E3 2017: the next stars of gaming

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3, for short) is gaming’s biggest show of the year where various publishers show off their massive guns for the year. As with every year, 2017 was a fount of new games, next-generation consoles, and nostalgia magnets. Big video game names like Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA, Bethesda, and Nintendo graced the limelight with announcements that left our wallets in absolute terror.

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EA

Electronic Arts kicks off E3 with a flurry of sci-fi and sports games. Need for Speed Payback teases a heist and racing story that harkens back to the good old days of the Fast and Furious franchise. In the world of actual sports, EA announced added realism to new games like Fifa 18 and NBA Live 18.

As for science fiction, EA continued its promotion of the upcoming sequel Star Wars: Battlefront II. It will come with both single-player and multiplayer modes and will include all eras in the Star Wars universe. They promise fixes for the problems that plagued its predecessor. Arguably, EA’s gem this year is Anthem, a Bioware-developed post-apocalyptic co-op RPG with Iron-Man exosuits. As most teasers go, a lot of details are still in the dark. Finally, A Way Out is a co-op split-screen prison break game developed by the same team behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Microsoft

In terms of volume, Microsoft was relatively quiet but their one announcement delivered a massive impact to console gaming. After much speculation, they revealed that Project Scorpio is the Xbox One X. It touts itself as the next generation of gaming for Microsoft. It will go head-to-head against Sony’s next-generation console, the PlayStation 4 Pro. It will support 4K resolutions. Like the Xbox One, it will be backwards-compatible with several Xbox 360 games. It will carry a hefty $499 price tag.

Bethesda

Despite being known for the Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda made their name last year by reinventing classic shooters Doom and Wolfenstein. Likewise, Bethesda is once again beefing up its other IPs with a round of exciting sequels and expansions. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider expands the lore revisited by last year’s Dishonored 2. Like the series’ first entry, this DLC focuses on the assassin Doud and his partner Billie Lurk. This time, they’ve got the almighty Outsider on their crosshairs. Additionally, we got a teaser for The Evil Within II, the sequel to Bethesda’s psychological horror game. Finally, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus returns to an alternate-history America where the Nazis won Wold War II. It looks like a fair number of characters from the first game are also returning.

Besides these new games, Bethesda is releasing a number of VR versions for their beloved IPs. Soon, we’ll have Skyrim VR, Fallout VR, and Doom VR on our headgear.

Ubisoft

As always, Ubisoft brings in the big guns to the E3 conference. Let’s not delay; we all know who’s going to be the star for Ubisoft—Assassin’s Creed. The series has enjoyed a barrage of speculation for years since its last game, Syndicate. Finally, we have confirmation. Assassin’s Creed Origins explores the birth of the Assassins Brotherhood during Ptolemaic Egypt. Offering quite a bit of an overhaul from its usual formula, Origins turns the series into a more RPG-focused game with well-rounded combat and more immersion.

Like the above, Far Cry 5 gets a fresh, new look apart from its tried-and-tested formula. Instead of taking you to desolate but lush locations, the fifth game takes place in America’s own backyard—Hope County, Montana where a cultish congregation takes over and terrorizes the population.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag was one of the most perfect entries in the series. Years after its release, Ubisoft is finally releasing a sequel to Black Flag… kind of. Shedding its Assassin’s Creed bonds, Skull & Bones is a pirate game through-and-through. The conference focused on the game’s PvP naval combat, but more content has already been speculated.

Ubisoft has also made its case for E3’s most surprising announcement. Arguably one of the most critically acclaimed games from generations past, Beyond Good and Evil announces its much-awaited sequel, headed by its original designer Michel Ancel. Speaking of Ancel, his other creation, the Rayman universe is getting a crossover series with… Super Mario? What? Yes, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an unholy spawn that crossbreeds the two universes with an XCOM-like gameplay.

Sony

Despite the appearance of the Xbox One X, Sony is still mum about a possible PS5 release this year. Regardless, it’s made up for the lack by announcing a downpour of games. Announced prior to the conference, we saw more of the upcoming God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

From the creators of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls comes Detroit: Become Human, a heavily choice-driven sci-fi game with androids. The Last of Us 2 was strangely silent this year, but another zombie shooter takes center stage—Days Gone, a survival horror game that was also presented last year. Adding to this year’s smash hit Horizon Zero Dawn, The Frozen Wilds is an expansion that takes Aloy to a new snowy location with new dinosaurs, characters, and armor. Finally, Sony is adapting one of its best games from years past to the present generation. Shadow of the Colossus will be getting a remaster for the PS4.

Nintendo

Nintendo caps off this year’s E3 with new additions for the Switch. Later this year and next year, the Nintendo Switch will be getting Yoshi, Kirby, Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon RPG games exclusive to the console. Additionally, Breath of the Wild will be getting its first DLC later by the end of June.

Nintendo’s biggest star is Super Mario Odyssey. Wow, it’s a doozy. Odyssey infuses wackiness to Nintendo’s beloved 3D platformer style. Based on its first teaser, Mario will be able to control (and actually be) various enemies and game elements. In the video, there are mustachioed dinosaurs, Bullet Bills, Goombas, Cheep Cheeps, and correctly proportioned men.