Civilization VI
Fans were a little worried about Civilization VI not living up to the brilliance of Civ V, but thankfully, checking out the game at E3 this year assuaged our fears. With a slew of tweaks and improvements made to the gameplay, including the graphical overhaul, Civilization VI is one game to look out for.
Mafia III
Mafia III takes players to New Orleans with the hopes of building and expanding your very own crime family. The game stands out because every little thing you do in this open world city affects the expansion of your family and how people react to you. Choices don’t just apply in the open world setting, they also come into play during the story missions, allowing for variety in different playthroughs.
We Happy Few
Taking place in a creepy dystopian society, We Happy Few takes pleasure in forcing happiness and joy on its players. When the protagonist Arthur gets branded as a ‘Downer’, he quickly becomes a refugee trying to escape from a drug-addicted society. It’s pretty damn creepy.
Tekken 7
Tekken 7 breathes new life into a series that’s been around for years. When we checked it out at E3, we were impressed with the seamless transition from cutscenes to gameplay, as well as the inclusion of Street Fighter’s Akuma and five new playable characters.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn plays as great as it looks. A lot of games with bows tend to feel a little unwieldy and unreliable, but Horizon executes it really well. The mesh of prehistoric animals and robotic mechs is really unique, so this is definitely a PS4 exclusive to keep an eye out for.
Gwent
Fans of The Witcher 3 went rabid over the Gwent card game, so much so that CD Projekt RED decided to develop a full game dedicated to card play. Not only does it feature online multiplayer, there’s even a nice, lengthy story mode to keep you hooked in your card-collecting craze.
Attack on Titan
If you’ve been looking for a faithful video game recreation of the Attack on Titan anime that enriches the story even further, the latest effort from Koei Tecmo and Omega Force is worth your time. With the inclusion of side stories from the manga, as well as original stories approved by the IP creator, this one will please the anime fans.
Let It Die
Suda51’s games have always been unique, and Let It Die is no different. The E3 demo gave me a good look at the game’s Souls-like combat and the gruesome looking enemies that came with it. There’s so much customization and different ways of attempting something, and Let It Die is flooded with Suda’s trademark humorous visual aesthetic.
Gravity Rush 2
Its predecessor wowed players on the PS Vita, and this year Gravity Rush 2 will be hitting the PS4 with upgraded visuals and improved gravity combat mechanics. The game looks absolutely stunning, and it stands out as one of the best PS4 exclusives of the year.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
The Fractured But Whole delivers what the previous game doest best: interactive humor, combat, and exploration. Putting the South Park kids in a brand new game allows for more inappropriate humor, and that’s exactly what the fans want.
Telltale’s Batman
Telltale’s Batman delivers a different kind of story by having the narrative constantly switch between Batman himself and Bruce Wayne. The best part is, it does so seamlessly and doesn’t interrupt the story flow at all. If you’re a fan of Telltale games, this is another one to get the wallets out for.
Battlefield 1
World War 1 is an absolutely fascinating point of time in history, and it’s exciting to see Battlefield 1 take a crack at it. Armed with bayonets and grenades, players will get to engage in trench warfare – true WW1 style.
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 completely ditches the dark, serious tones of the first game. This one puts you in control of Marcus as he runs around San Francisco, hacking, sending out drones, and just having fun in general. This could be the Watch Dogs game we’ve been waiting for.
Yooka-Laylee
Yooka-Laylee is the Kickstarter game that fans have been waiting to play for years. The characters are adorable and charming, and it looks exactly like an N64-era game that’s been updated with a coat of fresh, modern paint.
ReCore
ReCore is probably the most intriguing Xbox One exclusive we’ve seen in the past couple of years. Being able to combine different personality cores with various robotic frames allows for a lot of unique approaches to battles, and we can’t wait to see more of it.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is incredibly special and epic because this is the first time the series is finally going open world. Link has a voice, he can chop wood, he can go vegan – this is going to be the biggest Zelda game release we’ve seen in recent years, and that’s something to be really excited about.
God of War
Kratos is getting a reboot in the new God of War game. Santa Monica Studios is ditching the Greek mythology in favor of Norse lore, and they’re also changing up the gameplay and the look of the game. God of War looks fresh, and it’s certainly something we’d love to see more of.
Persona 5
While it was disappointing that Persona 5 wasn’t playable at E3, it did have a damn good showing. We saw some game footage behind closed doors, and got a really good look at the incredibly detailed dungeons, as well as the gorgeous art style.
Resident Evil 7
Even though Capcom already mentioned we’d be seeing Resident Evil 7 at E3 this year, it was still a genuine surprise to see how frightening and scary the game looked – something the series hasn’t really been in a long while. We got a taste of the style and direction Resident Evil 7 was aiming for, and we love what we saw.
Published: Jun 17, 2016 09:11 am