After going through all the games at E3 2017, we at CGMagazine picked what we felt were some of the best titles shown. The games below were chosen for the following categories:
- Best Strategy Game
- Best Action Game
- Best Action RPG
- Best Shooter
Best Strategy Game
Nominee: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
While the idea of Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom companions teaming up with Ubisoft’s Rabbids may not have sounded like the best idea on paper, any doubts were almost instantly erased after seeing the game in action. Equipped with laser guns and other cartoonish weapons, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle blends strategic combat similar to the X-COM series with the classic abilities found in the Super Mario series along with some new moves. The Mushroom Kingdom looks better than ever in this game, and the addition of the Rabbids allows for newly designed enemies and bosses. The two franchises crossing over also adds a unique style of humor to the game never before seen in either series, though the Rabbids are still a bit cringeworthy at times.
Winner: Total War: Warhammer II
The new entry in the Total War: Warhammer expands on everything that fans loved in the original game. The game features four playable races on top of the usable races found in the first game and takes place across four continents for players to explore and wage battle upon. Unlike the first game, however, Total War: Warhammer II focuses more on a rich narrative for its campaign with each race fighting to save or destroy the Great Vortex.
Best Action Game
Nominee: Skull and Bones
Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones looks like the game that fans of pirates have always wanted. The game focuses on five-versus-five ship team fights. Anyone who played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag should know exactly what to expect from Skull and Bones as the game employs the same naval combat but with a heavy focus on multiplayer. Though Ubisoft has stated that Skull and Bones will have a narrative campaign, there was no mention of any single player mode.
Winner: God of War
We already knew God of War looked great when it was presented to us last year, but the game’s E3 2017 showing absolutely blew us all away. With its new engine, God of War’s combat looks cleaner than ever and a new camera perspective that helps keep the focus on Kratos as he hacks and slashes away at his enemies. What really helps to push this game over the top is its new storyline. As a soft reboot for the series, Kratos’ relationship with his son lets us see an all new side of his character as he acts as a mentor and protector rather than the bloodthirsty Demigod we usually see him as.
Best Action RPG:
Nominee: Middle-earth: Shadow of War
After the success of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, it’s no surprise that Monolith Productions has been hard at work on a sequel. Middle-earth: Shadow of War continues the narrative from the first game, bringing all the well-received features and gameplay mechanics along with it. Expanding on the previous title’s scale, Middle-earth: Shadow of War offers a larger and more detailed open world along with the epic battles shown in The Lord of the Rings as opposed to the more solitary experience in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Players can recruit various followers who can be managed to take part in their own battles, leading to full-scale wars.
Winner: Code Vein
Code Vein marries Bandai Namco’s God Eater series with From Software’s Souls titles to create an entirely new IP. Taking place in an interconnected world ravaged by a cataclysmic event. Players create their own character, a vampire-like being that feasts on blood in order to use special abilities. Using a partner system, players can explore and hunt down monsters in this stylish anime hack-and-slash.
Best Shooter
Nominee: Lawbreakers
Lawbreakers is a multiplayer focused first person shooter being made by Cliff Bleszinski and his team at Boss Key Productions. With 18 different characters all featuring multiple weapons, players are able to choose from all kinds of play-styles, and game types across eight futuristic maps. Lawbreakers features bright and colorful graphics along with smooth omnidirectional controls, making it a great competitive shooter to look forward to.
Winner: Wolfenstein: The New Colossus
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus continues player’s adventure through alternate history America against the Nazi regime. Taking place in 1961, players will equip an arsenal of badass guns they blast they way through Nazi soldiers and cyborgs. Wolfenstein: The New Colossus tells an action packed story filled with humour and over-the-top violence in locations such as the gator-filled New Orleans post-nuclear New York.
And that wraps up our best of E3 Awards! Was there a game you thought deserved to be on the list more? Let us know what you thought the best games of the show were.
