While First person shooters, RPGs, and new entries to popular franchises such as Skyrim and Fallout took the most attention at E3, the strategy gamers in the crowd certainly had something to look forward to with various releases coming out in the near future.
Despite not being as well hyped as some of the bigger games at E3, this list of games should get every armchair general excited.
10) Gears of War: Tactics
“Gears of War: Tactics” announcement and gameplay
Gears of War: Tactics is a turn-based strategy game in the Gears of War franchise that is set twelve years before the first game. It is also the first game in the franchise to be released for PC. In the game, a new squad of characters hunts down the Locust Horde for the first time, trying to destroy a threat called the Locust Monster Maker before the horde continues its city-destroying rampage across the globe.
The demonstration at E3 revealed that the squad is customizable in terms of cosmetics and weapons while it also features the same bloody combat and epic boss fights the series is known for. Additionally, a rich character-driven story and fast-paced missions and combat set it apart from other turn-based games. So if you don’t like to be slow paced, then you’ve got the option to run and gun your way through missions while leaving bloody corpses and spent bullets behind you.
Explosive and Bloody combat makes a return in Gears of War Tactics!
Top Down Explosive Combat is the main staple for Gears of War: Tactics
9) Command and Conquer Rivals
First look at Command and Conquer Rivals- Gameplay
Just like our previous entry, this game is a different step for an old franchise. Command and Conquer Rivals takes the beloved PC game and gives it a multiplayer twist, letting players choose between the GDI and Brotherhood of Nod and then letting them battle one another in real time combat using classic units and leaders from the franchise.
Demos at E3 showed that the combat is designed to be fast-paced and played in short matches and is an interesting mix between the RTS and PVP genres. The game plays like a capture the flag, with the GDI and Brotherhood bases on each side of the map and a missile that can destroy those bases in the middle, forcing players to battle for control of the weapon and use it before their enemies can. While the release date is TBA, it has been announced as a free game for all PC users.
Lead your forces to attack the enemy base and seize the missile platform!
Infantry, tanks and air units all take the to the battlefield of Hexagons in this game!
8) Star Control Origins
Star Control Origins: Preview and Gameplay trailer
A strategy-based reboot of the Star Control Series, the game is based on the exploration of a procedurally generated universe, with dynamic characters and a simulated universe for you and your crew of misfits to explore. You also must focus on improving your ship, your allied fleet, and their combat capabilities.
E3 showed that the game keeps its predecessors in mind while improving on the gameplay by making some sections 3D or giving them other visual updates. In addition to a living universe, your actions, allies, and enemies will all affect the galaxy around you as well as various paths of the main story. forcing players to choose between good, bad, and grey choices to carve out their own story in the universe. The game comes out on September 20th, 2018.
Explore the Galaxy and meet strange aliens
Living systems give constant battles for the player to either ignore or join!
7) Two-point Hospital
Two Point Hospital E3 trailer
A sequel to the original Theme hospital, this game has players building various hospitals to treat the ridiculous diseases of townsfolk, such as someone turning into a clown or losing their color. Much like in the real world, different hospitals can fix different diseases and the player will have to manage several hospitals in order to keep treating the town.
E3 also announced that other aspects of hospital building will take place in the game, from keeping patients and staff happy, dealing with biomes and temperatures, and outbreaks of diseases that might get out of control really fast. The game in all its good-humored glory will be coming to PC soon, so keep an eye out! Because although one disease has someone turning into a clown, the sicknesses are no joke!
Build several hospitals to take on wacky sicknesses, including a ‘Monobrow’ infestation and pixelated people!
Hopefully the sicknesses are worse than the cure!
6) Anno 1800
Official Gameplay reveal trailer
Anno 1800 is a PC game set in the widely popular city-building series. Unlike its futuristic counterparts, this game takes its roots back to the past and starts right before the industrial revolution. It does come with a rather new twist in development, however, as potential players can join the “Anno Union” and cast votes on features or ideas to either put them in or keep them out. Democracy at its finest in the gaming world.
E3 showed off a pretty cool gameplay trailer, and the game has been announced to have a main campaign, an open sandbox mode, and multiplayer. Players will have to deal with industrialization and the historical problems that came with it. As well as the classic troubles of diplomacy, trade, and war. Oh, and riots… because people being replaced with machines as the revolution continues will be a problem!
