Keanu, Nakamura, & A Good Boi Have Won E3 2019 More Than The Games

TJ Denzer,

June 11, 2019 1:50 PM

If chatter at E3 2019 around the community is anything to go by, a world-class actor, a passionate director, and a sweet doggo were just as important as the games.

Year after year at E3, we often talk about which games or companies “won” the conference. Did Sony score an A? Did Nintendo drop the ball? Was some game triumphant or embarrassing? There is plenty of love for many of the games at E3 2019. However, you couldn’t move more than ten tweets through the E3 2019 trends without tripping over three fantastic moments: Keanu Reeves’ reveal and appearance for Cyberpunk 2077, Ikumi Nakamura’s excited reveal of thriller game Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Jon Bernthal’s dog Bam Bam assisting in his presentation of Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

Keanu Is Breathtaking & So Are We

It CD Projekt Red that kicked grand moments off when at the end of the Cyberpunk 2077, Keanu Reeves was newly revealed as a character for the game. That would have been fine enough, but then the John Wick and Bill and Ted star himself took the stage to talk enthusiastically about the game. Keanu was talking about how breathtaking it was to observe and take part in Cyberpunk 2077’s vision of the technology future and society when we received quite a treat. It all started when a fan in the audience shouted, “You’re breathtaking!”

Quick with a chuckle, Keanu shot right back. “You’re breathtaking! You’re all breathtaking.”

Simple as it may be, it exuded a genuine moment of honest, joy, and appreciation that the film icon has become known for in addition to his successful work.

People were likely already ready to accept Keanu Reeves as the Johnny Silverhand character in Cyberpunk 2077, but the humble camaraderie with fans ensured Reeves would be the topic we were talking about as much as anything when the Xbox presentation ended.

Ikumi Nakamura’s Spooooky Game Presentation

Shinji Mikami should be a well-known household name in gaming at this point for the legendary role he played in bringing the likes of Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and more recently The Evil Within to life, but it was Creative Director Ikumi Nakamura of projects like Okami and Bayonetta he gave the spotlight to present Tango Gameworks’ latest project. Ikumi exuded style and personality throughout the whole affair. Despite being nervous to speak in front of so many, Nakamura set the scene for Ghostwire: Tokyo as Bethesda and Tango’s upcoming thriller. The game itself promises to bring an intriguing story in which players will interact with the spirits of the dead in order to discover the truth behind disappearances.

Despite the somber setting of the game, Nakamura stole the hearts of viewers with her passion and excitement on stage, finding her way through the nervous experience with a level of genuine joy and fun that is rare to see in E3 presentations. The way she kicked off the Ghostwire: Tokyo trailer is likely an E3 moment fans will remember for years to come.

Ikumi Nakamura was full of nervous enthusiasm, but putting that energy into her quirky presentation made it a more than enjoyable presentation.
Ikumi Nakamura was full of nervous enthusiasm, but putting that energy into her quirky Ghostwire: Tokyo presentation made it quite enjoyable.

A Good Boy For Bad Boy Bernthal

Let’s not beat around the bush. Jon Bernthal is a great cinematic villain. He knows how to take on the role of a character that will upset you when it comes to the movies and TV shows of which he has been a part. He is a perfect pick as the villain of Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Maybe that’s what makes his buddy, Bam Bam, a great foil to his promise of villainy for the upcoming game. For those who don’t know, Bam Bam is Jon Bernthal’s dog, whom he brought to the stage with him as he expanded on Breakpoint and his part in it.

It must be quite unnerving for a dog to be in front of so many watching people, but Bam Bam was a perfect and adorable companion throughout the whole affair, sitting quietly and peacefully for Bernthal’s entire time on stage.

Bam Bam Bernthal pulled more than few eyes as Jon served up his enthusiasm for his role in the upcoming Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
Bam Bam Bernthal pulled more than few eyes as Jon served up his enthusiasm for his role in the upcoming Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

Ultimately, Bam Bam captured more than a few hearts during and after the events of the Ubisoft show. If Bernthal is as devious a villain in Breakpoint as Bam Bam is as good of a doggo, then we’d say Ghost Recon Breakpoint has a good antagonist on its hands.

It should be said over and over that E3 2019 is no slouch. The games that have been revealed and expanded upon from the press conferences have been pretty great, but as much as we’ll likely continue to talk about those games, they likely wouldn’t be here without good people (and canine pals). Reeves, Nakamura, and Bam Bam grabbed spotlights and made their respective stages shine that much more. As much as we’ll continue to enjoy the coming days of games and conversations that E3 continues to give us, we have to pay respect to genuine enthusiasm to the talent, creatives, and supporting folks that make it all possible. After all, it gives us lasting E3 gifts from the community like the post below by artist sami_jen.

If we had nothing else from E3 2019, we have awesome people and pals to thank for a great show. Fortunately, there just happens to also be some pretty great games at E3 2019 too.

That said, three moments weren’t the only ones grabbing attention. Ice-T was also in rare form just before the Ubisoft E3 presentation with helpful hints for dealing with trolls.

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