Games News

Biggest Surprises of E3 2017

Though walking the floor is exciting, the first few days of E3 offer some intense moments of joy as publishers reveal games for the first time. Whether it was an unexpected game or an update to software that came out of nowhere, being surprised at E3 is a rarity and something that must be celebrated. Below are the biggest surprises of E3 2017!

Anthem

BioWare blew everyone’s mind when they unveiled their brand new IP, Anthem, at the EA Press Conference at this year’s E3. Then, a day later at the Microsoft Press Conference, gamers around the globe got to witness not just a teaser, but 6-whole minutes of gameplay.

What’s truly astonishing is that BioWare is known for its rich single-player experiences in the form of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, so part of the surprise was that Anthem looks as if it will have a lot of focus on cooperative gameplay, in a similar fashion to Destiny.

Anthem itself appears to be a futuristic exploration game that focuses on earning loot, shooting aliens, and teaming up with friends to take on challenges.

Monster Hunter World

Who would have expected that another Monster Hunter title was going to be announced at this year’s E3? Certainly not us! The last time a Monster Hunter game graced our home consoles was back in 2012 on the Wii U with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and now Capcom is bringing Monster Hunter World to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Not much is known about this latest instalment in the franchise, but from what was revealed, the game looks to embrace the open-world genre. In the trailer, the player hunts down a massive monster, uses a huge sword, all manner of traps, and even utilizes a ghillie suit of sorts. At the very end, we even see three other players being carried in to help take down the monster. Slated for release next year, Monster Hunter World was a pleasant surprise!

Shadow of the Colossus

During the Sony Press Conference, the crowd was left speechless as Sony revealed that Shadow of the Colossus was getting a complete remaster for the PlayStation 4. Originally a PS2 game from 2005, Shadow of the Colossus captured gamer’s imaginations and emotions as they took on the role of Wander, a lonely adventurer who trekked across a vast land taking down titanic-sized colossi.

Now in 2017, Shadow of the Colossus has been announced once more in the form of a remastered version coming to our PlayStation 4’s in early 2018. For those that might have missed out – or for fans looking to jump back into the saddle – this is the perfect opportunity to experience this wonderful game.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

If the first three seconds of the trailer with the iconic “wololo” didn’t give it away, the ensuing gameplay sealed the deal. Announced during the PC Gaming Press Conference, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition surprised the entire audience.

Any gamer who got their hands on this old school CD-ROM game from Ensemble Studios will likely have fond memories of progressing through the ages in what was likely their first RTS game. Now, some ten years later, PC gamers will get the chance to relive these memories in glorious 4K on their gaming rigs.

Beyond Good & Evil 2

After being revealed in a short teaser back in 2008, the state of Beyond Good & Evil 2 was unknown, with many gamers fearing it had been cancelled. Ubisoft, recognizing this opportunity to blow everyone’s socks off, ended their show with a bang as they finally unveiled Beyond Good & Evil 2.

Met with a standing ovation, the team behind Beyond Good & Evil 2 were brought to tears over the hugely positive response. Though no release date is set for Beyond Good & Evil 2, it was announced that the game would be a prequel to the 2003 cult-classic.

In the trailer we get to see all manner of characters, an environment that fuses a cyberpunk Asian-influenced metropolis with a hanging-gardens-of-Babylon-like city, as well as massive space-faring vessels. The universe of Beyond Good & Evil 2 is looking rich.

OG Xbox Backwards Compatibility

Question: What’s better than a company announcing one game we weren’t expecting? Answer: Microsoft announcing that OG Xbox games will be coming to the Xbox One Backwards Compatibility program later this year. This was arguably the biggest surprise at E3 2017, with no one even anticipating that this would be an option.

Phil Spencer surprised every single Xbox owner across the globe with this announcement. After 16 years of Xbox games, the Xbox One will be able to play – from the disc and digital download – original Xbox games. The likes of Crimson Skies and Fuzion Frenzy are already announced as titles coming to the program, with more being added later on.

Whether you’re an Xbox fan, PlayStation supporter, Nintendo enthusiast, a PC gamer, or a mixture of all of them, E3 is the time of year where we all come together and celebrate the great passion that unites all of us: gaming. It’s always exciting when something unexpected happens, and E3 is the perfect opportunity for publishers to make their fans happy. What did you think was the most surprising and awesome thing announced at E3 2017?