Ten Interesting Games From E3 2017 That You May Have Missed - Article
by Taneli Palola , posted on 20 June 2017 / 10,453 Views
E3 has once again come and gone, leaving behind hundreds of announcements, game reveals, and trailers. Most of the attention is always taken up by the games shown at the big press conferences, while many of the smaller titles are left to fend for themselves, often lost in a sea of hype and PR mostly reserved for big AAA titles. So, just like last year, I went and took a look at as many games as I could find that had at least some presence at E3 this year, and compiled a list of ten of them that you may have missed, but which still deserve some attention.
Naturally, these aren't even close to being all the interesting smaller titles present at this year's E3, so if you came across some other exciting games that got lost in the shuffle feel free to share them in the comments below.
Matterfall
Matterfall is the next game from Housemarque, the developer behind games such as Super Stardust HD, Resogun, and Alienation. Housemarque is generally known for its fast-paced shooters and Matterfall looks to continue this trend as it's a sidescrolling shooter set in a futuristic sci-fi world. This particular title is already fairly close to release - it's due to launch on August 15th for the PS4.
A Hat in Time
A Hat in Time is a 3D platformer being developed by Gears For Breakfast. You may remember that the game was successfully funded on Kickstarter all the way back in 2013 and has been in development since 2012, but it finally looks set to debut this fall. A Hat in Time takes its inspiration from a number of classic 90s platformers, including Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64. With the recent increase in public interest in these types of games, A Hat in Time could be a welcome inclusion to the genre.
Tunic
In a way this is the smallest game on the list - not necessarily in terms of its actual size, but due to it being mainly developed by just one person. Tunic has a very nice look to it that immediately caught my attention. It reminds me a lot of old-school Zelda titles with its gameplay style, especially of A Link to the Past. Tunic is coming out sometime in 2018 on PC, Mac, and consoles.
Call of Cthulhu
From the smallest to perhaps the highest profile title on this list, Call of Cthulhu could very well become the next great horror title of the generation if it manages to live up to the promise shown in trailers. It's said to be a semi-open world RPG with stealth and horror elements. It'll be interesting to see how well it can bring to life the world created by H.P. Lovecraft, and if it can bring something unique to the horror genre rather than just recycle elements from other horror franchises. We should be able to find that out if it's a success sometime later this year when the game releases on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Sundered
From the makers of the 2015 video game Jotun, Sundered is a beautifully animated side-scrolling metroidvania style game with a rather dark tone and inspiration drawn from a variety of sources, including (as with Call of Cthulhu) the works of H.P. Lovecraft. It's set to release next month on PC, Mac, and PS4. Sundered's particularly unique look sets it apart from other games in its genre, and providing the gameplay holds up we could be looking at an excellent game in the very near future.
The Sword of Ditto
Straying into slightly more light-hearted territory for a moment with The Sword of Ditto, a 2D hack 'n slash roguelike with an almost cartoony visual style that is reminiscent of shows like Adventure Time. The gameplay certainly looks fun and very Zelda-like, but as with many other games on this list the art style is what first caught my attention. Another aspect I'm genuinely excited for is the title's local co-op, which is something I often miss in modern games. The Sword of Ditto is coming to PC and PS4 in early 2018.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
We've not seen much for A Plague Tale: Innocence as yet, besides its setting and the story concept, but what we have seen looks intriguing. The look and style of the game reminds me a little of Bloodborne, which is never a bad thing. A Plague Tale: Innocence is currently in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Unto the End
Unto the End is described as a 2D cinematic adventure game. In it you take on the role of a father setting out on a journey to avenge his murdered family. Judging by the reveal trailer it's set to look absolutely gorgeous, and the combat system seems to have quite a lot of depth to it as well. This one is currently set to release sometime next year on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is being developed by Ninja Theory, the team behind cult classics like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Heavenly Sword, and DMC: Devil May Cry. That alone was enough to get my attention at the very least. The game's story is based on Celtic and Nordic mythology, and looks to be something quite different in tone compared to the developer's previous titles. The gameplay reminds me of the new Tomb Raider, or even Dark Souls in some small ways. It'll be interesting to see how well Hellblade turns out when it releases on August 8th on PC and PS4.
Extinction
Finally, here's a game that seems to have taken more than just a little inspiration from the anime Attack on Titan. In Extinction you're tasked with taking out massive beasts in order to defend humanity from annihilation. The game features what looks like a fairly seamless open world that allows the player to roam around in various different ways. It's an intriguing concept which, if done well, could end up delivering something quite special. Extinction is coming out in early 2018 on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
And that's the list. What games from E3 2017 do you think were overlooked by most people? I have most likely missed some of them, so by all means share your own picks below in the comments section.
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Slightly worrying that not a single one of this 10 is coming to the Switch.
I actually did try to look for some Switch games as well, but nothing really caught my eye. It could be that I just missed those games though. The Switch has a lot of interesting games coming to it, but most of it is Nintendo's stuff, so it's not going to be exactly low profile titles.
I'm pretty sure at least 1/3 of these games will eventually come to the Switch.
Oh of course Darwinian, if the system keeps selling at the rate it is now then it would be daft for games (especially indies) to not consider creating a Switch port, the earlier the better as well while there is still (relatively) slim pickings on the store before that shovelware starts to flow if it starts to turn into another Wii :D if you wanna get those sales you wanna be in the first couple of shovels haha
Tunic looks pretty good
Sword of Ditto's new to me and a nice surprise. All of these look promising.
Matterfall is a perfect example of why you should never trust CGi trailers.
Watch the reveal trailer and compare it to the actual gameplay.
No mention of Hidden Agenda?
Well, like I mentioned, I probably missed a lot of interesting games when I was putting this list together. That's just one of them. But thanks for pointing it out, the game looks quite interesting..
Great article and great choices. Man, a lot of these look good! Hellblade, Matterfall, Cthulhu, Sundered, A Plague Tale, Unto the End. And I think all are coming to PS4, so that's great.
Good article, some of them are looking good. Don't like those with just CGI trailers though, hard to judge... but at the same time, it's better than the scripted 'Anthem' reveal. :-P
Its pretty cool how all of these games seem interesting one way or the other.
