E3 is always the most exciting time of year for video game news. People all around the globe gather by their screens to watch the action unfold and get a glimpse of the phenomenal looking games that developers are hard a work on. Here are the staff’s favorite and most disappointing reveals at E3 2017.
Troy’s Picks for The Best Moments
#5. Mario Odyssey
Yeah, thats right. I love Nintendo — have for my whole life and Mario is way up on my list of favorite games ever since the franchise went 3D back on the 64. I loved Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U and Odyssey looks like its going to capture that same awesome vibe with a more unique and interesting spin for the Switch.
#4. Beyond Good and Evil 2
People have been waiting for this game since 2008 and then suddenly it appears in the Ubisoft conference 9 years later. Despite them not showing any real gameplay, I cant help but get stoked for this game just based on the awesome looking world Ubisoft Montpellier have built. Plus who doesn’t love massive open world space adventures?
#3. Assassins Creed Origins
Ugh I know, what a lame pick; but hear me out. Assassins Creed has been on a downward spiral since Brotherhood — Black Flag included, it’s the best and most amazing pirate game ever made but also a pretty dull Assassins Creed game. It got so bad I stopped playing the series, but Ubisoft really turned it around with Syndicate and reignited the love I felt playing Assassins Creed 2. Now with Origins, Ubisoft is taking what they got right with Syndicate and building on it with an incredible new world to play in and fantastic, fluid game play. I promise you its going to be good. Just look at it — how can it not be?
#2. Star Wars Battlefront 2
Yeah, okay. Battlefront wasn’t that great unless you love maps that are too big or are a die hard Star wars fan. But this time around, Battlefront is bringing us a single player story and that’s what I’m interested in. Not only is it a new and exciting playable campaign taking place between episodes 6 and 7 but its also cannon. Count me in!
#1. Spider-Man
My favorite reveal of E3 2017 is easily the Spider-Man game coming for PS4 by Insomniac. For starters, I have been saying for years that we need an Arkham style Spider-Man game. I absolutely loved the Arkham franchise, not just because I love Batman but because I feel that style of game is the best way to play as a superhero. Now we are finally getting that opportunity but this time we get to freely swing around Manhattan kicking bad guys’ butts as Spidey! Plus that Miles teaser at the end! How does it get any better? This is the most exciting gaming news for me in a while.
Sean’s Picks for The Best Moments
#5. Star Wars Battlefront II’s DLC Will Be Free
On top of an awesome-looking official gameplay trailer, which showed off Darth Maul and Rey as playable characters, EA announced that all of Battlefront’s DLC will be free. Back in 2015, EA received backlash from the gaming community when they released Star Wars Battlefront and announced $60 DLC, which contained more maps than what was available at the game’s launch. I’m glad that EA listened to the gaming community and will try to win over people (like myself) by giving them free content this go-round.
#4. Half Titanfall, Half Destiny – Anthem So Far Looks Impressive
Sure, Anthem looks like a mixture between Titanfall and Destiny, but this is a game coming from BioWare, whose credibility is strong thanks to their work on Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Even though Anthem doesn’t come out until fall 2018, the gameplay trailer shown during Microsoft’s E3 conference looked polished and impressive.
#3. Sea of Thieves Continues to Look Like Swashbuckling Fun
The only Microsoft exclusive shown during their E3 conference that got me excited was Sea of Thieves. Looking colorful and just plain fun to play, I can’t wait to chart the seas with my friends in hunt of buried treasure when this promising title comes out in early 2018.
#2. I Want to Play Insomniac’s Spider-Man Immediately
After seeing nearly 10 minutes of gameplay footage from Spider-Man during PlayStation’s E3 conference, I need to get my hands on this game immediately. With a number of ways to approach enemies and sling your way through New York City that looks like so much fun, Spider-Man is all but certain a launch-day buy. It’s good to see Insomniac Games, creators of the beloved Ratchet & Clank franchise, making a strong return with this PlayStation exclusive.
#1. All Hail the God of War
Deemed a soft reboot for the franchise, God of War takes place many years after his final encounter with Zeus in God of War 3. With a soft reboot comes a number of changes, including a setting where the mythology focuses on Norse mythology, gameplay where Kratos has to control his rage and also doesn’t wield dual blades anymore, and where Kratos is accompanied by his son, Atreus, on the journey. All of these new changes that were shown in the gameplay footage at PlayStation’s E3 conference looked fresh, exciting, and flat out incredible. As someone who loves the God of War franchise more than any other video game franchise, Santa Monica Studios’ new approach to the franchise looks like another classic God of War game in the making. All hail the God of War.
Keven’s Picks for The Best Moments
#5. Days Gone is Walking Dead Meets Sons of Anarchy
I have three – COUNT THEM THREE – Playstation 4 exclusives in my top 5 favourite reveals for this year’s E3 and I don’t own a PS4. This pains me greatly but I can’t deny how badass this title looks… Starring Sam Witwer as a biker trying to survive in a brutal zombie apocalypse, I love the style of gameplay here as you sneak around the forests and battle both the undead and rival scavengers. The game literally combines elements of two of my favourite TV shows of all time in Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy in order to conjure up this gritty action adventure title that looks like a helluva fun time.
