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6 Things I’m Looking Forward to at E3 2019

My fellow gamers, the most important time of the year is upon us. The Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3, begins next week. Of course, that’s only when its open to the public. The days before are what everyone pays attention to. It’s when gaming companies hold their press conferences and announce new games.

As a huge gamer myself, I will be looking at the E3 Press conferences very close. With that in mind, here are the six things that I’m looking forward to seeing at E3 2019. Did I mention that its the 25th E3?

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

After EA managed to burn Star Wars fans with the disaster that was Battlefront II, people were mad. Some even wanted Disney to take away the right to make Star Wars games. Yet despite this, EA is still making Star Wars games.

When Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was announced, I made a promise to myself that I would not pre-order the game. As big a Star Wars fan as I am, I may not buy it altogether if it looks bad.

That said, I’m willing to give EA a chance to redeem itself. Star Wars Jedi will likely get a lot of attention at EA’s press conference, so they have to make this count. If they don’t, I hope Disney takes away their Star Wars privileges.

The Redemption of Bethesda

I saw Bethesda’s reveal of Fallout 76 last year; I remember how few people clapped for it. Since then, faith in Bethesda’s taken a nose dive: Fallout 76 was a bad game, but failing to give the people who pre-ordered the canvas bags what they paid for? That’s wrong, plain and simple. I haven’t even played 76 since it came out.

I like Bethesda, I think they’re an amazing studio and they make some good games. It’s why I’m so disappointed in them. If they want to win back the trust of gamers, they need to pull out all the stops. I want to see more news on Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and I want to see a real Fallout game. I want to see Bethesda at their best!

Final Fantasy VII

For years now, Square Enix has been promising gamers a remake of the popular Final Fantasy VII. Yet, Square Enix has been very vague on details such as when its coming out, how long will it be, and more. Now that Kingdom Hearts III is out, I say that Square Enix has no more excuses to stall on the game. I want to see something about Final Fantasy VII.

I was too young to play the game when it first came out, but I have heard nothing but praise about it. Heck, I love Team Four Star’s abridged series for the game! I want to see some news about this.

Square Enix Avengers Game

Speaking of Square Enix, another game I’m looking forward is their Avengers project. Earlier this year, the company announced a multi-game deal with Marvel, leading to obviously high levels of hype. With love for superheroes and Marvel at an all-time high thanks to Avengers: Endgame, whatever they announce about this future game will be a highlight of E3.

I, for one, am going to look forward to seeing what happens.

The Next Assassin’s Creed Game

I’ve been a fan of Assassin’s Creed for years now. It speaks to both the gamer and the history geek inside of me, so it kills two birds with one stone. Then came the disappointment that was Assassin’s Creed: Unity. The perfect setting, the perfect setup, but they still failed. Since then my passion for the series has cooled. I haven’t even played my copy of Odyssey yet.

Ubisoft will likely be making an annoucement about the next AC game at their press conference this year. Having had my passion cool for the games in that time, this may end up being what decides if I stay with it or let it go. If I’m being honest, I don’t want it to take place in the Viking’s era that much.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem is still a thing in the west, right? Good, because I’ve loved the series since Fire Emblem: Awakening. Around a year or so ago, Nintendo announced that the next game in the series would be moving to the Nintendo Switch. Titled Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the game sees players become a teacher at an academy that teaches the next generation of leaders for the three dominant nations on your continent. That’s all I know about it, though.

The game’s coming out next month, and I intend to get it for the Switch. With the release date so close, I would be happy to see some more details to keep me satiated until then. Plus, I want to know if the romance mechanic is still in effect. Shippers need to have their fuel!

Agree with my picks? What are you looking forward to?

There are plenty of creatures in the Marvel Universe that I could have chosen for today’s pick. Plenty of monsters and all sorts of aliens to choose from. For this, I decided to go old-school and use a creature that, while not as memorable, had a big impact on Marvel Comics.

Krakoa, The Island That Walks Like a Man

This is s monster the likes of which few can rival in comic books. It’s only made a few appearances outside of flashbacks, but like I said, it had a major impact on Marvel. Appearing in the legendary Giant-Size X-Men #1, Krakoa isn’t your ordinary monster. It’s a living island.

Decades before, the US was testing nuclear bombs across the Pacific. One of those tests took place near a small island named Krakoa. Somehow, the radiation altered the island, turning it into a giant hive-mind.

The original X-Men (minus Beast) came to investigate the island in search of a new mutant. What they found was hell. The animals tore at them, the plants grasped at them, and giaant monsters trapped them. It then began to feed on them, until Cyclops was freed to bring him new mutants.

