The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which has played host to some of the gaming world’s biggest announcements, has entered its final day.
Microsoft stole headlines on Sunday, when the tech giant took to the stage at the annual event to unveil key details about its next-generation console, nicknamed “Project Scarlett”.
But there have been equal levels of excitement about the new games launched at E3, which is being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Here are some of the best new titles revealed:
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Borderlands 3
Fans have been waiting for almost four years for a new entry in the sci-fi role-playing game (RPG) Borderlands franchise. Now, their patience has been rewarded, after developer Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 3 will be launching on consoles and PC on 13 September.
The upcoming game will challenge players to fight the Calypso Twins, who rule a cult called the Children of the Vault, reports gaming news site PCGamesN. Borderlands 3’s story begins on Pandora, the planet from the first two games, but players will be able to explore new worlds, too.
Cyberpunk 2077
After releasing a one-hour Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay trailer in the wake of last year’s E3, developer CD Projekt Red has unveiled a new cinematic trailer that gives fans a better look at the game’s gritty, futuristic world and characters. The developer, behind the critically-acclaimed The Witcher series, has also revealed the Keanu Reeves will feature in the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on 16 April 2020, some eight years after CD Projekt Red first revealed that the title was in development.
Halo Infinite
Microsoft announced at last year’s E3 that Halo Infinite was in the works, and has now confirmed that the sci-fi shooter will be a launch title for the company’s next-generation console.
A preview trailer shown during Microsoft’s expo conference on Sunday revealed that the players will once again be in the shoes of the Master Chief, although their ultimate goal remains unclear. Meanwhile, developer 343 says that Infinite is a “spiritual reboot” of the Halo franchise, Polygon reports.
Expect Halo Infinite to arrive at the end of 2020.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Nintendo showcased a range of new games during its Direct conference on Tuesday, but one title stood above the rest.
“The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now in development”, the company confirmed after revealing a preview trailer for its next open-world adventure game. The first game was “one of the biggest, best and most beloved” titles on the Switch when it launched in 2017, so the sequel’s announcement “quickly took the internet by storm”, says Den of Geek.
The entertainment news site claims that the trailer’s “horror” tone points to the “beautiful landscape” of Hyrule, the world explored by players in the first game, may be ripped to “shreds” by a villain similar to Breath of the Wild antagonist Calamity Ganon.
Nintendo has yet to announce when the game will arrive. But given the amount of detail on display in the trailer, Breath of the Wild 2 looks to have been in development for some time.
Marvel’s Avengers
Coming off the back of a host of blockbuster movies, Marvel is on a role with its Avengers franchise. So it stand to reason that the comic giant has announced a video game set in the superhero world.
Previewed during Square Enix’s E3 conference on Monday, Marvel’s Avengers appears to be a “third-person action game” that allows gamers to play as Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Black Widow, notes Metro.
No gameplay footage has been shown at the expo, but Square Enix says the game is set around “A Day”, an event where the Avengers “mess up”, and “it’s implied many innocent civilians are killed” as a result, according to the newspaper.
Marvel’s Avengers is expected to launch on consoles, PC and Google Stadia on 15 May 2020.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
EA-backed studio Respawn Entertainment revealed the first gameplay footage of its new single-player adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at E3 over the weekend.
The 14-minute trailer shows young Jedi Cal Kestis fending off hordes of Stormtroopers while working his way through an Imperial prison on Kashyyyk, the home planet of the Wookies.
“Cal is skilled with a lightsaber and can wield Force powers to knock enemies down, toss his [light]saber and even slow down environmental hazards or blaster fire,” reports Engadget.
Little else is known about the game’s story, but fans won’t have to wait very long to find out more. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order launches on 15 November for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion doesn’t shy away from “addressing the issues that helped contribute to Brexit and the chaos that could result from the UK leaving the European Union”, notes The Independent.
The third instalment in the Ubisoft’s hacker-themed series, Watch Dogs: Legion is set in a futuristic version of the UK after its divorce with the EU. The French gaming firm’s vision of post-Brexit Britain is a bleak one, with surveillance and police brutality rife on the streets of near-future London.
Watch Dogs: Legion puts players in charge of a group of vigilantes and are tasked with finding new recruits to help disrupt the oppressive Government, notes IGN.
It’s set to launch on 6 March for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
