E3 2019: Greatest hits

   With most conferences (besides Nintendo) having taken place, these are the titles that stood out the most and should be marked on everyone's calendar

   Although the show opens its doors tomorrow to those actually in Los Angeles, it has basically come and gone for us that are hundreds of miles away and are only able to catch a glimpse of the action through the live-streams. Despite Sony's absence this year, Japanese publisher Square Enix proved more than capable to pick up the slack for them, putting on a spectacular show that included something for fans of most genres. Everyone (with the exception of Ubisoft perhaps) had a stellar showing even though it was apparent that we're standing on the precipice of a new console generation.

   These are the titles that caught our attention:

- CYBERPUNK 2077. The first-person MMO RPG developed by The Witcher III publisher CD PROJECT RED is going all out. As it was shown at Microsft's briefing, it will not only give players the ability to walk around a futuristic dystopia and create their own individual stories, but it will also feature Hollywood heavyweight Keanu Reeves. The moment The Matrix star walked on to the stage of the LA Convention center was certainly... breathtaking, as many would attest. The game also got an official release date at the show (April 16, 2020.)

- ELDEN RING. Just the idea of a video game by FROM SOFTWARE is tantalizing enough on its own, as they were the ones behind the highly demanding Dark Souls series. But if you add to that the story-telling genius of George R. R. Martin (writer of A Song Of Ice And Fire), then you're on to something huge. Next to nothing is known regarding this Bandai Namco title, yet it's still got the entire gaming community waiting to get their hands on it.

- DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT. After its revival a few years back with its movie Battle Of Gods, it seems the Dragon Ball franchise is unwilling to settle down. This time it'll be a brand new action-RPG title that will follow and expand upon the story of Dragon Ball Z (no Super folks, sorry), allowing players to traverse the world, follow different quests or just stick to the main scenario. It'll be developed by CYBERCONNECT2, the people responsible for the Naruto Ninja Storm series, so we already know it's in good hands.

- TALES OF ARISE. Many people had been waiting for a new title in the Tales Of series and their requests have now been answered. The series dates as back as 1995 and this will be yet another installment featuring an entirely different world and different setting (in the same fashion as Final Fantasy), with the story taking place on a world called Dahna.

- GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO. A brand new IP revealed during Bethesda's press conference, this is a title created by the developer of The Evil Within, Shinji Mikami and is not a horror game. The setting is, as the title suggests, the city of Tokyo, where people have begun randomly disappearing and in their place a whole bunch of mythological creatures and buildings have started showing up. The trailer looked highly promising!

- DEATHLOOP. Yet another brand new title by Bethesda, this shows two people, a man and a woman, who seem to be at odds with each other. Yet every time one of them happens to die they just return to life as if nothing had happened, continuing the cycle of violence. Interesting title.

- FIFA 20. It's FIFA, what more do you want? You either like it or you don't.

- STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER. Shown during EA Play, this new game by Respawn appears to have captured the essence of what makes the Star Wars franchise truly stand out. Set during the time Order 66 was issued (meaning most Jedi were taken out yet Luke and Leia were just infants), players take up the role of lone Padawan Cal Kestis who is on the run from the Empire. The campaign sounds and looks pretty solid but we'll have to wait until November 15 when the game releases to find out if they actually made good on their third effort.

- FINAL FANTASY VIII REMASTER. People have been asking for this for quite a while, now they've finally got it. The only Final Fantasy mainline title that hadn't received the remaster treatment will soon be released on all major platforms (yes, including Google Stadia), giving players a chance to return to the Garden and fight the Sorceress. Just keep an eye on them hot dogs, I hear the cafeteria runs out fast.

- MARVEL AVENGERS. A game developed in association by Square Enix, Marvel Studios and Crystal Dynamics, that includes the acting talents of Troy Baker, Nolan North and Laura Bailey and that features some of the most acclaimed heroes across the cinematic universe could be nothing but highly anticipated! It is visually stunning, there's nothing else to say about it. Other than its release date (May 15, 2020) of course.

- FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. This is the big one. We got Tifa. We got Sephiroth. We got a breakdown of the (incredible, dare I say!) battle system. We have a release date (March 3, 2020). We have a Deluxe and Collector's (dubbed SOLDIER 1st Class) editions. We have two sparkling new trailers, highly reminiscent of the ones we were treated to back in 1997 when the game originally launched for the first PlayStation. We have the info that this will be coming in two separate Blu-Ray discs and that it will conclude at the end of Midgar, meaning the game is still episodic. We have tears, we have nostalgia, we have all of it. We just need the time to go by so we can finally play it. Just like we did when we were kids.

   And that's about it! Sure, there are titles that flew under my radar (like Gears 5 or Halo Infinite), but it always serves to take into consideration that this is a personal list. Plus if we add to it the fact that there are some other already announced games such as Death Stranding or The Last Of Us Part II that we already know or should know pretty soon when they're going to release, then it's easy to understand that this generation is going out with a real bang! And we can't wait to dive in!