Before E3 even got started yesterday, we felt like we had already been through an entire show in and of itself. Press conferences and livestreams from the console makers at Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo set the agenda for what we'll see on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch in the coming year. Splashy events from publishers like EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and Devolver Digital highlighted countless games that were previously unknown.

Before diving in for actual hands-on time on the show floor, Ars Culture Editor Sam Machkovech and I had a quick chat about what stood out to us in these marketing-focused, hype-soaked, bombastic press conferences. Watch the video above for our full thoughts, but here's some quick bullet points:

Microsoft: Lots of variety; 4K needed hands-on time to make an impression; a few big franchises oddly missing

Sony: Very flashy; let the games do the talking; plenty of AAA narrative-driven titles

Nintendo: Tons of fan-service; Mario Odyssey looks amazing

EA: Solid but unsurprising; incremental line-up

Ubisoft: Mario and Rabbids looks surprisingly cool; Beyond Good & Evil 2 was a long-delayed shocker

Bethesda: They made a freaking theme park; VR Fallout and Doom are intriguing; Wolfenstein II looks like a worthy sequel

Devolver Digital: The Adult Swim of E3 press conferences

Listing image by Electronic Entertainment Expo