E3 2015 is now over, and what an E3 it was. With both Microsoft and Sony hitting it out of the park, a slew of new game announcements and a selection of jaw-dropping surprises, it’s easy to argue the case for this being the best E3 ever.
With so many games to take in, it is therefore difficult to narrow down our favorites, but let’s give it a shot, shall we? The following games all burst onto our radars with gusto, ensuring that we’re going to have a selection of fantastic new releases to play into 2016 and beyond. It should be noted that this list only features games that had gameplay footage featured at the event, as even though cinematic trailers can certainly be exciting (see the Final Fantasy VII remake’s announcement as evidence of this), they aren’t exactly an accurate representation of what the finished product may be.
Also See: Sony vs. Microsoft: Who Had the Best E3 2015 Press Conference?
Check out the list below, and if you feel like we’ve missed out on your favorite game, then check out our honorable mentions list beneath the gallery and feel free to tell us why we’re wrong in the comments section below:
Honorable Mentions
Gears 4 – After the underwhelming Gears of War: Judgement spin-off we’re honestly a little burned out on the series, making the Gears 4 announcement not as exciting as some of the Xbox One’s other future releases. We’re prepared to be surprised, though, and look forward to seeing what new developers The Coalition do with Epic Games’ iconic series.
Ratchet and Clank – The weapon-wielding, platforming duo’s debut on the PS4 is a strong contender for one of the best-looking games at this year’s E3, with it looking like something created in the Pixar studios (which stands to reason given that it’s a tie-in for the upcoming film of the same name), but the series’ inconsistent history kept it out of the top ten.
Halo 5: Guardians – One of the biggest releases of this year showed off its 4-player co-op gameplay to open Microsoft’s press conference, along with announcing a brand new PvP mode called Warzone, which will boast a level cap of 24 players. We’re still looking forward to it, but we remain skeptical given 343 Industries’ handling of the fundamentally broken The Master Chief Collection.
Forza Motorsport 6 – Given that Forza Horizon 2 is one of the very best games the Xbox One has to offer, in any other year this would have made it into our top 10 with ease, but the sheer wealth of games this year forced it into our honorable mentions category.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes – The announcement of a new The Legend of Zelda game is always exciting, and with A Link Between Worlds being a highlight among the 3DS’ stellar library of games, this is certainly a must-buy. But as was the case with Forza, there were just too many games for it to make an appearance in our top 10.
No Man’s Sky – The highlight of E3 2014, No Man’s Sky‘s appearance during Sony’s press conference honestly worried us a little bit. Yes, it’s massive beyond comprehension, but with the on-stage demo plopping the player in a particularly unremarkable planet to explore, we’re concerned that we could find ourselves faced with this problem more often than not.
XCOM 2 – XCOM fans, of which there are many, will have looked the gameplay footage of the now PC-exclusive being unveiled at E3 2015, but again there were too many great looking games for it make its way into our list.
The 10 Most Exciting Games of E3 2015
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10. Kingdom Hearts 3
Square Enix concluded an otherwise unfathomably boring press conference with a look at the gameplay of Kingdom Hearts 3, though again there has been no confirmed release date, with Square instead yet again reiterating that it's "in development." Yeah, we kinda knew that already, guys.
While that's a major bummer, on the plus side the game itself still looks great and will hopefully round off the story of Sora and friends in a manner that will live up to the expectations of those who have waited so long to get their hands on it.
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9. Super Mario Maker
Nintendo had a poor showing at E3 this year, with their Digital Event highlighting a lack of interest in their behalf to continue supporting the Wii U, leading to many owners of the underrated console expressing their frustration. But although we didn't get to see more The Legend of Zelda (which, to Nintendo's credit, they had already stated that wouldn't happen prior to the expo) and Star Fox Zero looked drab to say the least, the Nintendo World Championships event the company held prior to the first batch of press conferences made a star out of Super Mario Maker.
A game that wasn't really on the radar for many people prior to the tournament, watching players attempt to traverse each custom-designed level while a large crowd of people cheered, laughed and gasped along with them was oddly exhilarating.
The Wii U may be all but dead, but Super Mario Maker looks certain to be a worthy purchase nonetheless.
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8. Sea of Thieves
Alongside the announcement of Rare Replay, a collection of 30 games from the iconic developer's past set to be released in order to commemorate their 30th anniversary, they also announced a brand new title called Sea of Thieves, which sees players assuming the role of pirates in a shared world multiplayer experience.
Now, many of us have our reservations about the "new Rare." With most of the original Rare team no longer working at the studio, they've mostly been focused upon pushing out underwhelming Kinect games. This is the first time since Viva Pinata that they've really been allowed to step out on their own two feet, and early impressions are good.
