E3. The Pixel Party. The Digital Dance. The Big E. Every year, for four straight days, we’re bombarded by trailers, screenshots, and demos of tomorrow’s biggest games. But, of course, as with every bombastic battle royale, a winner must emerge from the annual gaming fracas in downtown Los Angeles. Below, you’ll find our awards for best in genre, as well as our editors’ best in show and dark-horse picks.
Keep in mind, however, that we flexed some restrictions about what could make the cut. Sure, plenty of games came out of E3 looking good. But looks aren’t enough when it comes to earning EGM’s coveted Best of E3 awards. The Crew decided that in order to qualify in any category, developers had to offer us more than a quaint little sojourn to Trailerton Abbey. To ensure our impressions and opinions offered the most value to you, intrepid readers, we only counted games demoed to us live or played by our own callus-covered hands. We did, however, relax this rule when it came to our picks for the games we’re most anticipating personally. We are but human—and even we can be swept up in the hype of a well-produced promotional video.
Walking into E3 this year, I was sure that this was going to be a depressing year for not only the show, but potentially the industry as a whole. And while it wasn’t the all-guns-blazing event some years have been, I walked out genuinely excited for what I saw and what’s to come. Though I found plenty I liked both big and small—heck, I even dug the FPS trifecta of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1, and Titanfall 2—there was no game that stuck with my like Gravity Rush 2. My adoration for the original can never fully be expressed, and this is looking like exactly what a sequel should be: bigger, better, and more beautiful. The visual upgrade now that Gravity Rush 2 is PlayStation 4-focused was breathtaking, and while I was initially weary of their inclusion, Kat’s new gravity modes seem like they’ll be a great addition. Welcome back, Gravity Kitten—I missed you.
Surprise of the Show: Tie: Resident Evil VII & Wild Guns Reloaded
Even after all of the leaks and early announcements, E3 2016 still had some genuine surprises in store for us. Two of those stand out in my mind, and they sit at opposite ends of the excitement spectrum for me. First was the shocking reveal of Resident Evil VII as a first-person horror game (that’s also fully playable in VR). I know a lot of fans out there are excited about the chance to try something new, but I’m heartbroken by what I saw (and played). This isn’t the Resident Evil I’ve loved since the original, and I’ve yet to find a first-person horror game that I thought was actually any good. While it couldn’t come close to making up for Capcom’s decision, Wild Guns Reloaded came as a happy surprise. I was sure this would be a more modern-era polygon-powered project, but instead, it looks and plays like the original Super Nintendo release with a few modern-era additions (widescreen and four-player simultaneous support, to name a few). It was a brave—and potentially misguided—route to take with the release, but I couldn’t be happier with the decision.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: Death Stranding
I’m not a hardcore Hideo Kojima fan. I loved earlier-era Metal Gear—Solid or otherwise—but I can agree that, sometimes, he goes totally overboard in the ideas he has. So, when I say that Death Stranding was the thing that caught my attention the most at E3, I do so not being a slave to saying good things about the man. What I can say is that every second of that teaser had ahold of my attention and refused let go. When we finally see the shot of a naked and confused Norman Reedus, his back to us, looking up at where five mysterious figures float in the sky, I knew I had seen my favorite thing of the show. For as over-the-top and unrestrained as Kojima is, he’s also one of the people I most admire for his complete devotion to crafting experiences that aren’t afraid to take mind-numbingly huge risks. This was the Kojima-est I’ve seen Kojima be in years, and it fills me with glee to think about what the results will be.
I absolutely loved South Park: The Stick of Truth. It was a hysterical tale that captured everything that was great about South Park, and it was a joy to play. So, I was shocked last year when Ubisoft announced South Park: The Fractured But Whole, after Matt Stone and Trey Parker had gone on record saying they didn’t want to make more games. Perhaps having the resources of a publisher like Ubisoft and not the collapsing THQ went a long way towards changing their minds. No matter the reason, I am thrilled this game is being made. Spoofing on the superhero movie phenomenon, South Park is having its own Civil War of sorts, and players will get to insert themselves right in the middle of the chaos. The game builds on the first’s RPG tenants, adding grid-based combat to the turn-based action, along with a cross-class system that will allow you to make your own superhero—taking playing pretend with the foul-mouthed youths of South Park to a new level.
