This article originally ran under a different banner/website in July of 2020 and is now being here re-uploaded for purposes of convenience and consolidation. Please enjoy.
GATHER ROUND, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! I HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU. While E3 2020 is dead and buried, publishers still long to get us hyped for the latest round of game releases. To butter us up to pre-order, many publishers have stitched together some live stream presentations to wet our appetite with their medial marketing. I, the Video Game Doomsayer, thought it would be a fun exercise to take a look at these presentations and deflate the balloons of hype that these publishers have set to release. SO ON WITH THE MOCKERY!!!
On June 18, 2020, the EA Play Live event took place to wow the masses. So what did the gaming industry’s favorite punching bag present to us? Any chance it will include sports games not riddled with microtransactions? No, better luck next year EA. To be fair to them, the updates to Apex Legends and The Sims 4 look intriguing despite the fact those games are not for me. I am always interested in the EA Originals, small indie games that EA funds and doesn’t force outlandish monetization into. This year we have It Takes Two from the mind that thought it would be a good idea to tell the Oscars to fuck off at the game awards. Don’t get me wrong, I like Josef Fares, but I don’t see how EA likes him. Nonetheless, the idea of two parents, who wanted a divorce, having to work together sounds interesting. I am, without a doubt, playing Lost in Random when that comes out; the Tim Burton-eques art style has me sold. As a fan of the Soldier in Team Fortress 2, a rocket launcher only arena shooter like Rocket Arena had me excited. Unfortunately, the game has a forty dollar price tag, microtransactions, and a battle pass. Hard pass. Finally, we have Star Wars Squadron, a Star Wars flight simulator that looks like it perfectly captures that dogfight feeling around the Death Star. EA has promised no microtransactions and hopefully, they will stick to that promise. EA still needs the goodwill.
On July 23, 2020, Microsoft held the Xbox Games Showcase. Now, before I dig into the show, I must say the lack of gameplay is disappointing. I would have loved to see a snip-it of gameplay from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Hellblade 2, and the new Fable. However, that’s a complaint I can level against a lot of games Microsoft presented. The Medium does seem interesting, but Microsoft, you cannot be serious about patenting dual world gameplay. Don’t be like that; you just look insecure. I would love to see gameplay for Everwild and apparently Rare does too. To hear the studio making that game has no idea what kind of game it will be, gives me some horrible flashbacks to Anthem and the state Bioware is in. Is it just me, or does it seem like Obsidian Entertainment is trying to get their revenge on Bethesda by making Bethesda’s games in a way that isn’t milking the fan base? First, Outer Worlds was a better version of Fallout, and now Avowed looks like it could supplant Elder Scrolls as everyone’s favorite RPG. Microsoft better not cheat Obsidian out of a bonus, or else they will make their own version of Halo. I was initially worried about Grounded as Obsidian’s storytelling doesn’t seem like it would translate well to a crafting survival game. However, they want to challenge themselves, so I can’t blame them for trying something new. Finally, we have Halo Infinite. It looks like more Halo. I really can’t be upset that it doesn’t look graphically impressive, especially when the gameplay looks just as generic. I probably won’t bother, especially since I will probably be busy playing Psychonauts 2. Double Fine got Jack Black to perform a song for this game, how can you not be shaking in glee.
Now, let’s address the big black refrigerator-like elephant in the room: The Xbox Series X. This presentation has not convinced me to rush out and buy this product come the holiday season. I prefer to play on PC, and it seems all of Microsoft’s titles are coming to PC. They also appear to be on the Xbox Gamepass. This “Netflix for Games” service, now allows you to stream these games to any device, in a bid to tell Google, we can do everything Stadia can do. Now I am sure, Microsoft would like me to buy an Xbox Series X, but they don’t seem to be committed to the console wars as Sony is. Sure, I don’t recommend the Xbox Series X, but I will happily recommend Xbox Gamepass. That might be Microsoft’s ultimate goal.
On July 12, 2020, Ubisoft made the unwise decision to highlight some of their games in a live stream event called UbiForward. Some might be shaking their head in confusion as to why I said the move was unwise. Ubisoft is currently facing multiple allegations regarding physical and sexual assaults against the high-ranking officers at Ubisoft. Many former employees often referred to the Ubisoft Paris offices as a Frat house. Many high-ranking executives have been accused of creating a toxic work culture, physical assault, and threats of rape. Countless stories have surfaced of Ubisoft’s HR department going to great lengths to bury these claims. There is even a story of a market manager sexually assaulting a senior account executive from another company at a Ubisoft event. If you have the time and/or stomach, please check out Jason Schreier’s article covering the allegations: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-21/ubisoft-sexual-misconduct-scandal-harassment-sexism-and-abuse.
With all these stories buzzing around, I would have guessed Ubisoft might have been better off burying its head in the ground than going forward with UbiForward, but I underestimated them.
The marketing hype machine cannot be stopped as Ubisoft dared to present some trailers to us. I had hoped they would at least addressed the allegations and say an internal investigation was taking place. Something similar to what J. Allen Barck said at the last BlizzCon, but there was nothing. No mention of the allegations. Heaven forbid, Ubisoft fans are made aware of the toxic den that infested their favorite publisher. We can’t possibly have that. We can’t have CEO Yves Guillemot come on camera and beg to keep his job. Can’t have feelings of guilt come into play, then people might not preorder our lavish collector’s edition. God forbid, we show any executives left at Ubisoft have a spine or morals.
