E3 has come and gone, and we were given looks at upcoming titles that are sure to leave a long lasting impression on the video game industry. VR made a huge splash with PlayStation's showing of it's new PlayStation VR hardware, Battlefield 1 is bringing the franchise back in time and forward into the future simultaneously, and The Legend of Zelda will be receiving its next installment with what looks to be Nintendo's next classic.
There were so many awesome games at E3 that it must have been difficult for the 40 media sources who were given the task of picking the Best of Show winners. However, a consensus was reached, and without further ado here are the winners of E3 2016's Best of Show Awards.
Best Independent Game
Inside
Inside is a puzzle platformer developed by Playdead which puts the player in control of a nameless, red-shirted boy who explores the different environments that make up his surreal world.
Players can make the boy run, jump, climb, swim, and interact with his surroundings in order to complete each puzzle. The boy also has mind control and some form of telekinetic powers to aid him on his journey through the dreary world of Inside.
Inside has a lovely monochromatic palette with only blots of color here and there to accentuate important parts of the game's environment. The lack of color matches the feel of the game, which portrays a world filled with masked individuals, mad scientists, and parasite infested swine.
Inside is out now for the Xbox 1 and PC.
Best Online Multiplayer
Titanfall 2
Respawn Entertainment's highly anticipated sequel made a bang at E3 for its improved Multiplayer. A slew of new items, abilities, Titan Classes, and game types have all been included in the next installment of the FPS, freerunning, robot slugfest.
Besides Titanfall 2's multiplayer, a single player campaign has been added. The lack of single player options in the first Titanfall was a glaring problem in many people's eyes, and it is good that Respawn has learned from their mistakes.
Titanfall 2's projected release date is October 28th for the PlayStation 4, Xbox 1, and PC.
Best Family Game
Skylanders: Imaginators will be the next installment of the popular toys to life series. Toys For Bob is back at it again, this time allowing players to create their own custom Skylanders.
The game features a huge amount of potential for character customization, and a guest appearance by Crash Bandicoot, who is coming out of retirement after his last appearance in 2010 with Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2.
Skylanders: Imaginators will be released on October 16th for the Xbox 1, PlayStation 4, and Wii U.
Best Strategy Game and Best PC Game
Civilization VI
Sid Meier's enormously successful franchise is getting its next installment, and there are a bunch of new features that Civilization fans should be excited about.
Civilization 6 brings unstacked cities so that all of your hub's main parts are in the center of the city. Cities are split up into districts like science, military, and religion which get adjacency bonuses from sharing borders with features like mountains and walls.
More features include Agenda and Gossip, new multiplayer modes to add diversity, and new implementation of civics and religion.
Civilization 6 will be released October 21st for PC, OSX, and Linux.
Best Sports Game
Steep
Steep is an extreme sports game being developed by Ubisoft Annecy which focuses on snowboarding, skiing, wingsuits, and paragliding. Players can switch between third person and first person perspectives, which makes it seem like Steep is begging to be played in VR.
A big emphasis is being placed on online play, as every player occupies the same open world. Exploring Steep's terrain and sharing your spots, tricks, and falls are an integral part of getting the most out of the game.
Steep's projected release date is sometime in December for the PlayStation 4, Xbox 1, and PC.
Best Fighting Game
Injustice 2
NetherRealm Studios announced their sequel to the DC fighting game Injustice: Gods Amongst Us, and dishing out the pain with Supergirl, Batman, and Aquaman is going to look prettier than ever.
Injustice 2 adds a new gear feature that will let players customize their fighters to their own personal taste. Hopefully, NetherRealm decides to include the fighting style mechanic from Mortal Kombat X, as it brought a new level of diversity to characters which hadn't really been done in fighting games before.
Injustice 2 is projected to be released at either the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox 1.
Best Racing Game
Forza Horizon 3
Environmental aesthetics have always been an important part of racing games. If I'm going to drive a pretty car, I should at least be able to drive it surrounded by pretty scenery right?
Playground Games certainly seems to have this mindset, because Forza Horizon 3 is beautiful, like, drop to your knees and weep beautiful.
