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Next up was a full look at The Elder Scrolls: Legends which will be coming to consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. Progress made in the mobile games can be transferred over to the console version when it releases.
The Elder Scrolls: Online
ZeniMax Online Studios came up on stage and showed off its latest Summerset expansion. It was also revealed that more expansions are planned for this game in the coming years. Wolfhunter will contain werewolves and Murkmire will contain lizard-like creatures, called the Argonians. Murkmire will also be story-based and set on Black Marsh.
Doom Eternal
The next installment of Doom was announced, titled Eternal. This sequel will include new enemies and environments that will also bring “more.” Not much else was shown beside the trailer. More information was promised at this year’s QuakeCon.
Quake Champions
A new trailer was given for the upcoming Quake Champions. It is still a PC exclusive but a free-trial is currently available. The trial is only available for this week only. Users who play it can continue to play even after the free period is over. More information about this will also be shown at QuakeCon.
Prey
Arkane Studios were present during this presentation as well. Two new modes are available in an update for Prey, as of today. The two are both for the single-player campaign. The story mode is for players that may have struggled with the game’s difficulty, yet survival mode is for those that need more of a challenge. A new game+ is also available today. The new DLC, Mooncrash, will also be available today for $19.99. A new multiplayer mode is also planned for this summer. Typhon Hunter will be a 5v1 game mode where one player is tasked with eliminating a whole squad. The one can shapeshift into everyday objects, such as a chair or mug, in order to trick the other five. Players can now dive back into this game with new things to explore.
Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is set to release on the Nintendo Switch on June 29. However, there was more to be announced regarding this series. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is an upcoming standalone story experience. It will feature BJ Blazkowicz’s twin daughters as they explore life in the 1980’s. Since there are two characters involved in the story, co-op will be a feature. There is no firm release date besides its 2019 target.
VR Games
The company has not been shy with VR technology, releasing Skyrim, Fallout 4, and DOOM. The next two to feature this will be Wolfenstein and Prey. Prey’s newest Typhon Hunter will be able to be played in VR along with an escape room single-player mode. Wolfenstein is going to be a standalone experience titled, Cyberpilot. Players will take the role of a resistance hacker to use Nazi machines against their enemy. Cyberpilot is planned for 2019.
Todd Howard
It is at this point that the director of Bethesda Game Studios took to the stage for some show-stealing announcements.
Skyrim Very Special Edition
Todd Howard is very well aware of the ongoing Skyrim gag of it being ported to every system. In a shocking announcement, Skyrim Very Special Edition was announced and left fans speechless.
Fallout 76
The true focus of this presentation came from Fallout 76. Gamers were given an extensive look at the upcoming multiplayer based video game. There will be distinct weather systems that can alter the terrain of West Virginia. Since this is set immediately after the bombs nuked America, new creatures and species will be featured.
The story tasks players with uncovering the truth about the nuclear bombs, since many of the secrets can be found in Virginia. It can be played in solo completely normally or online with friends and strangers. Progression will be transferred with the player through each session that they join.
It is an open world survival game that is “softcore.” Death does not mean a permanent loss of the character. The player’s progress will be tied to the server that they operate on. There will also only be a few dozen players in a game at a time. “This is a fallout not an amusement park” in the words of Todd Howard. Gamers can play with their friends, but PvP is also enabled. Base building will make a return from Fallout 4 and a photo mode will be introduced. One big surprise about the game is that fully functioning nuclear sites can be used to attack other player camps.
A beta will be available at a later date before the game’s release. Fallout 76 is set to hit store shelves on November 14 of this year. A Power Armor Special Edition of the game is also available, which will feature a fully functioning helmet from the series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwOYEsnm1i4
Fallout Shelter
Todd Howard was not done with reveals after Fallout 76. Fallout Shelter was announced for release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game is available for free, as of right now.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades
To everyone’s surprise, The Elder Scrolls is coming to mobile, with Blades. This is a first-person RPG that contains console-like graphics. It plays best on an iPhone X and can be played in portrait mode. Bethesda plans to release the game on all mobile devices, consoles, PCs, and VR.
A new combat system was created specifically for this game. Procedurally generated dungeons are also planned for the upcoming release. Three modes are set to be included. The first being town mode, which is the normal story experience with town-building mechanics. Abyss mode is a rogue-like experience set in a dungeon that tasks players with how long they can survive. The final mode is the arena, which is a 1-on-1 PvP battle. The plan for arena mode is for all systems to be able to play with one another.
The release is planned for Fall of this year for free. Pre-orders are now available on mobile.
Starfield
Bethesda Game Studios then gave a trailer for their newest IP in 20 years, Starfield. No release date was given.
The Elder Scrolls VI
The final announcement came in the form of The Elder Scrolls VI. No location or full title was given nor was a release date. A small tease was offered and with that, the conference was over.
Bethesda knocked it out of the park with announcements and unveilings this year. It was a great presentation that was sure to please fans of almost all their properties. Stay tuned to VG Culture HQ for all the latest on E3 2018.