Surprise of the Show: Batman Arkham VR
I knew coming into E3 2016 that the show was going to have a strong VR presence, and there were many games that did not disappoint. But one game I did not see coming was Batman Arkham VR. Only about a year since Rocksteady launched Arkham Knight, they are already on the verge of pushing out a VR title in the same universe for the launch of Sony’s VR solution. And—it’s good. Putting on the headset was like actually putting on the cape and cowl, as I sat in stately Wayne Manor before suiting up in the Batcave and heading out into Gotham to solve a murder mystery. It’s not just any murder, however. If the existence of Batman Arkham VR wasn’t enough to blow my socks off, Rocksteady’s opening plot twist of the death of Dick Grayson did it for sure.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: Titanfall 2
It’s rare that I stay with a game for very long nowadays, especially when I’m working a job that requires me to move onto the next big release in short order. However, the original Titanfall hooked me so hard that I actually prestiged—twice. After seeing what Respawn Entertainment is doing with the next chapter in their series, I can’t help but say that I am definitely on standby for Titanfall 2. New Titans, new weapons, and new pilot abilities look to take the multiplayer aspect of the series to an entirely new level. What I might be most looking forward to, though, is the campaign that takes a deeper look into the relationship between a pilot and its Titan, and show off just what makes these death-dealing mechs so special.
Because apparently I’m “not allowed to nominate Overwatch for every single category of E3 award because it’s already out and it isn’t even an RPG,” I’ll go with my inner child and give the best showing to Ubisoft’s Steep. While my youthful infatuation with extreme sports video games tended more towards Tony Hawk than Shaun White, I put in plenty of time on SSX, 1080° Snowboarding, and—for reasons too complex to get into here—Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding. Ubisoft’s GoPro-fueled (and likely GoPro-sponsored) revival of the genre hit all the right notes for me, with the added benefits of an open world and some additional, snow-agnostic extreme sports: parachuting and wingsuiting. That last point might be the biggest one for me. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that flying through rings in video games has always been, and will always continue to be, fun.
Surprise of the Show: The absence of surprises
E3 used to mean something. Awkward press conferences. Free flash drives of every color, shape, size, and religion. A Call of Duty booth pumping out bass so fat the CDC technically classifies it as morbidly obese. And, far more important than any of that, actual surprises. Not so this year, thanks to months of leaks in the run-up to the actual expo. Dead Rising 4? Injustice 2? Skyrim remaster? Both of Microsoft’s big hardware announcements? All old news by the time the show actually kicked off, leading to a week of anticlimax, deflated by a thousand small cuts. I don’t know if the ESA can blackmail Jason Schreier into silence, but it needs to do something, and fast. Let’s make E3 great again.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: Prey
Before Kojima made Daryl Dixon hang dong over a newborn baby on a beach full of dead whales, Prey had an earnest shot at being the most cryptic trailer of E3. Why was everything so radically different—not just from the first game, but also from the Prey 2 trailer shown back in 2011? Are there still aliens? Can you really call something a reboot if it’s only the second game in a series? Is it weird to anyone else that there are going to be two games in the “Prey franchise” and they’re both going to be called Prey? Why are eyeballs universally unsettling? Is there an insect burrowing its way out of my eyeball right now? Speaking as someone who thinks very highly of Arkane Studios but didn’t fall completely in love with Dishonored, I can’t wait to find out the answers to those questions.
When Sony officially announced Horizon: Zero Dawn at E3 2015, it didn’t really make my radar. This year, however, I actually got to sit down and play it, and man was I impressed! I’m always up for a good action/RPG and I was intrigued by the setting of this one, which bears a strong resemblance to my home state of Colorado (though the developers will neither confirm nor deny the location of the game’s future world). With its strong female protagonist, intriguing storyline, and monsters that look like dinosaurs slapped together by Wall-E, the developers have created a world I truly want to experience. And then there is the gameplay. Aloy moves nimbly and possesses mad bow skills which came in handy when I took on a creature more powerful than I should have. Thanks to a lot of dodge-rolling I was able to prevail and solidify my excitement for when this game launches early in 2017.
Surprise of the Show: Insomniac does Spider-Man
E3 always brings with it a number of surprises, but I never could have anticipated an exclusive PS4 Spider-Man game coming from premier developer Insomniac. From the second ol’ Web-head swung across the screen, showing off a somewhat different version of that iconic red and blue unitard (perhaps from the new movie?), I knew something special was brewing. It shows a tremendous amount of faith in the property to license it for a console exclusive. So too on Marvel’s part to limit the game only to Sony consoles. It’s still anyone’s guess what the game’s story will cover and how it will play, even though we have loads of faith in Insomniac to deliver. If the game does deliver as expected it will be nice to see a key Marvel character get his own serious game. We love Legos but maybe we’ll finally get the Marvel equivalent of the Bartman: Arkham series. It doesn’t hurt to dream, right?
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It is the sort of thing Nintendo needed to move the company forward. Though some may wish the Zelda series had stayed true to its roots, the new open-world version brings a depth to the land of Hyrule we’ve only ever dreamed of. From what we’ve seen in the two demos shown, both story and action have been given equal attention. Link really shines in the field though, with plenty of enemies of kill, items to collection and puzzles to solve. There are some major changes (you no longer get money and hearts by merely cutting the grass) but everything you love about Zelda seems expanded, and you won’t need a game guide to make sure you are going in the right direction. The additional delay to 2017 still stinks, but if the end result plays half as well as the demo then I’m ready to reserve a huge swatch of time to immerse myself.
