Best Game of E3 2013: The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

Another year, another E3. And with it, another in-depth analysis of the games on show to pick a winner. A plethora of great games were present this year, but our “Best Game of E3 2013” had to go far beyond “great”. It had to fully represent what the potential of the next generation held in terms of the evolution of gaming. We looked for a title which we could stand back and say, “Yeah. That’s how I’d define ‘next gen’.” So, Which game met this criteria and left us speechless? Oh, right. I put it in the title of the article. Well, surprise, it’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
 

WINNER: The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most anticipated RPGs ever announced and it will hit next-generation consoles and the PC in early 2014. The hype and excitement was felt on the showfloor and our personal excitement levels shot through the roof after viewing a 45 minute presentation behind closed doors. Not a single person left without a smile on their face as the strolled out of the mind-blowing demonstration.

As a sequel to the award winning PC and Xbox 360 title The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, The Witcher 3 is set to reinvigorate the RPG genre. The gameplay and visual improvements showed a lot of potential. The narrative that we saw conveys an exemplary cast with a well thought out storyline that will surely captivate players. The presentation surely showed the power of next-gen hardware as the open-world Geralt found himself in was lush and lively. Sure, open-world RPGs have been done in the past, but The Witcher 3 wants to tackle it in an entirely different. Combining the powerful story elements the series is known for, they are able to open up quests that will help shape the overall storyline and, clearly, CD Projekt’s goal is coming to fruition, as we witnessed. Overall, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an RPG every fan of the genre should look forward to as it is looking to both redefine and set the standard for the next generation of RPGs.
 

RUNNER-UP: Destiny

Bungie has left Halo behind and has moved on to a new IP, one that somewhat resembles their iconic franchise of days past but amplifies the scale. Destiny, as it’s called, is an ambitious FPS MMO that places players in the exquisite armor of a Guardian, defenders of the human race. This online world is filled with other player squads roaming the vast, open world taking on extraterrestrial lifeforms, hunting for loot (with a heavy focus on insane weaponry) and much more on their quest to save humanity. The recognizable Halo-style gameplay is all there with new tweaks and it looks exhilarating to jump through the air in a gravity-defying manner and use the Warlock class to unleash space-wizardy upon enemies with flashy “spells”. So far, we’ve seen the Warlock, Titan and Hunter classes in action, and all of them seem like a great deal of fun. Simply put, Destiny is destined to be the next big development for the FPS genre.
 

HONORABLE MENTION: Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V has been hidden in the shadows for a while, spawning complex conspiracy theories. This E3 gave us a lot of answers, like who voices Snake (unless you believe in those conspiracy theories), but the biggest reveal was the open-world gameplay. And, man, did it look outstanding. We’ll now be able to take our tactical espionage into large environments and approach situations as we see fit, which should lead to epic developments thanks to the dynamic CQC. The FOX Engine gave us a taste of the level of quality it can produce and we were left hungry for more. Big Boss’ upcoming mission could raise the bar for the franchise and, given its planned multiplatform release, there won’t be (or, at least, there shouldn’t be) a soul who isn’t talking about their latest ventures with this iconic gaming hero as they compare tactics and outcomes. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is Kojima’s next-gen masterpiece, and we couldn’t be more excited for how he’ll up the stakes with the power of new hardware lifting past limitations and pushing him to make his once impossible ideas a reality.