The 22nd Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2016 has come to a close and as usual, we saw previews of a ton of upcoming games, and incredible new trailers at the much hyped event, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 14-16. Social media has been buzzing like crazy for the past three days with announcements of highly anticipated sequels of popular franchises, and it has been immensely satisfying keeping track of all the bytes released at the press conferences by leading gaming studios such as Microsoft, Sony and others.
In case you were too busy with your daily schedules and missed out on all the awesomeness at E3, we have carefully curated a list of the 15 most exciting games shown at the event that simply blew us away!
Here goes, in no particular order:
1) Horizon: Zero Dawn
Release date- Feb 28, 2017
Platform: Playstation 4
This intriguing game is set 1,000 years after the collapse of humanity. You play Aloy, a young woman who is badass bow-wielding hunter and takes on a menagerie of cybernetic creatures such as friggin’ giant mechanical dinosaurs. You can use super-cool weapons such as electrified arrows, cryogenic sling grenades and similar advanced technological arms which have a primitive twist to them. The breathtaking visuals, fascinating backstory and spectacular action make Horizon: Zero Dawn one of the more exciting games showcased at E3.
2) Abzû
Release date: August 2, 2016
Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
Abzû is a spectacular ocean exploration game, in which you play a scuba diver who intends to unlock all the secrets of the ocean. Playing the game just takes your breath away because of the sheer beauty and immersive experience of swirling inside ocean waters.
3) Prey Reboot
Release date: 2017
Platform: PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Prey is a first-person shooter that is a reboot of the original released in 2006 (it has hardly anything in common with the original, though). A sequel to the 2006 version was announced but eventually got stuck in development hell owing to a number of issues. In the new version (which has a very Ex-Machina feel), you play as Morgan Yu, a person who is the subject of an experiment, tucked away on a space station that is being tracked by marauding aliens. You have to use weapons, available tools and mind-bending powers to outsmart the antagonists.
4) Inside
Release date: June 29 (Xbox One), July 7 (Steam)
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
If you were simply blown away by ‘Limbo’, the side-scrolling creepy horror game with nightmarish visions straight from the netherworld, then you will absolutely love ‘Inside’ from the same developer studio Playdead. Inside has the same feeling of dread, creepiness and foreboding tension, and this is all done in an awesome minimalist art style. Just watch its astonishing trailer right now!
5 ) ReCore
Release date: Fall 2016
Platform: Xbox One, PC
This is from Keiji Inafune, the creator of the massively popular Mega Man video game, and the people behind Metroid. In Recore, you play as Joule, a girl who equipped with a gun, jet boots, and has the ability to place cores inside different robots to control them.
6) Dishonored 2
Release date: November 11
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Dishonored 2 is finally here, and we sure hope that it lives up to the expectations generated by its immensely successful predecessor, which is basically an open-world stealth action game. The sequel has more of a puzzle game setting, where you have to complete mission objectives in several ways- you can sneak in and quietly assassinate your enemies or just barge into the situation, or combine the two to outcome your foes.
7 ) The Last Guardian
Release date: October 25
Platform: PlayStation 4
Man, this was a game we had thought would never see the light of the day. A trailer for The Last Guardian was released in E3 2015, when we thought that all this was a sham and it was still stuck in development hell. However, we finally have a new fantastic trailer, as well as an official release date.
8) Death Stranding
Release date: To be announced
Platform: PlayStation 4
If you are a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, you would be well aware that Hideo Kojima never fails to impress with his incredible video game creations. From its terrific trailer, we can assume that Last Stranding is some sort of surrealist psychological horror, though details have not been released yet. Oh, and yes, it stars Norman Reedus, who plays fan favorite Daryl on ‘The Walking Dead’ TV show on AMC.
9) Gears of War 4
Release date: October 11, 2016
Platform: Xbox One, PC
The Gears of War series has made a groundbreaking impact on third-person action games, and the fourth installment in the franchise promises even more crazy violent action than before.
10) Battlefield 1
Release date: October 21, 2016
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
We rarely hear of any big studios creating war games situated around World War I, but with Battlefield 1, we are transported back to the early 20th century, where we have biplanes made from wood replacing jet fighters and huge Gatling guns instead of assault rifles. The entire premise is quite fascinating and we are itching to play this, since developer DICE has promised to make World War I action a fun experience.
11) Dead Rising 4
Release date: Holiday 2016
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
It’s my personal opinion that zombie games can never, ever be boring and with the latest installment of Dead Rising, we are back with our hero Frank West all geared up to go on a zombie slaughter spree!
12) God of War
Release date: To be announced
Platform: PlayStation 4
Kratos is back (with a new magnificent beard)! And this time he has a young son. Kratos looked quite toned down from the vengeance-filled ultraviolent demigod image that we are used to in the previous versions of the series. It will be interesting to see how his role pans out in the game, and what his relationship with his son be like.
13) Watch Dogs 2
Release date: November 15, 2016
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Watch Dogs 2 will be super fun to play, we all know that. In the sequel to the original hacking adventure game, you play as Marcus Holloway, a hacker from Oakland working with a vigilante network called DedSec. I am sure some of the most done-to-death hacker cliches will be repeated in this one, but still it looks pretty awesome to play.
14) Mass Effect: Andromeda
Release date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Mass Effect: Andromeda, though technically the fourth game in the Mass Effect gaming series, is considered to be a completely new version, set in a different time period and space. In this, you play a human who is out to explore the Andromeda galaxy, in order to seek a new home for humanity. Like the previous version, we expect a fantastic storyline, coupled with gorgeous action set pieces and nuanced characters.
15) Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
Release date: January 24, 2017
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
The Resident Evil series has been one of the major reasons why I fell in love with everything related to zombies. Some of the games, especially Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 have been the most satisfying gaming experiences for me and I will forever remain a huge fan of this franchise. After relatively action-focused Resident Evil 5 and 6, the seventh edition promises to be pure creepy awesomeness survivalist horror, thus somewhat returning to its roots (in an even scarier version). Can hardly wait!
16) Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Release date: Early 2017
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo NX
This was the most talked about game on social media while E3 was going on, and it is easy to see why. The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most iconic video game franchises ever, so any news of a reboot or sequel would set social media all agog with excitement. With Breath of the Wild, Legend of Zelda is all set to provide a magnificent gaming experience (there is an unbelievably massive open world that allows you to explore any part of the game) yet again. The game will released on Wii U, and also on the long anticipated Nintendo’s next-generation console, dubbed ‘NX’, and scheduled to be released in early 2017