E3 2017: The Obligatory Favorites List

Well, another E3 has come and gone, and with it, the time-honored tradition of planting my ass in front of a screen (TV, phone, or tablet, I'm not picky) and watching a bunch of people talk to another bunch of people about said slices of interactive entertainment. Ah, yes, 'twas indeed the best of times, as Dickens may have said. But enough chatter and bad comedy, let's talk about games! Specifically, those which have lay claim to my imagination based on what I've seen and heard about them. I'm going to limit my choices to ten, unless you want this post to be an infinite one. Here goes...

10. Call of Cthulhu

I'm not much of a horror gamer, to be honest. I find the generally slow pacing and sometimes irritating control schemes to be kind of dull. In the case of Focus Entertainment's upcoming fright-fest, however, that may change. Featuring a creepy atmosphere replete with demonic pictures that seem to come alive as your character passes by them and, of course, cultists, Cthulhu wants to fill your feeble mortal soul with dread and drink the salty brine that is your tears. I can dig it.

9. Lawbreakers

Cliff Blezinsky and his new studio, Boss Key, want to bring speed and mayhem and a good deal of character balance to the arena shooter with this awesome-looking game. Again, it's in a genre I don't usually enjoy, that of the PVP-focused arena-shooter FPS, but it looks too crazy to pass up! Jetpacks and low gravity firefights are the order of the day here, and a plethora of game modes look to capture our attention as we progress and level up our chosen characters. The visuals look clean, crisp, and sharp, characters have their own class and special abilities, and the gameplay looks fast and furious, as it should. I think this game is going to be a big hit when it launches later this year, which brings me to the best part: it costs $29.99 at release, as Blezinsky himself revealed at E3.

8. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Bethesda is back at it again with this alternate history-based FPS, featuring an America which has been overrun by the Nazis in the wake of World War II. The storytelling and plot look pretty insane this time around (if the trailer is anything to go by), and the visuals are incredible! Featuring milkshake-drinking Nazis and a fire-breathing mechanical steed which you can ride through the battlefield as you smash and splatter enemies, this chapter of the Wolfenstein franchise seems to bring an even greater focus on wacky action set pieces, as well as the plot and character development we saw in the previous game. I have no doubt that Bethesda and Machine Games will do justice to the series' legacy, and provide players with hours of fun in this highly-anticipated sequel.

7. Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Dontnod's Life is Strange was one of my favorite games when it released back in 2015, though it took me a little while to perceive its brilliance. Initially, I had a difficult time looking beyond the somewhat stilted delivery of its voice cast and the unpolished character animations on display. However, the story itself was captivating. Dealing with issues such as bullying (both in school and online), depression, the nature of love, and how one person's actions can affect the lives of those closest to her, Life is Strange was a wonderfully complex, emotionally resonant tale, and I'm so happy that Deck Nine Games and Dontnod are working on a follow-up to the first game, which takes the form of a prequel this time around. Chloe Price became a favorite of mine, due in no small part to Ashly Burch's spectacular vocal performance as the character, and while she won't be reprising the role in Before the Storm, she is listed as a consultant. Hopefully this one will be just a bit more polished in terms of animation and dialogue, but only time will tell. I, for one, have high hopes for it.

6. God of War

Sony's biggest title had an impressive debut at last year's E3, and this year the company showed off an impressive trailer which focused on Kratos' relationship with his son. There's an air of mystery about the boy's origins and his true nature, and part of me wonders if this game will be about Kratos passing the torch to his son in some way. Also featured in the video was the combat system, with Kratos' axe being his main weapon this time around, replacing the Blades of Chaos. Other than this and the camera's over-the-shoulder perspective, combat in this game looks to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, in that it's fast, furious, and combo-heavy. Limbs will fly, blood will splatter, and Kratos will do anything to protect his son. I'm really intrigued by the new narrative direction this series is taking with this installment, and I can't wait to see how it plays first-hand in early 2018.

