E3 2017 has officially wrapped up, and there is plenty to talk about. The crazy amount of Nintendo reveals. The announcement of long-anticipated games like Beyond Good And Evil 2. The possible food poisoning I got from that food court turkey burger. Well, after experiencing all I possibly could at the conference, here are a few of my observations from E3 2017.
Sonic is Back with a Vengeance
Sonic has had a rough couple of years. Between the lukewarm reception of Sonic Lost World and the blazing inferno that was reception to the Sonic Boom games, things weren’t looking too good for the Blue Blur. Well, that trend is starting to change with the double dose of upcoming Sonic games: Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. I was lucky enough to try out both, and must say I was pretty impressed. Mania did a great job of capturing the retro feel of the classic Genesis games while Forces felt like a great evolution of 3D Sonic games. Plus you get to design your own character, meaning I got to play as a flamethrower-wielding weasel. How many people can say that?
Lego Games Aren’t Just a Gimmick
There have been a lot of different Lego game released over the past few years. From Indiana Jones to Star Wars to Golden Girls (probably), it seems like every franchise has their own Lego game. This glut of brick-based games can make the series seem a bit overplayed. However, after sampling some of the Lego games on display at E3 2017, I can honestly say I’ve changed my tune. The highlight for me was playing the incredibly open Lego Worlds, which allows you to, well, pretty much do whatever you want. Which for me just happened to be riding around the moon on the back of a raptor. As a skeleton. Is it too early to give it the game of the year award?
Indie Games Are as Awesome and Weird as Ever
As I (get ready for shameless self promotion) wrote in a recent article, E3’s Indiecade Showcase had a very strong showing of games. The Showcase showed off just how much creativity there is within the indie gaming scene. Games where you shave a teenage Barack Obama, text message about biting rats, and be rude to your alien roommate are just a sample of the many titles present at E3. I feel like no further explanation is needed for any of those.
Free-To-Play Games at E3 2017 Had An Interesting Presence
While E3 is mostly known for showcasing gigantic AAA titles for major consoles, that’s not always the case. To my surprise, I also saw a number of different free-to-play games on display as well. The one I found myself enjoying was Shadowverse, a PC card game along the lines of Hearthstone. However, the game has a bit of a twist with its introduction of the evolution feature. But that new feature didn’t exactly help me in the long run, as the person across from me still won in only a few turns. I’ll just assume I was playing against one of the developers.
Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite Looks Amazing
As a kid, I absolutely adored the Marvel Vs. Capcom series. It was fast-paced, addictive, and allowed for some crazy character matchups. However, there was never exactly much story or context surrounding the games. Well, it looks as though they’re trying to fix that with Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite. The E3 demo showcased the game’s story, in which characters from both universes unite in a new dimension to battle Ultron, quipping to each other Avengers-style along the way. The highlight? Watching Mega Man and Captain America team up to destroy a horde of robots. It’s the little things in life.
