Elden Ring
Now that the E3 2019 hype is starting to wind down a little, it’s time to take a look back at the press conferences we got to check out this year. Here are our picks for the top 10 best trailers from E3 2019.
Even though it got leaked before E3 2019 officially kicked off, there was no stopping the hype train once we got our first glimpse at FromSoftware’s new project.
In collaboration with A Song of Ice and Fire writer George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring is a western dark fantasy game that will likely be much closer to the Souls games in tone.
After Sekiro’s feudal Japan setting, it’s definitely nice to see FromSoft going back to experiment with more twisted fantastical imagery and magic-focused lore.
No gameplay here, but Elden Ring’s trailer contained some seriously beautiful framing shots, along with quick looks at the general world and characters to keep fans hooked.
Tales of Arise
Another game that got leaked before E3 2019, Tales of Arise was low-key the most impressive game we saw at Microsoft’s press conference.
Again, no actual gameplay footage unfortunately, but it looked so much prettier and graphically impressive than any other Tales game we’d seen before. Early looks at the character designs are promising, and we can’t wait to see more of this one in the coming months.
Way to the Woods
Finally, we’re getting the Bambi’s mom game we’ve always wanted.
In all seriousness, though, Way to the Woods is easily the most intriguing indie game we saw at E3 2019. Playing as an adult deer, you’ll be guiding your baby deer through the human world, which seems to have been corrupted by some sort of darkness.
You’ll use the deer’s lit up antlers to open pathways to progress, and encounter other large animals along your journey.
Ghostwire Tokyo
While it’s not exactly the Evil Within 3 announcement we’d been hoping for, Ghostwire Tokyo looks pretty rad too.
The CGI trailer was beautifully animated, with amazingly seamless transitions between scenes and a look at the most sumptuous video game ramen we’ve ever seen. Ghostwire Tokyo deals with spirits and the supernatural, and it’s set to be a pretty spooky game with Japanese folklore elements. We’re down for that.
Cyberpunk 2077
The new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 was just alright… until that badass Keanu Reeves reveal at the end, then everything changed.
In this trailer, we got another glimpse of Night City, the body augmentations that society has become so obsessed with, and the cool arm blades that players will get to use as melee weapons.
Then we get virtual Keanu telling us we have a city to burn, and after that, real Keanu comes onstage to tell us the release date. Perfection.
Watch Dogs Legion
Watch Dogs Legion might very well feature the first ever playable grandma in the history of video games, and that’s something to celebrate.
From what we saw of Legion, the idea of recruiting any and every NPC, and playing as them, sounds remarkably ambitious and we couldn’t be more excited about that. The Watch Dogs series has shown its potential since the first entry in the series, and Legion’s insane trailer has us hyped as hell.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the behemoth that is Final Fantasy VII Remake.
The extended trailer had it all: an incredible rearrangement of Let the Battles Begin!, Cloud and Aerith doing Cloud and Aerith things, glimpses of Barret and AVALANCHE being questioned as kind of a terrorist group, Tifa feeling conflicted about their actions, and Sephiroth being mean.
Final Fantasy VII Remake looked completely outstanding, and it would’ve easily been the most memorable trailer E3 2019 if not for another surprise announcement. But more on that later.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
All eyes were on Nintendo during E3 2019 as Switch fans have been eagerly waiting for more news on that Animal Crossing game, and the company delivered.
The bad news is, the game has been pushed back to 2020. The good news is, Animal Crossing: New Horizons looks awesome. You get to build a whole colony on a new island, you get to stuff a whole tree into your pocket, and you get to rack up insane debt with Tom Nook.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Banjo-Kazooie Reveal
Nintendo faked out its fans twice with the Smash DLC character reveal. The first was with the Dragon Quest reveal at the start of the Direct, dashing hopes for a Banjo-Kazooie appearance. Then they did it again with Duck Hunt showing up at Donkey Kong’s house to punk him.
Finally, Banjo-Kazooie made an explosive entrance, and was revealed as one of the upcoming fighters for Smash Ultimate much the joy of Nintendo 64 fans.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel
If Nintendo didn’t decide to drop this trailer at their Direct, Final Fantasy VII Remake would’ve easily been picked for the best trailer in all of E3 2019. But Nintendo decided to do it.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is officially getting a direct sequel, and it’s now in development. The teaser trailer was heart-pounding as well, with those spooky vibes in the cave and Link and Zelda looking worried as heck, with only torches to light their way.
The tone of this Breath of the Wild sequel looks incredibly dark and sinister, and even though it’s probably years out from release, we’re already hyped.
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