The list of announcements at this year’s E3 is swamped with some massive games, like Cyberpunk 2077, Zelda Breath of the Wild: The Sequel, and the new Last Jedi Star Wars Game. It’s likely you might have missed some of the quieter, more understated titles. Here’s my rundown of the most interesting games that didn’t get the attention they deserved.
Carrion
Carrion is a horror game where you play the monstrosity. Covered briefly in the unique E3 presentation from Devolver Studios, Carrion is another pixelated work of art from the publisher infamous for games like Hotline Miami. Developed by Phobia Studios, who had a record year with Katana Zero, Carrion looks to be another unique experience to sink a few hours into. Fans have known about this title since 2018, but it arrives on PC and console in 2020.
Empire of Sin
Empire of Sin is a new strategy game developed by Romero Games and published by, you guessed it, Paradox Interactive. As far as themes go, this is a little different from your ordinary Paradox title. Rather than the gruesome middle-ages or the freezing Eastern front in WW2, Empire of Sin takes you to the 1920’s Prohibition-era Chicago. Gun, schmooze and buy your way to the top of the gangster pile. The game is set for a Spring 2020 release date.
Spiritfarer
This is a whimsical, 2D story-driven game with Animal Crossing-meets-Spirited Away vibes but with a much darker, sadder swirl. Transporting spirits from the living world to the other side seems like a grim concept, but Spiritfarer looks to be more about the individual stories of the humans as they cross over, transform into animals, and bear some strange last requests for you. Comes to PS4 and PC in 2020.
Trine 4
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is the latest instalment in the Trine puzzle game series. The first two games were met with plenty of critical and fan praise, though the third game attempted a 3D world and it wasn’t received well. Trine 4 turns back to 2D and looks as colorful, unique and complex as the original two games. Comes to Switch, PC, Xbox and PS4 in 2019.
Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3 takes us to the post-apocalyptic wastes of Colorado. Wasteland 2 was a critically acclaimed title, and fans and early-access backers are excited for the newest addition to the series, but you might have missed it! Wastelands are role-playing games from the original creators of Fallout, so expect plenty of gritty storyline and humor.
Way to the Woods
Way to the Woods, a game by Anthony Tan, is another strange one. A game about deer, with a killer soundtrack by the sounds of the trailer, it looks to be a title about adventure, puzzle solving and unravelling a strange world. A bit like Journey, Bambi’s mom and Studio Ghibli meet in a developer’s studio. The game launches in 2020 for Xbox One and PC.
Gods & Monsters
Gods & Monsters looks like an open-world Zelda meets Greek Mythology game, and that’s exciting fans. From the developers of Assassn’s Creed Odyssey, we don’t’ know much about this game yet, but the trailer was well received at E3. It came as a surprise during the Ubisoft show, though it’s pinned for a release in February 2020.
