From the Xbox One X price to Metroid Prime 4, here are the biggest stories of this year’s show.
E3 2017 was filled with literally hundreds of games being revealed, receiving release dates, showing off stellar trailers, and displaying extended gameplay sequences. But as you can imagine, it’s easy to miss something amidst the tornado of announcements.
With E3 2017 finally behind us, we wanted to take a second and go through the 10 most important stories to come out of the show.
Xbox One X Name, Price, and Date
Probably the biggest question on all of our minds going into E3 2017 revolved around Microsoft’s Project Scorpio. And to the surprise of none, all was revealed during Microsoft’s Xbox press conference. Project Scorpio is officially the Xbox One X, and will arrive on November 7, 2017. Advertised as the most powerful console ever, the Xbox One X will cost $499, £449, €499, AUD $649, and CAD $599. For everything you need to know about the Xbox One X, from initial rumors to the big E3 2017 coming out party, check out our guide.
Bioware’s Anthem Revealed
E3 2017 started earlier than ever with EA’s conference on Saturday. And while we loved seeing the full reveal of Battlefront 2’s multiplayer, as well as the super-intriguing A Way Out, it was Bioware that surprised us the most with its new game, Anthem. Anthem’s demo displayed an absolutely-gorgeous action-RPG that definitely looks to be the publisher’s answer to what Activision has with Destiny. Fall 2018 can’t come soon enough.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is Real
Mario + Rabbids was one of the worst kept secrets going into E3. But what surprised us about the Ubisoft/Nintendo collaboration was how deep the strategic battle system seems to be. While the game itself is one of the big 2017 releases for Switch, what’s more telling of this is how Nintendo is becoming more and more open to allowing other developers and publishers to play with their toys. From this to Zelda items in Skyrim on Switch, it seems like the Japanese company is more than ever aware of the potential and reach of its iconic characters, which has all of us super excited for the possibilities.
Spider-Man PS4 Gameplay Reveal
Sony delivered on last year’s awesome promise of an Insomniac Spider-Man game by showcasing an extended demo that proved why the developer was the perfect choice for this game. The sense of humor, acrobatic action, incredible locomotion, and thrilling scenes of sheer heroism pointed to a game that truly understands the source material. Though we won’t be playing the game until 2018, we’re willing to give Sony and Insomniac all the time in the world to deliver a gem.
Skyrim is Back in Several Forms
Apparently 2017 is the new 2011. Bethesda’s Skyrim seemed to pop up in nearly every press conference during E3 in all sorts of different forms. Not only did we get our first real look at Skyrim on Nintendo Switch, complete with amiibo support and Legend of Zelda skins that allow you to transform your Dragonborn into the Hero of Time, but Sony revealed that the massive open-world RPG would be coming to PSVR later this year. I guess this pair will work in tiding us over until the next proper installment in the Elder Scrolls series.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 Lives!
The impossible happened at E3 2017: the ever-elusive Beyond Good and Evil 2 was finally re-revealed, closing out Ubisoft’s stellar press conference. Set a generation before the original, the gorgeous cinematic showcased an intriguing science-fiction world filled with diverse characters, intense action, and the same wit and charm as the original, albeit slightly more mature this time around. For more on the insanely-ambitious project, check out our impressions of the behind-closed-doors presentation we attended.
Metroid Prime 4, Metroid: Samus Returns, Pokemon Switch Announced
While Super Mario Odyssey had a stellar showing at E3 and winning our game of the show award, Nintendo had much more in store for us. Specifically, a trio of announcements that had us in full hype mode. Though Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon Switch are probably a ways out, knowing that both beloved franchises are coming to 2017’s coolest new console has us incredibly happy. And as if things couldn’t get better, Nintendo unveiled a new 2D Metroid with Samus Returns.
Shadow of the Colossus Remake Revealed
One of the absolute biggest surprises of E3 was the reveal of a full-on Shadow of the Colossus remake for PS4 by Bluepoint, the studio that remastered the game alongside Ico a few years back. Fumito Ueda’s beloved PlayStation 2 classic is one of the most beautiful, emotional, and unforgettable games ever made, but the ambitious experience runs a bit choppy by modern standards. The prospect of revisiting the melancholic journey again, but with all of the performance and visual hiccups smoothed over has us eagerly awaiting its 2018 release.
Original Xbox Backwards Compatibility
Though the Xbox One X was clearly Microsoft’s focus at their conference, it was the news that we’d be getting original Xbox backwards compatibility that got a lot of us in the IGN war room the most excited. Microsoft’s done a fantastic job of continually adding to the library of 360 games that are playable on Xbox One, and going back to the company’s roots is a wonderful move. Revisiting classics like Crimson Skies, Jet Set Radio Future, Jade Empire, Breakdown, and Blinx (okay…not all of them are classics) has us stoked.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 DLC Detailed
At E3, EA clarified the confusing messaging surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2’s DLC pricing and structure that arose out of Celebration a few months back. Additional maps, modes, and heroes that release after the game launches will be free to all players in the form of season updates, thus avoiding any splintering of the user base. And like other popular shooters such as Overwatch, there’ll be plenty of chances to spend money on cosmetic changes and expedited progression.
Marty Sliva is a Executive Editor at IGN. A girl he was dating once stepped on his PlayStation 4, and now he no longer owns PT. But don’t worry, they broke up. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty.
