The Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3 is the mecca for gamers and video game journalists. This annual event is the “be all, end all” pilgrimage that most gamers dream of embarking on at least once in their lifetime.
I hear you asking “Why?”.
Why? Because during E3, gamers not only get to be at ground zero where all the latest games will be announced but also get the chance to experience the game before anyone else does. Then there’s of course all the hot booth babes and cosplayers but if your focus is on those attractive ladies (or dude), then you sir/madam are not a gamer. You’re just… horny.
But I digress, if you don’t already know, we here at Vernonchan.com love and take our video games quite seriously and although we didn’t get to go to E3 this year, we still want to share with you about the games that got our hearts pumping, pulse racing, hair standing and tongues wagging.
I know I missed out a few in this list so do let me know, so do share with us what games you’re most looking forward to.
[nextpage title=”Forza Horizon 3″]
Released Date: September 27, 2016
Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
The individual this site is named after isn’t just a tech junkie, he’s also a big car nut. So I don’t think I’ll be keeping my job if I didn’t put Forza Horizon 3 on the list.
Unlike the more serious Forza Motorsport, which is more of a simulation akin to the Gran Turismo games, Forza Horizon is a little more arcade-y and puts players into a living, breathing open-world where they take part in events such as drifting, point-to-point races, rally and more.
For the latest iteration of the game, it’s set in Australia and players will be driving some of the most sought after sports, super and hyper cars in a wide variety of environments which include suburban areas, a desert, flooded plains and a more metropolitan areas.
Some of the new additions to the game are new vehicle types and the four-player “instant” campaign co-op feature that enables players to easily find and join up with their friends to race with each other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSUgXkfooA
[nextpage title=”Injustice 2″]
Released Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4
From the team that gave us the ultra-violent and gory Mortal Kombat X really surprised us with this announcement as we really didn’t expect to see this game being announced.
Injustice 2 takes place after the events of Injustice: Gods Among Us, where after defeating Superman, Batman from an alternate timeline and his band of insurgents are attempting to piece society back together. As if having to deal with the remnants of Superman’s regime is not bad enough, a new threat appears and looks to wipe out Earth’s very existence.
So far from what we’ve seen in the trailers, we know that Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Flash are back in the game and at the same time, they are joined by Supergirl, Gorilla Grodd (an enemy of Flash) and Atrocitus (leader of the Red Lanterns).
Besides the new characters, Injustice 2 will also feature a loot-drop system, known as the “Gear System”. This enables players to customise their favourite heroes or villains not just in looks but also enhance their abilities. It is said that there will be over a 1000 “Gears” for categories such as arms, legs, chest armour, capes and shields for each characters.
Other mechanics that have been retained include the “Character Trait” button, interactive environments, stage transitions, clashes and the super over-the-top super moves.
[nextpage title=”God Of War”]Released Date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 4
For fans of the very angry and bald Spartan who thought his very bloody and gory journey has come to an end after the third game and for those speculating where Kratos would end up. Some said Egypt, some retorted that it’ll be dealing with Hindu deities and some even said he’ll deal with Taoist deities but we should’ve looked at something a little more believable. In the upcoming game, Kratos will be ripping limbs and chopping off heads of Norse gods and monsters.
From what we’ve learned from the announcement, this latest instalment will be quite different from the previous games as SIE Santa Monica Studios has rebuilt it from scratch. The game is essentially a soft reboot of the series and takes place after 2010’s God of War III, as the events that took place in 2013’s God of War: Ascension was from an alternate timeline.
One of the announcements made is that this game will be single-player only despite multiplayer being introduced in Ascension. Other than that, the game will have more RPG elements such as a possible skill tree and also crafting.
Other changes include a third-person over-the-should, free camera instead of a fixed cinematic camera. As for weapons, Kratos no longer has his Blades of Chaos/Blades of Athena, instead he uses a magical battle axe, which can be imbued with elemental abilities and thrown.
While Kratos is known to do his killing and wandering alone, this time around he will be accompanied by his son who players can control passively. According to developers the son will be an additional combat resource and will act as though Kratos is training and teaching him. Besides combat, he’ll also play a key role in traversal, exploration and solving puzzles.
I’m just hoping Sony releases a cool God of War bundle for the PS4, because I’m definitely getting one when this game drops.
