Watch Dogs, Ghost Recon, Final Fantasy and More | E3 2019 Press Conference Day 2 Roundup

After Project Scarlett stole the show on the first day, we’ve now gotten a whole load of great game announcements on the second day including Watch Dogs, Final Fantasy and Marvel’s Avengers, so let’s get straight into it.

1. Watch Dogs Legion

Breaking away from the established system of having one main protagonist in the previous Watch Dog games that focused on playing as a hacker in an open-world setting, Watch Dogs Legion has chosen to let players take control of any NPC by completing missions to “recruit” them into your hacking squad.

While that’s certainly fun and opens up hours of gameplay and side missions, I particularly like the fact that Ubisoft has chosen to make permadeath a feature here. It makes sense, seeing as you’re not stuck with one main character and instead, are jumping between a maximum of 20 unique NPCs.

Set in a dystopian Britain after Brexit, this game is sure to be as big of a hit as the previous installments.

2. Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Shooting games typically don’t have a lot of realism in them. You take a bullet to the chest and you can keep on running at full speed as if there’s nary a scratch on you. Ghost Recon Breakpoint is changing that. The more injuries you take, the slower your character gets. Get nicked in the torso? Enjoy watching your character stagger with a hand to the wound until you apply a bandage or get some healing done.

Granted, it’s still not completely realistic, but these small details add a new level of intricacy and challenge to the game. There are other survival elements like eating and drinking, which aim to reward rather than penalise, which is a great idea in my book. I don’t want to be bogged down by forgetting to eat or drink in a shooter, but it’s nice to have that buff if I need it.

Breakpoint’s beta will start on 5 September 2019 for PCs and consoles, with the game set to be released on 4 October 2019.

3. Gods & Monsters

I’m a sucker for anything related to Greek or Norse mythology, so when Ubisoft announced Gods & Monsters, I immediately sat up and took note. The overwhelming first impression is that it looks heavily inspired by Breath Of The Wild (BOTW). Even in the trailer, a hero standing on a hill and looking down on plains? Feels a lot like BOTW’s cover art.

But the storyline takes pointers from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, with fights against Gorgons, Hydras and other Greek mythological monsters. Little wonder as well, since they’re both from the same team. The game will be released on 25 February 2020.

4. Final Fantasy VII Remake

The feeling of nostalgia is always strong when I hear “Final Fantasy”, and I’m sure it’s the same for many gamers. This was most likely our first introduction to JRPG games, and the starting point for many. The Final Fantasy VII remake was announced back in 2015, and now it’s finally received a proper release date, 3 March 2020.

There’ll be a new dynamic battle system that incorporates real time battle as well as Tactical mode where time slows down and it’s more reminiscent of a turn based RPG. The game can be preordered right this moment on the Sony Playstation store, so what are you waiting for?

5. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered

While VII was the big highlight, don’t forget to show some love to Final Fantasy VIII’s newly announced remaster! Most of the main Final Fantasy installments have been released for the Nintendo Switch, with the exception of VIII but it’s finally coming to the platform later in 2019, along with Sony’s PS4, Microsoft’s Xbox and PCs.

6. Stream Final Fantasy Soundtracks

Fans of the series will undoubtedly remember orchestra renditions of soundtracks from the Final Fantasy games. Instead of having to wait for a performance, now you can stream the high quality recordings straight from Square Enix.

Available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more, you’ll get to enjoy the songs without having to open YouTube or put your electronics at risk with illegal downloads.

7. The Avengers

If you’re still reeling over how Endgame wrapped up and anxiously awaiting the next part of the Avengers films, fill the void with Square Enix’s newly announced Marvel’s Avengers game.

Arriving 15 May 2020, the game depicts a scenario where the Avengers are blamed for a fight that goes wrong in San Francisco, resulting in their disbandment. Five years later, they must regroup to save the world again. While characters from the main cinematic universe will be included, this is a whole new storyline, so fans will be sure to enjoy new content.