E3 2015 took place a couple of weeks ago, from June 16-18. There were a lot of new games announced and new gameplay demos shown for previously revealed titles. While Analog Addiction could not make it to the expo in person, we were watching all of the conferences and taking in all of the new information, trailers and gameplay. As a result, there were some games that have us eagerly anticipating their release. Here are the Analog Addiction editor’s most anticipated games from E3 2015.
Horizon: Zero Dawn (PlayStation 4)
One of, if not, the biggest announcements from E3 was Horizon: Zero Dawn. We knew Guerrilla Games has been hard at work on a new franchise for some time, and despite some earlier Horizon related leaks, nothing prepared me for how incredible Horizon actually looked on stage. I love post-apocalyptic experiences that showcase a fresh take on the “world has fallen” aesthetic and Horizon looks to do just that.
Following some unknown circumstances the world had fallen and in its place robotic dinosaurs have taken over. Little is known about the event that occurred, how these robotic monstrosities came to be, or what others horrors could be found throughout the new world. But one thing is for sure; Horizon looks incredible and I cannot wait to find out more. – Jamie Briggs
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One)
The recent Tomb Raider reboot was received with critical acclaim and success. The gritty nature of the title, combined with the compelling plot and stellar gameplay mechanics led many gamers to rekindle their love for the long-standing franchise and introduced many more to the series in a big way. With the footage we’ve seen of Rise of the Tomb Raider, the sequel looks to keep that same gritty attitude, offering more of that mature experience gamers loved in the last title. If the multiplayer is stricken from the game, or is fixed, it will already be headed in the right direction. – Eric Pepper
Star Wars Battlefront (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
You know it’s bad when anything labelled with publisher “EA” automatically leaves a horrible thought. I had not shaken this feeling ever since I learned EA was publishing Battlefront. However, after re-watching Battlefront‘s gameplay footage from the conference (when you cover E3 via streams, you only realistically see about half of what’s going on), I can’t help but be excited for this, which really surprised me. The game visually looks stunning, the gameplay looks solid from third and first-person views and sound effects taken from the films are used greatly. I was bummed when I learned there wouldn’t be many single player elements, but DICE revealing the Horde-like mode eased the pain.
I’m still approaching with caution because, well, EA, but a part of me can’t help but be excited to get back in Stormtrooper armor this fall. – Robert Key
What Remains of Edith Finch (PlayStation 4)
What Remains of Edith Finch, the newest game from the brilliant team that bestowed The Unfinished Swan (2013) upon the art gaming world, is one of my top picks from E3 2015. Spanning the early 1900’s to present day, players will discover the lives of the Finch family as they traverse through their family home in Washington state.
What’s particularly different about this from “similar on the surface” titles like Gone Home, is that the game doesn’t just let you explore the lives of the Finch relatives – you actually live them. Through first person perspective vignettes of different Finch family members, players leap through time and learn about themselves, the estate, and how the dead impact the living.
I’m super excited for this game because of how complex and varied the themes of the game appear to be through interviews I’ve seen. It’s meant to resonate with our real world and its values, while at the same time providing a fantastical remediation of it in Edith Finch. Look for this Playstation exclusive sometime in 2016. – Rebeccah Bassell
Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One)
I’m not going to lie, I was defiant when the Halo franchise switched developers from Bungie to 343 for Halo 4. However, I’m glad I decided to play it because Halo 4 is now one of my favourite Halo games. Halo 4 told a more personal story between the Master Chief and his AI companion Cortana, moving away from the larger war themed focus of Bungie’s Halo games. Chief still played the role of humanity’s saviour, but the focus was on the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana. On the multiplayer side, 343 Industries attempted to modernise the shooter with perks, loadouts and a killstreak system, while still keeping with the fun Halo gameplay. At first I was not a fan, but it grew on me over time.
I’m excited for Halo 5: Guardians, because I trust in 343. I’m interested to see how the new squad based campaign changes the single player experience, and the new situation the Chief is now in. I also can’t deny the intrigue of the whole “Hero or Traitor” marketing campaign. Truth be told, however, the multiplayer Warzone game type has me even more excited, because it will probably be where I spend most of my time. Big Team Battles is one of the most popular game types, and this increases the scale even more with 24 players, AI bosses and an objective based way of playing. – Nathan Manning
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was one of my favourite games of the previous generation, and from all accounts it looks like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided could be one of my favourite games from the current generation.