[nextpage title=”State of Decay 2″]
Released Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
The first State of Decay released in 2013 received quite a heaping amount of praise from critics and holds the record of being the second-fastest-selling Xbox Live Arcade game in 2013 as it sold more than 250,000 copies in its first 48 hours. Will its sequel be able to repeat its success? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
I enjoyed the first game on my PC via Steam and I have to say that this is one of (if not the only) zombie survival game that I really enjoyed as it really placed emphasis on the “survival” bit. Players are tasked with managing a group of survivors and have to build bases and manage resources.
While players will be able to control multiple characters, if one of them dies, they are dead for good. Timing was also very important as zombie hordes tend to appear more frequently at night so players can’t spend too much time dilly-dallying.
So far, not much has been announced or shown about the sequel but it seems as though it’ll involve pretty much the same gameplay, takes place in an open world and will feature cooperative gameplay, which was something fans were clamouring for in the first. Guess we’ll just have to wait to find out more in the coming months.
[nextpage title=”Spider-Man PS4″]
Released Date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 4
The last good Spider-Man game I played was Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions which was released in 2010. I know some of you may be rolling your eyes but I personally really enjoyed its very convoluted story and the fact that I got to play as four different Spideys in one game.
So when this game was announced, I too was a very excited (until I realised I don’t own a PS4). Once again, this was one of those very hush-hush announcements as not much was revealed but from what I can tell, it’ll definitely be set in an open-world New York City and players will be able to web sling and wall crawl all over the place. Also, from what I can tell from the trailer it seems as the Web-Head has picked up some neat parkour skills.
Seeing as the game is being developed by Insomniac Games, the producers of awesome series such as Ratchet & Clank, Resistance and Sunset Overdrive, I think Spidey is in pretty good hands.
Whether this will be a tie-in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe still waits to be seen but I personally hope it won’t as we know what usually happens with movie tie-ins.
And as for the controversy surrounding Spidey’s new costume, I think it looks pretty cool. Bite me fan boys!
[nextpage title=”Quake Champions”]Released Date: TBA
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
We here at Vernonchan.com (all two of us) love our old-school shooters, especially arena shooters like Quake and Unreal Tournament. Before Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Halo and Call of Duty (urgh), these were the go-to games to showcase your twitch gaming skills and reaction.
Of course, when it comes to Quake, the only rightful developer has to be id Software and that’s just the team producing the game and with Bethesda Softworks as its publisher, we’re sure the game will be exceed fans expectations as the company has been on a roll when it comes to reviving old-school shooters, just take a look at the two new Wolfensteins and also the recently released Doom.
Again, we didn’t get much info from the game but from the trailer, it seems as though there’ll be a roster with plenty of playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and also a very fast-paced and frantic gameplay. Just how veterans of the series like it.
For all you console plebs out there, according to director Tim Willis, this game won’t be released on any console because in his very own words “We want no excuses, no limitations”. Sorry about your luck.
[nextpage title=”Days Gone”]
Released Date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Before I even caught wind of Days Gone, my friend tagged me in a post on Facebook with the caption saying “Dude! This game is right up our alley. It’s Sons of Anarchy (go watch the series NOW!) + Fallout (go play the games NOW!) + Zombies (go be one…nevermind)!” So even before clicking on the trailer, I was sold and hopefully I won’t receive a steaming pile of crap.
The quote above perfectly summarises what Days Gone is about, it is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic future where mindless zombie-like creatures, known as “Freakers” in the game, roam the world and are evolving.
Players will be placed in the leather cut vest of Deacon St. John, a drifter and bounty hunter who is constantly on the road looking and just looking to survive another day from being hunted by the “Freakers” or killed by other surviving humans.
This is yet another game that will be set in an open world and players will be given multiple choices to complete objectives. Other than that, there’s also a crafting system for players to create new items and improve their combat efficiency.
So now we wait and hopefully it won’t be released when the rumoured Sons of Anarchy prequel series gets released because then I’ll be torn in having to choose between the two.
[nextpage title=”Death Stranding”]Released Date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Even after the major hullabaloo that came with his dismissal from Konami, it seems as though Hideo Kojima is not letting that hold him down as he now has his very own independent studio, Kojima Productions (naturally) and a new game in the works.
The game features Norman Reedus, who is well-known for his portrayal as Daryl Dixon in the Walking Dead TV series and Murphy MacManus in the Boondock Saints movies. He was also used as the main character for the newest Silent Hill that Kojima was working on.
As per the creator and director’s modus operandi, not much was shown about the game and even the trailer was very cryptic. All we know is about is all that we got from Kojima’s explanation during E3, which goes a little like this “It is a sort of action game, but with new and different elements”.
So well, here’s to more waiting and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI8goBqqRTo
So what about you? What do you want to play? Leave your comments below.
