This was a pretty huge E3. New hardware on the horizon, VR everywhere, stunning sequels, and surprising new properties coming our way very soon. It’s clear that this eighth generation of consoles is starting to hit its stride, and PC is making a strong comeback.

The team, sometimes over stupidly large stacks of pancakes, occasionally over some of the best food truck noms L.A. has to offer, sat down and nominated what we felt were the best games of the show, as well as debating at length until we declared who’d be receiving the coveted Best of E3 2017 Awards. Without further ado, let’s get started with the full Nominee List:

Best RPG:
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RPGs are the bread and butter around Gaming Trend, and there’s a lot to be excited about this year.  The best part about this list is that it’s full of games from every platform!  Whether you are a gamer on the go, a fan of powerhouse gorgeous graphics, or if you like your RPGs courtesy of paper cutouts, there’s something for everyone coming this year.

 

Best fighting game:

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There were three fighting games that really caught our eye this year, one of which being completely out of left field.  There’s no doubt that everyone is trying to raise their game.  It’s a pretty safe bet that all three of these need to be in your library if you are a fight fan, but I suspect one will surprise you…

 

Best Strategy:

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Some say that strategy games are a dying genre.  I submit to you that there are fine examples of deep strategic (as well as casual!) games coming this year and beyond that should be enough to make any Armchair General a happy camper.

 

Best FPS:

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The FPS category was a tough one this year.  It seems like everyone brought their A game.  Gunplay was on display in a big way on both console and PC, and a few titles brought some new ways to play as well.  If run and gun is your jam, you won’t have to wait long for these four.

 

Best Action Game:

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The Action genre is a bit of a wide category, and that shows in the selection of games we thought rose to the top.  Action battlers, open worlds, and even a side scroller turned VR battler are in the mix.  We came away impressed with just how much fun we had with all of these titles, and how surprised we were at their new mechanics.

 

Best Adventure Game:

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There’s a lot to be said for a game that takes gameplay and makes it more about hammering buttons.  These games bring psychological horror, destructive worlds, cooperative play, and all out mayhem to the table.  If you are looking for a way to unwind, with friends or on your own, this category is for you.

 

Best Hardware:

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E3 2017 brought us some great looking hardware.  The Xbox One X looks to bring 4K gaming to the masses in a big way, but Tobii has new ways of experiencing those same games with little more than the eyes already in your head.  Evil Controllers looks to rectify the design flaws in Microsoft’s professional-grade controller.  There were other hardware players to be sure, but these three gave a little something more.

 

Best Multiplayer:

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Whether it’s sailing the high seas, getting lost in the world of Metal Gear, rubbing shoulders with Wookies, or fiddling with motes of light, there’s some great cooperative and competitive multiplayer on the very near horizon.  Gathering up a group of friends has never looked quite this good…

 

Best Xbox Title:

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The Xbox One lineup for this year was all about this year – everything they showed is going to (supposedly) ship in 2017.   That’s exciting news for games like Crackdown 3 and Cuphead, but there were a few other surprises in here as well.

 

Best PS4 Title:

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God of War,  Spider-Man, and Days Gone are just a few of the big names coming to PlayStation 4 in the next year or two, and Sony made it clear that their powerhouse PlayStation 4 Pro is ready to handle 4K gaming too.  Surprise remasters hidden among established franchises await you here, but this is what we felt wowed us the most.

 

Best Switch Title:

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The Nintendo Switch is still going strong, and there were some amazing titles announced that I had all but given up hope on ever seeing again.   We see some strong support from Ubisoft, as well as Nintendo’s usual first party strength here.

 

Best 3DS Title:

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The Nintendo 3DS pickings were a little slim, but that didn’t stop me from being far too excited about the announcement of a new Metroid title.  Ever Oasis surprised us, boasting more complexity than its adorable chibi graphics would imply. Part shop sim, part Animal Crossing, with fighting mechanics reminiscent of old school Legend of Zelda blended with Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles, this cute game is surprisingly dark, interesting and addicting.

 

Best PC Title:

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There’s no doubt that PC hardware is being pushed by the ever-expanding power of the current consoles.  That said, we saw one of the strongest PC lineups we’ve seen in a long while at E3 2017.  Whether it’s being El Presidente of your favorite island, brand new IPs that’ll take us to the stars, or much-anticipated sequels to our favorites from the past, the PC is going strong.

 

Best Multiplatform:

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Some games are built for a wider audience, releasing on multiple platforms at once to capture as many fans as possible.  We celebrate those non-exclusive titles here, and there were more than a few.  Ancient Egyptian Assassins, scary-ass modern-militia Montana, Zombies, and whatever an “Ooblet” is got us excited to play these on whatever platform of choice we might desire.

 

Best Racer:

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Racers all but took the year off (or were scared off by these two titles), leaving us only two real contenders for the crown this year.  That said, both were very impressive, and there’s no doubt that both should let you experience white-knuckle racing action to your heart’s content when they ship later this year.

 

Best Platformer:

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We’ve got something old, something new, and something reborn in this category.   Super Lucky’s Tale looks like it could be fun for all ages, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will pull tears out of all of us, and the Iga-Vania title Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night should scratch an itch we’ve not scratched since it’s 2D inspiration so long ago.   If you like platformers, you’ll wanna check out all three of these.

 

Best VR Title:

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VR is finally hitting its stride, and we saw a lot of evidence of that at E3 2017.   Giant mechs, zombies, a brave little mouse, two reborn classics, and a surprise out of nowhere awaited us in the Virtual Reality space.   It’s awesome that VR is finally reaching a point where it can be considered commercially viable, and this year was, in our opinion, the first real evidence of that.

 

Best Trailer:

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Trailers can be the biggest load of nonsense ever.  Sometimes that is precisely why we like them!  We had a lot to be excited about, and we had just as much to laugh about this year.  If you only watch the Superbowl for the commercials, you’ll wanna take a sample of these babies.

 

Biggest Surprise:

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E3 is all about the surprises.  Every year there’s a deluge of leaks and rumors that ruin the fun, but we always come away with a few gems we didn’t know about until it was revealed for the whole world to see.  Franchises we’d long since given up ever seeing again, an approach to 2D animation that brought it to life in a whole new way, and  brand new ways to play established genres kept us on our toes this year, and we can’t wait to see what it inspires for years to come!

 

It’s an amazing list of games, but what were our big three standouts of the show?  There’s a huge list of potentials, but three rose to the top amidst a great deal of debate.  I present to you, your Best of E3 2017 winners!

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So there you have it.  You tell us – how’d we do?   Did we miss something at the show that should have gotten more notice?    Was there a more crazy or surprising reveal than Beyond Good and Evil 2?  Reach out in the comments and let us know!

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