E3 2017 has come and gone, but we’re still reeling over some of the surprises shown during the festivities. Both in and outside of the big press conferences gamers were treated to some awesome new trailers and reveals for new and upcoming games, so let’s countdown our favorite announcements and moments from the 2017 E3 event.
10. Spidey Wraps Up Sony’s Press Conference
Sony knocked it out the park with their 2015 and 2016 press conferences through unveiling huge games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake or God of War, and unfortunately their 2017 conference just wasn’t as exciting. However, Sony did managed to end their 2017 show with a bang thanks to an extended gameplay reveal of their upcoming Spider-Man game for the PS4. Although riddled with quick time events, the demo communicated a cinematic sense of scale as Spidey struggled to prevent a helicopter from plummeting to the ground, and it was overall a ton of fun.
9. A New Kingdom Heart 3 Trailer…for Another Trailer!
Oh Kingdom Hearts 3. While officially announced back in 2013, we’ve barely seen any footage of this hotly anticipated sequel, and even after this latest trailer, we’ve still barely seen anything. Seriously, more footage of just Olympus Coliseum? We saw it back in 2015, is this the only world Square Enix has worked on?!? Ok, enough complaining. The game looks pretty, shows mechanics that worked great in 2.8 like magic, and Hades looks real good in Unreal Engine 4. Plus, we’re getting another trailer in July!!! Hooray.
8. Body Snatching with Mario
Nintendo wrapped up their E3 Spotlight presentation with a new Super Mario Odyssey trailer, and now we’re concerned about the ethics of body possession. The trailer revealed a new mechanic in Mario’s latest 3D sandbox platformer for the Switch, where the plumber can toss his hat at almost anything or anyone and gain control of them. We saw a Mario car, a Mario goomba, a Mario T-Rex, and yep, a Mario man. It was goofy fun and immensely terrifying, but now we’re even more excited. October 27 can’t come soon enough.
7. Dropping Acid in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Bethesda may have had a very weak press conference, but they did managed to conclude their show with the reveal of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus through a wacky trailer. This time set in a Third Reich-controlled USA, B.J. Blazkowicz must once more face the Nazi threat with guns, guns, and more guns. While the game looks like a blast and a worthy successor to The First Order, we felt the comedic elements from the trailer were most enticing. Specifically, the LSD-enduced 2D cartoon character at the end of the trailer. If there is a Yellow Submarine trip-like level in The New Colossus, this game is a 10.
6. Xbox One is Getting OG Xbox Backwards Compatibility
The big takeaway from Microsoft’s press conference was that Project Scorpio is called the Xbox One X, and is coming this November for $500. What got us most excited though was the announcement that original Xbox games will be backwards compatible with Xbox One later this year. Microsoft may be in second place this console generation, but if there’s one thing they’ve gotten very right it’s their stance of backwards compatibility. The Xbox team clearly really cares about their platform’s legacy with 360 compatibility for the Xbone, and this is just another gesture of goodwill to Xbox fans. Everybody dust off your copies of Jade Empire and KOTOR!
5. Samus is Back, Baby
Nintendo listened! The much beloved Metroid series is finally back, twofold. The E3 Spotlight presentation revealed that Metroid Prime 4 is being developed for the Switch, and Metroid: Samus Returns is headed to the 3DS this September. While Prime 4 was just a logo and is clearly far off, Samus Returns is a remake of Metroid II, is coming in just a couple of months, and looks incredible. Thank you Nintendo, now Mother 3 please. (Just kidding, take your time.)
4. I Care About Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was one of the worst kept secrets in gaming for months. Numerous leaks outed this Nintendo and Ubisoft collaboration way before it was revealed at the Ubi Press Conference, and many wrote it off as an unnecessary and baffling crossover, myself included. However, when the game was official unveiled and gameplay was shown, I felt like an asshole. Mario+Rabbids is a colorful, cheery, XCOM-esque strategy game, and it looks incredible. Moreover, I now believe in this game because Nintendo believes in this game. When Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage and gave a shout out to Davide Soliani, the game’s creative director, and explained how excited he was for the game, I became excited. And of course, that shout out to Soliani may go on to be one the greatest and most human moments in E3 history.
3. AGRO!
Sony’s 2017 show just didn’t have as many crazy surprises as the 2015 or 2016 press conferences. BUT there was one big surprise…a colossal surprise. Revealed via a short, moody trailer, Shadow of the Colossus is getting remade for the PS4. As it’s being developed by Bluepoint Games, one of the best developers who specialize in porting games, is this really a remake or an extensive remaster? Will there be new Colossus? Will Agro be an even prettier pony? We’ve got lots of questions, but this beautiful trailer is enough to tide us over till this masterpiece returns in 2018.
2. DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ
THIS CAME OUTTA NOWHERE. A new 2.5D Dragon Ball fighting game? From the Guilty Gear developer? With three-character teams? We’re in, and so is everybody else. Seriously, this game looks phenomenal and like the DBZ game fans have always deserved. Screw early 2018, WE WANT YOU NOW!
1. Beyond Good and Evil 2 is Real, and Now I’m Crying
Ubisoft had the best E3 press conference of 2017. Between this and Mario+Rabbids, it’s clear that this company not only really cares about their games, but also the creators who make them. But’s lets back up a sec. Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been one of the last remaining white whales of the video game industry. A follow-up to the first game, a beloved cult-hit but commercial failure, looked unlikely; but since footage shown in 2008, creator Michel Ancel was devoted to making his dream a reality, and he finally has. Sure, the game is actually a prequel to the first game, and we probably won’t be able to play it for years, but the Beyond Good and Evil 2 trailer is exciting, funny, and proof that the wait was worth it.
What makes this our #1 announcement though isn’t really for the trailer itself, but rather what happened afterwards. Michel Ancel took to the Ubisoft stage, was greeted to massive applause, and then he broke down in tears. He thanked the fans, and thanked Ubisoft for believing in his vision, and making his dream a reality. This is what E3 is all about. A celebration of games. Not just irrational hype and trailers, but a celebration of those who love games, and those who love to make them.
Agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know, and here’s to E3 2018.
