Our favorite games from E3 2017

Written by The GN Staff on 6/20/2017 for PC   PS4   SWI   VR   XONE  

E3 2017 has come and gone.  The show this year saw Microsoft take the covers of the Xbox One X, Ubisoft showed us that Beyond Good and Evil, and Nintendo had one of their best shows in year.  Those were just the high points though so we asked our staff to reveal their favorite three to four games from the show.  Without further adieu here are the top games that our staff is looking forward to next year.

Patrick Aloia
The Artful Escape - I am huge sucker for gorgeous indies and this one had me hooked instantly. The art design, the music, the platforming elements accompanied by guitar playing. It looked like one of *those* games that I won't be able to stop talking about once I get my hands on it.

Shadow of War - I loved Shadow of Mordor, and Shadow of War looks fantastic. I think the idea that the team is so committed to updating the already awesome Nemesis System is what has me excited. They know their strengths.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - This was maybe the best trailer I've ever seen for a game. The trailer alone tells me that the team in charge of this game knows exactly what they want out of this experience, and that can't be underestimated. Also, killing Nazis is always good.

Russell Archey
Super Mario Odyssey - Sadly I had to work during Nintendo's presentation so I didn't get to see it as it happened, but then while watching Nintendo's Treehouse stream at one point I saw some gameplay for Super Mario Odyssey and now October 27th can't get here fast enough.  Just the ability to throw your hat to gain powers in the game looks like a lot of fun, plus the stream showed off one of the boss battles (Mecha Wiggler) which looks great.

Metroid: Samus Returns - While not my favorite Metroid game, it's nice to see Metroid II get an official remake of sorts.  I figured they would have done this a little after Zero Mission came out, but at least it's finally happening and the trailer looks pretty good.  As long as it has a map system, I'm good.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - I currently don't own a PS4, but the main reason I'd get one would be the Uncharted series.  I know I have a long way to go to catch up, but after seeing the trailer for Lost Legacy it looks like it'll be worth the wait.

Sean Cahill
Anthem- We heard a little bit about this in the days leading up to the Microsoft press conference, and the trailer did not disappoint. It looks like a mashup of Titanfall and Destiny with the open world FPS, yet retaining RPG elements and free ability to fly in the world. I want to see more from this and find out just what the entire story will be about, but Anthem looks gorgeous and fun.

Destiny 2- I've been a guardian in the tower since day one and have played Bungie's ambitious FPS on both the Xbox One and the Playstation 4. While what was released during the Sony press conference focused on our new enemy to face, we're learning more about the story and confirming that the tower is gone and guardians are having to regroup with new weapons, armor, and abilities. Plenty of timed exclusives are going to be available for the PS4 which makes me and my clan very happy, but is sure to upset those on PC and Xbox One.

Ace Combat 7 - I know we haven't seen much out of Bandai Namco's popular flight combat sim other than a couple of trailers, but as an avid Ace Combat fan, I'm just happy to know that the next title in the series is coming up. Even with the delay to early 2018, I'm ecstatic that the series is returning to the fictional world that made the IP so fun. Assault Horizon wasn't a bad game, but it just felt completely out of place in a series that is full of ridiculous superpowers and more missiles jammed into a plane than an entire arsenal can handle.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps - One of the most gratifying experiences I've had reviewing games was a few years ago when I played Ori and the Blind Forest, a gorgeous and challenging platformer that told the story of our magical Ori and his quest to save a dying forest. The next chapter brings back our magical little hero and it looks as though the ending of the first title has implications as to what's going on. I fully expect the same type of challenge and beauty that made Ori and the Blind Forest so good.

Nathan Carter
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus - A pregnant woman stabbing the crap out of a Nazi. Incredible. I absolutely loved the first game for both the story and the gameplay and The New Colossus looks like it's going to deliver in a huge way in both departments. 

