3 games to look forward to after E3 2021

As you might have already seen from our wonderful Editor’s piece on this year’s E3, (Flattery will get you everywhere – Ed.) it truly was a disappointment. Despite there being some big games shown such as Elden Ring, Tales of Arise, and the still-nameless sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, these were all games that we knew were in development, it was just a matter of time until we got to see them.

Again, even with these titles — all of which I’m looking forward to — each conference was just missing something. That one big bang to end on that absolutely no one was expecting to see and blew us all away. To top it all off, some of the conferences were simply underwhelming. (I hope you all enjoyed Take-Two – Ed.) I know gamers can be fickle and almost impossible to please, but this E3 in particular was truly something. Regardless, I want to talk about some of the games shown at this year’s E3, particularly some of the games I know I will be picking up when they release. 

Elden Ring

This is legendary creator Hidetaka Miyazaki’s latest work — and basically the next game in his series of “Souls” games, even though it doesn’t actually have Souls in the title; after seeing the trailer, I would have believed this game was just Dark Souls 4. This time Miyazaki isn’t the only one coming up with the story though, as Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin also contributed to the world of Elden Ring. 

I’ve played almost all of the Souls series, and outside of Dark Souls 1, I much prefer Bloodborne and Sekiro. While Dark Souls 2 and 3 aren’t bad games, Dark Souls 3 especially felt like more of the same experience that I had with the first game — they didn’t feel like they did anything new. Bloodborne completely changed the pace of the game, introduced a new playstyle, and had a totally different feel and theme. Sekiro once again changed everything up with a whole new setting, story, and most importantly a completely unique combat system. 

Elden Ring definitely reminds me more of the Souls games than it does Bloodborne or Sekiro but from the little the E3 trailer shows us, it looks to be doing something a bit different than its predecessors. Potentially open-world (or at least massive areas), mounts to get around, plus mounted combat! Even if these are the only differences, the sheer scale and bosses look good enough for me to at least give it a go.

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

This was another game that we all know was in development and, for quite a number of Nintendo fans, this was definitely a huge deal that secured Nintendo the “win” at this year’s E3. However, we still all knew this game was in development and the amount of footage we got to see of the game didn’t really leave me feeling like “E3 has been saved”. 

Even still Breath of the Wild is one of my favourite games on the Switch — I enjoyed it so much I recently replayed it and had even more fun than I did on my first playthrough. This was Nintendo’s first proper attempt at an open-world Zelda game and while it certainly isn’t perfect, considering its lack of proper dungeons and varied bosses along with a relatively small cast of enemies, it was a solid foundation which I am sure will be even better in the sequel. 

The runic powers allowed for a lot of creativity within the massive sandbox that Nintendo had provided for players, which allowed for a ton of creative freedom. The ability to use time-stop and fly through the air on a boulder, set up intricate traps for unsuspecting enemies, or create new and unique paths. These were massive strengths of the game and I cannot wait to see what the sequel will give us after this little E3 teaser.

Metroid Dread

I feel like I have committed some kind of gaming sin when it comes to Metroid, as I’ve never actually played one of the classic 2D games that this franchise is known for. Outside of maining Samus and her Zero Suit variant in Smash Brothers, the only Metroid games I have played were some of the 3D ones. 

Metroid Prime Hunters felt like a proper first-person shooter on the Nintendo DS, and I have very fond memories of that game. I also played the Nintendo Wii Metroid Prime along with its sequel and again, these were games that I remember enjoying. However, after seeing the trailer for Metroid Dread and witnessing just how fun this game looks, I’m sold.

Despite not having played any of the classic Metroid games, I have dabbled in some games of the same genre — notably Castlevania Symphony of the Night and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, both of which I enjoyed. (So far as dipping your toe in the genre, you can’t get much better than that – Ed.) As much as I am still looking forward to Metroid 4, Dread looks like it will be non-stop fun!

Conclusion

Now to wrap up my thoughts on E3 2021… Capcom! You’ve had such a good couple of years of games with IPs that have absolutely smashed it out of the park: Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, the Resident Evil remakes, and Resident Evil Village — and to top it all off Street Fighter V players are finally happy with the game. Despite all this, you had nothing to show fans? 

Square Enix! You have some humongous titles in the works that people are looking forward to, such as Final Fantasy XVI but we saw nothing about it? I understand that Marvel/Disney are big boys that you have to please and honestly Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t look bad, but we’re thirsty for Final Fantasy XVI over here!

Nintendo! Where’s my damn Bayonetta 3?!

Sony! When’s the State of Play?

(At this point, Conor just began typing “all work and no play makes Conor a dull boy” over and over, so I’ve taken the liberty of trimming that part. I think you all get the idea. – Ed.)

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