By E3's lofty standards, the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo was a fairly low-key affair. E3 2006 had Shigeru Miyamoto conducting a Wii orchestra. E3 2009 featured appearances by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to promote Beatles Rock Band.
E3 2019 had one particularly notable celebrity appearance (we'll get to Keanu in a minute), but otherwise, it was a fairly standard parade of press announcements interspersed by trailers, followed by trailers interspersed by press announcements. Sony sat out E3 completely. And Nintendo, rather opting for a glitzy stage show, broadcasted a Nintendo Direct video package to handle their major reveals. It was all very controlled, which prevented any major, viral embarrassments.
Here are of E3's major video game announcements, all in one place, for your convenience.
'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' sequel (TBA)
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System: Nintendo Switch
A surprise announcement featuring cinematics but no gameplay, the sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild will apparently be about a reanimated threat (Ganon?) coming to life underneath Hyrule castle. The internet is speculating that Princess Zelda herself might be playable.
'The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening' (Sept. 20, 2019)
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System: Nintendo Switch
A reimagining of the Game Boy classic from 1993, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is everything you want a remake to be: loyal to the feel, look, and narrative beats of the original while updating the gameplay to be more modern and sophisticated.
'Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order' (Nov. 15, 2019)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The new Star Wars game covers the events after Palpatine's Order 66, and stars Cal Kestis, a Jedi padawan who escaped the Jedi Purge and is on the run from Darth Vader's assassins. The demo showed off Kestis' force powers and his assistant droid, who rides on his shoulder and unlocks doors.
'Doom Eternal' (Nov. 22, 2019)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Google Stadia
A direct sequel to 2016's Doom reboot, Doom Eternal will once again cast you into the role of Doom Slayer. It features an increased variety of enemies and demon types, as well as newer, messier ways to drag them closer to you and kill them.
'The Witcher III' (2019)
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System: Nintendo Switch
Widely considered one of the greatest games of the current console generation, fantasy action epic The Witcher III will be ported to the Nintendo Switch as a complete edition, featuring all released story DLC.
'Battletoads' (2019)
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System: Xbox One, PC
For old school NES players, this cartoony reboot of the Battletoads franchise is sure to be a frustrating, hair-pulling experience that we will all buy and love. It appears to feature an updated version of the infamous Turbo Tunnel, now done from a third-person perspective rather than a side-scrolling perspective.
'Telling Lies' (2019)
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System: PC, Mac
If you've seen the thriller movie Searching, which is shot almost completely over a computer interface and social media, then you'll really dig this indie game, in which you watch video footage and conversations from multiple characters. Solve the mystery that connects them all and discover why they're all on the federal government's watch list.
'Dying Light 2' (Early 2020)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The next entry in the zombie survival horror franchise updates its parkour mechanics and increases the sense of player autonomy. The developers are hyping the importance of narrative decisions, which can do anything from making upgrades inaccessible to infesting an area with zombies. These events are then folded into the larger, overarching storyline.
'Watch Dogs: Legion' (March 6, 2020)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The hacker franchise is back, and this time, it's going abroad. The game is set in London and stars a hacker collective that you can add to as the game progresses. Missions will require the skills of more than one team member and can be completed via single player (switching between different bodies) or multiplayer.
'Cyberpunk 2077' (April 16, 2020)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The first-person perspective action RPG, set in a cyberpunk dystopian world known as Night City, was given a jolt of hype by the onstage appearance of Keanu Reeves. Reeves will be performing the role of Johnny Silverhand, and has already completed motion capture and voice work for the role.
'Marvel’s Avengers' (May 15, 2020)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Google Stadia
The announcement of Marvel's Avengers was one of the biggest of the entire E3 conference. The trailer appears to give you the ability to play as Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, or Thor, and it features the sort of action set pieces that the Marvel's Cinematic Universe has become famous for.
Xbox Project Scarlett (Late 2020)
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The first shot fired in the next generation's console war, Microsoft's Project Scarlett signifies a major upgrade over the Xbox One's hardware. 120 frames-per-second gameplay. A solid-state drive. Ray tracing support. It's looking to be a hardcore gamer's gaming console, and it's up to Sony to respond and show they can do better.
Project Scarlett will launch with Halo Infinite, which is perfect; the Master Chief-starring franchise has become synonymous with the Xbox brand.
'Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga' (2020)
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System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Featuring scenes from all nine Star Wars films (including the unreleased Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker), Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was one of the surprise breakouts of E3. Critics praised the updated camera (which can now swing and pan around) and the more sophisticated combat mechanics, along with the sheer amount of content and fan service from the movie franchise.
