E3 2017: F1 2017, Metroid Prime 4 and more
From Forza Motorsport 7 to BioWare's Anthem, here are the most exciting games at this year's expo
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will open to video game fans tomorrow, but some software companies have already revealed their biggest titles due out over the next 12 months.
This year's E3 is on course to become the biggest video games show ever as fans will be granted access to the event for the first time.
Microsoft has already unveiled its high-performance Xbox One X at the show, which boasts 4K resolution gameplay at 60fps. It launches on 7 November for around £450.
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It will also be a significant year for Nintendo as the Japanese games giant recently launched its all-new Switch console. The system went on sale with a relatively limited line-up of games, although this is expected to increase at the event.
Here are the biggest games announced at this year's event so far:
Metroid Prime 4
There hasn't been a new Metroid Prime game since the Trilogy launched on the Nintendo Wii in 2009, but all that's about to change. In a roundtable interview at E3 this week, Nintendo confirmed that a fourth instalment was currently in development.
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Little is know about Metroid Prime 4, but the game is expected to see the return of the cyber suit-wearing Samos as she battles against space pirates.
Pokemon Switch
Most of the traditional RPG-style Pokemon games launch on Nintendo's portable systems, but developer Game Freak has confirmed that it plans to create a version for the all-in-one Switch console.
No gameplay details have emerged, but it's expected to incorporate similar mechanics to Pokemon Sun and Moon that launched on the Nintendo 3DS – but with better graphics. IGN thinks fans will have to wait at least a year before the game is released.
Monster Hunter World
One of the most surprising announcements at E3 came during PlayStation's conference when Capcom revealed it would be launching an all-new Monster Hunter game next year.
Called Monster Hunter World, the fantasy role-playing game (RPG) "marks the first time that Capcom has developed a brand new Monster Hunter game for a system anywhere near this powerful", says The Verge. The original entries into the franchise were released on the PS2, followed by several releases on Nintendo systems.
Players can use "stealthy techniques to locate a monster, climb on it and take it down", says the website, "which is about as far from the typical Monster Hunter approach as you can get."
Monster Hunter World launches on the PS4, Xbox One and PC next year.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Bethesda, the company behind the critically acclaimed Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, announced a sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order at E3.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus takes place shortly after the events of The New Order, says Polygon, when protagonist BJ Blazkowicz is wheelchair-bound after suffering life-changing injuries.
The sequel has "the same brutal gunplay as the original", adds the site, and sees players tasked with fighting hordes of Nazis while trying to escape from an allied submarine.
The New Colossus will be released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on 27 October.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario fans have been given another gameplay trailer at the end of Nintendo's E3 live stream that sees the Italian plumber ride around a city on a scooter and climb to the top of a giant t-rex.
One of the new gameplay features seen in the trailer shows how Mario can show his hat to enemies in order to take over their bodies, says Kotaku. It's a feature that can be used to take over a Bullet Bill to "ride across gaps" in the environment.
Super Mario Odyssey arrives at the end of October, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
F1 2017
The latest addition to Codemasters F1 franchise made its debut during Square Enix's E3 video stream last night. Fans were given a glimpse of a 2017-spec car racing around the Bahrain International circuit.
Codemasters says it has adjusted the driving physics over the previous version of the game to cater for the added downforce and mechanical grip that have come with this year's set of F1 regulations.
Fans also got to see how classic cars are integrated into the game's career mode. Players will be invited to take part in special events where they will be given challenges such as overtaking a certain amount of cars in three laps of a grand prix circuit.
Click here to read more about the upcoming F1 game, which launches on 28 August.
Mario + Raving Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Ubisoft and Nintendo have confirmed early rumours that the two companies were collaborating on a project by announcing Mario + Raving Rabbits: Kingdom Battle.
The gameplay will be a departure from the traditional Mario adventure title, according to The Verge, which says the tie-in "consists of a mix of exploration" and "top-down turn-based combat".
