BurtonReviews’ Best of E3: What Made Me Squeal

(Image Sourced from https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/e3-2017-every-game-from-e3-coming-in-2018-and-beyo/2900-1292/)

 

And so another E3 is over and another glorious celebration of everything gaming can be put into the history books. While not an E3 that has left me scraping my blown brains off of the walls of my home, this year wasn’t anything to scoff at either. Sure there weren’t as many surprises as the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Spider-Man PS4 reveal filled E3s of 2 years prior, but what we got was not only a solid showing of games that we can all look forward to playing in both the not so and very distant future, but it was an exciting and tantalising showing that gives me wide eyed hope for the thrilling looking future if this industry.

But while there were really no stinkers this year, a couple of things to come out of this years E3 did stand out from the crop as just that needed extra bit of “OMG FREAKIN' AWESOME”. So without further ado, lets get into the best of this years E3.

(Image sourced from https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/marvels-spider-man-ps4/)

1.    Best Game of the Show: Spider-Man
 

While nothing really had me screaming this year like the childhood dream fulfilling announcement about Crash Bandicoot’s remaster last year, the Spider-Man gameplay walk through got me pretty damn close. As a huge Spider-Man and Marvel fan I have been desperate for a game that will give these beloved characters the same service and acclaim that the Batman Arkham franchise has. And if the game is even an ounce as perfect as this gameplay walkthrough, then I think now is the time that my dream of Marvel’s gaming success will come true.

 

From the appropriately bright and energetic aesthetic of the world brought to virtual life  by these incredibly beautiful and epic graphics, to the fun as hell looking gameplay that really seems to know what makes this acrobatic man-spider tick, and the grand eye popping Uncharted level set pieces that somehow seamlessly weave in Spider-Man’s main priority of keeping the citizens of New York City safe in believable and fun ways; Spider-Man for PS4 looks to be one of the best releases of 2018 (please come out in 2018, I need this game in my life ASAP).

 

(Image sourced from https://www.wired.com/story/no-more-e3-press-conferences/)

2.    Best Conference of the Show: Sony
 

As mentioned before, there was nothing really mind blowing revealed or showed at this years E3 (barring the Spider-Man footage), but while Sony’s conference lacked the surprise feels-punch it had locked and loaded the past 2 years, it did something very interesting that made it stand out from the rest and be the best conference of the show. It is the only conference that made me wish I was actually in that theatre to see it. While the others were cool and all, watching them from my laptop was just fine, but Sony’s conference had that extra theatrical layer to it that just made it feel more like an experience than just a presentation.

 

 

The fact that it was in an actual theatre instead of a tricked out TED talk hall, and the on stage effects they added to make each trailer for their games feel like a 4D experience, just gave the whole conference an epic atmosphere that really pulled me into each trailer shown and just added to my already unbelievably high levels of excitement. On-top of that add the great unrelenting pacing of the show, with game trailer after game trailer that both got me excited for games I knew nothing about, or just heightened my anticipation for games I was already ecstatic for, Sony this year seemed to have the best handle on knowing when to move onto the next game or linger on this one epic experience that never had me bored or wishing they would go onto the next trailer.

(Image sourced from http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/the-evil-within-2-release-date-gameplay-trailer-news-preorder)

3.    Best CGI Trailer: The Evil Within 2

 

 

It wouldn’t be a game showcase without a whole bunch of CGI trailers that fans can groan at saying “well this isn’t an accurate representation of the game, booo!” But that’s not the purpose of these trailers. Not only are they finely tuned and expertly animated/directed almost short films that give us a sense for the aesthetic and theme of these new upcoming games, but they are also, at the primal level, just god damn cool. And the trailer that most embodied this statement this year was The Evil Within 2.

 

I didn’t really care about the first Evil Within, but from the second this trailer wound-up its creepy music and started falling, literally, through trippy and haunting imagery that horrified me in all new and innovative ways, I mean the finger joint moment alone has been with me ever since, I was hooked and the trailer didn’t let me go until it was finished terrorising my mind. While I still may not get the game, I am now super intrigued by the surprisingly compelling story of a man who lost his daughter and I kinda just wish they released the story as a trippy and stylish as hell CGI movie after this stellar work of terrifying art.

(Image sourced from https://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/06/13/first-look-santa-monica-studios-new-god-of-war-on-ps4/)

4.    Best Gameplay Trailer: God of War
 

Now for those who booed at all the CGI trailers at this years E3, here is the best trailer that was completely comprised of in-game footage and gameplay. And that, once again from Sony’s conference, was the latest trailer for God of War.

 

This trailer gave the best sense of what the actual game will be in an exciting and terrifically gory way. It effortlessly told fans of the old games that everything was fine, Kratos still has an arsenal of skull cracking moves at his disposal for you to unleash on a horde of unwitting minions, and the epic scale boasted by its predecessors is still here in force too, and then told any newcomers that this is a new take on the franchise, with a more layered and emotional story full of more interesting and dynamic characters that don’t just scream Greek God names whilst bathing in a river of blood.

(Image sourced from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q_Ughtr8JE)

5.    Biggest Surprise of E3: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
 

Honestly, my biggest surprise was how much I was left wanting to play Mario + Rabbids after the Ubisoft conference. We came into this E3 with the whole industry laughing at this crossover from nowhere that seemingly no one wanted or asked for. But as it’s presentation went on, with a heart warming tearful creative director and an image of 2 gaming icons with ridiculous hand cannons that could bring a smile t anyones face, the game slowly won over its haters.

 

Then when Mario + Rabbids’ combat was revealed to basically be baby’s first XCOM, me, along with the vast majority of the internet, was sold. The game looks fun, surprisingly deep in its turn based strategy combat, and doing something with these beloved (and not so beloved) that has never been done before.

 

Ah E3, what a bonkers time.

(Image sourced from https://www.cnet.com/pictures/sony-booth-at-e3-2017/2/)

So that is officially it, goodbye E3 2017, you weren’t incredible, but you were damn good and I wouldn’t of had you any other way. Now let’s look anxiously to E3 2018 and all the bountiful video gaming goodness that will be exploding out of that week long extravaganza.

But until then, what did you think of this year’s E3? Voice your opinions in the comments below and hey while you’re here why not check out my YouTube channel, BurtonReviews, where I upload awesome gaming montages put to badass songs or scores every Sunday. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUfnyezvQsVsDgN3TGRh1Q