E3 2014 begins in June with huge press conferences packed with game announcements and news about the latest console hardware, followed by three days of hands-on previews, hard-hitting interviews, and plenty of writing on laptops in the hotel room. When Crave hits E3, we go hard and we go all the way. In anticipation of this industry-exclusive gaming convention, we’re counting down the biggest games of E3 2014. Let’s kick off our list of must-watch games at the show.
Destiny
Activision’s Call of Duty franchise has single-handedly come to define the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of gaming consoles by focusing on connected, competitive experiences, but now the publisher is working with the brains behind one of gaming’s biggest blockbusters, Halo. Destiny sends players to outer space and back again in an effort to unravel mystery, intrigue, and bust some alien skull. Players will be able to choose from unique classes, equip their characters with hard-earned weapons and gear, and party up for quests, boss fights, and exploration. Activision and Bungie promise that groups will organically cross paths either to face off in explosive battles or to take down massive enemies that require a concerted effort.
Destiny hopes to push gaming forward by blurring the lines between single and multiplayer even further. The title will have some exclusive content on PlayStation platforms, but Destiny promises all of this action and interactivity on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Expect it to have a big presence on-stage at either Microsoft or Sony press conferences and on the E3 show floor.
Persona 5
We can’t say that Persona 5 will even appear at E3 2014, but we’d sure like to know more about this hotly anticipated Japanese role-playing game. Atlus and the Persona development team in Japan have said that gamers in the far east can expect Persona 5 in Winter of this year, which means there will be a slight delay in bringing the title west to western consumers to allow for translation and localization efforts, but we’d sure like to see some gameplay or a new trailer.
And that’s not too much to ask! With Persona 3 and Persona 4 proving the brand’s staying power through re-releases on portable platforms and via digital download services, Atlus knows they have a hit on their hands. We want the company to give us something, anything to hold us over while we continue waiting patiently for the next installment in Shin Megami Tensei’s wildly popular spin-off series. Showing a trailer during Sony’s press conference would certainly give the PlayStation 3 console a boost while the gaming world’s attention shines on PlayStation 4.
Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes
Disney’s interactive division may have struggled over the past few years, but no one can deny the appeal of mixing classic, beloved Disney characters with awesome superheroes like Hulk, Captain America, and, sure I guess Hawkeye is cool too. When Mickey and Black Widow get together in game, does Minnie get jealous? The company debuted Disney Infinity 2.0’s action-oriented gameplay at an event recently, but E3 will be the first opportunity we get for hands-on impressions.
While the competition between this brand of toys-come-to-life gaming and Activision’s Skylanders series has warmed up over the past year, it’s set to burn E3 down as both companies compete to bring together parents and children over video games. While Activision has had the Diablo-esque loot-fest gameplay down for a few years now, Disney has something to prove in maintaining the maturity and legacy of Marvel’s characters while also continuing the freeform Toybox gameplay that established Disney Infinity last year. Watch your wallet around this one.
EA Sports UFC
Electronic Arts always goes big or goes home and the Ultimate Fighting Championship demands a huge showing at E3. We expect fighters to show up on stage to demonstrate how near to life EA’s Canadian development team have gotten in their PlayStation 4 and Xbox One-only sports simulation. With detailed models, brutal animations and damage effects, and a unique control system, there’s only one game sports genre fans need to look out for at E3.
The game is out just days after the conference in Los Angeles, so we don’t expect too many surprises this late in development, but the mixed martial arts scene will hit full hype with this final opportunity for previews and hands-on impressions. EA Sports always brings the goods to full bore and that means the publisher could go for a knock-out at E3.
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