What does it mean to "mature"?

   Looking at my blog, I realized I haven't actually posted any social-related article for a while now. And that's probably for good reason, I mean I'm always psyched about video games and sports, plus I had this move to Melbourne going for a while now, so I haven't really had much time to sit down and think of such an issue. Or to be more precise, nothing like that had come up. I thought I had pretty much analyzed everything that could be analyzed regarding social behaviors, but recently there's been something on my mind that I would like to address. 
   Considering this is my "big move" and I'm now on my own, I had been told from multiple different sources that I would be forced to "grow up". That I would have to "mature". That this would occur naturally, without me putting a lot of thought into it. It's just a process that we all go through at some stage in our lives. However, I have been pondering about what it truly means for a person to be "mature". Is it something that happens to us, like how we grow teeth, or is it just some pretentious term that we randomly came up with?
   For a while I thought being "mature" meant outgrowing your own interests and gaining different, more sophisticated ones. However, that would require an entire change of character. And that doesn't happen. Once a person finds the things they've set their heart on, it's difficult for them to let them go, they have a connection with them. Maybe up until their late 20's does a person stay open to new and different things. Once they enter their 30's, it's hard for them to get into anything new. So it would be hypocritical for someone to do that.
   Another use for the term (emotional) "maturity" would be to behave, as they say, more your age. More adult-like. To be someone who the title of "Mister" can be tied to. To dress more your age. Less T-shirts with funny characters or cheeky messages on them, more collar shirts and black ties. But who defines what you can behave as, be called or wear?? At the end of the day, we live in a society that allows freedom now more than ever! If a person is accepted based on their sexual orientation and race, then why should they be judged if they're 30+ and wanna wear T-shirts and talk slang (as long as they're not being offensive)?
   One more possible explanation for this term could be that you're finally capable of taking care of yourself. But honestly, if you're over 20 and you can't even do that, then in this humble blogger's opinion, you won't survive for long in the real world. Do what you want, act how you want, be however you want, but be capable of standing on your own two feet. Don't ask for help for every little thing cause based on experience, help ain't never gonna come! Or it might but only when it's convenient for them. It's preferable that you be the one others turn to for help. So in terms of that, I don't really consider it being "mature" if you can take care of yourself, I just think it's common sense.
   A last use for the phrase "emotional maturity" could be just as simple as that: for you to be able to cope with your emotions, a.k.a. your feelings. This is a process that actually could take a lot of years and experience, so yes, you could call it "maturing". Learning to properly deal with certain emotions that you were bad with before, handling people and situations better, becoming stronger as a person throughout previous experiences... that could be what it truly means to mature. To use all the events of your past as feedback, find your mistakes during those events and not repeat them. Not everyone's perfect however and we may stumble upon the way, but the idea here is to make an imprint in your mind of those times where you made the biggest mistakes so that you don't find yourself in a similar situation ever again. That's quite possibly the best meaning behind "emotional maturity".
   At the end of the day, however one decides to use the term "mature", it is up to the individual how they will accept it. There could be the pretentious maturity, that is only existent for the eye of the beholders and vanishes behind closed doors, and then there's true maturity, that can be seen behind every word and action a person takes, even if said person wishes to act a bit more cheerfully and less appropriately for his age. That could also be taken as proof of maturity since it shows self-confidence. It is up to us what we determine as mature and what type of people we want to surround ourselves with.

Προβλέψεις ομίλων Μουντιάλ 2018

  

