E3 is unquestionably one of the biggest events on the gaming calendar and certainly this year did not disappoint as over the conferences it’s safe to say we have been left with quite the shopping list for the months ahead.
Here are the ten titles we are most excited for:
10 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
From the cinematic sequence seen above, this time the game will see Lara battling to stop a Mayan Apocalypse with the action taking place back in a jungle setting. While Lara might be a more experienced explorer it is clear there is still things for her to learn.
The game is set to introduce a new gameplay mechanic touted to as “Being one with the jungle.” From the gameplay footage we saw, this basically sees Lara blending into her surroundings to play off her foes paranoia and fear much like we saw in the Batman Arkham games and here it certainly plays well in this setting, more so with her new moves which sees her stringing up opponents using rope arrows.
The game certainly has a great flow to it while the environments looks fantastic, which is only the tip of the iceberg as there will be full underwater exploration, new traversal movements, and more dangerous tombs to explore as the journey of Lara Croft becoming the Tomb Raider continues.
9 Assassins Creed Odyssey
This time, we follow from last year’s Origins, as the story moves to Ancient Greece and the golden age of Athens. Here players will start as a simple mercenary where quests takes you on an odyssey shaped by your choices and actions.
It’s especially exciting to finally see the option to start as a female character as you choose between playing as either Alexios or Kassandra and it’s great to see Assassin’s Creed joining the likes of Battlefield V in pushing female characters in their games. Of course there is the concern over them falling back into yearly releases but this this title certainly seems to make the most of this exciting new setting as seen with the gameplay showcased here.
https://youtu.be/VmQNo8xtcAg
8 Forza Horizon 4
One of the most anticipated titles going into the E3 conference, from the trailer it looks to only add to what we have teased in the previous games, though this time the action will be be taking place in Britain in a shared open world packed with real players so any other racers you see will be other real players. Quick chat options using the d-pad will also make it easy to form friends and find people to race with.
The game will feature dynamic seasonal changes that will change the environment completely as seen with a lake that freezes in winter, which naturally, we’ll be able to race on.
7 Starlink: Battle For Atlas
An inventive title we first saw at last year’s conference, the idea of combining toys and gaming is always an interesting one, but at the same time it leaves us wondering how well it will work now that Toys R Us, which was the main source for the likes of Skylanders figures is sadly no more. Of course this is also a title we are especially excited to play for the prospect of playing as Lylat Wars Fox McCloud including the use of his Arwing.
6 Ghost of Tsushima
Picturesque and mesmerizing color palettes complemented by a moving soundtrack Ghost of Tsushima was nothing short of attention grabbing at E3 were it’s clear Sony hold out a lot of hope for this Playstation exclusive
Thankfully the story goes a little more deeper than being just another hack and slash as you play as the samurai Jin, mastering the way of the Ghost and we certainly got shades of Tenshu with its stealth segments, but here the conflict isn’t only from the invasion but also from a division in the belief within friends and foes to fight and defend what is right.
Suffice to say that Ghost of Tsushima has gone a long way from the teaser that was revealed last year in just a few months. It looks like a great open world title especially with the stunning surrounding and setting which we haven’t really seen done to this scale before.
5 The Last of Us Part 2
It’s been quite the journey we’ve have been on with the trailers for this upcoming Playstation exclusive not to the mention eagerly awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed first game. Now we’re following an older, as well as emotionally hardened, Ellie.
While the footage we have seen hints at a darker story, the gameplay shows a tantalising blend of detailed environments and tense stealth action as it looks set to only further build on what the original game established.
4 Fallout 76
Set this time in West Virginia as well as a prequel to the previous games, it was confirmed that Fallout 76 will also the biggest game to date at four times that of Fallout 4. The story this time sees you playing an occupant of Vault 76 released on Reclamation Day when the vault opens with the focus of the game being about rebuilding America.
The most important aspect of Fallout 76 is that it will be entirely online with players sharing the map with dozens of other players, which of course brings with it the potential for so many problems especially when the online community is notorious for those who don’t play well with others and thankfully the game will still be playable for solo players who don’t wish to mingle with their fellow gamers.
The open world game will be with few rules where the choices you make will change. At the same time, death will not result in loss of progression. The same goes for building wherever the player desires and it can also be moved freely. However we are yet to see how the world will function especially in terms of building your settlement and more so how they will stop trolls trashing it on a whim and generally hindering your progress which has frequently been a complaint for GTA Online more so when players can access nuclear launch sites if they can find the right keys, which hopefully will be enough to deter the trolls from abusing this feature.
3 Skull and Bones
Another favourite from last year only to be pushed back to 2019, this pirating simulation will no doubt appeal to those who loved the sailing portions of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag as players set out to stake claim on the trade routes of the Indian ocean.
Offering a reactive and revolving world complete with dynamic weather which will affect how the world with good weather bringing an increase of ships to loot but also rival pirates. From the gameplay trailer, this promises to be a rich and immersive world.
2 The Division 2
The original The Division was a favourite of ours and with the sequel moving the action from the snow covered streets of New York to Washington D.C. where society is attempting to rebuild itself this certainly is an interesting chance for the sequel and alongside the footage we saw at the Microsoft conference, a title we are excited to get our hands on to see what this new city scape has to offer.
Amongst the new features will be Raids and 8 player teams as the development team have been keen to emphasize that they have learned from the first game with plenty of additional content to be added to the game with Year one including 3 DLC packs free of charge which will add to the world.
1 Spider-Man
Another favourite from last year, this is a title only continues to get more exciting the more we see with this year’s demonstration showing off Electro, Scorpion and Rhino as well as more fluid fight mechanics. Hopefully this will do for Spider-Man fans what the Arkham games did for Batman.
Unquestionably another exciting year lies ahead of us. What was your favourite announcement from the E3 this year? Let us know in the comments below.