The Darwin Project - I love the whole "Battle Royale / Hunger Games" type games that have been showing up lately like Player Unknown's Battlegrounds and The Culling, but the one thing that caught my eye about this game is that instead of running around searching for guns and such on a battlefield, this game is a Battle Royale game with heroes, each with their own abilities. Consider me interested. 

Metroid Prime 4 - We saw absolutely NOTHING about it but that's fine. After harassing Nintendo for years, they finally caved and at least let us know that it is indeed happening. Now we will all shut up about it. This has been a long time coming. After the disappointment of Metroid Other M and the pure crap that was Federation Force, it's nice to see that Samus is finally going to make her true, long awaited return in both Samus Returns and Metroid Prime 

Sean Colleli
The Last Night - Modern cyberpunk noir with tastefully done pixel art? Where do I sign up? I’m not even sure which genre this game is—point and click adventure? Platformer? I don’t really care. It looks fantastic, and as long as it doesn’t lean entirely on its retro aesthetic—as so many one-note indie games unfortunately do—and tells a good story I’ll be hooked. I love cyberpunk because of the themes of power, control and technology it explores, and reading the game’s synopsis about humans entering an age of meaningless consumption as creativity withers and dies…well damn. I never thought it would take an indie game to make me buy an Xbox One, but here we are.

Detroit: Become Human - Noticing a theme yet? Yes, Sean loves cyberpunk, but only if it’s done well. I haven’t exactly been a fan of Quantic Dream’s work in the past, as the writing felt stilted and the characters in Heavy Rain looked like they tripped and feel square into the uncanny valley. But in a game about androids, that doesn’t really matter! Detroit: Become Human also looks more like a game instead of one giant series of quicktime events, and the story is compelling. I love games with difficult, meaningful choices, so deciding how to lead a robot revolution—either as a violent anarchist or a pacifist reformer—sounds like the best kind of scifi to me. Hmm, now I might just need to buy a PS4 as well.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - I was a big fan of how Machinegames grew the Wolfenstein story in The New Order and The Old Blood back in 2014; going alternate history “Nazis won the war” seemed like the only logical solution. Wolfenstein II looks like it will take that a step farther—BJ Blazkowicz and his crew have dealt them a nasty blow, but the Third Reich isn’t going down easily. I loved how the first game took such an absurd, Tarantinoesque concept and infused it with such pathos and humanity, while preserving the gleefully violent gameplay the series is known for. More 60s era robots, ancient Jewish power armor and shootin, stabbing, and strangling Nazis—bring em’ on!

Metroid: Samus Returns - I would say the game I’m most excited for is Metroid Prime 4, but we only have a logo for that. Suffice to say I’m quite pleased Nintendo is giving us two new Metroid games, particularly because Samus Returns is a full-on remake of Metroid II for the Game Boy—the black sheep of the original trilogy. I’ve watched a lot of gameplay and it looks like Mercurysteam get the whole Metroid concept really well, and as much as I love the Prime series, it’s incredibly gratifying to see a new 2D Metroid after 13 long years. I’m still smarting a bit after Nintendo killed the positively transcendent fan game AM2R—it’s clear now why Nintendo’s lawyers shut it down so quickly, and no offense to Mercurysteam, but I doubt that their official Metroid II remake will be better than a decade of fans’ blood, sweat and tears. Honestly though, I’m just glad we’re getting new Metroid. After the disaster that was Other M, I was worried Nintendo had taken poor old Samus out behind the barn and shot her, and promptly dumped her body next to the moldering corpse of Captain Falcon.

Chapel Collins
Battlefront II. - Look, I know the first was divisive, to say the least, but I thought there was a lot of enjoyment to be had. I played it a LOT, and I the promise of that same incredibly solid core with more content (and for me specifically, the Clone Wars) has got me really excited.