  Και να που πέρασαν κιόλας τέσσερα ολόκληρα χρόνια και βρισκόμαστε ξανά προ των πυλών ενός ακόμη Μουντιάλ! Με τον τελικό του "Μαρακανά" να αποτελεί πλέον μια μακρινή ανάμνηση ακόμα και για τους μεγαλύτερους φίλους του αθλήματος, όλος ο πλανήτης ετοιμάζεται να μπει στο γιορτινό κλίμα που απαιτεί η σπουδαιότερη ποδοσφαιρική διοργάνωση. Με κάτι παραπάνω από 50 ημέρες να απομένουν για το εναρκτήριο λάκτισμα στα γήπεδα της Ρωσίας, οι 32 αντίπαλοι αρχίζουν σιγά-σιγά να μπαίνουν στο κλίμα.
   Αν και τα περισσότερα ευρωπαϊκά πρωταθλήματα δεν έχουν ολοκληρωθεί και το Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ βρίσκεται ακόμη στην ημιτελική φάση, δεν θα έλεγε κανείς πως είναι πολύ νωρίς για να σκεφτόμαστε το Μουντιάλ. Τουναντίον μάλιστα, θα ήταν η ιδανικότερη στιγμή για να αναλύσουμε τους ομίλους και να προβλέψουμε το πως πιθανόν να εξελιχθούν αυτοί, καθώς ήδη γνωρίζουμε για απουσίες, προσθήκες, φορμαρισμένους παίκτες και επιλογές προπονητών. Ας ξεκινήσουμε λοιπόν.
   Ο Α' όμιλος είναι και εκείνος της οικοδέσποινας Ρωσίας. Θα έχει τη στήριξη του κοινού της, ενώ και το σύνολο που διαθέτει δεν είναι διόλου ευκαταφρόνητο, με παίκτες της ποιότητας των Ακινφέεβ, Ντζαγκόεβ, Κοκόριν και Ιγκνασέβιτς. Ωστόσο δεν θα παίξει μόνη της, καθώς στον όμιλο συμμετέχουν επίσης η πάντα ισχυρή, όσο και απρόβλεπτη Ουρουγουάη, αλλά και η Αίγυπτος του MVP του Αγγλικού πρωταθλήματος, Μοχάμεντ Σαλάχ. Η Σαουδική Αραβία που κλείνει τον όμιλο δεν φαίνεται ικανή για πολλά εδώ.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Αίγυπτος πρώτη, Ουρουγουάη-Ρωσία μάχη για δεύτερη
   Ο Β' όμιλος προβλέπεται να προσφέρει σπουδαίο θέαμα, με τη μάχη Πορτογαλίας-Ισπανίας να εξέχει από... χιλιόμετρα! Ο Κριστιάνο Ρονάλντο θα βρει μπροστά του συμπαίκτες κι αντιπάλους από την Πριμέρα, σε ένα παιχνίδι που θα καθηλώσει το κοινό και ασφαλώς θα κρίνει κα την πρώτη θέση του ομίλου, καθώς μόνο με... αυτοκτονία θα αποκλειστεί κάποια από τις δύο αυτές υπερδυνάμεις από τις προφανώς ασθενέστερες εθνικές του Ιράν και του Μαρόκο που είναι στον ίδιο όμιλο.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Ισπανία πρώτη, Πορτογαλία δεύτερη

   Στον Γ' όμιλο έχουμε μια επαναλαμβανόμενη σύμπτωση, σε ότι αφορά την εθνική ομάδα της Γαλλίας. Όπως και το 2014 (που είχε κληρωθεί με Ελβετία, Εκουαδόρ και Ονδούρα), έτσι και φέτος, θα αντιμετωπίσει ομάδες οι οποίες ίσως την κοντράρουν, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση δεν έχουν την ποιότητα του ρόστερ της. Μιλάμε για την Δανία, του εξαιρετικά φορμαρισμένου άσου της Τότεναμ, Κρίστιαν Έρικσεν, το Περού και την Αυστραλία, την τελευταία ομάδα που "τσέκαρε" εισητήριο για το Μουντιάλ. Οπότε καταλαβαίνουμε πως όλα εξαρτώνται από τους Γάλλους και την απόδοση που θα πιάσουν. Αν, λόγου χάρη, τους πιάσει πατατράκ τύπου 2002, μπορεί μέχρι και τελευταίοι να τερματίσουν! Αλλά με βάση την έως τώρα απόδοσή τους και την φόρμα ορισμένων βασικών παικτών τους στις ομάδες τους, το σενάριο αυτό δεν συγκεντρώνει και πολλές πιθανότητες! Ένα μικρό "αίνιγμα" για αυτόν τον όμιλο είναι η παρουσία της Αυστραλίας, καθώς προσέλαβε νέο τεχνικό πρόσφατα, τον Μπερτ Βαν Μάαρβαϊκ και πιθανών να εμφανιστεί ισχυρότερη του αναμενομένου.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Γαλλία πρώτη, Δανία δεύτερη

