Top 10 Gameplay Trailers of E3 2019 - Article

by Evan Norris , posted on 14 June 2019 / 4,877 Views

Welcome to the fifth annual "Top 10 Gameplay Trailers of E3."

Nintendo and Square Enix notwithstanding, this was an E3 to forget, with Sony skipping the ceremony altogether and Microsoft failing to capitalize on its rival's absence. Furthermore, there was a scarcity of great gameplay trailers, with many publishers opting for flashy cinematic previews. Still, I was able to assemble a list of ten videos that debuted this E3, featuring games that look great, good, or at the very least promising.

Here's last year's list, for reference. Please enjoy!

#10
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order

The EA logo should scare you, but the Respawn insignia should put your mind at ease (at least somewhat). Developer of Titanfall and Apex Legends, Respawn is now trying its hand at a cinematic third-person action game. With shades of The Force Unleashed, Uncharted, and thanks to some wall-running footage, Titanfall itself, Jedi: Fallen Order shows a lot of potential.

#9
Trials of Mana

Trials of Mana already looks superior to the Secret of Mana remake from 2018. A HD remake of Seiken Densetsu 3, Trials of Mana is built on Unreal Engine 4—and it looks fantastic. Featuring multiple protagonists, action-RPG combat, and a rich fantasy world, this remake looks to be a winner.

#8
Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Is there a more serene, relaxing, diversionary game series than Animal Crossing? The newest installment in the franchise, New Horizons, by all accounts will continue the soothing life simulation formula, this time on a mostly-deserted island. Build, grow, fish, shop, make friends, and play—all at your leisure—in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. New features include couch co-op and a more refined character editor.

#7
Minecraft Dungeons

The most unanticipated entry on this list might just be Minecraft Dungeons, a cross between Minecraft and Diablo that looks unexpectedly great. It appears to be a more accessible, family-friendly version of the beloved dungeon-crawler, with crunchy combat, lots of loot, and support for four-player multiplayer.

#6
Luigi's Mansion 3

With new moves like Slam, Suction Shot, and Burst, and a nice collection of solo, co-op, and competitive modes, Luigi's Mansion 3 appears to be the complete package. The most surprising addition to the series has to be Gooigi, a green, gooey doppleganger of Luigi that can pass through narrow bars and over spikes.

#5
Astral Chain

The Switch exclusive Astral Chain has been one of the sexier Nintendo titles since it arrived on the scene back in February. The latest gameplay trailer should only make salivating fans more eager to try it, thanks to a glimpse into the game's over-the-top action, epic boss battles, and a neat capture mechanic that allows players to use enemy abilities to destroy other extra-dimensional baddies. Astral Chain will arrive August 30.

#4
Final Fantasy VII Remake

For a long time, many questions have surrounded Final Fantasy VII Remake—about its episodic release cadence, its gameplay differences from the original, and whether it would be any good. Thanks to E3 2019, the last question is a little clearer: this remake, despite its deviation from the seminal 1997 RPG, looks pretty darn great. The battle system, apparently a hybrid of real-time and strategic action, looks especially good. The game's staggered release rhythm is still a red flag, but in terms of gameplay, Final Fantasy VII deserves a place on this list.

#3
Valfaris

Valfaris looks like the child of Contra and Metroid, conceived to Master of Puppets by Metallica. It's probably the wildest, most invigorating trailer of all of E3, with its metal guitar riffs, righteous pixel art, and some spectacular run-and-gun action. From the team behind Slain: Back from Hell, Valfaris is definitely one to watch.

#2
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Link's Awakening has always been a quirky installment in the evergreen Zelda series, and based on the trailer above the remake will capture the same eccentricities. Open-air exploration, close-quarters combat, and atypical 2D platforming sections all look great, but it's the reveal of a brand new dungeon editor that earns this trailer its high spot.

#1
DOOM Eternal

Id Software can do little wrong lately. The DOOM reboot in 2016 enjoyed fast and violent action and this year's RAGE 2, despite some open-world pitfalls, saw some of the snappiest, most satisfying moment-to-moment gunplay in a long time. This trend appears to continue with DOOM Eternal, which builds on its predecessor's forward-momentum combat. With more demon types, crazier weapons, and new acrobatic maneuvers, it might just be a new classic.

Thank you for checking out my top 10 list. Please sound off in the comments section with your favorite gameplay trailers from this year's E3!

8 Comments

Rob5VGC (on 14 June 2019)

FF7R is #1 to me.

Darwinianevolution (on 14 June 2019)

DOOM Eternal's trailer is excellent, pretty much the only game at E3 that is still on my to get list this year. A shame we didn't hear anything from Serious Sam 4, though...

Shore (on 14 June 2019)

What about watch dogs legion? I thought it was very good.

WoodenPints (on 14 June 2019)

A fair list that I agree with on most parts but I'd remove Star Wars as I wasn't impressed with the Gameplay at all and also FF7 is still looking to be underwhelming so I'd remove that also. I'd replace them with the super smooth art style and gameplay of Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Psychonauts 2 which is looking to be very nice. Valfaris was definitely the biggest surprise of the lot though and looks crazy good.