E3 2017 may be behind us, but we here at MXDWN are still reliving all of the show’s greatest hits. From the press conferences to the demos on the show floor, there were heaps of new games shown off at this year’s show; so many, in fact, that it can be tricky to keep track of the stand-out stars. So, for your viewing pleasure, we’ve assembled our Top 10 Games of E3 2017, presented for your consideration:
10. Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Battlefront II was displayed at this year’s EA Play, ending out the show’s presentations as the biggest EA announcement for the year. The game follows up on the nostalgia of the old Battlefront games, and the somewhat mixed reviews of the 2015 reboot, bringing the classic Star Wars gameplay, with improvements to the game’s multiplayer system and an all-new single player campaign.
9. Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is the much-anticipated follow-up to 2015’s Life is Strange, serving as a prequel to the original that will show us more about the past of Chloe Price. In the E3 demos for the game, we saw some crucial moments in the life of 16-year-old Chloe, including a much more in-depth look at the troubled relationship of Chloe and Rachel Amber. With no rewinds or other powers to let the player control gameplay minutia, Before the Storm will focus purely on the raw, emotional interactions of these young individuals, which has Life is Strange fans very excited.
8. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy looks to return us to the Uncharted universe with some ladies who are surprisingly not part of the Drake family: Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. While both Chloe and Nadine will be familiar faces to long-time players of the Uncharted games from their supporting roles in earlier games, Chloe and Nadine will helm this new adventure as first-time protagonists, as they work together to secure some exciting new treasures in dangerous and beautiful new environments. In the E3 Story Trailer, shown at the PlayStation press conference, we got look at the complicated working relationship of Chloe and Nadine, as well as some of the villainous figures they’ll be going up against; in the E3 demo of the game, we joined our protagonists for a heart-pounding action sequence of climbing mountains, vanquishing baddies, and narrowly escaping death by armored mega-truck. Ultimately, the Uncharted series has a proven history of making great action-adventure games with engaging stories and characters, and The Lost Legacy looks to be another stellar entry in the series.
7. Anthem
Brand new IPs can often have a hard time standing out at E3 next to all the sequels and reboots of existing, popular franchises. However, Bioware’s Anthem managed to impress many in its brand-new reveal at the E3 Microsoft conference, showing off its beautiful graphics and unique new sci-fi setting. A detailed trailer and gameplay reveal showed off some of the game’s exciting new features, including some pretty fun-looking power-suit flying, and got Bioware fans excited all over again.
6. Assassin’s Creed Origins
After some pretty high-profile leaks back in May of this year, Assassin’s Creed Origins hit the E3 stage with some already-established hype and expectations. Origins rose to the occasion and met the hype, bringing some exciting new trailers and gameplay reveals. As an entry in the very long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise, Origins sets itself apart with its unique setting and atmosphere. Taking place in ancient Egypt, the game will let the player explore outdoor outdoor bazaars, harsh deserts, and even the pyramids as an ancient assassin with a trusty scouting hawk and some deadly bow and arrow skills.
5. God of War
While technically teased at last year’s E3, the all new God of War title got much more in-depth look at this year’s E3. Shown at the Sony E3 Press Conference, God of War will push Kratos into a very new, somewhat unexpected situation for him: fatherhood. In videos and demos of the game, we see Kratos accompanying and mentoring his young son, fighting together against new, imposing monsters with a new weapon. Seemingly done with the Greek pantheon, Kratos will now have to do battle with angry Norse gods in this reboot/sequel of the classic God of War series.
4. Days Gone
Days Gone was another surprise hit at this year’s show, a new zombie apocalypse title from developer SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony that looks to bring some innovative new twists to the well-established zombie genre. Days Gone showed off a number of demos and videos at E3 this year; in one of the demos, the player searches an old abandoned factory for lost friend and ends up running for their life from a horde of flesh-eating “freakers”, while in the other, the player gets to get a little more inventive with their gameplay as they use stealth, surprise, firepower, and a horde of freakers to infiltrate an enemy compound. With its dynamic weather, impressive enemy AI, and unique gameplay elements, Days Gone looks like it will be a breath of fresh air to zombie fans everywhere.
3. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
In an otherwise-disappointing Bethesda press conference, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus stood out as a shining beacon of excitement. In a seriously hype new trailer, we get a look at the dystopian alternate timeline of Wolfenstein II, in which the Nazis won WWII and now control the US. Following a series of clever old-timey TV show vignettes, we see our protagonist wake up in the hospital to confront the terrifying reality set before him. We then jump to various pieces of action in the story without context, seeing some of the mayhem and excitement the game will bring. From mutants to robots to explosions to a surprise acid trip, Wolfenstein II looks like it will definitely be a fun time.
2. Spiderman
Coming in at the #2 spot, we have the all new Spiderman title announced at the Sony conference, Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4. A lengthy gameplay reveal for the game shows the game’s intense action, including some of Spiderman’s stealth capabilities, his ability to incorporate the environment in combat, and how web-swinging through the skyscrapers of New York will work this time around. Finally, in a series of intense quick-time events and chase sequences, we see Spiderman pursue a helicopter through the city in a massive sequence that shows the scope and cinematic quality of the game, getting us very excited for this game’s eventual 2018 release.
1. Super Mario Odyssey
At the top spot for this year we have Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo definitely brought their A-game for this year’s show, with loads of exciting new titles on the way, including ARMS, Splatoon 2, two new Metroid titles, the somewhat-unexpected Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, new DLC for Breath of the Wild, and more; none of these, though, brought the level of excitement that Super Mario Odyssey did. With a jam-packed E3 trailer that’s already been viewed almost 10 million times, Super Mario Odyssey is looking to be a worthy follow-up to quintessential classic Mario titles like Super Mario Sunshine and the OG Super Mario 64. The trailer shows some of the spacious and engaging environments Mario will get to explore, as well as the game’s new “possession” mechanic, in which Mario can use his bewitched hat to take control of enemy creatures, including classic Mario baddies such as the Chain Chomp and Bullet Bill.
In our go at the game’s playable E3 demo, we explored a 1930’s cityscape with Mario, getting a look at the game’s interesting juxtaposition of Mario’s cartoony form alongside more realistically-animated humanoid characters. In addition to the new hat-throwing and possessing game mechanic, the demo revealed some of the colorful sidequests open to the player, as well as interesting new minigame segments in which the player returns to retro-styled 2D segments of gameplay, reminiscent of vintage titles like the original Super Mario Bros, projected on walls in the in-game 3D world. Overall, Super Mario Odyssey is eccentric, stylish, and very impressive, and we are very excited for the game’s release in October of this year.
That does it for us at E3 2017! For all things gaming, stay tuned to MXDWN.