Ubisoft – 8.9/10
I was having a hard time ranking this because it doesn't have as much as Microsoft did and didn't catch me as much as Fallout 76. That said, I really loved the overall tone and production values, There was a lot of stuff in here I liked or loved, and not a lot I hated or didn't like. Even the stuff I'm neutral on seemed to have a good trailer or some details that intrigued me. That said, here's what was in Ubisoft's 2018 presentation!
Just Dance 2019 – 3/10 – I dunno, never been into just dance and I forgot it even still existed. I won't lie, the dancing bear made me laugh a bit and the medley of songs got me tapping my toe, but I have no interest in the game. That's not Ubisoft's fault, it's just not for me.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 – 8/10 – I still feel I need to learn more about the gameplay and world, but I'm definitely intrigued. Unlike many folks out there I don't mind if it goes into an open world, and the space sci fi fantasy feel has got its hooks into me. That said, I never did play the original way back when, so I don't have that nostalgia. Still, I'm curious, I want to know more, and I'm into it.
Rainbow Six Siege Documentary – X/10 – Wut? I mean, who cares? It's a mediocre game and I don't see why anyone would care about some random gamer who had it make their life better.
Trials Rising – 6/10 – I liked the skit, the gameplay looks good, and I think Trials is a good franchise. That said, there doesn't seem to be much that sets this one aside from other entries in the series aside from its emphasis on creative wipeouts (Was that in previous games? I genuinely don't know.)
The Division 2 – 5/10 – Honestly, I'm shocked. I don't care for the division, I didn't care when it was on Microsoft's conference, and I didn't like the first one, yet this almost sold me on it. The tone, the feel, the details all sound mildly appealing to me now. Ubisoft is very good at delivering trailers that pique my interest, even if I know I'll never buy it or play it. Kudos on them. Good job, still don't care.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Donkey Kong Adventure – 7/10 – Honestly, I liked Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and I absolutely love both Nintendo and Ubisoft for doing it. I also really like Donkey Kong and I kinda liked the goofy presentation. Honestly, the longer this presentation went on the more I loved Ubisoft's delivery and their style of conference.
Skull and Bones – 10/10 – Maybe I've still got some afterglow from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, but a game about pirates sailing the Indian ocean with ship combat similar to Black Flag? Count me in. I could play that for days! Also, unlike Sea of Thieves, this looks to have actual depth and content with a story mode that I care about! The only thing I'm even remotely worried about is how they mentioned it was online. They didn't clarify if it was always online or if it was one of those games that's just better online. Either way, I'm very interested, very curious, and quite eager for its release.
Transference – 7/10 – I still have absolutely no idea what sort of game this is going to be, but it looks unique and interesting in ways not seen for a while. I honestly doubt I'll play it, but it gets a whole lot of points for being original.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas – 7/10 – I admit I'm not personally into this at all, but it's apparently a Nintendo Switch Exclusive, it has starfox in it, the gameplay looks great, and I love the overall feel of it. Only reason I won't play it is because it relies too heavily on plastic figurines like Skylanders. If not for that, I'd pick this up without a moment's hesitation. That said, I know those games are popular and I'm sure it'll sell well!
For Honor: Marching Fire – 6/10 – I own For Honor, but I never got into it. My roommate plays it a lot so I know it's got a pretty dedicated fanbase still and has been getting much better. The idea of adding a whole new Chinese faction to the game with four new heroes is intriguing and I'm sure people into it will love it, but I fully confess it doesn't appeal to me.
The Crew 2 – 6/10 – I've noticed Ubisoft is pretty good when it comes to their sequels, because the first game in any new franchise seems to be more a proof of concept than a game in its own right. Two examples of this include Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed (There are others but I can't remember them at the moment.) That said, The Crew was alright, the Crew 2 looks pretty good, and I am well aware I will never personally play it.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey – 10/10 – After last year's Assassin's Creed Origins, I felt I was ready to take a break from the series. The franchise as a whole has seen a lot of ups and downs but has always kept a place in my heart, so I was and always will be cautiously optimistic about any new Assassin's Creed game that comes out. Luckily, this one looks pretty awesome. It takes place in Greece during their most prolific time and you can play as a man or a woman (which is great to see proper representation.) The combat looks like a more refined version of what was seen in Origins and its setting and aesthetics are making me wet. Hopefully we'll see and understand more about the main character. That said, I am totally on board with this, which means I gotta finish Origins first.
Overall, a really great presentation! Ubisoft did a great job last year and a nearly as good job this year. I notice as I go through all of these little details that they have a knack for getting me interested with some of the best trailers at E3, and somehow manage to keep my attention on franchises I thought I was done with. Their presenters were by far the most coherent and appropriate so far (very little stuttering or cringey calls for applause), I love the company's willingness to work with Nintendo (Again, total fangirl here), and I love that they have been so good at improving sequels. Who knows, I might even end up liking The Division 2!
There were some omissions that disappointed me like a lack of Splinter Cell and still no more Rayman (Origins/Legends are some of my all-time favorite games and I highly doubt it'd cost much to make more), but I still think they did a great job. Honestly, if only for Skull and Bones, I'd give this whole presentation a 7/10, but we also got what might be the best looking Assassin's Creed game since IV (and holy shit, this is the 8th in the mainline franchise), and I really liked the overall feel.
The only thing keeping it from the heights of Microsoft's presentation is that Microsoft had a lot more surprises and new game reveals. I don't think there was anything here that wasn't already known about in some capacity. Still, though, what they showed got me excited and I know for sure I'll be getting at least two games shown here.