   Και ο Δ' όμιλος περιλαμβάνει μια σύμπτωση όμως, καθως Αργεντινή και Νιγηρία συναντώνται για μια ακόμη φορά σε τέτοια φάση Μουντιάλ. Κάτι παρόμοιο έχει ξανασυμβεί άλλες... τέσσερις(!) φορές, με πιο πρόσφατη εκείνη στα γήπεδα της Βραζιλίας. Μαζί τους αυτή τη φορά είναι η Κροατία και η Ισλανδία. Φυσικά ο Λιονέλ Μέσι και η παρέα του αποτελούν αδιαφιλονίκητο φαβορί, όχι μόνο για τον όμιλο αλλά για ολόκληρη τη διοργάνωση, καθώς πιθανότατα αυτή να είναι και η τελευταία ευκαιρία του μικρού μάγου να κατακτήσει το συγκεκριμένο τρόπαιο, ένα από τα λίγα που λείπουν από την τροπαιοθήκη του. Ωστόσο, υπάρχει και το ενδεχόμενο όλο αυτό να λειτουργήσει εις βάρος του και άρα εις βάρος ολόκληρης της εθνικής του, καθώς η απόδοση του αποτελεί βαρόμετρο. Ο όμιλος αυτός δεν είναι "παίξε-γέλασε", καθώς και η Κροατία των Μάντζουκιτς, Μόντριτς, Ράκιτιτς, αλλά και η πρωτοεμφανιζόμενη Ισλανδία έχουν αποδείξει πως είναι δυσκατάβλητοι αντίπαλοι. Ουσιαστικά ολόκληρος ο όμιλος εδώ θα κριθεί από το πως θα εμφανιστεί ο Μέσι.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Κροατία πρώτη, Αργεντινή δεύτερη

   Ο Ε' όμιλος είναι λίγο ευκολότερη υπόθεση. Η πεντάκις παγκόσμια πρωταθλήτρια Βραζιλία θα αντιμετωπίσει την Ελβετία, την Κόστα Ρίκα και τη Σερβία. Η Βραζιλία βρίσκεται σε πολύ καλύτερη κατάσταση απ'ότι ήταν στο Μουντιαλ που διεξήχθη στα δικά της εδάφη προ τεσσάρων ετών, με νέο "αίμα" να κυλάει στην επιθετική της γραμμή και παίκτες της ποιότητας του Φιρμίνιο, του Κοουτίνιο και του Κασεμίρο να είναι διαθέσιμοι άνα πάσα στιγμή, αλλά και το μεγάλο της αστέρι, τον Νειμάρ, να δηλώνει "ετοιμοπόλεμος" μετά τον πρόσφατο τραυματισμό του. Με βάση την άνεση με την οποία προκρίθηκε από τη ζώνη της Νοτίου Αμερικής, αλλά και την εικόνα που δείχνει στα φιλικά, δεν θα ήταν υπερβολή να πει κανείς πως πάει για το "3 στα 3". Σε ότι αφορά τους υπολοίπους αντιπάλους, η Ελβετία είναι ένας πάντα υπολογίσιμος αντίπαλος, η Κόστα Ρίκα ήταν η ομάδα-έκπληξη που έφτασε μέχρι τα προημιτελικά του προηγούμενου Μουντιάλ και άρα δεν μπορεί να υποτιμηθεί και η Σερβία θέλει να κάνει ένα δυνατό "come-back" σε τελική φάση.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Βραζιλία πρώτη, Ελβετία δεύτερη
   Και ο ΣΤ' όμιλος όμως έχει ένα ξεκάθαρο φαβορί και αυτό δεν θα μπορούσε να είναι άλλο από τη νυν παγκόσμια πρωταθλήτρια Γερμανία. Μια ποδοσφαιρική μηχανή από την ενδεκάδα της οποίας βγαίνει ένας παίκτης, μπαίνει άλλος και δεν παρατηρείται καμία διαφορά στην απόδοση. Μια ομάδα που έχει την ευχέρεια να έχει τόσους πολλούς ποιοτικούς παίκτες που δεν της λείπει κανείς. Αν γίνει η πρώτη ομάδα με δύο συνεχόμενες κατακτήσεις Μουντιάλ, δεν θα αποτελέσει καμία έκπληξη. Μαζί της είναι η Σουηδία, γύρω από την οποία κυκλοφορούν φήμες πως μπορεί να επανεμφανιστεί ο Ζλάταν Ιμπραΐμοβιτς για μια τελευταία "παράσταση", το Μεξικό και η Νότιος Κορέα.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Γερμανία πρώτη, "σφαγή" για τη δεύτερη, πιθανόν Μεξικό

