Empyrean Heaven
Member
Perhaps even bigger than E3 itself, the week before is full of articles, news reports, and endless speculation that builds an insane amount of hype in the heart of any gamer. But perhaps more than any of those articles, the one I miss most is GameTrailers' Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of E3, where Brandon Jones's dulcet tones would speak on all of the known major titles for the biggest week in gaming, and just get me more and more excited.
Obviously, GameTrailers isn't around anymore, but I figured why should that stop us? So I want YOUR top 10 most anticipated games of E3. And I'll get it started!
Some Ground Rules: The game must be announced, or practically announced (leaked so much that everyone knows it is coming). So nothing like the new game from Retro, because we don't know if it will even be there, or what it is, or Halo 6, because it's been confirmed it won't be there. Other than that, fair game.
Honorable Mentions: Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Death Stranding, Uncharted: Lost Legacy
10. Assassin's Creed Origins
Ubisoft's seminal franchise was desperately in need of a year off, with a range of multiplayer-focused titles and glitched-up gameplay putting a severe strain on the gameplay. Now it has return, and while the title is arguably the most cliched they could have gone with (was Assassin's Creed Unleashed taken?) the fact that this looks to be a return to form for the franchise that will potentially raise the curtain on revealing some of the franchise's biggest mysteries is enough for lapsed fans like myself to jump back into the hay bale.
9. Mario x Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Nintendo farming out their characters to other developers is nothing new, but this is the first time that the company has ever teamed up with a Western developer to create a full-blown adventure title in the Mario universe. While the Rabbids characters are passe at best, the promise of a new turn-based RPG that combines the irreverent humor both series are known for with unique new gameplay makes me very excited.
8. Call of Duty: WWII
Returning to their roots is certainly an ongoing theme this E3, and perhaps no franchise is doing it moreso than Call of Duty, bringing things back to the events that started it all in World War II. While it certainly feels a bit like Activision is aping a bit of EA and DICE's style after the success of Battlefield 1, the ability to experience some of the most iconic battles of the war, including the famed events of D-Day, as they have never been experienced before has me locked and loaded.
7. Final Fantasy VII Remake/Kingdom Hearts 3
I'm lumping these two together as chances are very good that if we see one, we will see the other, and also that they are arguably in the same situation the most two highly, HIGHLY, HIGHLY anticipated titles from the biggest RPG developer on the planet, with a ravenous fanbase counting the days until their release. And while a redux of arguably the greatest RPG ever made and the latest installment in the saga of Sora have us chomping at the big, hoping that Tetsuya Nomura will make an appearance at Sony's E3 presser, the chances against it are higher than the chances for, which is why this is so low on the list. But still, if it happens, watch out for flying fanboys.
6. Super Mario Odyssey
With the afterglow of the Switch's successful launch in the rear view and Zelda's novelty starting to wear off, it's time for the console to get a dose of that signature Nintendo magic. Look no further than Mario, whose titles have frequently set new standards in the gaming industry for platformers, to bring the fun with a new title that takes the beloved hero to the real world as he battles familiar enemies and new foes. With the game already being announced as the crux of Nintendo's E3 2017 showing, we're hoping we won't be regretting our Switch purchases just a couple months in.
5. Star Wars Battlefront II
A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, DICE's take on one of the most beloved Star Wars received criticism for its lack of a story mode and solely multiplayer-focused gameplay. Not so with the sequel, which promises to take all three trilogies and mix them together to create an epic single-player storyline, as well as provide access to the most legendary battles in the series. The force is strong with this one. (obvious statement is obvious)
4. Destiny 2
Bungie's first post-Halo project proved to be an enormous success, merging the worlds of FPS and MMORPG and creating a unique world that effortlessly fused sci-fi and fantasy in a way not seen since Warhammer. Now, a much greater emphasis on story and the series' classic customization, as well as the promise of unseen worlds in the Destiny universe, is getting us very excited to see what's next.
3. Xbox Scorpio
Okay, yeah, I'm cheating a bit by putting hardware on the list, but it's my list, so screw it. Microsoft's entire E3 showing lives and dies by how well Scorpio is received, and Microsoft has been very coy on the details, considering it a true successor to the Xbox One rather than merely a 4k upgrade a la the PS4 Pro. This E3 will be the first chance we get to hear the final specs of the console, but more importantly, how good games look when played on it, and it will be very interesting to compare and contrast upcoming titles to games already available on the PS4 Pro. It'll also be interesting for Xbox One adopters with no plans to upgrade just yet (such as myself), to see what these games will look like and how they will be gimped (if at all) when played on earlier systems.
2. God of War
Kratos's return got arguably the biggest positive reaction at E3 2016, and expects to make a big splash this year as well with a new take on the character set in Norse mythology, and taking perhaps more than a little inspiration from Skyrim though we aren't complaining. After having experienced the character of Kratos across many years, a more mature, damaged god awaits us with the new installment promising a much darker tone, and the introduction of Kratos' son Atreus, something that could be inspired by the changes in God of War fans over the last 12 years since the first title's release, the kids who were 17-20 back then are now in their 30s or close to it, and likely starting to have kids of their own an interesting parallel that gets us excited to see how the fallen hero will once again have to defy the odds.
1. The Last of Us Part 2
Moreso than any other game of last generation, I was most enthralled by Naughty Dog's classic the last of us, combining a heart-warming story of family with elements of action, adventure, and survival horror that was equal parts enthralling and tense, and made for a perfect capstone to the last generation of consoles. With only a short trailer showing Joel and a grown-up Ellie to go on, we don't know too much about this game, only that a grown-up Ellie will be the main character, and the story is expected to be much, much darker. Personally, I'm hoping for a more open-ended structure to the game, and perhaps some sandbox-style gameplay, if we even see anything on the game at all considering the game has only started the development process. But when hope is all we have, that's usually enough.
