E3 2016 is quickly descending. From this coming Sunday, June 12, to next Thursday, June 16, we will be bombarded (and we will in turn bombard you) with game announcements, new developments, and gameplay footage, if not hands-on experience, with the games that keep our hopes alive and our wallets empty. It's always a pain-staking, soul-searching process to whittle down all of the games confirmed (or possibly shown) at E3 2016 down to a select 10 that we anticipate the most.
Nonetheless, here it is: Jonathan Leack and I have chosen our Top 5. There are plenty of other games that deserve praise, we know; if you don't find your most anticipated game on our list, please share your picks in the comments.
No Man’s Sky
The fact that No Man’s Sky is on my list surprises me. I haven’t particularly been excited for the game since launch, but I recently spent several dozen hours playing Elite: Dangerous. As someone who is deeply in love with astronomy, the game piqued my interest, although I walked away from my adventures woefully unsatisfied. The game simply didn’t make enough of an effort to be entertaining or engaging, instead devoting all of its energy toward being a realistic simulation. No Man’s Sky might similarly be a space exploration game, but it won’t make that mistake.
No Man’s Sky looks to have much more fast-paced and engaging interactions than Elite: Dangerous. That alone has me incredibly excited. Sadly, it was recently delayed to August, which on the plus side means that additional polish and features will be introduced prior to launch. Whatever the case, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding this game, particularly when it comes to reaching the galactic core and how the rare multiplayer interaction is handled. I’m itching for any information that I can get, and E3 is my only hope. ~Ed. Jonathan Leack
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Yes, it was that long: Mass Effect: Andromeda was announced way back in 2012 on Twitter and, since then, we haven't learned too much more about the game since the teaser trailer last year at E3. According to what we know so far about what Electronic Arts plans to show in a separate show space that's as close you can get to being a part of E3 2016 without actually being officially at E3 2016, Mass Effect: Andromeda will not have any hands-on opportunities through EA Play. That being said, we are sure to see—or let's say, we better see—how the game is coming along during EA's presser.
Developer BioWare has been very light on specifics and confirmations, apart from a suggestion that the Mako will return and that the game will have multiplayer of some kind (which is a given considering the success of Mass Effect 3's wave-based horde mode). BioWare doesn't want the game to be dubbed “Mass Effect 4” since they consider Andromeda to be the start of a new concept, though I suspect we will still call it that. The game has been officially delayed from late this year to Q1 2017, a target that the developer is confident that it will hit. (Well, with enough calibrations it will…) ~Ed. Nick Tan
Battlefield 1
First-person shooters are currently trending toward futuristic settings. This year alone you have your choice between Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Titanfall 2, and Blizzard’s Overwatch. Despite this, EA DICE has decided to host its upcoming Battlefield title within the context of World War I, along with some unique alternate-universe flavor for good measure. It’s something that EA almost didn’t approve due to the inherent risk involved with straying so far from market norms. Ultimately, this risky deviation is what makes it such a great game to look forward to.
All we’ve seen up to this point is an EA DICE in-engine trailer, and as usual that’s been enough to incite excitement. Shovels, chemical warfare, flamethrowers, trenches, horses, and more are coming in a package that dares to try something new while bringing the powerful Frostbite engine along for the ride. I enjoy explosions and destructible environments, making this a must see at E3 2016. ~Ed. Jonathan Leack
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 5
Wait, wasn't this on my list last year? Why, yes. And it will continue to be on my most anticipated list until I see the game in the flesh or kidnap the developers from Atlus until… I'm getting ahead of myself. Compared to last year, where Persona 5 was unfortunately a no-show, Atlus will be featuring the game front and center, bringing along character designer Shigenori Soejima to talk about the art design at the booth's stage and sign his name on merch and maybe anything else Persona-related that you can bring with you (including artwork of the game's cat, Morgana, who will be in every E3 2016 badge holder).
At its core, Persona 5 will be about freedom and, more specifically, the reaction against social norms and feeling like you are bound to the status quo. The cast of characters all feel constrained under the rules of 21st-century rules and modern-day civilization, which is just one reason why they all dress up as thieves. Throughout the story, they encounter authority figures attempting to enforce those rules and will face bosses in the Palace who, upon being defeated, will likely fix the mental state of those authority figures. My guess is that these bosses will represent the seven deadly sins and how adults latch onto them as reasons for upholding the status quo. But I've had that guess for a year now. I'm more than ready for my theories to be tested when it finally shows at E3 2016. ~Ed. Nick Tan
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Just a month ago I played through yet another campaign of Civilization V. The game might be six years old, but I found myself once again compelled by its deep strategy as I stayed up past midnight for “just one more turn.” At this point I’ve clocked more than 100 hours in the game, something I can’t say about 95% of modern titles. This trait shared among all Civilization games makes them high-value purchases that I’m always willing to invest 100% of my gaming time into.