   Στον Ζ' όμιλο επιστρέφουμε στις δυνατές μονομαχίες, με το Βέλγιο να βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπο με την Αγγλία. Και οι δύο ομάδες διαθέτουν πολλούς φορμαρισμένους παίκτες αυτή τη περίοδο, πολλοί παίκτες γνωρίζουν ο ένας τον άλλον καθώς η πλειονότητα των Βέλγων αγωνίζεται στην Πρέμιερ Λιγκ, οπότε μυστικά μεταξύ των αντιπάλων δεν θα υπάρχουν, και γενικά αναμένεται με ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον αυτό το παιχνίδι. Το Βέλγιο έδειξε στα προκριματικά ότι αντέχει πλέον τον τίτλο του φαβορί, ενώ και η Αγγλία έδειξε έτοιμη να επιστρέψει στις σπουδαίες εμφανίσεις του παρελθόντος. Την ίδια στιγμή η Τυνησία θα καραδοκεί για την οποιαδήποτε ευκαιρία της δώσουν οι δύο αυτές σπουδαίες μεν, αλλά αμφίρροπες στην απόδοσή τους ομάδες. Ο Παναμάς βρίσκεται εκεί απλά για τη συμμετοχή και δεν διαθέτει ρόστερ ικανό για πολλά πράγματα.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Βέλγιο πρώτο, Αγγλία δεύτερη
   Ο τελευταίος όμιλος είναι ίσως ο μοναδικός που δεν περιλαμβάνει κάποιο από τα λεγόμενα φαβορί. Ίσως η Κολομβία να υπερέχει ελάχιστα των αντιπάλων της, αλλά και η Πολωνία του Λεβαντόβσκι είναι σε εξίσου υψηλά επίπεδα. Επίσης η Ιαπωνία του Χόντα, του Καγκάουα και του Ναγκατόμο είναι μια ομάδα που δεν ξέρει πως να εγκαταλείψει τα όπλα. Ακόμα και η Σενεγάλη έχει τις πιθανότητές της σ'αυτόν τον όμιλο που όλα μπορούν να συμβούν.
Προσωπική πρόβλεψη: Κολομβία πρώτη, Πολωνία δεύτερη
   Κι έτσι κλείνουν οι προβλέψεις για τους ομίλους ενός ακόμη Μουντιάλ! Υπομονή κάτι λιγότερο από δύο μήνες μέχρι να δωθεί το εναρκτήριο λάκτισμα στα γήπεδα της Ρωσίας και να δούμε κατά πόσο επιβεβαιώνονται ή όχι τα δεδομένα αυτά. Και στη τελική, αυτό είναι ένα από τα πιο ωραία πράγματα του ποδοσφαίρου: η απροβλεψιμότητά του!
   Ραντεβού στη Ρωσία!!!

Single player is better than multi-player

   So, recently it has become a bit of a necessity within the gaming community for every new title to be released with multiplayer content if it is to withstand the test of time. A lot of games that are meant to be focused on their campaign modes, have included some form of multiplayer element so that they can gain a piece of that pie as well. Titles such as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Of Us, Final Fantasy XV, Grand Theft Auto V, Rise Of The Tomb Raider and others are games that have a clear-cut beginning and an ending, but there's also an online mode.

   And then there's the constantly new games that are entering the arena. Games that are specifically multiplayer-only, like Overwatch, Fortnite and Player Unknown's BattleGrounds (or PUBG, as it is more commonly known). Games that continuously keep popping up and competing with one another for who will attract the most attention and fans. One can make the claim that there are other titles in this category as well, such as Minecraft or World Of Warcraft, but that would be grossly mistaken. For a multiplayer title to build such a dedicated fanbase, it should withstand the test of time and both the aforementioned titles have done so.
   Why could it be that gamers are attracted to these specific sorts of entertainment, no one can truly say. However one argument could be that they feel they can get their money's worth out of them, when compared to even the most massive single-player game experience, which could set them back $70 and last them only 50-60 hours at the most, maybe over 100 if the player is what is known within the community as a "completionist". So it's almost like they're dishing out around $1 per hour of story. Not the most ideal of scenarios.

