The 20 Best Trailers You Probably Missed from E3 2018
From cruising the sands of Sable to an unexpected return of Metal Wolf Chaos, here are the trailers that may have passed you by from E3 2018.
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E3 always has too much news to keep up with, and that's just concerning the big games. Often, the smaller games—the ones that don't get to grace the biggest conferences' stages—get lost in the shuffle. But we won't, I won't, let them fade into oblivion.
So I've spent all morning combing through YouTube, plucking the coolest trailers for games you may or may not already know about, and their flashy new E3 2018 trailers. Here's the 20 best E3 trailers you've probably missed this week, in alphabetical order.
Bravery Network Online
Bravery Network Online debuted during The PC Gaming Show, alongside a brand new publisher called Untitled Publisher. Developed by Gloam Collective, Bravery Network Online is a lively RPG about befriending and challenging others, and battling "strategic turn-based battles in a post-post-apocalyptic world." Untitled Publisher also debuted intriguing trailers for two other new games, Morning Star and Overwhelm, the latter released on Steam the same day. Bravery Network Online will be available on PC and Mac in 2019.
Desert Child
I've featured Desert Child in a few indie-focused lists before, and after seeing its new trailer for E3 2018, I couldn't resist slapping it onto another. The slick arcade shooter (by way of Eric Chahi-like visual flair) from developer Oscar Brittain oozes more style in a single frame (or gif) than most games do with their entire being. There's a reason it captivated people so much that it skid past its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter last year. Desert Child is due for release Fall 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.
Farming Simulator 19
This trailer is hardcore. It begins with a relaxing tone, and then the music kicks up. The farmer's face shows a glimmer of happiness, horses on top of a hill neigh and kick up in the air as if they're celebrating you—dear farmer—and those crops you're plowing through for harvest. Giants Software doesn't hold back in this trailer, making Farming Simulator 19 seem a lot livelier than it actually is. It's due for release on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac in Fall 2018.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise
Of all the Yakuza games to head west, I figured that Fist of the North Star had the slimmest chance. While it's made by the Yakuza team and follows a similar style to those games, it stars different anti-heroes—though they're no doubt familiar to Japan. Fist of the North Star is a classic manga and anime series, and its video game adaptation takes its characters to the extreme. It's also an impressive western release from Sega because it features full English voice over, contrary to the recent localized Yakuza games which have stuck with its native language and subtitles only. (Worry not if you prefer Japanese though, as it has dual audio.) You too can yell out "ATATATATATA" when Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is released October 2, 2018 on PS4.
Gal Metal
I first caught wind of Gal Metal, a game from famed former Konami producer Tak Fujii, last fall after an endearing trailer for it popped up online of a girl using the Switch's Joy Cons to simulate playing drums. Immediately, it made me want a Rock Band port on the console, only instead of instruments people would be playing air drums and air guitar with Joy Cons. Luckily though, my dreams have partially come true, because Gal Metal is heading west in Fall 2018. You can watch its charming trailer above.
Hitman 2
Hitman 2 was revealed in the week leading up to E3 2018, but that didn't stop it from getting another trailer this week. The new trailer shows off more of its introductory Miami level, including all the wacky assassinations Agent 47 can pull off, like blowing up a stage as his target accepts a trophy. Hitman 2 will be different from its predecessor, ditching the season format but having "more varied" post-launch content. Hitman 2 will be out on November 13, 2018 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Indivisible
Indivisible was recently delayed into 2019, but that's okay, because we got a shiny new trailer of it to enjoy and bask in its progress. Indivisible is an RPG-platformer from the team behind the cult hit Skullgirls, and its animation looks just as dazzling. Indivisible is easily one of the USgamer team's most anticipated games, so we don't mind it taking the extra time to get some fine-tuning. Indivisible will be releasing on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux, and Nintendo Switch.
Jupiter and Mars
You've probably heard a cover of "Fly Me to the Moon" in at least three anime shows or video games over your lifetime. Jupiter and Mars, with its name directly lifted from the song, is not quite what you may expect when you hear the name though. It's a psychedelic game about saving the environment, as you play as two dolphins exploring the post-apocalyptic depths of the ocean in the distant (or not so distant) future. Its developers have big aspirations for it, as they told us back at BitSummit a couple weeks ago. Jupiter and Mars will be out Fall 2018 for PS4 and PS VR.
Tetris Effect
In our collective bold E3 2018 predictions, I expressed a hope for Rez 2, or at the very least, a new Tetsuya Mizuguchi game. I got my wish a whole week before E3 even kicked off. Tetris Effect was announced in PlayStation's build-up to its conference on Monday night. It's a new Tetris game, obviously, but from the mind of Mizuguchi. The trailer gives off a Child of Eden-esque vibe, and notes that it's a PS VR game first and foremost. Given how great Area X from Rez Infinite looked and played in VR, Tetris Effect has quickly shot up to the top of my most anticipated for the rest of the year. Tetris Effect will be out for PS4 and PS VR in Fall 2018.
