Gigantic
This imaginative team-based arena game is coming to Xbox One and PC this fall, courtesy of a publishing deal with Microsoft. Gigantic is on par with Blizzard's Overwatch in terms of colorful, vibrant character designs, and the blazingly fast gameplay blends third-person combat with the coordination inherent to a MOBA. The 5v5 team setup is pretty standard, but your objective is anything but: you and your dazzlingly animated compatriots are fighting on behalf of one colossal guardian, a larger-than-life mythical beast that needs your help to make its way across the map and into enemy territory. Of course, the opposing forces have a guardian of their own - and the battle that breaks out when the two teams meet head-on is nothing short of epic.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty Black Ops 3's multiplayer is all about the Specialists. You aren't just a faceless soldier roaming the battlefield, shooting down other faceless soldiers - you play as unique, futuristic Specialist characters. Each of these characters has exclusive powers, like the Viking-inspired Ruin's ground slam or the robot Reaper's ability to reverse time. It seems the MOBA genre's DNA has gotten into the Call of Duty series. And if you're worried that these new abilities will muck up the CoD multiplayer experience, don't be: it still plays and feels like Call of Duty, just with a little extra flavor on top.
Guitar Hero Live
Guitar Hero is making a comeback with Guitar Hero Live. Veterans of the series are sure to feel right at home with the scrolling note rhythm gameplay, but everything isn't the same as it used to be. For the new gen game, the guitar got a redesign, sporting 6 total buttons on its neck. The presentation has changed quite a bit as well, giving players a first-person perspective of stepping on stage to a live action audience. Can the new Guitar Hero usher in a resurgence of the music genre? We'll just have to see when the game releases on October 15.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate is set during the Industrial Revolution in England, an era when street gangs ruled and back-alley rumbles were how people settled their differences. You play as siblings Jacob and Evie Frye as they fight the Templar order for control of the city, one piece of turf at a time. To do that, you'll use your gang to take on rivals in street brawls, hijack carriages to drive through the massive open world more quickly, and execute your targets in brutal close-combat battles that make multiple hidden blades a necessity.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 that is actually happening! Bethesda ran its own press conference this year, and it was the perfect place to unveil new and improved, massive open world. Boston's wasteland features much more to do than previous Fallout entries. Not only can you explore the post apocalyptic world, killing mutants and bandits, and finding loot, Fallout 4 has Minecraft-like elements that allow you to build weapons and buildings from scratch. The game is vast, and we can't wait to get our hands on it next year.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Adam Jensen never asked for this, but from the looks of the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided reveal trailer, he has fully embraced his robotic augmentations and is using his powers to slice and dice his enemies to bits. A revolution has ignited, bringing together a group of augmented terrorists who are fighting against the abuse the government has brought on their kind. At E3, we finally got to see the game in action and all of the multi-path gameplay from the previous games is there. You can choose the way you want to approach your objectives, whether that be as an invisible ghost, or a trigger happy maniac.
SOMA
Created by the team behind Penumbra and Amnesia (oh no) and with a design that recalls System Shock (OH NO), Soma is a game about robot evolution gone horribly wrong. You explore an underwater base where robot workers have begun to transform into half-techno, half-organic lifeforms, most of which will tear you apart on sight. But some are kinder, and if you talk to them, they seem to be of the opinion that they are human too, despite the fact that they don't last long when unplugged from a power source. That goes from creepy to terrifying when you find evidence that they might be right. Soma reveals its many horrors in September, so get ready to be afraid of your toaster for a while this fall.
Doom
Forget monster closets and dwindling flashlight batteries - those are so Doom 3. The next chapter in this legendary 'one man against a legion of Hellspawn' FPS franchise is looking amazing, and from what Bethesda's shown of the gameplay, it recaptures the nonstop action of the original DOS games. Of course, it's got plenty of new stuff, too: gut-wrenchingly brutal melee kills, even bigger Cyberdemons, and loads of custom content creation with the new Snapmap tool. Whether in single- or multiplayer, this Doom is sure to get the blood pumping - possibly in a spray out of the other end of a demon's spine.
Forza Motorsport 6
Microsoft has been dedicated to bringing regular installments of the Forza series, and has already revealed that the next title, Forza Motorsport 6, is in development and was shown on the E3 show floor. The game looks fantastic. Not only do we have a hard time telling the difference between the digital cars and their real life counterparts, Forza 6 is adding quite a few new features. Players will be able to play as woman drivers, there's wet weather racing that uses real puddle physics, and tuning and customization are more intricate than before.
Gears of War 4
Microsoft finally broke its silence on the next game in the Gears of War series with a pretty lengthy gameplay trailer during its E3 stage show, depicting a man and woman (apparently named JD and Kait) wandering through an abandoned city before being attacked by a bunch of spine-shooting creatures. Gears of War 4 isn't planned for release on Xbox One until holiday 2016, so Microsoft is saving plenty of details to keep fans wondering until then. But for now, The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson says to expect a return to the darker, creepier tone of the original Gears of War.
