The Evil Within
Why we're excited: Tired of survival horror games not being scary? Well, legendary game director Shinji Mikami is making a new title that goes back to gaming's horror roots. The Evil Within uses the third-person, over-the-shoulder camera of games like Resident Evil 4, but focuses on survival over gunplay. You'll have to make your way through a maze of traps and around chainsaw-wielding monstrosities using stealth and trickery--all while not messing your favorite underwear in fear.
Will it be there? The Evil Within will definitely show up in some form at E3 2014. Bethesda recently pushed the release to late October (perfect Halloween timing) this year, so it would be in the developer's best interests to give the horror title as much exposure as it can get.
Uncharted 4
Why we're excited: We know the next Uncharted is coming, but there's still a lot of mystery around the sequel--down to whether it will even star Nathan Drake. Naughty Dog released a teaser trailer featuring a world map leading to Madagascar with a voice-over of the villain planning his revenge against...someone. We've already gone through and dissected the Uncharted teaser trailer and gathered up all of the Uncharted 4 details, pulling out all of the historical clues as to what the game's plot could be about. The Uncharted games were already beautiful on the PS3, and to see the series move its lush jungles and ancient temples to the PS4 hardware would definitely be a treat for E3 2014.
Will it be there? We've got a teaser trailer so we know the game exists. That's generally a good indicator that Uncharted will make it to the biggest gaming convention of the year. Also, there's already a few details floating around about the game, so it won't be a big surprise to see Nathan Drake--or, perhaps Sir Francis himself?--on the show floor.
Halo 5: Guardians
Why we're excited: What was the biggest tease of E3 2013? Most definitely the moment when Master Chief pulled off a dusty cloak to reveal his iconic armor as he stood in the desert. At Microsoft's press conference, Chief made his first next-gen appearance, and now even more about the sequel has been revealed. There was no gameplay yet, but we have a feeling we'll know much more about Halo 5: Guardians come E3 2014. And if a next-gen Halo isn't enough to get you excited, we don't know what is.
Will it be there? Definitely. It will be a full year since the initial announcement, which is usually enough time for the developers to at least get the majority of the title past the concept stage and turned into an actual game. With any luck, we'll get new details on the marooned hero's next mission, find out who the mysterious shiny Spartan is, and maybe even discover why he needed to wear that tattered cloak in the teaser. Last I checked, he's already sealed in high tech armor, so...
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Why we're excited: Call of Duty's new developer, Sledgehammer Games, has already revealed the next entry in the series: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Judging from the Advanced Warfare trailer, the new shooter doesn't look like the your typical CoD. It's set 40 years from now, and the future technology and weaponry used is super-advanced (like ride-around-on-hover-cycles advanced), and the soldiers jump around the battlefield like superheroes in ability-enhancing exoskeleton suits. Also, Kevin Spacey seems to be the monologue spouting villain of the campaign, so points for that.
Will it be there? CoD: Advanced Warfare will definitely be at E3. The game is coming out later this year, and Activision is going to want to get as many eyes on it as possible. The Call of Duty games have been Activision's highest selling titles for years now, and the publisher's main event never misses a show.
Hyrule Warriors
Why we're excited: Yes, the tentatively titled Hyrule Warriors isn't the Zelda we're looking for in the traditional sense. Still, the Tecmo Koei-developed brawler starring our favorite green-garbed hero definitely has us intrigued. Nintendo announced the game with a teaser trailer that looked more Dynasty Warriors than Zelda. Link battles dozens of enemies at a time, sword combos and flame rod special moves are thrown about willy nilly, and Hyrule's soldiers fight right beside the hero. No, it's definitely not the Zelda we're used to. But that's why we're so interested. Link's always been portrayed as a hero setting off on an adventure, not a warrior battling overwhelming forces of evil. And don't lie, we've all thought about what it would be like to take on Ganon's army of darkness head on.
Will it be there? Nintendo has confirmed that Hyrule Warriors will indeed be at E3 2014 and will be available to play on the show floor. Hopefully, we'll be getting more details on the new characters that were previously revealed (like the new badass looking Impa) and whether the bad guys will be playable like in other Dynasty Warriors-style games.
Assassin's Creed Unity/Comet
Why we're excited: Ubisoft already spilled the beans with the Assassin's Creed Unity/Comet leak. Turns out there are famous French landmarks in store for Ubisoft's next assassin. After Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag changed up the series for the better in terms of gameplay and steered the story away from the present day portion, we can't wait to see what Ubisoft plans for the series going forward. But wherever it's going, experiencing a timeline where we can dive off the Notre Dame cathedral and watch guillotine executions seems like an exciting next step.
Will it be there? Ubisoft has already confirmed that the new Assassin's games are the real deal, and if they are going to be coming out later this year, E3 would be the perfect time to show off the series' true next-gen chops.
Dishonored 2
Why we're excited: There have been a few rumors circulating that the next entry in Arkane Studios' Dishonored series will be shown at E3 2014. That is exciting news indeed. Playing as the supernaturally superpowered assassin Corvo Attano in the original was a blast, in no small part because you could approach your missions as you see fit. Sneak around as an unseen ghost, massacre everyone in sight, or do anything in between--it's your choice. You can even decide if you want to actually kill your targets or simply make them disappear in some of the most horrible ways possible (you'll never think of secret admirers the same way again).
Will it be there? If the rumors and leaks are true, we could be putting on the assassin's badass metal mask very soon. We have absolutely no idea if it will actually make it to E3, but we're excited to find out.
Tom Clancy's: The Division
Why we're excited: Here's another E3 2013 reveal that definitely needs to show its face this year. The Division's trailer blew us away, but since the initial announcement we haven't heard a peep. We know just about as much about the game now as we did last year. It's actually pretty cruel. Ubisoft shows us an unbelievably awesome-looking MMO-style open-world shooter, then goes dark. That's why this year we want--no NEED--to know more.
Will it be there? The Division was originally said to be a late 2014 release. Now it seems that Ubisoft is looking at 2015 being the more realistic window. Regardless, the open-world shooter would definitely be missed if it was an E3 no show.
Sunset Overdrive
Why we're excited: Sunset Overdrive is yet another game that was announced last year that we need to get our hands on. The colorful environments, the ability to parkour around a city, and you know a game from developer Insomniac is going to have some outrageous guns to play with. Hopefully, the game will be available to play on the E3 show floor so we can grab that vinyl launcher that was shown in the trailer.
Will it be there? Insomniac confirmed via Twitter that Sunset Overdrive would be coming exclusively to Xbox One in 2014, and the time frame looks to be the holiday release window. Unless the developer pushes the game to 2015, there's no reason Sunset Overdrive wouldn't come to E3 2014.
Destiny
Why we're excited: We just want to play Destiny as soon as possible. You basically get to make your own Master Chief, customize him (or her) with all kinds of Borderlands-esque weapons and powers, then go out and explore the solar system way out in the distant future. Top that off with MMO-style player encounters that allow you to party up, trade, and craft, and what you've got is one enticing shooter. Bungie, please make our dreams come true at this year's E3!
Will it be there? The game releases this September and Activision is going to want to get Bungie's new shooter into the spotlight as much as possible. Destiny will be at E3 2014. No doubt about it.
