10) Beyond Good & Evil 2 (TBD)
We begin with a game announcement that has been long past due for many who absolutely adored the PlayStation 2 era original Beyond Good & Evil. The sequel has been officially announced, but it's a bit of monkey's paw. Not only was the game presented just a teaser trailer that had an obnoxious teenage edge to it with how many times they could fit in the word "f--k" or some variation of it, but after the show it was revealed that the game is hardly even in development (actually, "day zero" according to the team) and the devs were thinking about putting the game on Early Access. If there was meat to this game and there was a chance it was coming out any time soon, then Beyond Good & Evil 2 would be much higher on this list.
9) Super Lucky's Tale (XB1, PC)
The more 3D platformers put front and center at the big three's E3 showings, the better, and that's exactly what Microsoft did with the reveal of Super Lucky's Tale. Lucky isn't a new IP, as it appeared as an Oculus Rift VR-only game, but now the precocious young fox gets his own charming 3D platforming adventure, which is right up my alley. Sure, it definitely won't appeal to the main demographic for the Xbox One or Microsoft's newly announced Xbox One X (formerly known as Scorpio), but that will be those players' losses. Everyone else will get to play what appears to be an engrossing run and jump with captivating worlds and characters to engage with. As a lover of 3D platformers and just the platforming genre in general, this was a good get by Microsoft to expand its library on Xbox One.
8) Kirby for Nintendo Switch (NS)
Lots of games were revealed with gameplay footage at Nintendo's E3 2017 showcase, but Kirby for Nintendo Switch is one of the only ones that didn't get a live gameplay demonstration at the Nintendo Treehouse Live three-day series of streams that followed. Based off of the adorable footage in this 2D entry in the Kirby franchise, and the first traditional Kirby game on a home console since 2011 with the Wii's Return to Dream Land, Kirby's first Switch game has him able to recruit enemy helpers to join his cause, combine powers a la Kirby 64, and use a wide assortment of copy abilities, as per usual with most Kirby games. With a 2018 planned release year, there's certainly plenty more to uncover about Kirby for Nintendo Switch, and I'm quite excited to see what other surprises HAL and Nintendo have in store.
7) Yoshi for Nintendo Switch (NS)
From one cute Nintendo platforming staple to another, Yoshi's last outing was on both the Wii U and later the Nintendo 3DS with Yoshi's Woolly World. Developer Good Feel continues the real world influence with a diorama style to the scenery and level design with Yoshi's first expedition on the Nintendo Switch. The game offers cooperative play with two players, worlds constructed out of cardboard, felt, toilet paper rolls, shoe boxes,and many other materials (sort of how my middle school self thought Yoshi's Story looked at the time of release), and interaction with Yoshi's egg on the Z-axis level to make a much more 3D-like adventure. Like Kirby's Nintendo Switch adventure, Yoshi for Nintendo Switch will also be making a 2018 appearance.
6) Anthem (PS4, XB1, PC)
Seemingly everyone is gunning to take the multiplayer throne from Destiny, even a development team known for its single-player RPGs with BioWare. The Mass Effect developer now has Anthem, originally revealed at EA's press conference at E3, but fully shown at Microsoft's. The game allows for epic battles on a hostile post-apocalyptic planet Earth teeming with waves upon waves of enemies that don't take too kindly to you and your crew. Select between multiple classes occupying a number of different abilities to them, and aid your teammates in hectic battles against an enormous swath of foes. Obviously it's far too early to guess if BioWare's new direction towards a multiplayer-centric Destiny-inspired game will work out for them, but it's not too early to say that Anthem definitely looks the part.
5) Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)
Third time's the charm, hopefully! No, I'm not saying that the past two iterations of Shadow of the Colossus, its PS2 original and its PS3 remastering, were bad. I'm saying I'm hoping that after this third time, this magnificent looking PlayStation 4 remake that I'll finally play the darn thing in full! Shadow of the Colossus is frequently mentioned in debates and conversations of best PlayStation games, and moreover said to be one of the better games of all time. That makes it fantastic that Sony's Japan Studio is taking the time and dedication to make sure that this remake checks all the boxes of what a fantastic remake should be, such as balancing a fine line between new improvements and familiar gameplay. Shadow of the Colossus is set to release some time next year.
4) Metroid Prime 4 (NS)
You might consider me a hypocrite for arguing that a game with zero real gameplay footage in Beyond Good & Evil 2 is listed at number ten on my list while a game like Metroid Prime 4 with no footage outside of a logo is number four. Well, in some ways, you would be correct, and I can't really argue against that. However, I strongly doubt that Metroid Prime 4 hasn't even begun development, nor will the franchise take such a contrasted direction like Beyond Good & Evil 2 seems to be. (That is unless Metroid Prime 4 has Samus spouting f-bombs all over the place and it's a totally different genre than what fans loved about the originals.) Regardless, this announcement was long awaited after much of the Nintendo and Metroid fandoms were going nuts with pessimism if the series would ever be seen again. As someone that has the very first Metroid Prime game as one of his favorites of all time, just the promise of a new Metroid Prime game in development was a winning one for me.
3) Monster Hunter World (PS4, XB1, PC)
I personally don't care about the console war politics about Monster Hunter. Really, the only thing that bums me out is that the Nintendo 3DS audience in the west was the one that made Monster Hunter a success over here, and now that segment of gamers is being "thanks for your help, but you're fired" by Capcom essentially. However, Monster Hunter World (first releasing on PS4 and Xbox One early next year with a PC release to follow) looks to take everything fans of the franchise love and makes it bigger and better. I was so happy to see Monster Hunter in full HD with all of the things that the franchise is known for while adding new additions to spice things up. Here's hoping that Capcom's bet that western PS4, Xbox One, and PC players will take to Monster Hunter is a winning one!
2) Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
There's no question that Metroid Prime 4 shook the rafters with the hype of Metroid fans longing for a new Metroid game, but the fan base didn't just get that game to look forward, they got a second one! Metroid: Samus Returns is a Mercury Steam-developed re-imagining of Metroid II: Return of Samus, built exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. With Nintendo's careful watching over the project and Mercury Steam doing the heavy lifting of the game, Samus Returns is shaping up to be everything Metroid fans wanted out of the franchise for longest time. To many, Metroid: Other M and especially Federation Force (both games I happened to like for different reasons, regardless) were disappointments to put it lightly, so this 2D Metroid takes the series back to where it belongs. Plus, with a September 15 release date, 3DS owners won't have to wait long at all for the game!
1) Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (NS)
After a couple of months of bickering and complaints that this was the dumbest crossover in gaming history, many of these same people ate some serious crow (and did so with great satisfaction for being proven wrong) after Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was officially revealed for Nintendo Switch after it had been previously leaked via marketing materials. The game looks absolutely insane and in a good way while showing obviously love and appreciation for the project and all of the characters included. The creative director at Ubisoft's E3 show, after months of leaked materials and most calling the game a horrible idea, was so happy that he was on the verge of tears that his project was being accepted and applauded by the gaming media and public is one of my highlights of the entire show. I can't wait to get my hands on Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle when it launches this August.
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