The gameplay we were shown featured players forcing another player to walk the plank into shark-infested waters, highlighting that there is likely some fun hierarchical system that they can implement, along with engaging in a PvP pirate ship battle with a team of other players. We hope this is the start of something great for Rare.
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7. The Last Guardian
It's back! Yes, Sony announced that The Last Guardian had switched development from PS3 to PS4 at E3 2015, quelling any doubt that Team Ico had moved on from the project. We even received some gameplay footage at the expo, showing the bond between boy and guardian as they traverse a treacherous, crumbling structure.
Among all the high-octane, action-packed trailers featured in E3's press conferences, The Last Guardian's was undoubtedly the most subdued, but maintained all the beauty and attention-to-detail that has made Team Ico one of the most respected developers in gaming history.
With the game being given a pretty wide release window of 2016, we really hope that it doesn't face yet another delay and we'll finally be able to get our hands on it next year.
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6. Cuphead
Say what you like about E3, but were it not for the existence of the ostentatious press event, the likes of Cuphead would have struggled for acknowledgement among its more expensive contemporaries.
After its showing during Microsoft's presentation everyone wanted to get their hands on the run 'n' gun indie game, and according to its developers, Kanye West - who briefly attended the expo - actually took the cartoony side-scrolling shooter for a test run.
Now, of course, everybody is talking about, and with those on the show floor claiming that it's a strong contender for the expo's game of the year awards, it looks set to make a big impact when it releases in 2016.
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5. Horizon Zero Dawn
Forget the nonsensical tagline; Horizon was one of the most intriguing new IPs to be showcased at E3 2015. Looking like an odd mixture of The Last of Us and Monster Hunter, only starring a woman with the appearance of a Scot but the voice of an LA resident, Horizon showcased some gorgeous visuals and inventive enemy design, with many speculating that it could become one of the next big gaming franchises.
Made by the talented team at Guerrilla Games, who are finally turning their hands to something other than the Killzone series, Horizon is a game that we can't wait to explore in the near future.
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4. Uncharted 4
People love E3 for its surprises, so footage of games we already know are coming out sometimes gets forgotten about as we're overwhelmed by the announcements of games such as Shenmue III and the Final Fantasy VII remake. Uncharted 4 still managed to captivate our attention, though, with developers Naughty Dog showing off a thrilling action sequence in which Nathan Drake chases after a moving vehicle through an exotic shanty town, crashing through fences, avoiding enemy gunfire and, finally, grapple hooking his target that leaves him to dangle precariously beneath a bridge.
If Uncharted 4's previous gameplay demo at the PlayStation Experience, which mainly focused upon gun combat, left you underwhelmed, then this would certainly convince you that this time around Naughty Dog could be on their way to meeting the high bar they set with Uncharted 2 that the game's predecessor failed to match. Here's hoping.
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3. Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront had a great showing at E3, with two gameplay trailers featuring the planets Hoth and Tattooine highlighting that developers DICE have nailed the look of the movies down perfectly.
With a snippet of Jedi/Sith action being revealed in the form of a short Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader confrontation, watching the game in action helped to dissuade some of the fears Battlefront fans have that the latest entry in the series has removed too much from the old games to do justice to the franchise. After E3, it's clear that DICE is going in a brand new, beautiful direction with Battlefront, and we hope it lives up to the early promise of these trailers.
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2. Fallout 4
For many, the most exciting prospect for this year's E3 was seeing footage of Fallout 4, Bethesda's post-apocalyptic sequel that had been announced just days before the expo. When the publisher took to the stage for its first ever press event prior to day zero of the event, the gameplay footage they revealed certainly lived up to expectations.
Highlighting a myriad of new features, from shelter crafting through to weapon customization, Bethesda's in-depth presentation of Fallout 4 was met with overwhelming praise, and if it lives up to expectations we'll have a strong contender for game of the year.
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1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
We got to see 40 minutes of gameplay footage of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain at E3, highlighting everything from the game's new companions that accompany you on your journey, to the selection of music you can implement to mark your arrival and exit of each mission.
Konami walked us through a segment in which Snake and D Dog, his friendly canine buddy who also happens to sport an eyepatch (we'd love to know the story behind that) take out a selection of enemies using various tricks, from D Dog barking to get their attention in potentially prickly situations for Snake, to a sandstorm, one of the dynamic weather effects featured in the game, clouding the bad guys' vision as Snake makes a daring getaway after being spotted.
It's a testament to the sheer scale of what the game is trying to accomplish that even after 40 minutes it felt like Konami had barely scratched the surface. For all those who complained about the length of Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain is certain to give you a whole lot more to do, making it our highlight of E3 2015.
