E3 2016 is in the books, bringing tons of highly-anticipated games, some new hardware and, of course, a few piping hot dank memes. But which titles, you ask, left the biggest impression on your humble blogger?
I'm so glad you asked.
Top 10
10. Scalebound
I bumped Scalebound from an early draft of this list because it felt too safe - it's a beat-em-up, even if it's a gorgeous and imaginative co-op beat-em-up - and then later because it felt too risky - I've never played a Platinum game despite some near-misses, and, as this list will prove, I'm very loyal to developers. But then I watched the E3 demo again, and the sheer HOLY CRAP THAT'S COOL factor earns Scalebound a place. Here's hoping the sound and fury signifies something.
9. Steep
The word I keep coming back to with Steep's E3 showing is fresh: fresh concept, fresh presentation and, perhaps, most importantly, a breath of fresh air amongst the kill-dudes-with-guns games that permeate this show every year. I haven't the foggiest idea if the game will be fun to play - I'm encouraged by the few savory whiffs it gives off of SSX, Pilotwings and Tony Hawk - but I'm intrigued enough by the design and aesthetic that it seems like a regular Twitch watch at worst.
8. Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 is anything but fresh, but it's a whole bunch of other things I like as a sci-fi first-person shooter with rock-solid mechanics and a single-player campaign (finally!). It's a bit of a bummer that it's not from the Half-Life emergent school of design, but Respawn knows how to design a rollercoaster-ride mission better than anyone in the business, and they've got an awful lot to prove with this one.
7. Prey
I'm stoked about Arkane Studios' newest game less because of what was shown at E3 and more because of what was said; you'd never know it from the tone poem embedded above, but Prey is a sort-of alternate history version of Bioshock, in the sense that both are intended as sequels to the legendary (and super-dated) System Shock 2. I'm a sucker for cleverly-written near-future games with emergent gameplay, and for Arkane in general, so even a meager taste of Prey gets me very excited.
6. Spider-Man
THE DEVELOPERS OF RATCHET AND CLANK ARE MAKING THE NEXT SPIDER-MAN GAME. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. It is, however, a chance to revive the spirit of the best non-Arkham superhero game ever, Spider-Man 2, with the A+ web-slinging mechanic intact and the D+ combat Batman-ized and fleshed out. With any luck, we won't have to wait for it any longer than the July 7, 2017, release of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
5. Detroit: Become Human
My biggest surprise of E3 probably shouldn't have been: I've been a fan of Quantic Dream and David Cage from afar for years, and Detroit has been in the public eye since last fall. Still, what I saw during Sony's presser blew me away; had Heavy Rain or Beyond: Two Souls looked this slick, this original, this dramatic on stage, I may have played them instead of letting them languish on my shelf. If Detroit fulfills its potential, I won't make the same mistake this time.
4. ReCore
Some critics are upset ReCore looks like nothing revolutionary in the gameplay department, but I couldn't care less; if Keiji Inafune and Armature Studios' latest is just a mashup of their greatest hits - Mega Man and Metroid Prime, remember - with a kickass heroine (Joule), adorable dog robots and unmistakable style, I'll be more than happy to buy it, especially at the bargain price of $40.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It took a solid 30 minutes of Nintendo's stream Tuesday for me to shake off the "blah more Zelda" feelings I had left over from Skyward Sword and realize what I was seeing: Breath of the Wild is the evolution of Zelda design I've been waiting for, from its secret-laden open world Hyrule - which is gorgeous, in fine Zelda tradition - to its new crafting, climate, climbing and survival mechanics (and mini-map!). Those features are hardy groundbreaking, but if they're executed with the polish Nintendo EAD is known for, this is a sure-fire Game of the Year (2017) contender.
2. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Zelda's fiercest competition in that category could be Horizon, which, rather than not showing up as I predicted, showed off in a big way Monday evening. Not content to simply be a gorgeous game with an original setting and a ton of narrative potential, Horizon came with mechanics that are both extremely cool - did you see her ride that metal dinosaur? - and extremely practical, like slowing down the menu pop-up but not completely pausing it. I'm not sure Guerilla can nail enough of those great ideas to make Horizon a classic, but at a lot of E3's, just the possibility would have made this my game of show.
1. Dishonored 2
Most E3's, though, don't feature a Dishonored 2: A sequel to one of my favorite games of all time that looks like it will fix its predecessor's biggest problems (predictable story, boring protagonist) while doubling down on what made it exceptional in the first place, from clever branching gameplay paths to an inspired and lovingly-realized setting to rock-solid stealth mechanics. If I could have one game shown at E3 right now, it would be Dishonored 2. And it's not especially close.
Bonus Round!
CUPHEAD IS A PLATFORMER NOW! It still doesn't have a release date.
Everything you would expect from a $30 Destiny expansion, and nothing more - including no E3 press conference presentation and no summer live event. I'm excited to play Rise of Iron, but if you weren't a fan before this trailer, I doubt that you are now.
Hey, I don't have to buy new hardware or a new game!
Props to Capcom for daring to reinvent one of their biggest franchises (again), even if the result doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.
I want so badly to believe in Watch Dogs 2. I just can't yet.
Other assorted E3 thoughts (congrats for making it this far!):
- I seem to be in the minority on God of War, the PS4 reboot of Kratos' adventures that seems to have stolen liberally from The Last of Us. I loved LoU, so I feel like I should be all for that, but nothing in any previous God of War suggests Sony Santa Monica should lift or is even capable of lifting from Naughty Dog's PS3 opus. Color me very skeptical.
- I don't know what the hell Death Stranding is, and neither do you. Let's maybe wait for it to turn into something remotely recognizable as a game before we start the KOJIMA'S REVENGE engine. (Also: this video is the most Kojima thing that ever Kojima-ed)
- Days Gone is exhibit A in this tweet.
Gaming really is Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, isn't it? #E32016 #PlayStationE3— Derek Beigh (@derekbeigh) June 14, 2016
- On a related note: I'm convinced VR is a big part of gaming's future, but this was not the E3 that proved it. VR needs originality like crazy, and I didn't see much at this show.
- Who wanted a Halo Wars sequel, exactly? Anybody? Bueller?
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