Your Guide to E3 2014

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The Boys’ Life magazine Games Guru traveled to the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Calif., to report on the latest and greatest that’s happening in the gaming world.

E3 is an annual convention for computer and video games. It’s used by videogame manufacturers to show off their upcoming games and merchandise.

Here’s BL‘s list of the most promising games of E3 2014:


e3-1The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo for Wii U

While it won’t be released for a long while, it’s clear that this new Zelda will be one of the most beautiful games Nintendo has ever made. The grass, the sky, the landscape and the horizon are so wondrous, I wanted to play in this new Hyrule — now. Plus, it’s so rare to see an open world game for kids. If Nintendo does it right, this will be a game to be remembered.

fantasia-300Fantasia: Music Evolved
Disney/Harmonix for Xbox One

Here’s the recipe. Take the magical worlds within Disney’s Fantasia movie and mash them up with the hot hits of today’s music — and classical, too. Add Kinect and you have a totally fun dancing game that exercises your upper body just as it thrills your eyes and ears. Plus, you can cast spells!

walkingdead-300The Walking Dead Pinball
Telltale/Zen for PC

This is a great zombie-based alternative to the M-rated Walking Dead games. You get pinball and zombies and mini-games based on the series — all with a kid-friendly rating. Hitting the zombies with the pinball is cool, and sometimes they rise like the creeps they are to walk across the playfield. Keep whacking them. They’ll go away … for a while.

nomanssky-300No Man’s Sky
Hello Games for PS4

This exploration game reminds me of Spore, but with more realistic graphics. You don’t really win the game, it seems. In spaceships, you can travel from planet to planet to unravel a mystery. On certain planets, you’ll find dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes and colors. I wasn’t sure what it all meant. But it sure looks like a universe I’d like to check out.

sony-2LittleBigPlanet 3
Sony for PS4

While LBP has always been a 2D platformer, they’ve figured out a way to give it depth. It’s not exactly 3D — call it 2.5D. Sackboy has a variety of new pals to hang with, all just as cool and cute as he is. Oddsock is the most excellent of dogs, and he can even wall jump. You’ll be able to play online co-op and compete against each other, too. And yes, you can still create your own levels.

sonicboomSonic Boom: Rise of the Lyric
Sega for Wii U

Sonic, Tales, Amy and the gang bring Stick the Jungle Badger into the tribe to fight against, you guessed it, Doctor Eggman. Also, watch out for Lyric’s robot army of thousands. Everyone’s got an essential power like Amy, who carries a hammer that lets her swing on trees and poles. And yes, it’s fast. But there’s a lot of exploration, too.

day3-3Ori and the Blind Forest
Microsoft for Xbox One

This small game was the most stunning visually of anything I saw at E3. It didn’t have bombs or big, blasting guns. It didn’t have wacky characters. Instead, it has a magical forest that rivals any fairy tale that’s come to life in movies. And the story, about Ori trying to save the forest, is quite moving.

axiomAxiom Verge
Sony for PS4, Vita and PC

It looks old school, but it plays with all the fun and style of today’s games. Inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, you’ll battle giant bosses and ugly minions in this platformer. And you explore the vividly imagined world to check out monsters who harbor a mystery.

Overall Best of E3: The Legend of Zelda
Trust me. Even though there wasn’t much to see — and nothing at all to play — this game will rock your Nintendo world when it’s released next year. I mean, it’s open world Zelda!

Runner Up: Ori and the Blind Forest
So affecting and so beautiful, you just might find yourself dreaming about this forest and its inhabitants.

Get more of the Games Guru E3 report here.

 

1 Comment

  1. But what animal does Toggle supposedly represent?

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