Widescreen: 4 awesome things and 1 big letdown at the E3 video game conference
The annual showcase of upcoming video games known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, returned this week to Los Angeles, and once again major game publishers livestreamed their news conferences for all to see.
Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Bethesda Softworks and Square Enix were the star attractions, with Sony sitting out; we can expect a separate event later this year announcing the PlayStation 5 and a sequel to "Horizon Zero Dawn."
Here are five standout moments for those of us watching at home:
Keanu Reeves
The "John Wick" star surprised attendees at Sunday's Microsoft presentation, dubbing them "breathtaking" before touting his appearance in "Cyberpunk 2077," a much-anticipated title from developer CD Projekt Red that looks like "Grand Theft Auto" by way of "Blade Runner" - a perfect video vehicle for the star of "Speed" and "The Matrix," no? A digital avatar of Reeves, long hair and all, sports dog tags and a metal arm in the footage shown to the public. I'm in. ("Cyberpunk 2077" comes to PC, PS4 and Xbox One on April 16, 2020.)
'Doom Eternal'
Bethesda Softworks' sequel to the 2016 reboot of the infamous first-person shooter looks as fast, freewheeling and gory as its predecessor, with added platforming and climbing to keep you busy when you're not shotguning demons. Watching the electrifying footage reminded me of Bart Simpson's enthusiasm for "Bonestorm." (That's a Season 7 reference for ya.) (Nov. 22 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia)
'Watch Dogs: Legion'
The third installment in the Ubisoft series that began with an absurdly inaccurate reproduction of Chicago travels to London for some "V for Vendetta"-style high jinks. The hook of this franchise is that you can hack into anything, and 'Legion' expands that to anyone - even a cane-carrying granny can join the resistance against a British surveillance state of the future. (March 6, 2020, for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia)
'Final Fantasy VII Remake'
The long-gestating remake of PS1-era milestone "Final Fantasy VII" is, finally, no longer a fantasy. "Final Fantasy VII Remake" (yes, that's the actual title) ditches the 1997 polygons for 2020 hi-def spectacle, and adds "Kingdom Hearts"-style hack-and-slash gameplay to the mix. Unfortunately, publisher Square Enix isn't delivering the entire game in one chunk - you'll have to spring for multiple releases. (March 3, 2020, for PS4)
'Marvel's Avengers'
Industry-watchers had a pretty good idea that Square Enix's comic-book mashup wouldn't feature movie stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. Your average Twitter user, however, was shocked to see the first trailer for this game and the janky-haired unrecognizable faces inhabiting Iron Man's armor and Black Widow's tactical suit. Let's hope a who's-who of video game voice actors ("Uncharted" smart-aleck Nolan North is Tony Stark, because of course he is) can help win over this very skeptical fan; Sony's star-free "Spider-Man" game did it last year with a great original story. (May 15, 2020, for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia)
• Follow Sean on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.