Civilization VI will address some of the concerns that were left over after years of patches and expansion packs for Civilization V, including unit-crowding, performance issues during late-game, rudimentary culture features, city specialization and zoning, and a lack of wonder representation in the game world. Civilization has an amazing track record, so I’m confident that what’s here will be great. At this point I just want to get my hands on it already to see what the next generation of Civilization feels like. ~Ed. Jonathan Leack
Yooka-Laylee
Do you want a modern-day platformer that's just as good as Banjo-Kazooie? Of course you do. I do too. That's why, full disclosure, I donated to the Kickstarter for Yooka-Laylee, a new title starring a chameleon (Yooka) and her bat friend (laylee) developed by Playtonic Games, comprised of the core creative team from Rare who found the courage to leave and follow through with the dream of creating a true successor to Banjo-Kazooie (and Banjo-Tooie).
And thus far, it looks like Yooka-Laylee is well on its way. Recent previews of the first level of the game, Tribalstack Tropics, describe it as a classically bright, lush, and verdant land that looks like a glossy level from a Nintendo N64 game. The level is full of collectibles and puzzles, with one accomplished by butt-stomping hieroglyphics, and is adorned by rocky skyscrapers and wooden bridges. The only real question-mark at the moment is how it plays, a point which will be resolved once I have hands-on time with the game at E3. ~Ed. Nick Tan
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
You could argue that Deus Ex: Human Revolution was the worst game in the series, and even then it was a Game of the Year contender. Every time Deus Ex hits the market it’s a big deal, and this year’s release appears to be on-track for similar impact. The long wait during its development cycle is certain to be worth it in the end.
What I like most about Deus Ex is it blends so many things together that aren’t common in modern games. It has a cyberpunk universe with stealth elements, deep RPG mechanics along with cohesive shooter gameplay, and a wide breadth of ways to play the game. You could say that it’s unequaled. I happened to see the live demonstration at E3 2015 and was blown away. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided appears to have great ideas for how to make the series even better. I want to see more. ~Ed. Jonathan Leack
Dishonored 2
While we're not sure whether Dishonored 2 will be playable in any form at E3 2016, Bethesda has confirmed that it will be definitely be shown during its E3 2016 presser. And given Bethesda's roster of upcoming games (that it has announced thus far), we can expect the publisher to show off Dishonored 2 for at least 15 minutes, if they're just straight-up gameplay footage and letting it speak for itself. Taking place in fifteen years after the Dunwall Plague from the first game in the new city of Karnaca, Dishonored 2 starts with Emily being dethroned and must reclaim her throne.
So far, we know that this time around Arkane Studios will allow players to choose either Corvo Attano, the protagonist from the main game, or Empress Emily Kaldwin ho gains the Outsider's mark and follows Corvo's lead in becoming an Assassin. It's not certain whether the stories will be the same or separate depending on that choice, though Corvo's and Emily's powers will differ; Corvo can still Blink from one place to the next while Emily can travel using Far Reach and Shadow Walk.
Like the first game, you can either play the game stealthily and without killing or cause chaos by slaying everything that gets in your way, which will likely impact the ending, but there is also an unknown third path that players can choose instead. This could be a completely non-lethal approach or a path that depends on how many collectibles to obtain. Whatever it is, we'll know much more very, very soon. ~Ed. Nick Tan
Final Fantasy XV
Part of me thinks that I’m out of my mind for caring even the slightest about Final Fantasy XV. Frankly, I’ve been burned by every Final Fantasy release for the past decade, and what hurts so much is that several of my favorite games of all-time are Final Fantasy classics. I don’t think that Final Fantasy XV is necessarily going to turn the tides around completely, but it does appear to be a great game.
For one, Square Enix has succeeded in making an attractive open-world RPG which has been demonstrated through several pre-release demos. This open world will house appealing characters, a non-traditional story, and action combat not too dissimilar to Kingdom Hearts. It’s clear that Square Enix has (finally) been listening to feedback. This could end up being a very special game. ~Ed. Jonathan Leack
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
With all the developmental troubles that South Park: The Stick of Truth experienced, including THQ's bankruptcy and the subsequent auction that South Park Digital Studios filed an objection over, it's a surprise and a relief that Matt Stone and Trey Parker were confident enough in Ubisoft for a sequel. South Park: The Stick of Truth was a short and sweet RPG that was like a condensed mini-series of the show, and as a direct sequel, South Park: The Fractured but Whole looks to build upon its success like SoDoSoPa.
While you still play as the New Kid (perhaps you will be able to carry over your save from the first game?), this time around you'll be joining Cartman and his crew as they dress up as Coon and Friends, which includes Mosquito, Mint Berry Crunch, Toolshed, and Mysterion. We're not sure how the story will work with the superhero motif instead of the fantasy ARPG from the first game, but we are sure that it will be hilarious. We'll have to see if Ubisoft San Francisco will be able to live up to Obsidian Entertainment's expertise with RPGs, both with the witty dialogue and humorous, fast-and-loose turn-based combat. I would love to play the Jew again. ~Ed. Nick Tan