Is it any surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is at the top of my list? Two weeks ago, Nintendo hadn’t even released the game’s name, and now we have dozens of hours of footage—and all of it set before the main story even kicks off. With a good sprinkle of role-playing elements (clothes? hunting and gathering? cooking?) and a gorgeous, enormous world packed with treasure and monsters, Breath of the Wild looks like a return to the heart of the Zelda series: adventure.
Surprise of the Show: Xbox Play Anywhere
Human sacrifice, console and PC gamers playing together, mass hysteria! Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere program lets consumers buy a game once to play on both Windows 10 computers and the Xbox One, and carries progress across both systems. It only works with a few games for now—and they’ll have to be designed with the feature in mind—but Xbox Play Anywhere is a giant step towards bringing the historically-segregated console and PC audiences together. Just like dogs and cats living together, I never thought I’d see the day.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: The Last Guardian
With all the troubles The Last Guardian‘s had in development, there were times where I seriously doubted I’d ever get to see Trico outside of a trailer. I just want to give that giant cuddly dog-cat-bird-thing a hug! But now it’s official: the relationship between the main character and Trico kicks off in only four months. There are so many mysteries to uncover in the ancient, crumbling ruins: how did the boy there? Why is Trico chained? Who or what, exactly, is the last guardian? I can’t wait to dive in and find out.
I went in to Absolver with very little knowledge of the game, but left the demo a card-carrying member of the combat-RPG’s religion. A beautiful game with an ingenious combat system, Absolver was the shot in the arm I needed this E3. The combat felt fluid and natural, allowing me to get past several guards in the demo before going head-to-head against one of the developers. Competing against someone very familiar with the system was inspiring—he parried every heavy attack, countered every jab. This made me want to get better and better at the game until I am, too, a master.
Surprise of the Show: The lower-floor bathroom in South Hall
While making a quick run to use the facilities between interviews, I had the scare of my life. Walking into the restroom, everything seemed fine. The lights were on, and no horrible odors assaulted my senses. One of the stall doors was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open—cautiously—in case someone was inside. Instead a found a gaping porcelain Hell-vortex. I shrieked in horror, but my coworker Spencer was out of ear range. Like something out of a Clive Barker film, the stall ripped through my soul, leaving me forever scarred and unable to trust in humanity ever again.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: Mass Effect Andromeda
I love Mass Effect games. I waited in midnight release lines for both Mass Effect 2 and 3, and have been scouring the web for information on the next game ever since. Thanks to the new behind-the-scenes video shown at E3, I am more on-board than ever before. Default female protagonist? Finally. New gameplay footage? Nom nom nom. A promise of less polar choices, and more grey area in the narrative? Have you been reading my diary, BioWare? Thanks to all the new information from E3, my hype chambers are full, and now I’m just waiting to hear those sweet words, “Release date revealed.”
Zombies are, admittedly, a tired concept in gaming, even when perfectly executed. So, Days Gone must have brought something really special to this year’s E3 to have me consider it my Game of the Show. Granted, the creatures that chased the protagonist around that saw mill weren’t “officially” zombies according to the developers, but they functionally operate almost identically to our undead friends. It is this “almost,” however, that allowed me to view the game beyond the skepticism of some of my peers. Unlike so many other games, the infected of Days Gone are not slow, meandering monsters, but instead are quick, hostile threats that move as one overwhelming mass. It may not sound like much to set a game apart, but this enemy design could lead to a sub-genre of zombie survival generally untouched by the gaming medium. It was this potential that pushed it above the handful of other strong contenders, abetted by a personal love for gunning down waves of zombies.
Surprise of the Show: Spider-Man
It has been a long wait for a Spider-Man title that seems to capture the feel of the stellar Spider-Man 2 video game. Not only did the presentation for Insomniac’s Spider-Man game sell it as the exact web-slinging experience fans have been waiting for, the studio recently took to Twitter to clarify that the trailer shown on Sony’s stage involved footage that was in-game, in-engine, and real-time. This suggests that all of the finesse of the character’s maneuvers in the trailer were the real deal. I wasn’t giving Spider-Man a second thought before this trailer; now, his upcoming game is my most anticipated experience coming out of E3.
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: God of War
Every E3 needs a handful of big-name titles to grab the headlines, and if you’re Sony, you can’t go much bigger than God of War. The announcement of a new God of War would be a surprise in of itself, even if the game wasn’t going in this new—and profoundly unexpected—direction. God of War’s abandonment of Greek mythology for a setting steeped in Nordic lore is one of those design choices fans didn’t realize they wanted until they had it. It is simultaneously a step in a new direction for the series while seemingly retaining what fans love about God of War gameplay and narrative—and it would be hard to execute a sequel better than that.
