The best trailers of E3 2016 - so far
The best trailers of E3 2016 - so far
Can't be arsed with full replays? Looking for HD trailers? Daunted by headlines? We've got the cream of the E3 2016 crop, right here.
We all pretend like E3 is very serious business from which we draw informed conclusions regarding the future of the industry and the shape of entertainment to come, but secretly? It's actually all about watching trailers until we throw up from a combination of too much popcorn and technicolour over-stimulus. Don't say we never enable you.
Battlefield 1
For the first time in years, EA looks set to really challenge Activision's claim on the multiplayer shooter crown. The buzz around Battlefield 1 has greatly rewarded DICE's bold decision to buck industry trends - even before the 64-player Battlefield 1 multiplayer reveal absolutely knocked our socks off.
If you missed the celebrity-studded show (which included our good pal Westie!) you can catch up with a full hour of commentated footage or a 44 minute raw feed.
Photo credit: ESA
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
While DICE is wringing tears of joy with its focus on multiplayer, Infinity Ward is making the most of its reputation for bombastic campaigns. If you want to look at the sci-fi leanings of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and say "this isn't what I'm used to, this isn't the Call of Duty I know", that's totally fair. It really doesn't seem to be.
And yet: whatever it is we see in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's gameplay reveal looks pretty good. Having run out of things to blow up on Earth, blowing up outer space really seems to be the only possible evolution, doesn't it?
Prey
What in the heckies is going on in this trailer for the new Prey? Nobody knows, and that's why we're so excited. One half of Dishonored developer Arkane has been very busy working on a second immersive sim, and this trailer for the psychological shenanigans of Raphael Colantonio's reboot certainly piqued our interest.
We know very little about this 2017 project yet except that it's going to have aliens in it. And possibly drugs. Hooray!
God of War
Knowing it was coming didn't seem to temper excitement for God of War. The rumours turned out to be correct in that Kratos has settled down with a family somewhere on the fringes of Norse mythology.
This doesn't seem to have blunted his edge in any way, and having a sprog around is quite handy when you need an assist in a boss battle - if only you can teach him to aim.
Scalebound
It feels like forever since we first heard about Scalebound, and after seeing it in action the news that it's going to be a Play Anywhere title doesn't make up for another delay.
We'll just sit here and be frustrated all evening.
For Honor
Ubisoft's historical battler hasn't been making too many waves, but For Honor has shot up our to-do lists in the wake of its brutal Vikings gameplay reveal.
The three-faction set up of For Honor means players can take on the role of samurai or knights, but after watching this it's hard not to gravitate to the purity of the Norse warrior way.
Final Fantasy 15
We saw quite a bit of Final Fantasy 15 over the past few days but although the RPG is coming to both major consoles it was Sony's FF15 montage that gladdened our hearts and raised our spirits.
Why? Dunno, really. The boss fight during Microsoft's presser wasn't bad, but the variety on show during the later video was somehow more intriguing. Maybe it's just the promise of a Final Fantasy 15 where you don't have to look at Prompto?
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Surely with a new console around the corner and years of getting fed up waiting there's absolutely nothing Nintendo can do to make us excited about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, right?
Never mind.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
EA kept us waiting but the Mass Effect: Andromeda E3 2016 trailer was worth it.
To be honest I personally was not especially impressed by this trailer ... right up until the default protagonist, whose surname is Ryder (oh my gosh BioWare, did you think about that at all), sat up and said "we made it". At the point, tears began to flow freely from my face because I miss Shepard so much, cats - so, so much - and I didn't think I'd ever be able to love a space game again. But here we are.
Dishonored 2
Arkane gave us a good look at Dishonored 2 in action during Bethesda's conference and it was amazing. Oh, gosh. The bit where she - and then she - and when she...!
The video below is the official Dishonored 2 gameplay trailer, which includes some of the choice bits but really undersells the delight of combining powers to infiltrate and also murder every damned thing you see. Bethesda, if you're reading this: release the full gameplay demo already. Please.
Titanfall 2
Where to even start with Titanfall 2? You'd think it'd be the multiplayer reveal that people are talking about, what with the new abilities and loadouts and what not, but instead everyone's just rushing to see what's going on in the offline, single-player mode.
Developer Respawn boasts a chunk of former Infinity Ward talent and both teams are fronting sci-fi stories for the shooter wars this holiday season. It'll be interesting to see how they compare, won't it?
The Last Guardian
There's something about this trailer for The Last Guardian that we really like. Is it the stirring music? That classic Team ICO look? The rising feeling of hope brought on by nostalgia for the bold, innovative PS2 years? The promise of another perfectly understated bit of worldbuilding from Fumito Ueda and his talented team mates?
Or is it just the release date at the end? A mystery for the ages.
Death Stranding
Is that that man? The TV man? The PT man? Oh wow, he's naked. Oh wow, he's... had a baby? Boy there sure are a lot of dead things here. Does anyone have any idea what's going on?
