We are less than a week away from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (commonly referred to as "E3") in Los Angeles and just like last year we will be covering the event and taking a ton of photos from the show floor. Being that E3 is one of my favorite events of the year, I can’t help but eagerly anticipate what new games and accessories are going to be unveiled. Hit the jump for the top 3 things I think we should all be excited about from Microsoft, Nintendo, & Sony.
MICROSOFT
#1 - Sunset Overdrive - Xbox One
In a surprise move, Insomniac Games, well known for their PlayStation games including Ratchet & Clank, Spyro, and Resistance, are releasing a new game exclusive to the Xbox One! Sunset Overdrive is a crazy third-person shooter set in an open world where you are tasked with fighting off humans who have OD’d on drinking too many energy drinks. You do this by using insane weapons (for example, teddy bears strapped with TNT) all while wall running, zip-lining, and jumping all over the place. The cast of playable characters and enemies are all extremely different than anything we have seen before. This looks to be one of the first games to really push the next-gen console and is definitely one to keep an eye on at E3.
#2 - Halo 5: Guardians - Xbox One
For Xbox fans everywhere, there is one game that is synonymous with the system: Halo. At E3 last year, Microsoft teased a brand new entry into that series. Last month, 343 Industries, the developers behind the game, officially announced Halo 5: Guardians is coming this fall. The art shows a new character wearing a blue visor and standing in the reflection of Master Chief. While a teaser trailer shown last year showed a poncho-wearing Master Chief trekking through the desert, 343 General Manager, Bonnie Ross, indicated this will be the start of a new journey for the series. With a brand new console to take advantage of, it is going to be very interesting to see where that journey leads.
#3 - Fable Legends - Xbox One
If you have never checked out the Fable series, it is best explained as Microsoft’s version of Zelda. While it shares the same role playing action and adventure style of gameplay, what makes it different is the element of decision making throughout the game that makes your character either good or evil. With Fable Legends, the developers at Lionhead Studios look to take that one step farther by letting you play as the villain of the game. This is concept that will hopefully be explored in more detail at E3. While Microsoft has confirmed there will be a huge presence for the game, we do know that it features up to four player co-op and Lionhead Studios boss John Needham claims it will be the most beautiful game yet on the platform. The online play of this title is going to be very interesting to hear more about since Needham claims it will have a 5-10 year lifespan.
NINTENDO
#1 - Super Smash Bros. - Wii U/3DS
Wow, it has been 6 years since the last entry in the Smash Bros. series was released! This year we aren’t just getting one new game, but two. Super Smash Bros. is coming for both the 3DS this summer followed by the Wii U in the winter. With new characters including Punch-Out’s Little Mac, Mario Galaxy’s Rosalina & Luma, and even the Wii Fit Trainers, this cast of Nintendo favorites is surprisingly diverse. You are even going to be able to face Mario against Sonic the Hedgehog. Nintendo also announced in conjunction with E3, they will be hosting the Super Smash Bros. Invitational. A single elimination tournament featuring some of the games' best players will be held on June 10th at the Nokia Theatre at LA Live. If you can’t make it in person fear not; the event will be broadcasted live on Twitch for everyone to watch. There have been concerns over the current Wii U gamepads and whether they will live up to the gold standard of the Gamecube controllers. Well, Nintendo has solved that problem for everyone by unveiling an adapter that will allow you to dust off your favorite Gamecube controller and go to battle with it. Nintendo is really going all out with Super Smash Bros. and are making it look like it will be their big thing this year.
#2 - The Legend of Zelda - Wii U
The Legend of Zelda series ranks as one of my all-time favorite ongoing game series. I have played the crap out of every game and while The Wind Waker HD re-release and the 3DS A Link Between Two Worlds were both fantastic, I have really been wanting a new Zelda console game. Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has said that they will have info on the new game at this year's E3. What that info will be is still unknown, but honestly any news is good news. At last year's event they showed an HD tech demo that looked pretty fantastic, but there has been no indication that this will have any connection to the new game. I am hoping for a darker, more mature version of Zelda that falls more in line with Twilight Princess than Wind Waker, but the idea of having a brand new game designed specifically for HD is more than enough for me.
#3 – Unannounced New 3DS Game
Nintendo announced that they will be hosting a 90 minute event on the evening of June 11th that solely focuses on a new 3DS game. What that game could be is still a mystery. Could it be the long whispered The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D release? While I would gladly welcome that, I am hoping it is a new game. Maybe a new entry in the Metroid franchise? All I know is that if they are dedicating 90 minutes to it, then it is something big, and something we should all be excited about!
SONY
#1 - Project Morpheus - PS4
If you own or have seen a Sony Playstation 4 controller, you may have noticed a light that emits from the top. While originally this was attributed to Sony’s attempt to continue their Playstation Move motion control concept, it has now come to light that is part of their new Virtual Reality headset peripheral codenamed "Project Morpheus". That light, in conjunction with the Playstation 4 camera, allow the system to motion track the player as they are immersed in the game they are playing via the VR headset. The whole project is still pretty tight lipped, but after showing it off at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, you can be sure to see it get a big unveiling at E3.
#2 - Uncharted 4 - PS4
Concerns over the future of Uncharted 4 began to mount after the game director, Justin Richmond, and long time series writer Amy Hennig, both left the game's developer, Naughty Dog Studios. However, all is definitely not lost. According to IGN, the development team is now being lead by directors Neil Druckman and Bruce Staley, who just brought us the incredible The Last of Us on PS3. Druckman and Staley already worked on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, so they are very familiar with the territory and some consider that to be the best entry into the series so far. While little about the game is known right now, the fact these two are on board is enough to make this one of the most highly anticipated games coming for the new console.
#3 - The Order: 1886 - PS4
The recently delayed The Order: 1886 has been in development since 2010 and finally looks to be almost ready to go. This third-person action-adventure game is set in an alternate version of London that seems very steampunk influenced, and you are tasked with defeating werewolf-looking monsters. While it seems that the developers just needed a little more time to get everything running the way they envisioned, we should definitely be seeing a lot of this game at E3. It will be interesting to finally see this game in a playable setting, as it might be the first time we see what the PS4 is really capable of.
That is my Top 3 right now for the big three companies, and with E3 less than a week away, I am sure many more big things are going to come to light. I haven’t even touched on the giant amount of indie developers and cross-platform games that are sure to make a splash. E3 2014 coverage will continue next week when I bring you photos from the show floor and my Best in Show. Until then, let me know in the comments if there is something else that I should be excited to see, or something you definitely want me to check out.