5. Middle Earth: Shadow of War

As a follow-up to the first game in the series, ME: Shadow of Mordor, this new title doubles down on the open world, melee- and sword-based combat gameplay of the original, as well as the fact that players can dominate enemies and turn them against their own. I never really played Shadow of Mordor the first time around (mostly because I didn't have time to do so), but this game makes me want to go back and discover the mechanics of its predecessor and familiarize myself with the characters and story. Combat looks much more fast-paced this time around, and the Orcs you can fight and twist to your will are even funnier than last time. Shadow of War looks like a winner, and I'm hoping I can finish Mordor before it comes out, just so I understand the lore behind these games. Wish me luck!

4. Monster Hunter World

One of the bigger surprises (of which there were but a few) at Sony's E3 showcase was the revelation that Capcom would be bringing this title to North America. The trailer looked amazing, with the player character singlehandedly finishing off a deadly Tyrannosaurus Rex-esque monster and then literally barbecuing his remains for dinner. The game looks visually impressive and appears to be a uniquely solitary experience. After all the focus on team-based, massively multiplayer military FPS games we see year in and year out, it's refreshing to see a title go in the opposite direction and reward individual players for their achievements. Having never played the original Monster Hunter games, I can honestly say that I'm a bit nervous to try this one out, but it just looks so cool! I'm gonna pick it up when it releases in early 2018.

3. Agents of Mayhem

When I was a wee young lad, I grew up on cartoons like Thundercats, Transformers (the G1 stuff is still the best), and G.I. Joe. Sure, they were basically toy commercials, but they had a charm to them, and Agents of Mayhem looks to capture some of that magic when it releases on August 15th. Developer Volition has crafted a cool-looking open-world action adventure title here, with some neat characters and a few loose ties to their Saint's Row universe. The visuals are colorful and stylized, while combat is fast-paced and hard-hitting. I really want to get my grubby little hands on this one.

2. Destiny 2

Coming in at the runner-up spot is the sequel I'm really anxious to play, Bungie's Destiny 2. As someone who spent thousands of hours playing the first game from the alpha onward, I've been eagerly anticipating D2's September 8th release date all year, so imagine my surprise when said date was actually moved up by a couple of days at E3. I'm sure economics and supply and demand played more of a part in that change than anything else, but it benefits us fans just as well. And for all of Destiny 1's flaws, it contained a solid gameplay foundation and a shocking amount of hidden lore in its Grimoire Card library. D2 looks sharper and much more narrative-focused than its predecessor, which is just what the doctor ordered. I'll pick it up on PS4, but I'm jealous of PC owners; even though the game launches a month and a half later than its console counterparts, PC players will be able to play it in sixty frames per second, which results in buttery-smooth gameplay and even more spectacular graphics. Hopefully everything works out, and Bungie delivers on its promise of an even better experience this time around.

1. Anthem

After Bioware's latest property debuted at EA's showcase in a mysterious but brief teaser trailer, many of us were intrigued, while some derisively called it a Destiny copycat. There are some similarities, to be fair, but where Anthem truly caught my attention was in the seamless transition from a narrative-focused interactive cutscene to its visually impressive game world, as shown in the gameplay video they premiered at Microsoft's conference. In essence, this is what I wanted to see in the first Destiny, or in Mass Effect: Andromeda. The difference is that Anthem runs pretty smoothly, though that may be due to the fact that it's a heavily-scripted E3 demo, but I have some hope for this one. Bioware hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders lately, as those of us who played Andromeda can attest, but it's clear that they have their A-team working on this one. Aside from the forced fake voice chat they featured in the demo vid, Anthem looked impressive to me. Hopefully, Bioware won't disappoint us again.
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So, there you have it, my list of anticipated games from this year's E3. While the show didn't exactly surprise or delight me like it has in years past, there were still many cool games on display I didn't have room to cover here, from fighting games (Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Dragonball FighterZ) to RPGs (Lost Sphear, Ni No Kuni: Revenant Kingdom) to 2D indie games (Cuphead, The Last Night, The Artist's Escape) and quirkier titles (Extinction, Hidden Agenda, Nintendo's catalog of games like Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Arms). Clearly there was a ton of stuff on display at the show, and not all of it was great, but it's definitely good to see that the gaming industry is still chugging along. Whether or not it can deliver truly original experiences or the show itself can remain relevant in the future is a question we shall endeavor to answer in the future.

All credit to the creator of this meme image. It's great.

Farewell for another year, E3. It was real. It was fun.