Bethesda’s Aces and Faces from E3 2019

A publisher like Bethesda can’t afford ignoring events like E3, but coming to it empty is just as unacceptable. If there is anything worthy somewhere in the dark developers’ dungeons, it should be taken out and presented to the public. And Bethesda really had something to tease the public. So will we, with just a few lines on any of the titles. Briefness is temporary: each of the titles below is a newsmaker under development.

Fallout 76: NPCs Returning, Battle Royale Inevitable, Trial Free

Being among Bethesda’s most ambitious projects, Fallout attracts attention even at its failures. Though Fallout 76 has been criticized for giving up some traditions (like NPCs that matter), that won’t last for long. The update that brings them back will be available in the autumn, entitled “Wastelanders”. NPCs will talk a lot, so running out of dialogues will be hard; besides that, Wastelands will bring new quests.

Another innovation is quite a challenge to the public taste: it’s Battle Royale mode (as if we haven’t had enough of that). Nuclear Winter is an open map for 52 players determined to exterminate each other, the last survivors being the winners. And this mode will be basically free, following the best patterns.

On announcing this, Bethesda also let everyone play Fallout 76 (with Nuclear Winter preview elements) for free from June 10 to June 17.

Elder Scrolls: Blades is to Hit the Switch, ES Online and Legends Get Expanded

Nintendo Switch is a very self-sufficient platform, and it seems that it would survive even if it only ran games by its manufacturer. But no, this fall its roster will be enriched with Elder Scrolls: Blades. The game will be optimized for Joy-Cons, and it will be playable in both portable and stationary mode. Like the mobile version, it will be free to play, plus the developers announce cross-platform compatibility for syncing the progress. By the way, the mobile version got new dragon questlines too.

Other games from this universe also have some updates. For example, Elder Scrolls Online receives a new Scalebreaker update, already high-rated. Elder Scrolls Legends receives a new expansion named “Moons of Elsweyr”, with mechanics updates and 75 new cards.
As for Elder Scrolls VI, it is still “under construction”, with nothing certain revealed on it yet.

Ghostwire: Tokyo Bringing a New Sort of Adventure

There isn’t much revealed about the new game by Tango Gameworks, except for it “being a new sort of adventure, and not a survival horror”. It’s true, we’re fed up with survival horrors. But Shinji Mikami doesn’t tell much about what it will be.

Deathloop Will Bend Your Mind

At least, that’s what Arkade Lyon announces. This story will revolve around time loops, and it will let you try various game modes and modus operandi’s. The trailer is spectacular, revealing its futuristic world of hi-tech, low life. But there isn’t much told about the story.

Doom Eternal: Confirmed and Scheduled

The cult series lives, and the new Doom is planned on November 22. This time the Doomguy will lead you through the “power fantasy” and mystics mixed with sci-fi and hi-tech again, on Earth and out there. There will be a multiplayer mode, with one person controlling the Doomguy and the others as demons.

Wolfenstein Going VR and Co-op

The VR version of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is coming in July, and it will be more hi-tech, offering you the role of a hacker in the Resistance. In July we’ll also see Wolfenstein: Youngblood, an online co-op action game.

Other Projects

Doom and Wolfenstein have a lot behind, and here comes another classical title after the resurrection. Commander Keen, an old side-scroller, will be resurrected as a mobile game, less of a scroller now, more of a puzzle.

Starfield is a new RPG we don’t know much about yet, so we just mention it and tick the box. There will also be a new expansion for Rage 2, with new locations, new enemies, new vehicles and so on, but there’s no certainty about its release date.

Finally, Bethesda is trying to catch up with the streaming train. Its Orion project is about cloud gaming, and it reduces the latency while streaming games. Soon it will be available for testing, though within Doom Slayer’s Club only.

Summing Up

Well, it’s a good set of releases, each one a good newsmaker. Bethesda may keep something secret, but hardly will it be a thing as powerful as Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Though some of its innovations are controversial, it’s always good to wear your own face, even if some may consider it ugly. Bethesda feels alright with its face, and so do we.