While E3 itself might be a memory, many of the traditions around the late, once-iconic gaming expo are still in place. It's June, and big publishers are showing off the goods they have coming up in the next couple of years.
Microsoft, Ubisoft, and others have shown off games at both their own shows and at broader shows like the Summer Games Fest in recent days. The showcases this year ranged from lackluster to surprising—especially for Microsoft, who brought a huge slate for its showcase after a very rough first half of the year.
These events inundate gamers with tons of trailers, and it can be hard to wade through it all, avoiding the games that you know aren't for you and finding the ones that will surprise and delight you.
While we can't tell you which games you're going to like best, though, we can pick out the trailers that we thought were the most exciting from the events. Here's what you can look forward to.
Editor's note: All of these games are expected to be traditional "Web2" games without crypto or blockchain elements.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Release Date: 2025
We'd heard rumors that a medieval Doom game was ready for Microsoft's show for a bit. However, if you were expecting swords and shields instead of chainsaws and shotguns—you're half right! Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to Doom and Doom Eternal, but there are still plenty of guns; a double-barrel shotgun is the first thing we see the Slayer equipping.
Alongside that, though, is a bulky-looking shield emblazoned with the Doomslayer rune. The Captain America-style shield can be thrown and will bounce back to the player. Pull a ripcord, though, and the shield sprouts spinning blades. The trailer also shows off a flying mount and a Doomslayer mech, plus a gun that chews up skulls and spits out the fragments. Stunning.
Perfect Dark
Release Date: TBA
We've been waiting for Perfect Dark for a long time. The wait's going to be a little bit longer, but this debut trailer has us salivating. It hints at the story—though those hints may be much larger for fans of the original—but offers a great rundown of the gameplay.
From a first-person view, Joanna Dark does some hacking and stealth before breaking out into some fast parkour, running across a wall, and jumping through a window. Once she lands inside, she readies her weapon for both lethal and non-lethal gunplay.
So far, all of it looks great, offering gameplay akin to Deus Ex and Mirror's Edge in one package—but it's important to remember that this was a heavily rehearsed gameplay segment, not a demo played live on a stage. But we can't wait to see what The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics are cooking up with this classic Rare franchise.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Release Date: TBA
Listen, we weren't expecting this, either. While the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater isn't an Xbox-published game, it still made a splash during the showcase. We'd been dreading seeing this remake in action, expecting to see Konami take the cheapest possible path for an easy cash grab since series creator Hideo Kojima has long since split.
But it looks like the publisher is taking it seriously, because this trailer has completely upended our expectations. It shows off some solid modern graphics that still hold on to the visual style of the original, and tons of action and hand-to-hand combat. It looks to be much more than a simple up-rez of the original, as it will offer a new control style alongside traditional Metal Gear controls.
Avowed
Release Date: 2024
Obsidian is one of the most prolific studios under the Microsoft brand, having given us 10 games in the last decade. The team has been at work on Avowed, a first-person medieval RPG, for some time now. Comparisons were made early on to Skyrim, but expect this to be a more focused game. The story takes our protagonist to the Living Lands, which are affected by the Dream Scourge, giving enemies and monsters a creepy-looking sort of glowing infection.
You'll have to choose sides and who to trust, and what to do about the Dream Scourge, while fighting with melee, ranged, and magical weapons to survive.
Fable
Release Date: 2025
Another game we've been waiting for word on for what seems like forever is Fable, the reboot of the beloved Xbox RPG series. Playground Games, best known for Forza Horizon, is handling the title, which is set to arrive 15 years after the last core entry.
This trailer gives us some story, a little gameplay, and some great visuals. Playground still needs to prove itself when the game is released, but what we're seeing so far is encouraging and hits the right kind of quirky vibe the series is known for.
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Release Date: 2025
We usually prefer a gameplay trailer so that we know what we're getting into with a game, but there are exceptions—and Civilization is one of them. We know roughly what we're getting with Civilization: tech trees, warring nations, diplomacy, and Ghandi dropping nukes. That, and it's not a very fun game to watch, even if it's genuinely one of the most compelling games to play.
All we needed from this trailer was the confirmation that Civilization VII is on the way, and when we'll hear more. The trailer ends with the promise of a gameplay showcase in August, and a full release sometime in 2025.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Assassin's Creed Shadows, releasing this fall, is finally taking us to the setting fans have been begging for since the beginning of the series: Sengoku-era Japan. You'll play as a samurai named Yasuke and an Iga ninja named Naoe, engaging with the series' stealth and action gameplay in varying ways.
After some initial trailers, Ubisoft also went in-depth with much longer looks at the game, but this is the particular look that got us ready to dive back into Assassin's Creed again.
Silent Hill 2
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Silent Hill fans have been waiting a long time for a good Silent Hill game. While a few entries have their share of fans, though, nothing has hit like the first three Silent Hill games, especially Silent Hill 2. The game's combination of psychological and survival horror, strange characters, and excellent music left an imprint on fans who never quite let it go.
Given that strong emotional connection, initial responses to this trailer have been mixed. But Silent Hill 2 is coming back around, 23 years later—and if it's even half as good as the Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space remakes, then we'll be thrilled.
Astro Bot
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Astro Bot has been a low-key mascot for Sony for a while now. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is seen by many critics and fans as the best game to hit PlayStation VR, full stop, while PS5 pack-in game Astro's Playroom shows off the DualSense controller better than any other game since—and it's just a fun, sweet little platformer on top of that.
Now, Astro Bot is finally getting its own full-size PlayStation 5 game, and we've waited more than long enough. If you have a PlayStation 5 and you haven't played Astro's Playroom, then you can get a feel for the adorable little robot right now for free. Otherwise, we'll get to see what he's capable of this September.
Edited by Andrew Hayward