Although the show floor won’t open until next Tuesday at noon, the E3 2015 festivities officially kick off in less than a week with the revival of the Nintendo World Championships and Bethesda’s first ever press conference on Sunday, June 14th. In order to prepare for the biggest gaming event of the year, we’ve decided to round up the 10 games that have us most excited about the latter half of 2015 and beyond.
DON’T MISS: Microsoft officially unveils new Xbox One with 1TB HDD, controller with headset jack
We’re only going to include the games that are (mostly) confirmed to be appearing at the show, but as always, there are sure to be a few surprises in store as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony take the stage.
1) Battleborn
Borderlands 2 was a major part of the last generation for me. I’m not sure that Battleborn can fill that same hole, but Gearbox has a pretty incredible track record when it comes to wholly original IP. This multiplayer FPS combines the best elements of competitive shooters and MOBAs for a new mashup that should have gamers excited.
2) Fallout 4
We no longer have to worry about whether or not Fallout 4 will finally be at E3 this year. The game is real, it’s already up for preorder, and we might get to play it as early as this coming Sunday. It’s been quite a while since I last returned to Fallout 3 or New Vegas, but I’ve officially been swept up in the hype.
3) Halo 5: Guardians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rd8FWUCCZk
After breathing new life into the original Xbox over a decade ago, Halo doesn’t have the same sway that it did last generation. That’s not to say there aren’t millions of gamers looking forward to the next chapter of Master Chief’s story, but Halo 5 has a lot to prove when competent first-person shooters are a dime a dozen.
4) Just Cause 3
I spent a lot of Sunday mornings with my PS3 in college. Most of the time, I was unwinding with a chaotic session of Just Cause 2, the most enormous open-world, third-person shooter on the market. It was unlike anything I’d ever played (and I missed the first Just Cause), so as long as Just Cause 3 is more of the same, I’ll be satisfied.
5) Kingdom Hearts 3
I’m a child. I still get excited about an RPG series featuring Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, but I know there are countless others out there just like me. That’s why I’m willing to say that I’m stoked about the next Kingdom Hearts – a game which is rumored to be the “secret title” that Square Enix is bringing to E3.
6) Legend of Zelda for Wii U
Ok, I couldn’t help myself. Nintendo technically hasn’t confirmed that the new Legend of Zelda is going to appear during its Digital Event, but the company must know how badly its fans want to know more about the first console entry in the series since 2011.
7) No Man’s Sky
It’s hard to tell how far along Hello Games is in the development of the No Man’s Sky, but until it launches, it will be my most anticipated game for any console. The sheer insanity of a game the size of a universe, in which you can explore each and every planet, is enough to get anyone excited, even people who don’t care about video games.
8) Rise of the Tomb Raider
I know I’ve mentioned it at least once or twice before, but last-gen’s Tomb Raider reboot was my favorite game of 2013. It took everything I didn’t love about the Uncharted series and fixed it, most notably by giving me a protagonist I could care about. I’m not sure if Crystal Dynamics can make lightning strike twice, but I’m going to withhold judgment until I can get my hands on it.
9) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
I never fell in love with the Uncharted series the way that many other gamers did, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get excited for the fourth and final entry in the series. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has been on my radar ever since it was teased at the PS4 launch event, but after seeing it in action at PSX, I couldn’t help but include it on this list.
10) Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles X is already out in Japan, but that hasn’t diminished my interest in the slightest. If you read my review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, you’ll know how big a fan I am of this world and the team that built it. With reimagined gameplay systems, bigger environments and the ability to pilot a mech, I have a feeling Chronicles X is going to blow is predecessor out of the water.
Those are our top 10 games for E3 2015. What games are you looking forward to seeing next week? Anything you’re expecting to see that hasn’t been officially unveiled yet (Dark Souls 3 anyone)?
