E3 2017 Aftermath: What’s A Geek’s Favorite Things!

The press conferences of E3 2017 are all done and the What’s a Geek team reflects on the games that caught everyone’s eye. This year’s E3 doesn’t feel as heavy hitting as E3 2016, but that doesn’t mean the conference is devoid of exciting content. There are plenty of new surprises, returning franchises, and established games to look forward to in the months to come!

NEW SURPRISES

Dragon Ball Fighter Z

EMILE: Leaked a few days earlier, Dragon Ball Fighter Z looks every bit as hype as fighting game fans hoped it would at E3 2017. Developed by Arc System Works (ArcSys), it combines the intense 3v3 team battles and team assists of Marvel vs Capcom with the technical mechanics of other ArcSys games like Guilty Gear. I hope this rekindles the same fire I had when the first Dragonball Budokai came out on the PS2. I’m a solid casual fan of fighting games of the Tekken variety, but I’m more than willing to try something new if it has right hook, like Persona 4 Arena. The opportunity to beat the smug out of Frieza, Cell, and Vegeta at the same time is very compelling! Learn more from Producer Tomoko Hiroki here and Fighting Game Youtuber Maximilian Dood here!

LEANDRO: Ya’ll probably know by now that I am a HUGE fighting game fan (case in point, point, point, point, etc.). So this was undoubtedly THE game of the show for me. Guilty Gear Xrd graphics, with Marvel-esque tag combat, HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG?!? I’ve long believed that Arc System Works are the best fighting game developers in the industry right now, and with them at the helm of Dragon Ball Fighter Z this is the first DB game I’ve been excited for in the longest time. I’m also excited at the prospect of Bandai Namco establishing a relationship with ArcSys. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, if this game does well, we can also get a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure ArcSys game.

The Last Night

EMILE: Sometimes, a solid art style is more than enough to get a game over with gamers. The Last Night has that in spades at E3 2017. The pixelated, neon-colored graphics mixes with an old-school, noir feel. This makes it immediately pop out among the rest, like a colorful 2.5D Blade Runner game. The Last Night is still in pre-alpha but I’m looking forward to learning more about this! Watch a slightly larger slice of The Last Night here!

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

EMILE: E3 is always at its most fun when something completely unexpected happens. Imagine the questions running through everyone’s minds as they watched the beginning of Ubisoft and seeing Shigeru Miyamoto on stage. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a collaboration that no one asked for. Instead of a platformer, it’s a turn-based tactics RPG game. It’s basically XCom with a more child-friendly aesthetic. I’m in favor for any game that has the chance to spread the tactics genre to a wider audience. If Mario will be the face of tactics game in the future, I’m down with that. Thank you, Shigeru Miyamoto and Ubisoft for sharing your wild creativity. Peek behind the scenes at Ubisoft and the E3 floor demo here

ADE: I admit, when this was first leaked I was very wary. I hate the Rabbids, and a crossover with Mario sounded terrible. But somehow, it worked. I adore XCOM, and I’m happy to see a fresh take that particular gameplay style. I’m actually considering picking this up once it comes out.

Honorable Mentions: Anthem, The Inpatient, A Way Out, Griftlands, Hidden Agenda, Extinction