Graphically, Mankind Divided looks incredible. Though moving away from the gold and black colour scheme from HR, Mankind Divided will keep the same futurist-themed architecture that made HR such a grand visual spectacle. Though we haven’t had an extensive look at the different method to tackling situations, Eidos Montreal has promised you can progress through the entire game without killing a single enemy; which is great news to every Deus Ex fan.
Mankind Divided has a lot of potential and if Eidos is able to recapture that same HR spirit, while improving on the abysmal boss encounters, Mankind Divided could blow us away. – Jamie Briggs
Rainbow Six Siege (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Rainbow Six titles have always been about strategically working your way through rooms or buildings, eliminating hostiles while simultaneously minimizing innocent casualties. Entering situations with guns blazing is not a successful strategy in these games, which is an incredibly refreshing approach to the FPS genre. While Rainbow Six Siege has the potential to forego all of this by being multiplayer-centric and letting random players dictate how they wish to approach each scenario, players will quickly learn that plotting a course of action, or at the very least working together, will give them the highest chance of being victorious. There will inevitably be the kinds of players who attempt to stop an entire squad by themselves, but hopefully the series title is enough to prevent the majority of those individuals from playing. – Eric Pepper
Fallout 4 (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
While this game is one of the more obvious choices thanks to hype and praise from the industry as a whole, there’s a reason it’s a predictable choice. Bethesda’s first E3 conference was overall fantastic. A good chunk of this can be contributed to Fallout 4‘s amazing official reveal.
Fallout 4 director Todd Howard killed it in showing the game’s new features, but without revealing too much to spoil the story, which starts out players in the pre-war era for the first time ever in the series. I’m incredibly intrigued by the settlement building system, and I can’t wait to grab everything I find in The Commonwealth to make weapon mods. There’s easily more to talk about, but that’s the tip of the nuclear iceberg with Fallout 4. – Robert Key
Dreams (PlayStation 4)
My second pick to watch from E3 is Dreams from Media Molecule, also known informally as “those guys who made Little Big Planet”. Still vague on some details, Dreams is a game that allows players to create, sculpt, animate and play through whatever they can imagine. This ranges from creating backgrounds, characters, plot lines and so on with ease and artistic flair. The game centralizes around sharing your dreams, and building on what has been created to make something even better.
In the age of the remix, I think this game looks like it could be a lot of fun for a specific crowd (then again, the same was said about The Sims when it first came out, so I could be wrong). Details are vague at best at this point, but I won’t knock this out yet just because the game may have been announced a bit too early to form solid opinions. From what I did see and read, the game looks absolutely stunning. I’m interested in following its development and seeing further details about what may come. Without a release date as of this posting, watch for updates about this PS4 exclusive in the coming months. – Rebeccah Bassell
Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
I loved the last game in the Ghost Recon franchise, Future Soldier, and I am confident that I’ll love Wildlands just as much. What’s not to love about a trailer that combines Ghost Recon and Imagine Dragons? For me, that trailer was the perfect way to reveal a game that is not far enough in development for a full demo; there was enough gameplay to get a small idea of what gameplay will entail. Ghost Recon: Wildlands is being developed by the same team that worked on Future Soldier, and you can see that from the game’s visual aesthetic and some of the gameplay elements. I don’t know if Wildlands will feature as many futuristic gadgets as Future Soldier did, but from the trailer we at least know there will be a drone. Not much is known about the title at the moment, except that it will be the largest open world action adventure game that Ubisoft has ever made, and that it will feature non-linear gameplay elements and mission selection. I doubt we will hear much more about Wildlands until next year because Ubisoft currently has Rainbow Six Siege and The Division to focus on, but I feel it will be worth the wait. Future Soldier was overlooked by many in 2012, but I highly recommend it. You can probably find Future Soldier for a cheap price if you want a potential glimpse into the team working on Wildlands. – Nathan Manning
Now that you know what our favourite games of E3 2015 are, we want to know what you are most excited for. Leave your comments below!