   Another could be that they actually want to play with their friends and don't have the time to physically meet up with them during the week. In our day, time can be a valuable thing since responsibilities begin early, with schools and different lessons becoming more and more necessary for one to eventually survive in today's business market. With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense how kids might turn to some online game that they can play with a friend or two without even having to get dressed or leave the comfort of their bedroom. It's ideal. This can be said twice as much for adults, who have even more burdens and responsibilities, trying to juggle work, family and fun.
   A final scenario as to why gamers are turning more and more towards multiplayer could even be monetization. Or in clearer terms, the exploitation of the current trends. With so many new streaming platforms available to them, players have begun to take their hobby more professionally than ever before. They see which game is popular through social media, quickly purchase it and make their online accounts and immediately begin streaming. Of course, even the online streaming industry has become a literal war-zone, despite still being in its infancy, so a streamer will have to provide quality content if he's to actually gain any attention. In other words, he'll not only have to stream the game, but he'll have to be good at it. Which is something quite difficult, with the trends changing so rapidly.

   But is it a correct opinion for the online community to outweigh the single-player title inclined community by that much? Are these quick-consumption type of games really the best thing the industry has to offer? Is it right to say that "multiplayer is better than single player, any day of the week"? Well, no, it isn't. And here's why.
   First of all, a mutliplayer title will offer the same experience repeatedly. Like microwaving the same food every day. Eventually you'll get sick of eating pizza if you have it all the time. Whereas single-player games will give you unique experiences, new locations, incredible stories and memorable characters.
   Secondly, you have a lot to gain by investing some time in a story-driven title, especially the most modern ones. They often contain complex characters and interesting scenarios, from which players can actually learn a thing or two. They are literal experiences that may even include some morals or life-lessons. Infinitely more educational than the "lets-kill-everyone" types of environments most multiplayer titles include.

   The third is the community. What's that? There is no community in single-player titles? Yes, that's my point. The fact is that a lot of younger players tend to use the anonymity provided by the random match-ups in online games to their advantage, in order to bring out their most hideous selves. In what seems to be a competition for who's gonna come up with the most clever insult, the people responsible for these online communities do their best to keep the slander to a minimum, but there will always be some form of online bullying. Even if it's in the form of kicking someone out of a random group because he's "underleveled" (his level is low so the rest of the party thinks he might hold them back). Yes, even that can be considered bullying. But a single-player title doesn't have any of that hassle. You can play at your own pace, at any level you want and at whatever speed, without anyone telling you anything.
   The fourth is the sheer volume of single-player titles that are just so rewarding. Games like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Of Us, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Far Cry 5, Super Mario Odyssey, Grand Theft Auto V, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, God Of War, Monster Hunter World, Shadow Of the Colossus, Sea Of Thieves, and so many more that have either already been released or are yet to come, make single-player gaming what it is. An incredible adventure that always has something new to show us. All these developers are now bringing their best and it's such a shame that people are choosing to ignore it just so they can teabag their mates and post it on YouTube.
   For someone like me, that grew up with a Super NES, a game will always be about its story. That's how you get invested in it and that's how you decide if you want to continue with it or not. And there are specific exceptions to online gaming such as the incredible Final Fantasy XIV that I feel necessary to include. However, it will always remain an unbreakable rule that single player titles can provide the type of experience and entertainment in gaming that no multiplayer title ever could.

What's the rush??

   So, the reason that made me wanna write an article for the second day straight is this article I read today from GameSpot, that pretty much confirms that the PlayStation 5 is a thing, no matter how near or far it may be. I've been noticing random websites throwing around the name "PS5" here and there, but that's mostly to get hits from fanboys that want to keep the console wars going, as if that was ever some sort of trend. But after seeing a high-end site like GameSpot officially utter the words "PS5", I start to realize that it is now becoming official.