These events lead to Professor Xavier recruiting a new, international team of X-Men, including characters that would become fan favorites. Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler all made their first appearences, and while Wolverine already appeared fighting the Hulk, here he became a mainstay.

These new members went with Cyclops and rescued the original X-Men before battling Krakoa. But how do you fight an island itself? The only way they could stop him was by pulling off something unbelieably badass. While Professor X used his telepathy and Cyclops and Havok used their energy powers to keep the monster at bay, Storm conjured lightning. She used that to supercharge Polaris’ powers of magnetism, letting her create a magnetic pulse so strong that it severed gravity around the island. The monster got sent far into space where it could never hurt anyone again, while the X-Men escaped.

Legacy

Like I said, pretty awesome, right? It’s my favorite creature, though, because of the legacy it left. This would be the rebirth of the X-Men, with the era that followed turning them from a backwater team into Marvel’s most popular group. Unknown to all, though, Krakoa also left a darker legacy.

In X-Men: Deadly Genesis almost thirty years later, it was revealed that there was a lot of the original story was a lie. Xavier had sent another team of mutants to rescue the original X-Men, and while they got Cyclops to safety, they were all lost fighting Krakoa. Half of them got killed, and the other half was unknowingly left to die when Krakoa got launched into space. Add on the fact that one of those mutants was Cyclops’ long lost brother, and it was a horrific event.

With Cyclops mentally broken, Xavier chose to erase all memory of this other team and new brother. He then kept up the illussion by making the island appear sentient when it was, in fact, a mindless monster. Also, those two members that were left for dead came back after M-Day, and Cyclops’ brother went crazy.

This whole story was crazy, and I urge you to take a look at Giant-Size X-Men #1 and X-Men: Deadly Genesis if you get the chance. It will be worth the read!

One Piece Chapter 945 Review/Recap

To recap last week’s chapter of One Piece, Yasuie’s death has sent Rasetsu Town into a full-blown riot. Thanks to Zoro and Sanji protecting Toko, the Straw Hats have to blow their cover and fight, and chaos reigns! Back in Udon Prison, Kid’s got recaptured along with his crewmember Killer. Now unless Luffy and Hyogoro die, those two will suffer death by drowning. At that moment, though, Big Mom begins her assault on the prison.

So, you know, the sort of chaos you’d expect from One Piece. Let’s watch as everything gets worse! I got my popcorn ready.

Recap

As Orochi slithers off to his palace, he orders his flunkies to kill anyone lord to Lord Yasuie as his elite ninja squad arrives. Usopp escapes with Toko as Sanji and Zoro clash X Drake and Kyoshiro.

Zoro puts his fight on hold, though, when the ninja go after Hiyori, forcing him to get her to safety. Much to Sanji’s fury.

As the riot progresses, Law moves to free his crew, only to be blocked by Basil Hawkins. He’s holding the Heart Pirates hostage with his Devil Fruit powers, and to beat him, Law risks killing his crew members.

Meanwhile, The Kozuki retainers apologize to Ashura for deceiving him to get his help. Instead, Ashura takes them somewhere to show them something. Whatever it is, it won’t be good.

In Udon Prison, Big Mom has broken into the prison, causing everyone to freak out. Even Luffy thinks its a nightmare! Big Mom politely asks for some oshiruko, but Queen refuses (thank god neither know that Luffy ate it all).

Queen then transforms into a brachiosaurus and prepares to fight Big Mom, who promptly beats his face into the ground!

Review

My biggest complaint here is that the chapter title is a bit misleading. Big Mom hardly appears in this chapter, and when she does, it’s only to show her getting ready to beat Queen up. We all know that Big Mom’s going to win, though; it’s a matter of time.

The big focus is once again on the Flower Capital, which is now in chaos. Worse still, Orochi and Kaido’s men are now aware that most of the Straw Hats are in Wano. That means they’ll be on their guard. This makes things a lot harder.

Then there’s Law and the Heart Pirates. As long as Hawkins holds them hostage, there’s no way to get them or the other rebels out. The odds aren’t good.

The only real progress made is that the Kozuki retainers have at least gotten Ashura to talk to them. I have a feeling that he’s only doing so to show them something tragic and sad to explain why he won’t help them anymore. Is it possible he tried rebelling before, but lost everything? That would make sense.

Sad to say it, but we have to wait two weeks to find out what happens. One Piece is on break next week, so the Alliance’s fate is up in the air. I’m still not worried, though. This is Luffy we’re talking about. He’s too stubborn to die.

I did like this chapter in the end, though I think they could have chosen a better title.

I Give “O-Lin” a 3/5. Needed more of Udon Prison.