No. In no way. But Hideo Kojima is at the helm of Death Stranding so probably nobody will care whatsoever.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves suffers a little from No Man's Sky syndrome ("but what do you actually do?") but those who've gone hands on with it have come away raving about a unique and potentially hilarious multiplayer experience.
It seems solo types will also be able to forge their own piratical careers, and there's plenty out there to worry about besides other players, but the footage below suggests this one's going to be a lot of fun with pals.
Watch Dogs 2
Okay, yes, Watch Dogs 2 has a guy in an emoji mask and it's not quite as cute and delightful as Ubisoft seems to think. But, in general: dang, there's a lot more personality this time around.
Your mileage may vary on the cheerful Hackers-esque feel of the sequel but after the tone deaf, grimdark, serious business of the first one it feels refreshing and playful - while still leaving room for brutal murders if that's your bag. Nice.
Detroit: Become Human
I have so many questions about Detroit: Become Human. What happened to Kara? Why's she been replaced with a bloke right out of Quantic Dream's generic_crowd_man asset folder? How can a team so bursting with technical wizardry not get a handle on mouths that don't make you feel the nauseous discomfort of the uncanny valley?
More importantly, ahhhh, when can we play this police procedural branching narrative whatever-the-f**k-it-is?
Forza Horizon 3
The map of Australia as seen in Forza Horizon 3 is so hilariously confused that it brings tears to the antipodean eye, which makes you wonder just what the heck has been done to every other nation in video games ever. On the other hand, the vast departure from reality vis a vis the level of interest to be found in the scenery along Australian highways is extremely forgivable.
Anyway, Australia is a huge place and driving around it without having to pay for fuel or wait for the next toilet stop is a fantastic idea. Bring it on.
Resident Evil 7
Golly, that's how you drop a bomb: right in the middle of Sony's E3 presser, Capcom finally confirmed Resident Evil 7 is happening - and happening in January, no less. It will even be fully playable on PlayStation VR.
If the trailer and the virtual reality thing aren't enough to intrigue you, why not go play the Resident Evil 7 demo available right now to PlayStation Plus members? Sure, it's first-person and that's a new direction for the series, but given what a mess Resident Evil's history has been we'll take this interesting new horror experience and call it good.
Steep
Steep is a new extreme sports compilation where you can free-roam, take part in challenges, make your own challenges, play together with friends, and make and share videos of your adventures. It reminds me a bit of what EA Sports seemed to be aiming for with its SSX reboot a few years ago; let's hope Ubi has better luck with it.
Below you'll find a seven minute gameplay walkthrough. Now, you probably expected the Steep announce trailer, which is a much more manageable two minutes long, but I put this one in because the bone-snapping crash at about 2:50, which literally caused a number of observers to throw up. Magnificent.
Batman: Arkham VR
What is Batman: Arkham VR? It's not entirely clear. We know it's not a remake of Arkham Asylum but a new adventure of some kind. We know that a lot of the people trying the demo on the E3 show floor have spent their time making Batman dance in front of a mirror.
The whole wear the cowl thing is super clever because you have to put a thing on your face. Rocksteady's "be the Bat" motto is more fitting than ever. Don't try to tell me you don't feel a little bit of excitement about donning that famous mask.
Inside
This trailer for Inside is more than understated; it's veritably parsimonious. But even if we weren't aware that this is the long-awaited follow-up to Limbo, the creeping, rising atmosphere of the sound design and unique aesthetic would have piqued our interest.
Unlike the vast majority of indie games Microsoft brings to E3 2016, this one's actually got a release date that isn't 4 billion years in the future after a period of being studiously ignored by Redmond's marketing teams. Oh ho ho!
Spider-Man
Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Does what ever a spider can! Can't seem to shake that annoying hyphen!
This is a joyful trailer promising a lively take on Spidey instead of the po-faced interpretation superhero video games are nauseatingly quick to adopt. I was rather more excited when I thought it was by Sucker Punch (have you seen the open world traversal in InFamous: Last Light? It's ripper) rather than Insomniac (I suppose you could say the same for Sunset Overdrive?) but it's nevertheless very cool to see what Sony's (or Disney's?) creative oversight and bankroll might achieve - that Activision's couldn't.
Dead Rising 4
With the last Dead Rising game, Capcom and Microsoft thought to introduce a new character. For Dead Rising 4, they've come to their senses and realised we're all in it for Frank West. This is a lesson Capcom probably ought to have remembered from Dead Rising 2 (or as I like to call it: "don't bother unless it's the Off The Record version"), but whatever.
It seems the team has fully embraced the ridiculousness again, and this one's going to be Christmas-themed, of all things. Of course it is. It all makes perfect sense.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Dinosaurs - check. Robots - check. Ride around on robo dinos - check. Shooting things with a weird techno-bow to set 'em on fire - check. Shoot things with a weird techno bow while riding on a robo-dino - check. Well! Horizon: Zero Dawn seems to have ticked all the necessary boxes already.
For real though, we wouldn't have picked Guerrilla as the natural candidate for an open world adventure but the Dutch team is making the most of its new freedom from endless Killzone sequels. Jolly good.
