LOS Angeles, CA - Bethesda pulled out the big guns for its E3 2019 press conference. The cat's already out the bag about Doom: Eternal and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which seems to focus on the twin progeny of series protagonist, B.J. Blazkowicz.
And as much as we'd love to see more of The Elder Scrolls or the enigmatic Starfield, it doesn't look like either title is going to make an appearance at the show. But the company more than made up for it with plenty of updates to Fallout 76 and the Elder Scrolls Blades. Didn't get to see the press conference? Here's what you missed:
The Elder Scrolls Blades
Now in early access, Bethesda announced a bunch of goodies for its free mobile game, The Elder Scrolls Blades. Now there's brand new dragon quest line, a jewelry creation system and a new PvP mode. Best of all, as of tonight, the game is out of early access and ready for everyone to play. Not a fan of gaming on your smartphone? The game's also coming to Nintendo Switch for the low, low price of free.
Fallout 76
Called "the best online community in gaming" by studio head Todd Howard, Fallout 76 is far from done. Dubbed the game's biggest update yet, Wastelanders. The update brings back our beloved non-playable characters (NPCs) complete with full dialogue trees. Available this fall, the Wastelanders update will be free for current Fallout 76 players. There's also the free Nuclear Winter add-on, which brings the popular Battle Royal genre to the wasteland. Still not sure whether you want to join in on the fun? Bethesda's giving you a chance to take the game and most of the updates for a test spin with a free trial June 10 - 17.
Ghostwire Tokyo
Looking for some new IP? Bethesda's got you covered with its new action-adventure title Ghostwire Tokyo. People are disappear in this bustling cosmopolitan city leaving nothing but their clothes behind. It's up to you to get to the bottom of the supernatural phenomenon. As the shadowy figure intones. "Don't fear the unknown, attack it."
The Elder Scrolls Online
After leaving the story of how dragons appeared on Elsweyr on somewhat of a cliffhanger, the next installment of The Elder Scrolls Online picks up on the fearsome fiery terror with the return of the Dragonguard in Scalebreaker.
Commander Keen
With a zany cartoon aesthetic, the free-to-play Commander Keen seems more like Saturday-morning fare. With id Software’s blessing, Bethesda is introducing the 90’s classic to a new generation with azany cartoon aesthetic that resembles a cool Saturday morning cartoon. But instead of the original Billy Keen, you’ll play as twin geniuses, Billy and Billie Keen as they fight intergalactic evil using only household items. The mobile game will soft launch this summer.
Rage 2
The world of Rage 2 is getting even more over-the-top. Adding new destructive vehicles like the Skullcycle and a pilotable mech along with new cheat codes and enemies to kill any way you see fit, Rage 2 has gotten even more entertaining. There's also some new DLC called Rise of the Ghosts..
Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein's going virtual. Similar to Doom and Fallout, Wolfenstein Cyberpilot puts you in the shoes of an engineer trying to bring the fight to the Nazi scum. But if you haven't had your fill of liberating the world or were feeling a bit lonely, getting the job done, Wolfenstein Youngblood, you can double your pleasure. B.J is missing in Nazi-occupied Paris and Jess and Soph, his twin daughters are on the hunt. While you can still go it alone, you and a friend (or sibling) can team up for some 1980's-style violence on July 26 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Orion
Game streaming is on the verge of becoming a tool of mainstream gamers. Designed to work with any game engine, Orion optimizes games for streaming. Instead of focusing on the hardware, Orion works on a software level for streams 20 percent faster with less latency, that use 40 percent lower bandwidth. A reduction that significant cuts the cost of streaming for publishers and consumers alike. But most importantly, Bethesda claims you’ll have the ability to stream Orion-optimized games at full settings. We saw an impressive demo of a Bethesda rep streaming Doom to an iPhone XS Max in 4K without a hint of latency. Want to get in on the fun? Go to Slayersclub.com and sign up for early access.
Doom: Eternal
Time to go back to hell. With even more brutal execution moves and even slicker action, Doom Eternal is even more stomach-churningly beautiful than the last entry. Earth is being consumed by demons and to save it, you’re going on a dimension-hopping journey, seeing places you’ve never seen before. As the Doomslayer, the strongest, fastest demon-slayer, you’ve got to think on your toes. Eternal is also getting a multiplayer mode called Battlemode where the 2 people playing as demon band together to take down another who's playing as the demonslayer. But you've got more than enough time to think about the various things that go bump in the night as the game is scheduled to launch in November complete with a badass collectors' edition with a wearable helmet.
