There were a lot of games shown off at E3 2016, with many of them exceeding our expectations. Here are our picks from the show.
For more E3 2016 coverage, click here.
Best Games on Show
God of War – Toby
I was extremely happy to see Kratos finally make his return to the stage at Sony’s press conference, and, similarly, I was happy to see the direction Santa Monica are heading with this God of War. Things have changed in the way games are being developed, with narrative becoming as important — if not more important, in some instances — as gameplay these days, and Santa Monica Studio have clearly taken that in stride.
Read our God of War preview here.
Mafia 3 – Toby
I have an affinity with the Mafia series. Having originally been introduced to the first Mafia game back in the early 2000s as young tike, I’ve always been intrigued by the direction the series takes and Mafia 3 looks fantastic. More on the behind closed doors session I went to soon.
The Surge – Toby
Tucked away in Focus Home Interactive’s booth at E3 was Deck13’s new game, The Surge. Coming off the reigns of their previous title, Lords of the Fallen, The Surge is a sci-fi game that doesn’t hold your hand whatsoever. It’s very Dark Souls in its difficulty, although the team have thrown away light and heavy attacks in order to make way for horizontal and vertical attacks, with limb targeting a major part of the game. Count me in.
Gravity Rush 2 – Agus
This was the first time I managed to go hands-on with Gravity Rush 2 and left with a smile on my face. Gravity Rush 2 maintains the same formula but expanded even further, more than likely thanks to the shift from a portable platform to the fully fledged PlayStation 4. The demo provided quite an insight into the new elements and is one of the best titles I played at E3 2016.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Agus
After being quite skeptical on how the open-world element will work for Ghost Recon: Wildlands, the hands-on time I had with the title proved me wrong. It opens up many different scenarios for once a linear experience which suits the Ghost Recon universe. I can’t wait to see more of Ghost Recon: Wildlands.
Read our Ghost Recon: Wildlands preview here.
Resident Evil 7 – Agus
While it wasn’t a full reveal, Capcom has given us a glimpse at the future of Resident Evil with it’s demo and VR showcase at E3 2016. Favouring the survival-horror roots of the franchise rather than the often criticised action-shooter in recent years shows the developers have been listening. I can’t wait for more Resident Evil and the reveal proves it’s on the right track.
Read our Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour preview here.
Taken by Surprise
Gwent – Toby
When I was contacted a couple of weeks ago about an appointment with CD Projekt Red, I thought for sure that Cyberpunk would be back in some way or another. That was, obviously, until Gwent was announced. While I was initially hurting about the lack of Cyberpunk, going hands-on with Gwent proved to be a great experience and I can’t wait for more.
Read our Gwent preview here.
For Honor – Agus
I wasn’t really following Ubisoft’s For Honor until I had hands-on with the title at E3 which completely surprised me. For a while, I was expecting a generic hack and slash title like Ryse but For Honor explores combat deeper with it’s tactical swordplay and combat. It rivals the Kingdom Under Fire series which hasn’t seen any competition in years. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
Best Hardware / Tech on Show
Xbox One S
While there wasn’t much in terms of hardware at E3 2016, Microsoft’s reveal of the Xbox One S shows they’re confident in releasing a new console. 2 terabytes, 40% smaller than the original Xbox One, and packing a beautiful finish – the new, slimmer Xbox One is certainly a treat on the eye. I like the tech and design here, but with the Scorpio announced to be coming next year I’m unsure as to how it’ll perform for Microsoft.
Best Booth on Show
2K Games
It was hard not to be taken aback by the fantastic 2K booth, set up to show off NBA 2k17, Civ 6, and Mafia 3. The Mafia section, in particular, was wonderfully designed, taking attendees all the way back to the late 60s, complete with a jazz band as well.