Mario + Raving Rabbids is a Nintendo Switch exclusive that's due to launch on 29 August.
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human is an all-new sci-fi adventure game from Quantic Dream, the developer studio behind the critically acclaimed Heavy Rain.
It's a "third-person adventure played from the perspective of multiple characters", reports TrustedReviews, and the narrative "will play out differently depending on the choices you make", although players can gleam information on what decisions to make through "clues" placed throughout the world.
A release date has not been revealed, so fans will "have a pretty long wait to see more."
The Crew 2
A sequel to Ubisoft's open-world driving game, The Crew 2 is due to arrive next year - and it appears the series has turned in a new direction.
Unlike the original, which saw players take on a gang of criminals across the US, this puts you in the shoes of a racing driving looking to conquer all forms of motorsport.
Players will not only be able to drive a host of new cars on and off-road, but PCAdvisor reports that flying and boat racing gameplay will also feature.
Ubisoft says The Crew 2 is set to launch in "early 2018" on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Anthem
BioWare has only just launched its massive space opera, Mass Effect: Andromeda, but that hasn't stopped the iconic developer from revealing an all-new game at E3.
Called Anthem, the sci-fi shooter sees players control "exosuit-wearing" characters tasked with exploring a vast open world, according to The Verge.
Developer BioWare demonstrated a world packed with wildlife and giant structures, which it says can be explored cooperatively with friends or strangers. But there's no word yet on any campaign details.
Anthem is set to reach gamers next year.
Assassin's Creed Origins
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise has taken players across the globe and through various points in history, with games set during the French revolution and the Victorian era. Now players will be able to explore ancient Egypt with the company's latest addition to the series – Assassin's Creed Origins.
"Every character has a life in the game", says IGN, including "a work and a social life" as well as their own in-game family. Players can "track a character's movements" and "know their patterns" by studying their daily habits to execute the perfect assassination.
Assassin's Creed Origins launches on 27 October.
Crackdown 3
Microsoft finally announced a third instalment to the Crackdown series during its conference, with actor Terry Crews introducing the action-packed open world game.
Crackdown 3 has players control a "secret agent with super strength, speed, agility and a range of other incredible powers", says TrustedReviews. The agent has a "ludicrous proficiency when it comes to firearms and vehicles, meaning every agent is fully prepared for any situation".
The site adds that the game "will retain the ambitious open world structure of previous games while simultaneously amping up the levels of destruction previously capable on Xbox 360."
Crackdown 3 launches exclusively on the Xbox One on 7 November.
Forza Motorsport 7
Kicking-off Microsoft's E3 conference was the announcement of Forza Motorsport 7 – the company's flagship racing game.
It's set to offer players 700 cars to choose from, including the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS that debuted alongside the game at E3. Forza Motorsport 7 will also feature a dynamic weather system, meaning races that start in dry conditions could end in a rain storm.
"The best part is that this racing sim is built for 4K", argues TechRadar, as the game will boast "more realistic graphics" to "further detail its amazing-looking 700 cars".
Forza Motorsport is expected to launch on 3 October.
Need for Speed: Payback
EA's latest addition to its Need for Speed racing franchise appears to be a radical departure from previous entries in the series.
While 2015's Need for Speed game focused on street racing at night, the trailer for Payback is packed with off-road racing through desert dunes and car chases similar to those in the Fast and Furious films.
Payback "promises the kind of car fetishising that previous Need for Speeds have delivered", says The Verge, although it "adds a more significant story element" with a "blockbuster" style.
Need for Speed: Payback launches on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on 2 November.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Several teaser trailers for the second instalment to the rebooted Star Wars Battlefront franchise have appeared over the past few weeks, but developer Dice revealed the first footage of the new game at E3.
Fans witnessed a multiplayer battle on one of the game's new maps, which features in the prequel era's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. New heroes Darth Maul and Rey could be seen battling through hordes of battle droids and clone troopers, giving players a glimpse of the game's cross-era features.
Click here to read more about Star Wars Battlefront 2.