3. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a no-brainer for this list, if for no other reason than the fact that we’ve waited so long for concrete proof of its existence. CD Projekt RED introduced gamers to an all-new world that – as creator Mike Pondsmith will attest – looks like it came straight out of the Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop RPG. Prior to this E3 reveal, we had a small glimpse of the world through a tease that came back in 2013. For this reason, most people were practically blind to this IP when it returned. And, honestly, I felt sure the Xbox conference had finished before the screen went haywire. Then the music played, and the rest was history (5 years in the making, apparently). However, the utter lack of gameplay after such a long wait hinders this announcement’s higher placement on this list. Incredibly exciting and mind-blowing nonetheless. “Beep.”
2. Resident Evil 2
If you needed further proof that Capcom is going to kill 2019, here it is. Resident Evil 2, the remake, showed up at Sony’s E3 press conference, and it looks outstanding. The presentation was methodical – one might say artistic – for how it gently unraveled the world we laid eyes on. A world that looks as creepy and dour as ever, I might add, since the remake is now running on the RE engine. Sure, Resident Evil 2 receives easy points for pushing our nostalgia buttons, but Capcom also reestablished their pedigree for how they handled Resident Evil 7. The amount of excitement a name can induce, twenty years later, is a testament to how groundbreaking the original was and explains why we’re eagerly anticipating its return. Adding to the surprise and excitement of the reveal, we actually got a release date: January 25, 2018.