Forza Horizon 3 is set in an open world based on Australia that is two times the size of the series' last installment. 350 vehicles will be available at launch, and the game will feature cross-platform play.
Forza Horizon 3 will be released on September 27th for the Xbox 1 and PC.
Best RPG
Final Fantasy XV is the next numbered installment in the legendary franchise. Set in a world that is connected to XIII, XV veers off from the railroady feel that XIII had, and instead takes place in a seamless open world which only requires loading screens when transitioning into towns and cities.
It's nice to see a return to the Final Fantasy World Map of old, and it's even better that encounters happen naturally instead of random battles like in the older installments. The game's environment seems like a nice blend of the less technological areas of Final Fantasy games, and the hyper-industrialized world of Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy XV will feature a battle system similar to Kindom Hearts, and even though I weep for the loss of classic turn-based Final Fantasy, this seems like a move in the right direction.
Final Fantasy XV will be released on September 30th for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 1.
Best Action Game
Battlefield 1
EA Dice is taking the war to the trenches with Battlefield 1. Set in the first World War, Battlefield 1 will be one of the first major shooters to be set in this time period, and based on the success of the past Battlefield titles, there is a lot to look forward to.
Environmental variety and manipulation, a huge amount of vehicles, and historical accuracy are just a few key facets of BF 1 which will separate the game from its peers if done properly. The series is known for its large-scale battles, and recreations of the conflicts in WWI on the newest generation of systems will surely provide for an intense experience.
Battlefield 1 will be released on October 21st for PlayStation 4, Xbox 1, and PC.
Best Hardware/Peripheral
Playstation VR
On October 13th PlayStation VR will be released in the United States. There are more than 50 titles that will be available, including classic series which have been adapted for virtual reality, and new franchises that are specific to Playstation VR.
VR is the next step in gaming and Sony seems to have hit the nail on the head with their newest tech. PlayStation VR will be sold for $499, which seems to be a little steep, but one must also remember that peripherals this revolutionary only come by every so often.
Best VR Game
Batman: Arkham VR
With PlayStation VR comes the potential for franchises which have made a huge splash in the industry to re-imagine how their games are played. Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham series set the standard for superhero games, and will most likely do the same with its PlayStation VR addition to the series.
Not much has been shown of Batman: Arkham VR, but if history repeats itself like it usually does, we're sure to receive a product that will be just as solid as the previous installments of the series.
Best Original Game
Horizon Zero Dawn
Set 1,000 years in the future after humanity has fled Earth, Horizon Zero Dawn tells the story of a young woman whose tribe hunts the mechanized animals that have come to dominate the planet.
Horizon Zero Dawn combines gorgeous visuals with fast-paced gameplay in what will surely be a memorable experience. Guerilla Games hasn't developed a new IP since Killzone came out in 2004, and Horizon Zero Dawn will be their first go at an RPG.
Horizon Zero Dawn will be released on February 27th exclusively for the PlayStation 4.
Best of Show, Best Console Game, and Best Action/Adventure Game
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
If you play video games than you've probably played Zelda. From Ocarina of Time to The Minish Cap, there have been so many iterations of the series that each new generation of gamers has had their own experiences with Link and Miyamoto's cast of timeless characters.
At E3 2016 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stole the show. With its cartoony palette that seems like a love letter to Wind Waker, Breath of the Wild takes the series to new heights beyond just visual improvements.
An open world will be implemented for the first time in a Zelda game, with minimal emphasis placed on entrances and exits to different zones. Link can now jump and climb freely, which will allow players to explore Breath of the Wild's lovely environment to their heart's content.
Breath of the Wild is projected for a 2017 release on the Wii U.
And that's it! From the streets of Arkham to beginnings of entire civilizations, E3 2016 definitely had a lot going on to be excited about. It will be interesting to see the developments as the summer closes out and the holiday season begins to loom its cheery head once again.
One thing is for certain, with the amount of AAA titles that we got a peek at, 2016 will certainly be ending with a blast that hopefully carries on into the start of 2017.
Published: Jul 9, 2016 01:53 pm