TGS 2018 - A Preview


Just one more day until Tokyo Game Show!

Soon I'll be lining up for games that are almost out, hobnobbing with other sweaty people in queues, drinking inadvisable quantities of beer, desperately trying to figure out why my laptop won't connect to the venue's WiFi, and enjoying watching foreign journalists butcher the Japanese language, which in turn will make me feel better about my woefully inadequate linguistic skills.

All joking aside, I love going to TGS. It's my annual slice of industry action and I'm dreading the day when/if they take my press pass away. I've been going as press on-and-off since 2009, and on the public days since 2006. All in all, this'll be my ninth Tokyo Game Show. You could say that I'm kind of a big deal, not that anyone in the industry would agree with you.

I always find TGS previews a challenge to write. There is rarely a single game that stands out before the show begins - nothing that I'm absolutely dying to play. One usually emerges over the course of the four days, such as Monster Hunter World last year, but it's often difficult to pick one in advance. This year doesn't look to be any different.

Yakuza Team's latest, Project Judge, will be a focus for journalists and punters alike. It'll be front and centre at the Sega booth and I'll definitely be checking it out, assuming that the demo is different to the one already available on the Japanese PS store. Sega will also be pushing Yakuza Online, though we're not expecting a playable demo. We'll probably get some extended footage and merchandise tat that I won't be able to resist. Box of Yakuza-branded tissues, anyone?

Square Enix have fuck all of interest, unless you're one of those Kingdom Hearts weirdos. From what I can gather, they'll be showing lots of trailers and not much else. Koei Tecmo will have a massive space full of games about medieval warriors and buxom ladies, none of which I have any interest in. Level 5 are back after a few years away, and Namco Bandai have some games of interest, including Katamari Damacy Reroll and Soulcalibur VI.

Arc Systems will be showing a game called Daedalus: The Awakening of Golden Jazz. I have no idea what it's about, but I can't ignore a game with a name that superb.

Capcom looks set for another strong showing. Resident Evil 2 is probably my most anticipated game of the show. I can't wait to see what improvements they've made to a game that I loved, but haven't played for almost twenty years. I'll definitely be up for some Devil May Cry 5, and I'm going to keep asking questions about Deep Down until I get answers or someone asks me to leave. 

I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure what will be playable at Sony's booth. Their pre-TGS announcements made a stir last week, but I'm unclear as to which of those games will be available for a hands-on. I'd love to try Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice if it's there; Kojima Productions will be pushing Death Stranding, though there's no playable demo, and I'm hoping to get some time with Enhance Games' Tetris Effect, ideally in VR.

I'd be interested to find out more about Cygames' Project Awakening, and I need to make more of an effort to try out some independent titles at the sizable indie booth area. I'm also looking forward to spending some time perusing delightfully useless merchandise in the merch hall. I'm liable to soil myself when I find a lunch box in the shape of a Sega Saturn, a Master System plushy, or a PlayStation One that transforms into a kitchen. 

And that's that. I'll be attending TGS this Thursday and Friday, posting previews and round-ups here and also over at Critical Gamer. I'll also be tweeting incessantly, so give me a follow @toomanywires_ if you haven't already.

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