Far Cry 5 - I love Far Cry 3. Solid gameplay, a fantastic setting, and a really interesting story that essentially deconstructs the nature of violence in video games. It seems Ubisoft knew they had something great with the game, so they essentially just did it again in a different spot that wasn't all that different when you break it down. Far Cry 5 seems like it's going to genuinely shake up the formula again. Montana is such an interesting location for a series that usually takes place in third world countries desolate enough to fire a rocket launcher without alerting the national guard. I can't wait to see how they pull it off.

Metroid: Samus Returns - I think Metroid Fusion is one of the best games ever made. The MetroidVania style of game is such a solid system, and I'm really excited to see it updated the appropriate amount with Samus Returns. There are some games, like Dark Souls, which take that formula and really shake it up, primarily by taking it to the third dimension. Samus Returns seems to be taking the Shadow Complex approach of modernizing the game but keeping close to its roots, and I think that's wonderful.

Dan Colonna
Super Mario Odyssey - This game reeks of ridiculous, and I love it. Nintendo seems to be embracing the fact that video games can excel when they disrupt a norm on a regular basis. Mario becoming a possessor of all beings seems crazy and yet fits so well.

Metroid series games - It's no secret that Nintendo's Alien-influenced franchise has seen better years. After blowing us away on the GameCube a few times, Metroid Prime fell out of existence until now. With this, and the olive branch that is the remake of Metroid 2: Return of Samus, fans can finally get back to the world of Metroid in the modern age.

A Way Out - The genre of cooperative gaming is in a dire state. Couch co-op - once a given with all multiplayer games - has become a blessing when it's included in a new title. A Way Out revisits what works about co-op gaming by making it mandatory. I'm so excited to see what this game's narrative is like, and how any conflict between the two characters gets resolved as the game progresses. 

Kinsey Danzis
Dishonored 2: Death of the Outsider - I'm a sucker for games with atmosphere like that in Dishonored 2, especially when it involves sneaking around (not because I suck at combat what are you talking about). How can I not be excited about this, especially having played all the DLC of the first Dishonored AND THEN finding out the truth about Meagan Foster? I'm wondering how closely the two will actually align (and how Billie will factor into it all, because I'll admit a bit of an obsession with her).

Assassin's Creed Origins - ANCIENT EGYPT???? STEALTH???? ASSASSINS???? A GAME NOT OVERWHELMED BY TIRED REUSES OF THE SAME RACE/SETTING/PLOT/POSSIBLY GENDER ARCHETYPE???? That's like my entire cup of tea right there and then some. I can't wait to see what adventures I can have in ancient Egypt. If this were set somewhere else, like ancient Greece or something, you can bet I wouldn't be nearly so excited about it. I'm hoping it aligns more with Assassin's Creed 3 than, say, Unity, but we'll see how it goes.

Far Cry 5 - I've never been big into the Far Cry series for anything except Let's Plays; I acknowledge that they're good games, but playing as a white guy murdering people in the middle of a foreign country has never really appealed to me. Now, with a customizable protagonist and a setting much closer to home, I'm really interested in seeing how Ubisoft handles this, and will more than likely try to get my hands on a copy once it comes out.

Undertale - Look I don't have a PS4 or a Vita so this affects me in exactly zero ways, but this news came so out of left field for me that I can't help but put it here. Undertale is such a delightfully quirky game with one of the most unique yet fitting soundtracks I've ever heard, but the nature of its creation made me think it would only ever be a Steam game. Congratulations, Sony fans; if you're part of the audience to which Undertale appeals, I'm happy for you. I'll just be over here on my Xbox, sulking.

Charles Husemann
Battlefront 2 - I was hyped for Battlefront 2 going into E3 and the footage they showed got me even more excited for the game. While I was hoping for more info on the single player campaign I was impressed with the changes EA made to the multiplayer portion of the game. The new battle points system makes me think that the distribution of vehicles and heroes is going to be a bit more even and much less random than the previous system and I'm hoping that improves the flow of the game significantly.

