Hundreds of games showed up for E3 this year. With our staff of nearly a dozen people in attendance we were able to get hands-on with a sizable portion of the titles, and personally experience what they're shaping up to be. Some were better than others, as usual, and a select few stood out as having what it takes to eventually be popular titles that may contend for game of the year in the future.
Below we will go over the 10 games that showed up at E3 2016 that you need to know about.
Battlefield 1
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: October 21st, 2016
Preview: Battlefield 1 Gets World War Right
Why It's Great: Battlefield is once again ready to carry the weight of pushing technology forward for the first-person shooter genre with physics, destructible environments, and visuals that are a step above the competition. Massive battles waged on the show floor at E3 captured watchful eyes as EA DICE's masterful audio work reverberated through the halls. The game's World War 1 setting is a perfect fit for the series, with its dangerous trenches and noisy biplanes. This is the biggest FPS to look forward to this year.
BattleZone VR
Platforms: PSVR
Release Date: October 13th, 2016
Preview: Get Your Pew Pew On With BattleZone
Why It's Great: There are more than 50 games in the pipeline for PSVR, and many of them were on the E3 show floor. While a large chunk of these games were glorified tech demos, BattleZone VR proved that it's a highly polished experience that will make you come back for more, something uncommon among VR games. Commanding tanks within virtual reality feels remarkably natural, providing a point of view that simply wasn't possible in previous generations. As fans of the classic BattleZone we were surprised at how well the game works in VR, and can't wait to play more.
For Honor
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 14th, 2017
Preview: Dynasty Warriors ain't got nothin' on For Honor
Why It's Great: Melee combat is something that thousands of games have tried to perfect over the years, but few of them deliver anything worth calling satisfying. For Honor uses a joystick-driven "Art of Battle" system that introduces skill and timing in the same way that EA's Skate did for the skateboarding genre. It's enjoyable beyond what virtually every other melee combat focused title at the show had to offer, backed by playable knights, samurai, and vikings. Ubisoft Montreal has some neat ideas for campaign and multiplayer that'll use the combat system to its fullest, which has us excited for its release next year.
Forza Horizon 3
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Release Date: September 27th, 2016
Preview: Forza Horizon 3 Heads to Beautiful Australia
Why It's Great: Forza Horizon 3 is effective at being a fun-to-play racing game. Its handling model is refined thanks to the series' long history, making exploration of its massive and diverse landscapes fun no matter how good or bad you are at driving vehicles. Speaking of which, there are hundreds of cars and trucks of all types, each meticulously detailed inside and out. Driving these vehicles within the beautiful and diverse landscape of Forza Horizon 3 while listening to its catchy soundtrack is a treat, let alone the hundreds of events and innovative social features that the game includes. This was undoubtedly the most popular racing game at the show and has a shot at being one of this Fall's greatest games.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: 2017
Preview: Prepare For Addiction in Gwent
Why It's Great: A few of our staff here at GameRevolution are fans of The Witcher 3's Gwent card game. Naturally, when a standalone was announced at E3 we were excited. We're happy to report that it's everything we wanteed from such a game and then some. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game takes the tried-and-true Gwent formula and expands on it to provide better progression and balance. The cards and board are much better looking, too. No, it's not a mobile game, and it's better off for it. It's worth looking forward to even if you weren't a huge Gwent fan if only to enjoy the new single-player campaign that will offer traditional Witcher content.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: January 24th, 2017
Preview: Resident Evil 7's Demo Is A Good Sign of Things To Come
Why It's Great: After years of hearing deafening feedback from Resident Evil fans, Capcom decided to listen. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a direct response to gamers desiring a AAA first-person horror game, especially with P.T. and Allison Road having been canceled. It was one of the most discussed game at E3 due to its engrossing and horrifying world. Although what was shown was focused on slow, methodical exploration, the game will include action elements and plenty of Resident Evil mainstays. There wasn't another horror game at the show that came anywhere close to generating the same amount of positive buzz.
Sea of Thieves
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Release Date: Q1 2017
Preview: Sea of Thieves Delivers the Only Realistic Banter At Microsoft's E3 Presser
Why It's Great: Massively multiplayer sandbox games have been trending in recent years. Unfortunately, the genre is packed down with low budget games equipped with sub-par visuals and gameplay. Rare plans to change that with Sea of Thieves by delivering something beautiful and cohesive. Its gameplay reveal drew in widespread applause for its colorful world and great social interaction. Many gamers had a chance to try out the game on the E3 show floor, and many of them had an exciting experience similar to what was shown in the gameplay reveal. That's a very, very good sign for its future.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Platforms: PC
Release Date: October 21st, 2016
Preview: Civilization VI Hands-On
Why It's Great: The Civilization series is known for having an abundance of replay value, something that you don't encounter often in the modern era of gaming. Civilization VI will carry the torch of its predecessors by refining the formula further. Although many have noticed that it somehow looks less attractive than Civilization V, it's for good reason. Civilization VI will allow you to build and develop your cities across multiple tiles, representing each major structure similar to SimCity. This, combined with major improvements on diplomacy and victory conditions, is reason alone to anticipate its launch later this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Platforms: NX, Wii U
Release Date: 2017
Preview: Breath of the Wild Is a Breath of Fresh Air
Why It's Great: This game has been in development for what feels like forever, and it shows. Breath of the Wild is the biggest and most ambitous The Legend of Zelda game yet, with a massive open-world that invites freedom of choice. It brings with it an ingredient and cooking system, an interactive environment, and a wide assortment of weaponry. Frankly, it's the most significant gameplay deviation the series has ever seen, and that could result in what could end up being a truly special The Legend of Zelda game.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3
Platforms: PC
Release Date: 2017
Preview: Dawn of War 3 Hands-On
Why It's Great: Next to StarCraft, the Dawn of War games are perhaps the most positively received in the RTS genre during the past 15 years. It's known for being a series that properly capitalizes on the IP with fantastic art and audio backed by casual-friendly game dynamics. Dawn of War 3 is being designed true to the heritage of the series with a focus on unit creation and combat, making the barrier of entry much smaller than traditional RTS games. Unlike most of the games at E3 it's exclusive to PC, and that has resulted in unbelievably good-looking graphics. Seeing Space Marines, Orks, and Eldar clash in this level of fidelity is unbelievable.