Maneater
At The PC Gaming Show, publisher Tripwire Interactive revealed its next project: an open world single-player action-RPG. Only there's a twist: you're a shark. That's right, you get to fulfill your Jaws fantasy. When I first saw the name of this game, I immediately started humming that one Nelly Furtado song. I hope this game is actually as cool as that song is. Maneater doesn't have a release date, but it'll be out on PC eventually.
Metal Wolf Chaos XD
There were a lot of teasers leading up to Devolver Digital's zany "press conference" that something Metal Wolf Chaos-related was on the horizon. For those not in the know, Metal Wolf Chaos is a mech game developed by FromSoftware back in 2004. It never made its way outside of Japan, despite being literally set in the United States and starring a mech-piloting President. It's ridiculous, and Devolver is finally bringing it to us this year. Metal Wolf Chaos XD will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC later this year.
Morning Star
It's hard to pinpoint quite what type of game this will be. It shows farming, but also a bleak office environment. "Computers are your soil and software are your seeds," the game's description elaborates. It's shaping up to feel a lot more bleak than, say, any other farming game. Morning Star will be out in 2019 for PC and Mac.
My Friend Pedro
On its Steam page, My Friend Pedro is described as a "violent ballet," and I can't think of a more perfect way to describe it after watching its trailer. My Friend Pedro is a bloody arcade-like shooter that pins its focus on slow motion and utilizing your environment. But the moment it really won me over in this trailer though wasn't the slo-mo—it was throwing a frying pan up in the air and shooting at it to deflect bullets to take out enemies. Just as Hotline Miami once upon a time captured hearts everywhere, I can see My Friend Pedro tickling a similar itch when it releases early 2019 for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Night Call
Taxi driving games seem to be all the rage these days. (Just kidding, I'm only saying this because I know of two taxi-related games that have been revealed in recent months.) Night Call, a new game published by Raw Fury, has a slick noir edge to it. In it, you're a taxi driver who is also helping out on an investigation of a serial killer. It looks tense and bleak, just the sorta vibe I want most in any good noir fiction. Night Call will be out for PC, Mac, Linux, and mobile in early 2019.
Noita
Noita is a game where every pixel is "simulated," meaning that whatever you do in its environment reacts to you and everything around you too. The result is endlessly gif-worthy content, and also a pretty entrancing game. I demoed it back at GDC a few months ago, and have kept my eye on it ever since. Noita doesn't have a release date, but its website notes that it will be coming to Steam Early Access eventually.
Ooblets
Ooblets is another game we've talked about around the site quite a bit. Or at least, I've talked about it quite a bit. It's an adorable game heavily inspired by the likes of Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, and Pokemon. It also has a brand new "dance off" system too. Somehow, it mashes all those elements together into a cohesive, ridiculously cute experience. Its latest trailer is easily the best one yet. Ooblets will be out on Xbox One and PC in 2018.
Overcooked 2
You probably caught Overcooked 2's reveal during the Nintendo Direct on Tuesday morning, but since Reggie talked over what was shown of it, it's likely that you missed its actual official trailer. Overcooked 2 isn't just a souped up update of the first game. Overcooked 2 is more wacky and complex than the first game was, with even more crazy levels and silly chefs to bring to the kitchen. You can even throw food to your partners this time. Overcooked 2 will be out August 7, 2018 for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
Sable
Sable, next to Cyberpunk 2077, is easily my favorite trailer to come from E3 this year. Its E3 2018 debut shows off its Breath of the Wild-like exploration, Moebius-like vibe, and dreamy atmosphere. With a soundtrack by the indie group Japanese Breakfast and writing being contributed from 80 Days' Meg Jayanth, Sable has all the elements in place to be a really fantastic game. It honestly feels like a game specifically crafted for me, a person who is a fan of all of those things. Here's to hoping all those parts come together in the end when Sable releases for PC and Xbox One in 2019.
Satisfactory
Satisfactory kicked off The PC Gaming Show on Monday, and it was, perhaps, the most PC-ass s**t I've ever seen. It begins with exploration of a colorful planet, but then a person throws down a contraption. Suddenly, they've built a factory and they're making boxes. Coffee Stain Studios (perhaps best known for Goat Simulator) describe the game as a "FPS open world factory building sim," and the trailer gives off some serious No Man's Sky vibes too. Satisfactory will be out "probably this year," though the team notes that their Alpha deadline in May was missed.
Session
Okay, so there was no missing the trailer that everyone thought was Skate 4 for about 10 seconds. Still, Session was only around for a fleeting minute during Microsoft's big E3 2018 showcase, so I'll let it skate on into this list. The world has been starved for skateboarding games for far too long, especially after the disappointing flop that was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5. I'm still secretly holding out for Tony Hawk's Underground 3 one day, but in the meantime I'll settle for the Skate spiritual successor Session, which is aiming for release in 2019 for PC and Xbox One.