   Which leads me to one simple question: Why?? Why do we even need a PS5? Did the PS4 Pro not JUST release less than two years ago? Is Sony basically admitting that the difference between the Xbox One X and their high-end console so huge that they need a new machine to make up the difference? Is the Japanese giant at a financial disadvantage due to the release of Microsoft's upgraded console? Or is it just submission to the peer pressure of the fans? What could be the reason for the creation of the PS5?
   The original PS4 has just gone past its fourth year since release and only now do the game developers seem to be able to fully grasp the capabilities of the new engine. To deliver them yet another new one and force them to go through this entire process all over again would seem like a huge error of judgment.
   The PS4 is now living its glory days. It has many exclusive titles (Detroit: Become Human, God Of War, Spider-Man, just to name a few) that are soon to be released and promise to be huge blockbusters. According to rumors, the PS5 will not be backwards compatible towards PS4 titles so to put a damper on that huge stream of titles would seem like yet another huge mistake on Sony's part. 

   We're talking about a console that is still selling strong. Only recently did it surpass 70 million and there's a good possibility it might even go beyond one of its predecessors, the PS2, to become the greatest selling console of all time. Yet if Sony were to introduce a PS5 with no backwards compatibility, a lot of people might consider saving up towards that rather than buying a PS4.
   Of course, one could make the argument that the article on GameSpot suggests, which is that the PS5 is still a long time away (2020 at the least). Yet that still doesn't seem long enough for this particular console. There are still games that can be released with the current technology and that are still actually planned to be released yet haven't even seen the light of day (FF VII, Ghost Of Tsukishima, Days Gone, hello??). A console's lifetime should be based upon the developers, not the will of the fans.
   And speaking of the fans, I must admit I will never understand this constant need for "greater visuals". There has come a point where visuals can only be so good. Graphics like those of Horizon Zero Dawn are the absolute best anyone could ever hope to achieve. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't constantly strive to achieve something better, but to base that on top of our gameplay experience, when we're supposed to just be focusing on the game itself (since that's what it is: a game), seems like a little bit of an unhealthy obsession. At the end of the day, who cares if the Xbox One X or the PC can show 1080p and 60fps, if you don't have any games to play on them? And if the Xbox One X is so great, why is the Nintendo Switch outselling it by so much?
   The PlayStation 5 might be at the early stages of development right now. We might not see it until a distant E3 in the future (2019, 2020, who knows?). However, the issue that I'm addressing is that right now, there's absolutely no need for it. We already have incredible machines, capable of delivering unto us visually astonishing worlds, but most importantly, we have a lot of games to look forward to. Let's just try to enjoy what we have before we go diving into something new. The time will come for that. You can be sure of it!

E3 2018: The tension is rising!

   It seems like E3 2017 was here just a week ago, yet we're only 2 months away from E3 2018. And just like pretty much every year since I started this blog, I deemed it appropriate to write a post about the most anticipated titles and what to expect from them. Of course, having expectations for an event like E3 is always proven to be a mistake, since sometimes you get something completely from left field and other times you get severely disappointed by not seeing a highly anticipated title make an appearance, but the guessing and theorizing before the grand event is what it's all about! As the date of the event approaches, the tensions get higher. So let's take a look at some of the stars of the show that are definitely gonna be there, then we'll make some theories about others that could potentially pop up and knock our socks off!
   First list are the games that are almost sure to make an appearance:

   1) KINGDOM HEARTS III. I would like to kick off this list with one of my most highly anticipated titles. Sora, Riku, King Mickey and the rest of the gang are scheduled to return within the year and Square Enix will be looking to show off this game hard at E3. Expect a revelation of a new world, brand new trailers and new designs for some other characters (Kairi, Axel?). Perhaps even a release date.
   2) SPIDER-MAN. Considering the game's recently announced early September release date, developer Insomniac Games will be doing their utmost to show off Spidey's flashy new adventure. As this is a PS4 exclusive, it'll most likely be shown off during Sony's presser. 
   3) SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER. What was said about Spider-Man also goes for the latest installment in the early life of Lara Croft. Expected to be released by mid-September and with not much else known or shown about it, Square Enix and Eidos Interactive should go all out in their exposition of this game. A lengthy trailer or even a couple of trailers (story, gameplay) wouldn't be too far fetched for this.