The game is set to be released sometime in the winter of 2018.
Massive harbors will be the most important- and vulnerable part of any trade empire.
Build your city using men and machines, and ensure it stands strong
5) Phantom Doctrine
While this game at first seems like an XCOM clone that simply takes place in the Cold War, it also adds the fear of a global conspiracy to the game. With a pen and paper corkboard that gradually fills in as missions are completed, the player must deal with the CIA and the KGB to unravel the shadowy forces that are manipulating events throughout the game.
E3 showed off a trailer and gameplay that focuses on the agents of both groups going rogue (forming a cool group called the Cabal) to determine who these conspirators are. While XCOM themed combat is a staple, other aspects include brainwashing and unstable drugs which will make the game different for experienced players of the turn based genre. With a greater focus on tactical stealth with combat being secondary, you really will feel like a Bond character when the game comes out later this summer in 2018.
Spy vs Spy as a global conspiracy threatens to break the Cold War World.
Take the shot now and risk exposure or lower your gun and let an opportunity slip away?
4) Total War Three Kingdoms
Official Trailer
This game takes players away from the more recent fantasy titles to the fields and drama of 2nd and 3rd century China. However, unlike the other Total War games where you control massive nations and sprawling empires, this game is very much focused on the three main characters. It is also heavily based on Chinese folklore, with each of the three warriors able to fight hundreds of normal ones. A classic, more historical based mode offsets this somewhat with the leaders having a traditional bodyguard unit.
E3 also announced the concept of one on one duels, which can provide a perfect climax for a battle or completely change the outcome of a fight, as well as looking pretty flipping cool! The presentation also touched on the new graphics and dual campaign modes. The game is set to release in 2019 after a small delay was announced in early June.
Charge men! Bring down the walls!
The new Duel mode offers some great looking and personalized combat to quickly shift the tide of battle.
3) Phoenix Point
Official Trailer
This game, much like Phantom doctrine, is another XCOM style strategy game created by the same man who created the first pre-Firaxis games. Julian Gollop. However, outside of combat and massive boss battles, the game also focuses on an atmosphere of horror and suspense. (Trust me, every player and soldier alike will need a new pair of underwear after seeing some of these monsters) Players frantically have to gather the remains of humanity from a world filled with mutations and find some way to put the world right.
E3 told more information about other human factions in the world. These factions all have their own information, desires, and plans to put the world right. Not all of these plans will be to the players liking, forcing you to decide what it’s worth to have these allies on your side. While the game is still in Alpha and has been delayed until 2019, it looks very promising as we humans try to fight the darkness spreading across the world and survive to tell the tale.
I'd say blowing that fuel tank is in order!
This horror is one of the many giant monsters faced in the game, but it can be killed right? Right!?
2) Jurassic World Evolution
Official trailer
This game allows you to do what the movies did (Hopefully much better though.) Build a research/theme park on an island inhabited by dinosaurs. A mix of capturing dinosaurs, meeting their needs. and building exhibits for them is balanced alongside building a theme park that will attract a crowd and make the player money for expansion. Just like in the movies, however, things can go wrong spectacularly with weather disasters and dinosaur escapes, forcing the player to keep an eye on their choices and investments to prevent the same tragedies they see on the big screen.
E3 showed the game to various players, allowing them to take the reins of a partially built park and providing limited guidance on what they were supposed to do in the open world sandbox style while also providing information on the campaign. The game was released soon after on June 12th, 2018, and it’s been selling well on Steam, so go build your own park. After all, what could go wrong?
Oh… that could go wrong!
Peaceful exploration with the dinos... nice and relaxing!
1) Satisfactory
Reveal Trailer
A game that is less about survival and more about exploration and construction, it is also the least known about game on this list, as only the reveal trailer was shown at E3 and the game is just now accepting Alpha testers. It does appear to be a first-person version of the game Factorio though, allowing the player to harvest resources and build mechanical structures that can operate on their own. All while fighting and dealing with the forms of alien life that don’t like your presence on their world.
E3 only showed the reveal trailer, the game has no release date, and alpha testers are being accepted, but Satisfactory does appear to be a fun Minecraft-like builder that should take up hours of our time.
All we know about the game so far is this cool looking logo!
Let's get chopping men!
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