While E3 may be best known to the general public for its high-budget stage presentations, the real show doesn't technically even begin until the press conferences end. And every year there are always a handful of gems to play on the show floor that just didn't get the attention they deserved on-stage. Thus, for the past few years it has been ThinkBoxly's tradition to hunt down and name the top 3 games from E3 that you might've missed. And let me tell you, this year they're big ones.
Gravity Rush 2
Ok, so technically Gravity Rush 2 was on stage for approximately two seconds as part of Sony's closing montage, but oh, does it ever deserve more than that. The original Gravity Rush was a wonderful game whose charm only shone all the brighter when it made the jump from Playstation Vita to PS4 earlier this year, and the sequel looks set to be everything the first game could've been if it was a home console title from the start. Bigger and brighter environments to fly—er, fall with style—through, new abilities, improved combat, even a photo mode—it's all here.
And of course, we'll finally get to see the next chapter in Gravity Rush's cryptic but utterly captivating plot. I've always postulated that the original game's story can be understood if the player makes the effort to dig up all the details, but it's an incomplete story, no doubt about it, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.
The lack of a release date in the latest trailer (seen above) is concerning, but fingers crossed this one's still on-track for 2016 as originally slated. Gravity Rush 2 is just one of those games PS4 owners shouldn't miss.
Persona 5
Nine years. That's how long players will have waited for a new numbered Persona game when Persona 5 releases in the west on February 14, 2017. With a decade of anticipation riding on its shoulders you can imagine the hype is at an all-time high, but if the most recent press releases are anything to go by, it will absolutely deliver.
Gone is the friendly atmosphere of Persona 4, and instead Atlus is going back to the series' darker roots and raising the stakes far beyond saving a backwoods town from a mysterious serial killer. This time you're the one on the wrong side of the law—or at least, that's what everyone thinks about you—and it's your job to play the vigilante and steal back the hearts of the people. Literally. If you're familiar with Persona stories, you know exactly what I mean.
Persona 5 will release on both PS3 and PS4.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Of all omissions from the E3 stage, this one feels by far the weirdest. Deus Ex is coming back in just a couple of months, and not a single publisher picked it up for some stage time. I mean, come on, it's Deus Ex! Everybody asked for this.
Considering the prequel nature of Human Revolution it will be interesting to see what sort of ground Mankind Divided covers. Whatever it does, one thing is for certain: it will look cool doing it. A new game engine, new and improved abilities to unlock, the freedom to go lethal or non-lethal, stealthy or guns-blazing, and more of Adam Jensen's gravelly voice—it's the sequel to one of the most successful franchise reboots in history, and it carries the baton well.
Deus Ex is more than just a game: it's exactly the sort of politically-complex, philosophically-oriented fictional universe cyberpunk fans have been waiting for since Ghost in the Shell. And you'll be able to play the latest entry on August 23, 2016 when the game releases on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Honorable Mentions
While these are my picks for top 3 show floor games you should be looking out for, that doesn't mean they're the only things to see around the booths at E3. Honorable mentions go to Cuphead, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Kingdom Hearts 2.8, Nier: Automata, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, Yooka-Laylee, and Zero Time Delimma. And even that's only scratching the surface. Keep your eyes peeled: E3's not over yet!
