Welcome to our annual Best of E3 awards, where we honor the games most deserving from the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Every year has plenty of commendable titles, but there are a special few that rise to the top. This is our list of the ten best games from E3 2017, with a few honorable mentions that we couldn’t let go without giving them a little recognition.
Our criteria for this selection was that they had to be games we saw on the show floor. Even hands-off gameplay demonstrations counted, but we did not include games that were only shown as trailers, so something like Bioware’s Anthem didn’t qualify for this list, as it was not actually seen aside from the gameplay trailer. Basically, these are games that we had appointments to see.
We also wanted to try to give good representation of a wide variety of genres, so you’ll notice some diversity in there. We tried to judge the games not on how much we were excited for them overall, but on what we saw at E3 and how it helped to advance our knowledge of the game. Our Best of E3 awards are about the E3 appointments and what they had to show. This is why a game like Destiny 2, which I am personally exceptionally excited for, didn’t make the list. Their E3 showing was the same as their reveal, with the exception of an added character class, so we gave its spot to another deserving title.
Without further ado, here are the ten best games that we saw at E3, and six games that we just couldn’t go without mentioning.
Congratulations to all of the developers that worked hard on each of these games, all of that hard work earning them a place on our list. Do you agree with our selections? What were your personal Best of E3 titles?Make sure you look back on all of our E3 coverage from 2017, and stay with us as we cover every upcoming event, from gamescom, to PSX, to next year’s E3, where we’ll be back with our Best of E3 awards again.
Related E3 2017 Reading:
- Top 5 Best E3 2017 Moments
- I Don’t Understand the Xbox One X and Microsoft
- 10 Disappointments From Sony’s E3 2017 Press Conference
Best of E3 2017
-
Best of E3 2017
These are the ten best games we saw at E3 2017, in no particular order. It was hard to narrow it down to ten, so we also gave honorary mention to a number of games.
-
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ is the fighting game that Dragon Ball fans have been waiting over 20 years for. Developer Arc System Works are delivering a gorgeous looking fighter that is both highly accessible to fans of the anime, and also features enough depth for competitive players. With Dragon Ball once again seeing a resurgence in popularity, it looks like Bandai Namco has another huge hit on their hands.
-
Gran Turismo Sport
My eyes are still bleeding from the beauty of this game! Seriously, though, Kazunori is a perfectionist, and it really showed here. Also, the racing genre was underrepresented at E3 2017, so Gran Turismo Sport is a great addition to our best-of list.
-
A Way Out
A Way Out felt like a breath of fresh air, not only in EA’s sequel-heavy event, but also for the gaming industry at large. Co-op games are rare these days. Co-op games designed for couch co-op are even rarer. Co-op games that tackle more mature subject matter, and that force you to decide as a team? I’m thinking this might be a new sub-category.
-
God of War
God of War is back, and it has brought with it some fresh ideas. Not only in gameplay, with a helper character, truly defensive options, and the removal of blatant button prompts, but also in the world from which this game’s mythology is drawn from.
-
Knack 2
Knack was a game that I wanted so much more from because I saw the deep potential it held. Knack 2 is the realization of that potential. The lengths they have gone to in order to make sure it's better in every way earned it a place on our list this year.
-
Detroit: Become Human
The nuanced potential indicates that this developer is continuing in the path that they have laid out for themselves, writing interactive entertainment with so many possible permutations that replaying the game is a must.
-
The Inpatient
PlayStation VR had a strong representation at E3 this year, and what better title to showcase that than Supermassive Games' The Inpatient? Deep psychological horror works so well in the immersive presence of VR. With easily the best visuals I've seen on the platform, if The Inpatient is anything like the engrossing choice based horror in Until Dawn, it will be valuable exclusive for PlayStation VR to have.
-
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Take a game that was so innovative that it earned our Game of the Year award in 2014 and then continue to innovate and iterate every aspect of it until it is in every way a better game. That's the formula for how you get a spot on our Best of E3 list, and that's the reason Middle-earth Shadow of War has earned its place right here.
-
Laser League
Delivering frantic multiplayer that is immediately fun, Roll7's Laser League made quite the impact at E3. It's unlike anything the OlliOlli developer has ever done before, but this could easily be the next Rocket League-level indie hit considering it's just as fun to watch as it is to actually play. The title's Early Access release is rapidly nearing, so it won't be long until players can understand the hype for themselves.
-
Marvel's Spider-Man
This might finally be the Spider-Man game to surpass 2004’s Spider-Man 2 in terms of web-slinging traversal and overall fun.
-
Honorary Mentions
Days Gone - Preview
Ni no Kuni 2 - Preview
Yakuza 6 - Preview
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Preview
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus - Preview
Assassin's Creed: Origins - Preview
