But E3 is ultimately about the games. So here are sixteen of the games we took notice of.
1. ARK: Survival Evolved (PC/XB1/PS4)
Do we even really need to say anything about this? Living in a world with dinosaurs wherein you can ride them and call them into battle against bosses seems pretty self-explanatory as to why we're interested in this. Plus, you have to love the fact that it appears built to appeal to different kinds of gamers. If you want to play it to build things? Go for it. Want to just hunt dinosaurs? Go for it. Just explore and find what you can ride? Go for it. Doesn't appear to be just dinos either, as the video above features giant scorpions and a dragon. Seems like a fun co-op game.
2. Cuphead (XB1)
Did you watch that trailer? It looks difficult and beautiful and fun. Described as game for "hardcore gamers who love cartoons," you can't help but marvel at the wonderful 1930s animated style. It isn't often that a smaller game like this can push a console, but this is honestly one of the few games that make us want an XBox One.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
Not a lot of focus was given on the upcoming remastered collection of the PS3 trilogy, but we did get quite the look at Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Kind of hard for them to really pump people up overall, given it's such a beloved franchise that the mere announcement of a new game is going to get pre-orders up the wazoo. Still, the unveiled gameplay video shows why Neil Druckmann is a great game director. His Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is easily the best of the three games, and if this video is any indication, it looks like he'll continue to improve upon it. Most notable here is that the game looks more open than previous ones, giving you multiple ways to play a given level. Otherwise, it looks sufficiently like an Uncharted game, which itself is exciting.
4. The Last Guardian (PS4)
Shadows of the Colossus and Ico are considered among the most beautiful and artful games ever produced. The company that brought them are back with The Last Guardian, and it isn't hard to tell it is the same guys. It looks gorgeous and wonderful, all while looking strangely tranquil as well. The gameplay might not look terribly exciting, but it definitely looks interesting.
5. Star Wars: Battlefront (PC/XB1/ PS4)
Though the game had already been announced prior to E3, a lot of things were still up in the air. A lot of the news coming down the pipeline had people torn on what to think. The removal of space battles kind of stinks, plus no Galactic Conquest. Still, the strength of Battlefront was always about the multiplayer. They promised it would not just be a Battlefield clone, but the gameplay here kind of makes it look a lot like a Battlefield clone. Fortunately, the first taste of gameplay we got also makes it look incredible fun. You can color us excited.
6. ReCore (XB1)
It's always hard to gauge what a game might be like from just a theatrical-style trailer, composed of entirely cutscenes, or trailer-specific videos and completely lacking gameplay. Still, these types of trailers are efficient in piquing interest. No gameplay was shown for ReCore, but the trailer looks neat. Too early to tell if this game is really something we're excited about, but for now, it's got our attention.
7. No Man's Sky (PC/PS4)
No Man's Sky has really piqued a lot of interest last year with its basic trailer. This year, a little of the gameplay was revealed. It looks pretty much like one would expect. The big thing though is just how crazily huge the sandbox is. We're talking about an open-world game on the scale of a galaxy. (Seriously, check out the video to see how mind boggling big it seems to be.) It looks fun and awesome, though if it really is as big as it is, it's easy to see how the game might become a bit boring after a while. For those of us who like to explore though, it should retain interest for a while. And for those of us who have an idiotic obsession to complete a game, it should keep us occupied for a long time.
8. Mirror's Edge Catalyst (PC, XB1, PS4)
The first Mirror's Edge has generally been widely praised, but a mixed bag for players. It isn't everyone's cup of tea. We, however, loved it. We loved the style and the first person parkour gameplay that was precise, challenging, but rewarding. Mirror's Edge Catalyst appears to be a prequel, with a slightly tweaked look, but it still very much has a consistent look.
9. Mass Effect: Andromeda (XB1, PS4)
Not much to really get excited about from the trailer, and news was ultimately quite thin. We know you'll play as a human. We learned it will take place in another galaxy. And we found out it will take place after the events of the original trilogy. Other than that, the game still seems quite a way away. (It's release date in the teaser puts it holiday season of next year.) Still, while it didn't give us much, getting anything for another Mass Effect game is inherently exciting. Here's hoping they do remaster - and maybe clean up - the original trilogy before then as well.
10. Beyond Eyes (XB1)
A beautiful game about a young blind girl navigating this beautiful, colorful environment, the game just looks so stunning that we couldn't ignore it. Like Cuphead, it seems like another one of those smaller games that is so visually interesting, we kind of do want to get an XBox One just to check it out.