You seriously still want thoughts of UbiForward? If you insist, I am nothing but a humble servant to my loyal followers. I am disappointed to see a PMC is the villains of Watch Dogs: Legion, but not surprised since Ubisoft is hellbent on making games apolitical. Can’t possibly say one of the political parties has transformed Britain into a fascist state. I can’t wait to see how they will make Far Cry 6 apolitical, a game about a dictator facing unrest from his people on a fictional South American island. I want to be excited for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla but with the grindy nature of the previous two titles, I will not be baited into thinking this game will be different. Finally, I can not do anything but roll my eyes at the idea that Ubisoft created a Ready Player One type world and all they can think to do is make it a battle royale game. How unoriginal; how uninspired. Year after year, Ubisoft continuously releases games that I can only describe as white noise. Seeing all of this done at the cost of physical and mentally abusing staff makes Ubisoft an embarrassment to the industry. Seriously, Ubisoft, slink off to the shadows and never return.
I am furious. I need something to make me laugh and smile. Thankfully, Devolver Digital is here to comfort me with their Devolver Direct that happened on July 11th, 2020. Their Devolver Directs always strike the right tone of making me laugh but also winking to me to say everyone at Devolver sees the nonsense that takes place in the games industry. The narrative of having Nina trapped in a virtual world forced to continuously make game announcements had me grinning from ear to ear. Nina’s final speech at the end can only be described as breathtaking. Devolver Direct 2020 is definitely worth watching even if you’re not a fan of their games.
Speaking of their games, what did I think of this year’s stable of Devolver games? Shadow Warrior 3’s gameplay looks like a perfect blend of Doom Eternal and Titanfall 2, but I honestly wish the game would stop with the Wang jokes. Yes, Shadow Warrior 3, I get it, your protagonist’s name also refers to his penis; how witty of you. Fall Guys is genuinely the only battle royale game that I am interested in. Sure, there might not be much strategy to this cartoony Wipeout-like game, but it looks like fun. Fun is in short supplies these days, so I’ll take it. Despite having control issues with the demo at PAX East 2020, I am still really excited to play the reverse horror game, Carrion. While looking like another pixel art platformer, the spear that allows you to swing to different locations looks like a fun mechanic that makes me want to try Olija. Serious Sam 4 is on my list of games to play because there can never be enough chaotic shooters. Finally, the idea behind Devolverland Expo can only be described as such a Devolver Digital idea. The idea of a free game where you wander around an abandoned Devolver Digital expo is a perfect way to get me excited about their games. Devolver Digital, I probably say this every year, but please don’t change.
On June 11, 2020, we got our first look at the PS5 at Sony’s PS5 Reveal Presentation. Right off the bat, I’ll take every bit more of that exhilarating Spider-Man gameplay that Insomniac made, but I am still confused about whether Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a spinoff, DLC, or sequel. You think that answer would be clear. I am glad we got to see some gameplay of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, but with how often it was cutting back and forth, the line between gameplay and cutscene was heavily blurred. However, forget Cyperpunk 2077, I rather play Stray, a game about being a cat in a cyberpunk dystopia with no humans. Returnal looks like an interesting blend of Groundhog Day and Event Horizon. Sackboy: A Big Adventure looks cute and I am glad Sony hasn’t abandoned him since the days of mascot platformers are over. Also, I would like one of those small black creatures from Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Also happy to see Oddworld: Soulstrom is still in production; I could have sworn I heard that was announced in 2016. I am excited about Ghost Wire: Tokyo and Death Loop, but I think it is a shame Bethesda is taking the exclusive deal. Bethesda does not need the money. Still no interest in NBA 2K21 and its casinos. Thankfully, Bugsnax is so weird and cute, I already forgot that basketball game, whatever it was called. A Demon Soul remaster is welcomed because I always welcome remasters of games that are hard to get your hands on. Also really excited for Resident Evil 8. I’ll always take more horror games. Finally, Horizon Forbidden West looks like a great system seller. Sony has clearly learned boasting a large roster of games, will help sell their consoles.
So I must be gearing up to buy a PS5, right? Well, honestly, I am still not that interested in rushing out for this new console. Sure, there are a lot of games I would like to play, but none that I feel like I have to play right now. The games that I am excited about like Resident Evil 8 or Ghost Wire Tokyo are either coming to all systems or just timed PS5 exclusives. I don’t buy the idea that the PS5 will be the most powerful machine on the market. I am sure PC will eclipse it in a few months or are already more powerful. Until I see something really exciting, I’ll stick to my faithful PS4.
Nintendo has been a little quiet this year, but I wish more publishers would only announce games when they are ready. Nintendo has two Treehouse events, one in March and a small one in July. Many ports and remasters were announced like Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, The Bioshock Collection, Borderland Collection, Xcom 2 Collection, and Catherine: Full Body. New third-party titles like Bravely Defaulted II. In terms of Nintendo properties, there is a new Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC, and Paper Mario: The Origami King. Some might be frustrated with Nintendo’s drip-feed of content, and I can certainly sympathize with them. I can only say that we have to be patient if we want developers to deliver worthwhile content. I am sure Metro Prime 4 and Super Smash Ultimate DLC will come when it is ready.
My loyal followers, that concludes the big announcements have been sprinkled throughout the summer. Like many years that I have covered E3, I am not here to tell you not to be excited about these upcoming games. I smile when I think of Psychonauts 2 or any of the games being published by Devolver Digital. However, I merely ask you to exercise caution with purchasing these titles. Maybe wait a day or two and seek out a review from a trusted source. Maybe reconsider buying that new Ubisoft game. The world of gaming is changing, and we must be prepared to adapt. Until then remember, don’t buy into the hype.
Keep up the amazing work!