Updated looks at already revealed games are all fine and good, but what makes E3 truly exciting are the new games — the games you’ve never seen, or in some case, even heard of before. If can be hard to keep track of all the games announced at the show, so here’s a handy list of the top 10 games newly unveiled at E3 2014 that you should be keeping a close eye on…
10) Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC/Xbox One/PS4)
Okay, so the title is horrible and most of the debut trailer was spent in a psychiatrist’s office, but still, it’s a sequel to the much-loved 2013 Tomb Raider reboot! One that promises to actually have some tomb raiding! Those two things alone make Rise of the Tomb Raider one to watch in 2015.
9) Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)
Oh, screw you, Captain Toad is awesome. The Captain Toad stages were some of the most entertaining parts of Super Mario 3D World, and Treasure Tracker looks like a refreshingly low-key, thoughtful gaming experience. Also, Captain Toad rides a mothaflippin’ dragon at one point — so yeah, be thankful I didn’t rank this higher.
8) Splatoon (Wii U)
Splatoon isn’t necessarily being made with me and (most) of you in mind — it’s for younger players, young girls in particular, but that said, I still want to play it because it looks like Nintendo at their slightly insane best. If Nintendo markets this one right, it could be a big Garden Warfare-esque success.
7) Abzu (PS4)
A new, sleek-as-sh*t looking game from the makers of Journey and Flower? Yes please. How does Abzu play exactly? I’m not sure, but I’m still pretty much 100% sure I’m going to need to get my hands on this one.
6) LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4)
I’m sure LittleBigPlanet 3 will introduce all sorts of exciting new game building tools, but the real news is that you can now play through the game as an adorable sackpuppy! Or a sackbird! Oh, also all the user-created levels from LittleBigPlanet 1 and 2 can be played in LittleBigPlanet 3 with updated PS4 graphics. That’s pretty rad.
6) Mario Maker (Wii U)
So, speaking of LittleBigPlanet, the concept of the series has basically always been, “Create your own Mario levels, except we don’t own Mario, so here’s a cute little guy made of burlap”. Well, soon you’ll be able to create your own Mario levels then play through them with Mario himself. Holy crap! I’m kind of unreasonably excited about this.
4) Inside (Xbox One)
You thought Limbo was creepy? Well, developer Playdead looks to be turning the unsettling dial to 11 with Inside. The first trailer for Inside makes me downright queasy, and yet I can’t stop watching it.
3) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)
Okay, so, the debut trailer for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was just a long shot of Nathan Drake’s rugged mug, but it was still impressive. If Uncharted 4’s characters look even half as detailed in the final game, it’s going to be truly groundbreaking. Aside from “Look at Nathan Drake’s face!” there wasn’t much to gleam from the trailer, but still, it’s a new Uncharted, obviously it has to place highly on this list.
2) The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda trailer was even briefer than Sony’s Uncharted 4 thing, but it delivered more information. What was with the futuristic, laser shooting enemy? And why does “Link” so different? How will the Zelda formula adapt to the game’s new Skyrim-esque world? So many questions! If Nintendo had shown just a little bit more, I probably would have shot this right to #1, but as it is, there’s one E3 game I find even more intriguing…
1) Bloodborne (PS4)
Much of Bloodborne, the new game from Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, is still being kept under wraps, but what little we know sounds hugely promising. Basically the game is a mash-up between Dark Souls and Resident Evil. The game is a hard-as-nails, action RPG like Dark Souls, but instead of plunging into monster-filled dungeons, you’re hacking your way through a city whose inhabitants have been infected with a plague that’s turns people into deranged, 28 Days Later-style zombies. This thing could not be more in my wheelhouse.
What about you folks? What games announced at this year’s E3 are you most excited for?