11. Kingdom Hearts 3 (XB1/PS4)
This game was a long time in the making. After two really well-received games on the PS2, Square Enix appeared to get sidetracked by spinoffs and side stories, specifically on mobile platforms. It also seemed like each new spinoff came on a totally different platform. Eventually, a few got collected for porting to the PS2 so you could play them all on one platform. All the while, fans really just wanted the next installment in the game rather than constant world-building side games. To be honest, it's been so long since we played Kingdom Hearts 2 when it came out, and we don't really play many mobile games, we kind of forgot this was even a series. This trailer is a great reminder. We might just have to dust off our PS2s and replay the games now.
12. Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4)
Hard to really get the full sense of this game, and its gameplay maybe doesn't jump out as particularly unique, but the environment and style are both really cool, and it does look fun. That's what sells us on it so far. Probably worth noting that this is the fourth game on our list wherein the default character is female, with Mass Effect: Andromeda being a fifth given BioWare's fondness for letting players choose. There's still a lot of legitimate criticisms within gaming's gender representations - as there are with any medium - but I think this E3 is a pretty big indicator as to why gaming has been generally ahead of the curve compared to Hollywood or television. (But this isn't really relevant to this game. Just wanted to make that comment.)
13. Gears of War 4 (XB1)
Gears of War 3 ended so perfectly that we were a little concerned when word came down of a fourth game. Hard to tell exactly what the story is here, or where it might fit in or connect with the original trilogy, but the game does look pretty cool. Taking on more of the sci-fi element that Gears of War 2 incorporated a bit, the game does look to play like a Gears of War game, so you can't really ask for much more given that being loads of fun was always a big draw. There's still a lot of mystery around this demo though. Who are these characters? Do they connect with the previous games? What are those creatures? Et cetera. But we're pretty interested.
14. The Division (PC/XB1/PS4)
There's a noticeable push for multiplayer experiences in gaming lately. Makes sense. A lot of people love it, plus it's a great way to push paid subscriptions like Playstation Plus or XBox Live. The Division actually looks like a pretty fun one though. While not really a newly discovered upcoming game, E3 did show us some more multiplayer clips further adding to it. (Even if that dialogue is clearly scripted.)
15. Firewatch (PS4)
Wait. Is that Jason Sudeikis? Either way, the game looks interesting. It keeps a strong sense of mystery and it has a neat art style. Hard to tell much about what kind of game it is, but they've got our attention.
UPDATE: Well, it isn't Jason Sudeikis. It's Rich Sommer (the guy with big glasses on Mad Men.)
16. Final Fantasy VII: Remake (PS4)
It's hard to fully explain why this is a big deal. This is also the trailer that you watch reactions of fans and think, "Man, these nerds are insane!" And it's true, of course. Still, this is really exciting. Final Fantasy VII is one of the most popular and beloved games of all time. And it hasn't aged well. It was originally supposed to be an N-64 game that got moved to the original Playstation because it was too big, and it looks horrible. Fans have been asking for an updated remake of it for years now. All the while, Square Enix has toyed with them. They've said that it's not on their list of priorities for years, but they still remade the entire introduction cutscene years back when they were showing off the power of the PS3 and their game engine. Then, they made a feature film spin off, along with many other spinoffs. It seemed like they were just hellbent on making sure they never wasted resources on a remake of a game that was probably the safest bet to make money in all of gaming.
Until now. What's crazier though is that they managed to keep this completely under wraps. There weren't rumors that they'd release this news, because no one knew about it. When the trailer started and people started figuring out what it was, people became reluctantly hopeful. After all, Square Enix had done this before, promoting FFVII news, only to find out they were talking about a ported version of the original game. But it seems that they've finally decided that they actually like money, and they're giving the fans what they've wanted for almost a decade now.
We know it's silly to get excited about a remake of a game we've already played. And there are still a number of issues we need to find out about before getting fully excited. For example, will they completely alter the battle system? Final Fantasy games have done everything they can to get away from the old style of turn-based battles. Will the materia system be back? One imagines it has to be. Not only was it one of the best character-building systems; it also had a purpose in the plot. Will they add things or change story elements? People have generally imagined a remake as being the exact same game, just with updated graphics, but the nature of RPGs has changed a lot in the near 20 years FFVII released.
Either way though, this is hugely exciting. And we can't wait to find out more.
Yes, we know we've left a bunch off the list, like Dark Souls III or the new Zelda game, or The Rise of Tomb Raider. On that latter front, we're not disinterested in the new Tomb Raider, but the footage shown made it look exactly like the last game. We liked the last game, of course, but we were hoping to see some new element to it. We're keeping our eyes on it though. As for Dark Souls III, well, we just haven't gotten into that franchise yet. And Zelda? We understand it's a big deal, but it isn't exactly our favorite franchise.
What games have piqued your interest? What are the games you're most excited in, or have caught your attention?
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