Anthem - A Destiny Game as a Service type of game from Bioware? Yeah, count me in now. I'm not necessarily sure it's a game that I will pick up on launch as these types of games take a patch or four to reach stability and balance but I'm really digging what I saw. I'm interested to see if the class system is tied to the armor you use which will allow you to switch classes easily or if it's a more traditional RPG style where you are limited to one class.

Sprint Vector - I've been following this game for months as Survios did a great job with Raw Data and this game kind of looks like a VR version of Mirror's Edge.

Randy Kalista
Anthem - If Kotaku's reporting is to be believed (and Jason Schreier indeed does excellent reporting) then one of BioWare's biggest problems when building Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda was fighting the Frostbite engine. So, with Anthem, it finally looks like BioWare stopped fighting and started taking advantage of what Frostbite does best. Anthem immediately gets in your face with excellent faces and facial animation, seamlessly moves you from gear displayed to gear equipped, from downtime playground to open-world sandbox, and from mission briefing to mission accomplished. Looks like a mech-powered Dinotopia without a gridlocked inventory menu in sight.

Griftlands - I want to call this one Hyper Light Grifter with its tall stranger blown in from parts unknown, the mercenary glint in her eyes, and the dirty-pool tactics played on both sides of the table. The almost-Aeon-Flux-styled artwork is a good fit in the beat-up landscape. This game makes me want to serve up a couple cold plates of revenge, rubbing elbows with cold shoulders, while trusting no one and nothing but the two coins rubbing together in my pocket. Surviving in a dead world rarely looks and feels this rewarding.

Shadow of the Colossus - I never had a PlayStation 2. So if you'll pardon me that one unpardonable sin, might I say this remake of Shadow of the Colossus leaves quite an impression. A sad, wordless tale about a boy, his horse, and his lost love. I'm ready for the wide-open sadness of the plains. I'm dying for those long rides across the landscape and across memory. Can't wait to take a man with nothing to lose, and having him take everything from these unimaginable giants. It's finally time for me to engage the granddaddy of boss rushes.

Skull and Bones - If I never had to set foot on land again in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, I'd never miss it. The blue bowl of the Caribbean, the salty air filling the sails of the Jackdaw—you can smell the seamanship and hear the sea chanteys from a nautical mile away. I'm leery of Skull and Bones being multiplayer only. I'm leery of it looking like little battle arenas being fenced off across the map. But I'm a seadog, and nothing gets my old Navy heart pumping like shoving my cockswain up the poop deck and securing the booty when thar she blows. You heard me.

Rob Larkin
Shadow of the Colossus  - I first saw this game when I was traveling a lot and console-less in the Adam Sandler film, Reign on Me. I thought it looked so amazing when Sandler's character was playing on screen there was no way it was a real game at the time. Games in 2007 just didn't look that gorgeous. I finally got my chance to play on the PS3 remaster with Ico but purchased it just before I was to head off to grad school and didn't have time to finish before I was off to start my studies and again leave my console behind (distractions, y'know). Now I finally get a chance to settle down with a game I've been eager to play for nearly 10 years. It looks every bit as amazing as the original and I've had that taste form the first few Colossus so ready for more. 

Beyond Good and Evil 2 - I remember the first as being one of my favorite games on the PS2. It was so original and fresh and had a wonderful story to tell. I can't wait for the sequel, not so much for how it looks and its quirky cast; but if the storytelling can match the original, then I'll be on cloud nine. Even if this iteration doesn't match the delivery of its predecessor, that first game was so good the sequel deserves a playthrough. 

Fallout 4 VR - This game probably should be higher on the list, but as I don't have a VR set and no plans to get one because, responsibilities, I'll probably never play it. But I adore Fallout 4 and have high hopes for the future of VR and this seems like a game that, even if it isn't pulled off as a technical masterpiece can set the stage for the immersion that VR can become. I want to wander the wasteland in VR probably more than any location in any other game, and soon that opportunity will be a reality. 