   4) RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2. Even though developer Rockstar Games aren't too keen on showing off their titles in big events like these and usually just go by their own rules, this time around it seems likely that we might have a little something for the sequel (that is actually a prequel) of their second most popular franchise, behind only GTA. With Red Dead Redemption 2 scheduled for release on October 26, it seems like a good time to promote the game a little further, not that it needs any sort of promotion to be honest. With the hype it generates by a simple trailer release, we can already tell that even if it's a no-show at E3 2018, people will still be lining up to buy it on release day. That's the Rockstar effect.
   5) SHENMUE III. Another title with a Q3 release window, Yu Suzuki's Shenmue III should be seen at Sony's press conference due to its exclusivity with the PS4. A game that was highly requested and anticipated by many who were fond of the franchise, yet has increased worry after certain screenshots were released, it is with great interest that we look forward to fan reaction to its showing. Hopefully we get a concrete release date for it as well.
   The second list contains titles that might appear but then again might not.
   1) THE LAST OF US PART II. Will NaughtyDog surprise us yet again with another trailer of Joel and Ellie's new adventure? Will it spark as much controversy as the one from PSX 2017 due to its raw gore and unnecessary violence? Will we finally get to see Joel and Ellie themselves? Could we even get a release window/date? All these questions and more remain to be answered at Sony's press conference.
   2) DAYS GONE. With this title having been delayed to an unspecified date in 2019, it wouldn't be surprising if we didn't see it at all. However there is a chance we could see the horde of zombies hunting down our poor protagonist as he rides on his bike or even some other game mechanics. This one is a real question mark.

   3) SUPER SMASH BROS. This title having just recently been announced, we can't know how far along it is in production. However if it is almost near completion, then Nintendo might just give us a sweet taste of the bitter battles that are to follow against our friends on the Switch. Which characters are going to be added? What new arenas are we going to be duking it out in? We'll just have to wait and see!
   4) ANTHEM. Yet another title that was pushed back to 2019, BioWare seem to be really aware of the fact that they've dropped the ball one too many times and so they need to make this title as good as possible. Which is why they're taking their time developing it. However an appearance at E3 2018 shouldn't be entirely out of the question, just as a "progress report" or to maintain fan interest. Besides, the EA presser doesn't seem to have much else going for it, with the lack of any new Battlefield titles.
   5) DREAMS. Media Molecule's latest game has been a long one coming. Having initially been announced all the way back in 2013, Dreams is expected to be released sometime within the next half a year or so. So logically speaking, the good people at Media Molecule would want to advertise their new sandbox game as much as possible. Then again, they could pull a complete 180 and push it back even further. With this title, you can never be too sure!
   And finally, a list of games that would be the cherry on top and make this E3 a truly unforgettable one.

   1) FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. No list is complete without this title. The game a lot of people usually watch these shows for, ever since it was announced back in 2015. How far along in development is the remake of FF VII? Are Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase ready to re-reveal it to the world? Could we see some of the older characters in glorious HD (Aerith, Tifa, Sephiroth)? We can only hope. The one thing we know for sure is that we're not getting a release date anytime soon (*cries*).
   2) UNANNOUNCED FINAL FANTASY TITLE. According to FF Brand Manager, Shinji Hashimoto, E3 2018 will be one to remember for fans of the franchise. Which sort of ties my hands and forces me to put this on the list. Yet Square Enix have been known to disappoint their fans in the past, so we'll just have to wait and see how much of Hashimoto-san's words are true.
   3) THE ELDER SCROLLS VI. Okay, this is something that Bethesda themselves have debunked time and time again. But eventually it has to happen, right? I mean, Skyrim can only grow so much. The series has to go somewhere else from here. And if this announcement were to occur, it would literally break the internet.
   4) BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL 2. This game created a lot of buzz when it was shown off as the final trailer at last year's Ubisoft press conference. However not much has been heard about it ever since. It would be a great opportunity to see it again and witness its progress. Still, it might be a while before it hits store shelves.
   5) FIFA 2019. Could this actually be a thing or is it just vaporware?!
   And there you have it. 3 lists of titles that could make this year's E3 good, great or mind-blowing depending on which ones show up. Of course, this list is entirely subjective and could be different for every individual, however I do believe that there are certain titles in there that are common for all gamers (I mean, who doesn't wanna play The Last Of Us, am I right?), just like we all have things we're looking forward to from this event. Gamer's wonderland is shaping up to be one of the greatest of all time this year and for three whole days we will once again be lost in the anticipation of all those awesome new games that we'll soon get to enjoy! So get ready, sit back and enjoy the ride! Only two more months left to go!