#4. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Looks Batshit Crazy
I didn’t play the latest Wolfenstein “The New Order” game and apparently this is a sequel, but I don’t even give a shit. This new footage reminds me of Bioshock Infinite, in that you get to smash shit up and start a revolution in a racist, crazy-ass, steampunk alternate future and I adore that formula. From the crazy-ass robot dog thing, to the hero saying he ain’t no damn Nazi, to the brutal ass gunplay where you’re mowing down an entire hallway of SS – you can count me in on easily Bethesda’s biggest announcement of this year’s E3.
#3. God of War Levels up With Beard & Son in Epic Fashion
I don’t own a PS4 and I didn’t own a PS3 so I had to stop playing the God of War franchise after the PSP titles and the incredible God of War II back in the old days of PS2… So when I see such profoundly moving and astounding gameplay like this new God of War game where Kratos is now fighting alongside his young son against gigantic beasts and monsters I die a little more on the inside. It’s games like this that make me consider buying a second gaming console. It may have been revealed last E3, but the new footage shown this year was even more incredible.
#2. Spider-Man PS4 Might Dethrone Arkham City
All superhero games should definitely incorporate the style of play that Rocksteady invented with the original Arkham Asylum Batman game and then perfected with Arkham City… Insomniac Games have apparently answered the comic book fans’ cries of more and delivered what looks like the best Spider-Man game ever made and potentially a comic book title worthy of becoming the greatest ever created. That gameplay video where Spider-Man is taking out goons and chasing a helicopter is some of the craziest most breathtaking stuff I’ve ever seen in a videogame. PS4 fans are in for a treat and again I die a little more on the inside as solely an Xbox One owner.
#1. Anthem is Bioware’s Next Greatest Franchise
I didn’t play Mass Effect: Andromeda and I know some fans were let down by the fourth entry in that franchise, but I adore Bioware and the footage revealed for this NEW series called Anthem looks absolutely mind-blowing. Strap on a flying robot mech suit, explore locales that rival what we’ve seen in the Avatar film, kill hordes of wicked looking alien lifeforms and voila – you have what looks like Bioware’s return to glory and potentially their biggest and baddest franchise ever. I loved everything about Anthem and I can’t wait to play this beautiful bastard child of Mass Effect, Titanfall and Gears of War.
Troy’s Pick for Most Disappointing Moment
I don’t have a “worst” or “most disappointing” game from this years E3. Instead my biggest disappointment of E3 is E3.
Most of the games we saw this year are games we saw in previous years at E3, gimmicky VR games, or DLC. That of course isn’t to say that these things shouldn’t excite you. I know I for one am pumped for a Metroid game even though all we got was a logo. I just feel like games getting announced should be released before the following years E3. Otherwise it should be saved for another year when the game is actually ready to be launched in the 12 months following the announcement. But sadly for that to happen, people need to learn to chill out and just wait for the announcement to come when its ready. Patience people, there will always be more games.
Sean’s Pick for Most Disappointing Moment
Microsoft – New Hardware, But What Else?
At the beginning of their E3 conference, Microsoft said they would be showing off 42 games during their presentation. By the end of the conference, I could only think of a couple of games that piqued my interest and only one of them is a Microsoft exclusive (Sea of Thieves).
Microsoft was already in a losing battle with PlayStation when it comes to exclusive games/content, but this year’s E3 further proved they’re losing even more ground to their competitor. Throughout Microsoft’s entire E3 conference, Microsoft wouldn’t stop talking about their new Xbox One console, the Xbox One X (which is a stupid name). Originally named Project Scorpio, Microsoft hails the Xbox One X as, “The World’s Most Powerful Console” and has been hyping it up ever since last year’s E3. This year, they finally showed it off to the world for the first time but for what? Besides 4K gaming (which you need a 4K TV for), not a single game at Microsoft’s E3 conference came close to making me consider dropping $500 on their new console. Maybe in 2018. But for now, $500 is too much for a console that has little to show off its true power.
Keven’s Pick for Most Disappointing Moment
The Xbox One X.
Sean’s right – that’s a stupid name. Not that I wanted it to actually be called Xbox Scorpio or SCORPION BOX or something else dumb, but Xbox One X sets the console up for the inevitable Xbox One XXX and they might as well shape the thing so it looks like Vin Diesel’s head. Just insert the disc into Groot’s mouth brah – IT’S EXTREME!
I get the appeal – 4K gaming, an immensely powerful engine that bests everything else on the market for other consoles, but it’s still just a 4K Xbox. They should have called it Xbox One 4K X….. I’m also disappointed in the lack of exclusives from Microsoft – I mean – I’ll play State of Decay 2 – you bet your ass I will – but it sure ain’t no God of War or freaking Spider-Man…. I just acquired a damn Xbox One – the fact that they’re making a new one already pisses me off. I’m not dropping $600 Canadian on this thing. No way in hell – probably never to be completely honest… Ever.
The Big Winner of E3 2017 is:
Spider-Man PS4
The Big Loser of E3 2017 is:
The Xbox One X
For the rest of our E3 2017 coverage – including Trailer Reveals – CLICK HERE