Nicholas Leon
Spider-Man - I'd really like to see a game where I can just relax, and swing around in a good-looking New York City. That, and recreate the emotional experiences of the web-swinging of Spider-Man 2 on my Gamecube all those years ago. If there's one thing I want, it's J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. I guess I won't be terribly upset (nor surprised, come on, I can be realistic) if that doesn't happen, but I'm sure Insomniac knows what they're doing. If I have any doubts about the game, it's the Arkham-style combat. I've seen it before, and although it's got a new skin in the form of Spider-Man, that doesn't excuse the fact that they showed us something that we've seen before.

Super Mario Odyssey - I'm not saying that I'm as excited for this as I was for Super-Mario Sunshine, but...I am. I can finally play as a hipster wearing overalls and a mustache while riding his Vespa. Nintendo knows to give consumers what they want. 

Far Cry 5 - I love the state of Montana. It's so beautiful, and the people who are out there, are out there, if you know what I mean. This is, as far as I know, the first time Far Cry has ever set foot on American soil, and its timing is very interesting. It hasn't been that long since the previous Far Cry came out, so here's hoping that this one doesn't feel rushed.

Matt Mirkovich
Beyond Good and Evil 2 - Yeah, yeah I know, it was just a trailer. But Michel Ancel! You saw those tears after he came out, this time it's for real! And hearing the details about the game makes it sound incredibly ambitious, and honestly, I'd rather invest in this franchise than the $800 dollar monstrosity that is that Assassin's Creed Origins collector's edition. I don't know what's more impressive at this point, Ancel's ambition, or Ubisoft's gall.

Super Mario Odyssey - I'm ready to take this odyssey with Mario. The hat mechanic looks like a lot of fun, and being able to turn in to a wide variety of classic Mario enemies and new NPCs (although becoming a citizen of New Donk City is off-putting) seems like it'll add a ton of new gameplay elements. Everything I've seen from this game so far has me super excited as a Switch owner, and this holiday season can't come soon enough.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - What, another Mario game? Yup, from the moment I saw this during the Ubisoft press event, I knew I wanted in on it. All the fun of XCom, Disgaea, and other strategy greats with a Mushroom Kingdom coat of paint, that'll get me on board. I don't even care for the Rabbids as characters, but for some reason this game has me captivated. And it's coming out in just a little over two months? Yeah, it's an awesome time to be a Nintendo fan, which I didn't think I'd be saying so soon after the console's launch.

Kevin O'Connell
Forza 7 - Can't wait to see if the graphics in the trailers match the career breadth. Too long has the career been too heavy racing, too heavy car specific, and waayyy too long to beat. I hope that the track list matches the car list as well. I was looking at Forza 4's list of tracks and it is ridiculously better than 5 or 6.

Call of Duty WW2 - After loving Battlefield for the past month, I'm looking forward to COD's take on a more advanced war. After I played Infinate Warfare and digging it, I think WW2 is going to be fantastic.

Griftlands - Very interesting game that kinda gives the Borderlands vibe with looks and adds turn-based fighting. I think this could be a game that gives a lighthearted boost to all of the Fallout/State of Decay depressive landscapes. Curious as to the depth of character customization and weaponry available.

John Yan

Fortnight - I've spent a ton of hours in Left 4 Dead and 7 Days to Die. A game that combines both? Sign me up. Build up your fort, defend it with three other friends. It looks like a ton of fun to me!

Anthem - OK, I'm a sucker for co-op games and this looks like a Destiny type co-op game from one of the premier studios. Let's hope BioWare can take Anthem and turn it around after the disappointment that was Mass Effect Andromeda. This is a brand new type of game for them, but I have faith they can pull it off.

Fallout 4 VR - Again, I'm a sucker for good VR games and Fallout has been at the top of my list for a VR conversion. It looks like they did a lot of work trying to make it play well and being able to just bring up the arm to view the Pipboy is pretty awesome. I also like they have options on how you want to move about in the world, but I am disappointed none of the DLC's are coming with it yet.

Those are our picks?  Feel free to share yours in the comments below.