10 Biggest Announcements and New Games Of E3 2017

With E3 2017 wrapping up today, it’s time for some reflection.

Compared to last year, it’s only natural to feel a little underwhelmed when there isn’t a new IP shown off every five seconds, or a new tease from an emancipated Japanese genius. Excluding Nintendo, it’s arguable that none of the biggest hitters really “brought it” this year.

While it might not have been the jaw-dropping show full of surprises and returns we’ve become used to in recent years, there was still plenty to get invested in. Some of these are just around and some will come out in roughly 2099 when we stop getting different versions of Skyrim, but they’re all games you should keep an eye on.

 

1. Xbox One X

Release date: November 7 2017

Let’s start off with probably the biggest reveal of all. The Xbox One X, affectionately known as Project Scorpio before its official name confirmation, is coming in at $499 with 4K support and endless technical jargon which makes it sound very impressive, indeed. By the looks of it, the X looks like it will be a powerful console, though as always it’s best to wait until it’s connected to our 4K TVs until we put it on too high a pedestal.

 

2. The internet gets its Metroid wish…

Release date: TBA

After forgetting to check their pockets for years, Nintendo finally remembered that they have a beloved franchise that would shift a whole bunch of consoles. Metroid Prime is back and it’s coming to the Switch. That’s all there is to know, but that hasn’t stopped everyone from losing their absolute minds. And they weren’t done there, either.

 

3. …twice.

Release date: September 15, 2017

Just as Metroid fans were picking themselves up off the floor, Nintendo showed that they’re now big on wish fulfillment with a new side-scroller for the 3DS. Well, it’s a remake, but one that looks totally in-line with what you would expect from a modern portable Metroid. Oh, and it has Amiibo support. Look for Metroid: Samus Returns on September 15.

 

4. God of War’s release date

Release date: early 2018

A bunch of new gameplay and story was shown off during Sony’s E3 2017 briefing for God of War, but it was also one of the only “marquee” upcoming PS4 games to get a release date. There’s no firm date in time, but we now know that Santa Monica’s God of War arrives in early 2018, as (pretty much) confirmed by Christopher Judge not too long ago. Plus, Kratos continued to make his case for Dad of the Year.

 

5. Metro lives

Release date: 2018

A fairly popular series that feels like more of a cult classic than an out-and-out moneymaker, Metro’s reemergence at Microsoft’s briefing was a pleasant surprise. Metro Exodus looked gorgeous running at 4K with ‘In the House – In A Heartbeat’ an apt music choice, but the reveal that it’s open-world was what grabbed most of the headlines. Despite being a major part of their line-up, Exodus won’t be exclusive to Xbox – it’s also coming to PS4 and PC.

 

6. Beyond Good and Evil 2 popular for servers

Release date: TBA

When Beyond Good and Evil 2 was revealed to round off Ubisoft’s E3 briefing, it set the bar for every conference to come. A CG trailer didn’t reveal anything about how the gameplay would actually play, but it did enough to get people excited – so excited, in fact, that its website struggled to live for hours after its reveal. A tearful Michel Ancel’s appreciation of the reaction might be the most poignant image of the whole event.

 

7. This is the Anthem, throw all your hands up

Release date: Autumn 2018

It might have become lost in the shuffle as E3 wore on, but BioWare’s Anthem looks like it means business. Sure, it borrows a bit too liberally from Destiny and Titanfall and the fake gamer dialogue in its gameplay reveal may have been the most cringeworthy thing you will ever see, but Anthem certainly shows promise. It kind of has to deliver on that promise, too – there’s a lot riding on it for BioWare.

 

8. Cuphead’s finally coming out

Release date: September 29th

It’s going to be weird when E3 2018 rolls around and Cuphead isn’t teased in one way or another – it’s almost become a tradition. During Microsoft’s briefing, the much-anticipated highly-stylised platformer finally got a release date, and it isn’t too far away. You will be able to jump into its technicolor world on September 29th for Xbox One and PC.

 

9. Shadow of the Colossus remake

Release date: 2018

Just as I was typing this out, Sony confirmed that Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 is actually a remake and not a remaster – it will come with modernised controls and totally revamped assets. While its reveal has split the Vultures, it’s hard to deny that it was the highlight of Sony’s conference. It’s in good hands, too: Bluepoint previously worked on its PS3 remaster.

 

10. Monster Hunter takes over the world

Release date: 2018

It’s been a long time since we last saw a Monster Hunter game on a non-Nintendo platform, so when Monster Hunter World was unveiled at Sony’s E3 briefing, it was kind of a big deal. It’s never been the biggest franchise in the West, but with World coming to Xbox One and PS4 at the same time worldwide, Capcom’s niche delight might finally captivate the audience it deserves. No news on a Switch version, though.

 

Honourable mentions

– New Kirby game confirmed for Switch.
– As well as a core RPG Pokemon game.
– Super Mario Odyssey gets its release date.
– Spider-man gameplay debuts.
– Dragon Ball FighterZ is the fighting game we need.
– First look at the mysterious A Plague Tale.
– Assassin’s Creed: Origins finally unearthed.
– The Evil Within 2 and Wolfenstein II announced.
– A Way Out looks way cool.
– Original Xbox games coming to Xbox One.