Immediately after the end of Bethesda’s press conference came a blindsiding. You see, Devolver Digital aired their entire E3 2018 conference sketch in one go (their E3 2018 show is roughly 20 minutes long), but thankfully enough, Devolver spared us the overnight nonsensical comedy show.
So, continuing from last year, we had the so-called lady of festivities Nina Struthers (played by Mahria Zook) addressing the concerns brought up about last year’s conference (that was about as seriously as their conference actually was back then). Yes, that’s right, Struthers returned Devolver digital’s E3 2018 press conference! And the whole thing sure wasted no time sinking deep into parody, constantly pointing out the formulaic behaviors gaming companies took with E3, from actors faking like they’re playing the game demos all the way to fake console displays to show off tech.
Hell, Devolver digital even managed to do their own parody merch in the form of LOOTBOXCOIN, which actually fluctuates in price literally every single minute on the webpage for it xD And then there were the games, and let me tell you what. Those said games might just be crazy enough to actually be crazy good on release (let’s hope for the best!).
Anyways, due to the nature of Devolver’s conferences. There was hardly no information given for any of the titles that Devolver showed for us. So you are more or less forced to look into the official homepages or Steam pages to learn more about Devolver’s new games (could it be a smart PR-trick? *cough cough*). This was especially true for the mock-up trailer they did for “SCUM“, a game which according to their website is referred to as a “supermax open world survival” title.
Truth be told, it’s extremely hard to discern whether or not the game is an actual title or not, as even the associated Steam page for it has hardly any info on it other than Early Access opening for it later this year. So only time will tell what “SCUM” is all about. However, we should get a chance to learn more about the game when “SCUM” launches via the Steam Early Access program in August this summer.
The next title that Devolver showed was a crazy little entry coming to PC and the Nintendo Switch called “My Friend Pedro“. So, what is that game all about then? Well, it’s a 2D run-and-gun title in which you, as the masked gunman Pedro, tear through waves of mooks and platform your way through levels all on the sadistic whims of a sentient banana.
That’s just the half of it though, because “My Friend Pedro” basically allows you to be the craziest gunman alive. As it’s combining bullet-time, aerial acrobatics, kicking limbs into enemies, using metal objects to ricochet shots everywhere, and who knows what else. As crazy as all of that sounds, nothing could prepare viewers for the final drop.
The hype machine went into full-blown overdrive as the huge From Software cult classic “Metal Wolf Chaos“ was announced to finally be getting a localization after 14 years, as an HD remaster for PC, PS4, and Xbox One called “Metal Wolf Chaos XD“.
For those not familiar with the title, players are thrust into the role of the President of the United States, Michael Wilson, as his Vice-President Richard Hawk stages a coup on him. So, what’s the solution that Wilson came up with? Get into a giant robot loaded with tons and tons of ridiculous weapons, and free his country from Hawk’s grasp one battle at a time.
What’s even more funny is that “Metal Wolf Chaos” is coming from the era where From Software were still making “Armored Core” titles. So it was a real wonder that they managed to make literally the most American game in the whole world that was never even released in America… until now.
Devolver digitals E3 2018 press conference comes to an end with a teaser advising to check the website for Metal Wolf Chaos XD, and then a callback teaser leading up to next year’s E3 sketch. So, yeah, I think it’s safe to say that it’s rather hard to gauge what to expect from Devolver Digital both in terms of games and E3 presentations (you are in for one hell of a ride with them for sure).
Lastly, Devolver Digital release title information on a whim, they don’t take anything seriously except actually making games, and how they handle the current state of the industry is very clearly taking the piss… but it can’t be denied that they’ve got quite the load on their hands this year. Hopefully, they can continue delivering the ridiculous-in-every-sense-of-the-word quality that’s steadily becoming their trademark.
So, all in all, I had a great time watching Devolver’s E3 show this year as well. So I can’t wait to see what they will come up with next (not to mention their plans for E3 2019!).
Entertainment value: 4/5
Games: 5/5
Surprises: 3/5
Verdict: 4/5 (B+)
You know, even though I have seen a lot of E3 shows and what not in the past. I still have to say that Devolver Digital’s E3 2018 press conference is with no doubt the most entertaining and crazy E3 press conference that I’ve ever seen. I mean, sure, the press conference was pretty darn short (it’s only about 20 minutes long), and Devolver only showed three games at the E3 event. Even so, Devolver still managed to create a E3 conference that will be spoken of and about until E3 2019 for sure.
Credit:
Robin Ek – Editor and co-writer.
***Disclaimer***
This is a personal opinion of the writer, and it doesn’t necessarily represent the other writers (nor The Gaming Ground´s) opinions.
James Kirk
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
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Tags: Devolver Digital, E3, E3 2018, Metal Wolf Chaos XD, My Friend Pedro, Nina Struthers, SCUM