Obviously, GameTrailers isn't around anymore, but I figured why should that stop us? So I want YOUR top 10 most anticipated games of E3. And I'll get it started!
Some Ground Rules: The game must be announced, or practically announced (leaked so much that everyone knows it is coming). So nothing like the new game from Retro, because we don't know if it will even be there, or what it is, or Halo 6, because it's been confirmed it won't be there. Other than that, fair game.
Honorable Mentions: Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Death Stranding, Uncharted: Lost Legacy
10. Assassin's Creed Origins
Ubisoft's seminal franchise was desperately in need of a year off, with a range of multiplayer-focused titles and glitched-up gameplay putting a severe strain on the gameplay. Now it has return, and while the title is arguably the most cliched they could have gone with (was Assassin's Creed Unleashed taken?) the fact that this looks to be a return to form for the franchise that will potentially raise the curtain on revealing some of the franchise's biggest mysteries is enough for lapsed fans like myself to jump back into the hay bale.
9. Mario x Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Nintendo farming out their characters to other developers is nothing new, but this is the first time that the company has ever teamed up with a Western developer to create a full-blown adventure title in the Mario universe. While the Rabbids characters are passe at best, the promise of a new turn-based RPG that combines the irreverent humor both series are known for with unique new gameplay makes me very excited.
8. Call of Duty: WWII
Returning to their roots is certainly an ongoing theme this E3, and perhaps no franchise is doing it moreso than Call of Duty, bringing things back to the events that started it all in World War II. While it certainly feels a bit like Activision is aping a bit of EA and DICE's style after the success of Battlefield 1, the ability to experience some of the most iconic battles of the war, including the famed events of D-Day, as they have never been experienced before has me locked and loaded.
7. Final Fantasy VII Remake/Kingdom Hearts 3
I'm lumping these two together as chances are very good that if we see one, we will see the other, and also that they are arguably in the same situation the most two highly, HIGHLY, HIGHLY anticipated titles from the biggest RPG developer on the planet, with a ravenous fanbase counting the days until their release. And while a redux of arguably the greatest RPG ever made and the latest installment in the saga of Sora have us chomping at the big, hoping that Tetsuya Nomura will make an appearance at Sony's E3 presser, the chances against it are higher than the chances for, which is why this is so low on the list. But still, if it happens, watch out for flying fanboys.
6. Super Mario Odyssey
With the afterglow of the Switch's successful launch in the rear view and Zelda's novelty starting to wear off, it's time for the console to get a dose of that signature Nintendo magic. Look no further than Mario, whose titles have frequently set new standards in the gaming industry for platformers, to bring the fun with a new title that takes the beloved hero to the real world as he battles familiar enemies and new foes. With the game already being announced as the crux of Nintendo's E3 2017 showing, we're hoping we won't be regretting our Switch purchases just a couple months in.
5. Star Wars Battlefront II
A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, DICE's take on one of the most beloved Star Wars received criticism for its lack of a story mode and solely multiplayer-focused gameplay. Not so with the sequel, which promises to take all three trilogies and mix them together to create an epic single-player storyline, as well as provide access to the most legendary battles in the series. The force is strong with this one. (obvious statement is obvious)
4. Destiny 2
Bungie's first post-Halo project proved to be an enormous success, merging the worlds of FPS and MMORPG and creating a unique world that effortlessly fused sci-fi and fantasy in a way not seen since Warhammer. Now, a much greater emphasis on story and the series' classic customization, as well as the promise of unseen worlds in the Destiny universe, is getting us very excited to see what's next.
3. Xbox Scorpio
Okay, yeah, I'm cheating a bit by putting hardware on the list, but it's my list, so screw it. Microsoft's entire E3 showing lives and dies by how well Scorpio is received, and Microsoft has been very coy on the details, considering it a true successor to the Xbox One rather than merely a 4k upgrade a la the PS4 Pro. This E3 will be the first chance we get to hear the final specs of the console, but more importantly, how good games look when played on it, and it will be very interesting to compare and contrast upcoming titles to games already available on the PS4 Pro. It'll also be interesting for Xbox One adopters with no plans to upgrade just yet (such as myself), to see what these games will look like and how they will be gimped (if at all) when played on earlier systems.
2. God of War
Kratos's return got arguably the biggest positive reaction at E3 2016, and expects to make a big splash this year as well with a new take on the character set in Norse mythology, and taking perhaps more than a little inspiration from Skyrim though we aren't complaining. After having experienced the character of Kratos across many years, a more mature, damaged god awaits us with the new installment promising a much darker tone, and the introduction of Kratos' son Atreus, something that could be inspired by the changes in God of War fans over the last 12 years since the first title's release, the kids who were 17-20 back then are now in their 30s or close to it, and likely starting to have kids of their own an interesting parallel that gets us excited to see how the fallen hero will once again have to defy the odds.
1. The Last of Us Part 2
Moreso than any other game of last generation, I was most enthralled by Naughty Dog's classic the last of us, combining a heart-warming story of family with elements of action, adventure, and survival horror that was equal parts enthralling and tense, and made for a perfect capstone to the last generation of consoles. With only a short trailer showing Joel and a grown-up Ellie to go on, we don't know too much about this game, only that a grown-up Ellie will be the main character, and the story is expected to be much, much darker. Personally, I'm hoping for a more open-ended structure to the game, and perhaps some sandbox-style gameplay, if we even see anything on the game at all considering the game has only started the development process. But when hope is all we have, that's usually enough.
