Now that the hubbub is dying down and the major titles have been revealed, it’s time to take an objective step back and decide: What were the top games of E3? What were the exclusives and announcements that stuck out? Which games earned a decko but had a ways to go? Which one totally and utterly dominated the competition to stand out as THE game to look forward to when it releases? There were plenty of options and more than a few favourites that had be nixed.
Regardless, in terms of potential and the showing they had, here are our top picks. So join us as we countdown to the Top 10 Games of E3 2013.
10. Project “X”
Monolith Soft, developers of XenoSaga, Baten Kaitos and XenoBlade Chronicles – and also having a part in the classic XenoGears – are working on this game. It’s already confirmed to have mechs. What more do we need? Details, for one. But the potential is rife, and since being exclusive to Nintendo, Monolith has never failed to deliver.
9. Ryse: Son of Rome
For a game which we knew nothing about, save that it was coming from Crytek, Ryse had a lot to prove. Crytek answered by showing us gameplay and the sheer possibilities of Roman warfare and commanding a troop of soldiers in real-time. The standalone combat and set pieces have a fresh intensity to them, despite the somewhat tired setting of Rome. So if ever a game worked its ass off to earn its place, it’s Ryse. But it has a long ways to go before becoming a must-have.
8. The Order: 1886
The studios behind the game are enough to convince us of its potential. However, the environment and the fact that the demo at E3 was in real-time show that The Order could be a major player whenever it does release, and even spawn a big franchise depending on how it’s handled. Till then, we’ll admire the steam-punk meets supernatural approach of the game all the more.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The visuals and massive scope of the game won us over when it was first announced. The tactical combat, environments and open world nature of the game have only convinced us further that The Witcher 3 will be one of the premier RPGs of the next generation. Show us more gameplay, more variety and more quests, and we’ll be helplessly hooked.
6. Mirror’s Edge
The good news: Electronic Arts has listened to fans over the very, very long years since the first game released and finally announced a sequel. The middling news: The new Mirror’s Edge is actually not a sequel and will actually be a reboot telling the origins story of Faith. The bad news: It’ll be coming “when it’s ready”. Nonetheless, the game looked excellent – and a new Mirror’s Edge has been long overdue.
5. Final Fantasy XV
For all the years in development, all the delays and rumours of changes and cancellations, Square Enix could’ve probably gotten away with a straight-forward story trailer and announcement of the name change. However, Nomura and his crew at Square Enix Osaka prepared a gameplay demonstration as well, just so we could see how the game would play out. The result? We’re looking forward to this game even more now than ever, even if it’s still nowhere near complete.
4. Battlefield 4
Commander mode, Conquest multiplayer, massive amounts of real-time destruction both in campaign and playing online – you’d think that’d be enough to make Battlefield 4 just good enough in our books. But keeping in mind that there’s still work left to do, Battlefield 4 is one of the few games to actually look like a next generation title. The addition of 64 players in a single online match of this magnitude doesn’t hurt either.
3. TitanFall
From knowing very little about the game, to seeing it in action, Respawn Entertainment’s TitanFall is easily one of the coolest first person shooters we’ve ever seen. Hulking Titans that can be piloted in one fell swoop, wall-running and jet-packing soldiers, enormous clashes of strength vs. tiny bursts of intellectual and strategic mettle – TitanFall seems so simple and yet embraces a complex multiplayer dynamic so easily.
2. Destiny
On the surface, features like integrating single-player, multiplayer and co-op together with a massive persistent online world sound tough. Then a game like Destiny comes along and makes it look so seamless and so fun, that you just can’t help but be attracted to. Count in the fact that it mixes in an impeccable sci-fi style with solid shooting and looting mechanics, and we just can’t wait to see more of the game.
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Even before we got to the explicitly gory red band trailer, there were so many nods to previous games, so much intrigue and mystery, and yet, such a gorgeous looking display of a next generation Metal Gear Solid, both in terms of gameplay and graphics, that it’s hard not to consider Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as one of the most anticipated titles of 2014.