Despite a leak that blew the surprising fact that the first God of War game on PlayStation 4 would jump over to Norse mythology, the game managed to impress during Sony’s E3 press conference. Instead of the traditional reveal trailer, which is generally a pre-rendered cutscene showcasing equal doses of gloss and deception, the first look we got at God of War was a 10-minute gameplay demo featuring some shocking revelations about Santa Monica Studio’s next game. A much more grizzled Kratos trades his Blades of Chaos for a mystical axe—though it’s highly unlikely that will be the only weapon the God of War finds on his adventure. However, the biggest surprise of the demo had nothing to do with Kratos’ godliness, but instead the antihero’s human element. A son, adopted or biological, brings out a softer side of Kratos, showcasing a brand of tough love that somehow feels genuine coming from the absurdly violent demigod. God of War looks to be a huge step away from the bloodbaths of the past, which, from the demo, appears to be a huge step in the right direction.
Surprise of the Show: Spider-Man
Thanks to yet another leak, we already knew that there was a Spider-Man game in development, which, in itself, isn’t that surprising. With Spider-Man: Homecoming on the way, which nearly guarantees a blockbuster success after fans adored the webslinger’s appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Sony would be leaving money on the table by passing on a tie-in game—but what we’re getting is far from a cash grab. The PlayStation 4 exclusive marks the beginning of Marvel’s plan to make “truly epic games” using its licensed properties. Spider-Man won’t be tethered to the events of Homecoming, but will tell its own story in an open-world New York City, and will feature plenty of beat ’em up style fun, courtesy of Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games. When the game’s action-packed trailer came to an end, I felt like I had been possessed by J. Jonah Jameson. Now get out there and get me more pictures of Spider-Man!
Most Anticipated Game of the Show: Watch Dogs 2
The saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” and, after I thoroughly bought into the hype of Watch Dogs—which ultimately turned out to be a massive disappointment—I certainly gave Ubisoft a heavy finger-waggling for the less-than-honest way the game was marketed. However, after seeing a load of Watch Dogs 2 gameplay and trailers, I’m willing to buy into the excitement without caution. With a more robust hacking system, better stealth mechanics, and a fresh setting of San Francisco, the sequel looks like it will deliver on the promises of the first game and more. If I end up playing the fool when the game launches, I don’t even care—I’m endlessly hyped for Watch Dogs 2.
Nintendo may have only brought one game to E3 this year, but what a game it was. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild marks a departure for the game developer, embracing modern open worlds and interaction with the environment around you, all while wrapping it in what seems like a classic Legend of Zelda story where Link has been asleep for 100 years and must acclimate himself to a desolate, unfamiliar Hyrule. Through exploration and countless challenges, players will hopefully piece together this new tale as they travel across the series’ largest map ever. But even if the story does not immediately grab you, the gameplay possibilities should. From changing clothes to make sure Link doesn’t freeze to death or overheat, to cooking food over open fires that can help replenish his hearts, managing Link’s inventory is more important than ever before. And with a bevy of new weapons at his disposal, whatever new evil threatens Hyrule should be no match for the Hero of Time—and we can’t wait to face off against it when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally releases next year.
Best Action/Adventure
Best Sports
Best RPG
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Runners up: Deus Ex Mankind Divided, Days Gone, Watchdogs 2, Dishonored 2
NHL 17
Runners up: Steep, Madden NFL 17, FIFA 17, PES 17
Final Fantasy XV
Runners up: South Park: The Fractured But Whole, I Am Setsuna, Trails of Cold Steel II, Tales of Berseria
Best Racing
Best Shooter
Best Fighter
Forza Horizon 3
Runners up: Forza 6, Gran Turismo Sport, MXGP, Valentino Rossi
Battlefield 1
Runners up: Titanfall 2, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Sniper Elite IV
Injustice 2
Runners up: Guilty Gear XRD Revelator, Tekken 7, The King of Fighters XIV
Best Indie
Best PlayStation 4
Best Xbox One
We Happy Few
Runners up: Cuphead, Absolver, Bloodstained, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
God of War
Runners up: Horizon: Zero Dawn, The Last Guardian, Days Gone, Gravity Rush 2
Dead Rising 4
Runners up: Gears of War 4, ReCore, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3
Best Wii U
Best PC
Best Handheld / Mobile
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Runners up: :(
LawBreakers
Runners up: Civilization IV, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, MXM, Strafe
Deus Ex Go
Runners up: Pokémon Sun/Moon, Monster Hunter Generations, River City: Tokyo Rumble, Pokémon Go
Best VR
Best Trailer
Batman Arkham VR
Runners up: Resident Evil VII, Serious Sam VR, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, RIGS
Death Stranding
Runners up: Mass Effect Andromeda, Project Scorpio, Spider-Man, Prey