Legally Distinct E3 – The Games

There were a LOT of games shown or announced across the week weekend. Many looked excellent and made it to my own wishlist.

I wanted to do this, because I have seen and heard many comments talking about the state of the videogame industry recently. And yes, if you only look at the AAA scene, it is a mess, it is soulless and it is eating itself from within. But as you will see listed below, scratch beneath that surface and there is a wonderful world to explore.

So below is that list, along with some small write ups for a select few. So please sit back and enjoy!

The Thing: Remastered
Worship
Streets of Fortuna

Streets of Fortuna is a sandbox RPG based in ancient Rome, wehre you can tackle your own story in a variety of ways and promises a ton of freedom and choice. The reason this stuck out to me though, was that Kitfox Games are behind it, who made the excellent Lucifer Within Us and Boyfriend Dungeon. So the quality is there and, should this love up to expectation, it could be a wonderful game.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
Hotel Galactic
Shell Runner
REKA
LOK Digital
Generation Exile
Crescent County

It seems that every single year at E3, or Not-E£ there is a game that comes out and just captures the exact vibe needed for the year. When cynicism, layoffs, uncertainty, cash grabs and the like are rife in the industry, a game about riding tripped out witches brooms in a cosy adventure of discovery is more than welcome. From the moment the trailer hit, I was all in and you should be too.

I Am Your Beast
Phantom Line
Tempopo
COPA CITY
Ale Abbey
Sumerian Six
Stormgate
Mars Tactics
Steel Seed
Wander Stars
Streets of Rogue 2
Airframe Ultra
Toads of the Bayou

I love me a roguelike deckbuilder, but admittedly I have been getting a little burned out by many of them being a bit similar, either thematically or mechanically. Toads of the Bayou takes an approach to both that has really gotten my interest. The grid based tactics mixed with card based gameplay looks interesting, but the character design and setting are what elevate this from being one I’ll keep an eye out for, to one I really want to get my hands on. October 2024 can’t come soon enough.

Fallen Aces
AMONG THE WILD
Lorn Vale
Star Birds
Croakwood

Why have one game about amphibians in your fovourite genres, when you can have two? This time from the makers of Parkitect comes Croakwood, a city-builder, colony sim that is all about finding harmony between the frogs who inhabit the world and nature. It looks cosy as anything and after enjoying my time with Timberbofn the the beavers in that, I am all in on something like this.

Winter Burrow
Perfect Dark
Farlands
Judero
World’s Worst Handyman
SacriFire
Dystopika
Detective Dotson

This just can’t help but look good. A detective adventure game set in modern day India that just screams charm! Everything in the trailer had me excited for this, from the music to the visuals to the hints about the story. After the recent success of Venba, it is wonderful to see more games coming from the likes of India, that in the past wouldn’t have found an audience. Long may it continue.

Woodo
Albert Wilde: Quantum P.I.
ABYSS X ZERO
Citadelum
SunnySide
RA RA BOOM
Mariachi Legends
Astral Rot
DIGITAL EXORCIST CF1_DEFRAG
Dark Crown
Saborus
Stay with Me! Alien Abduction Story

YES! One of the few standout horror games that were shown at the Latin American Games Showcase. Honestly I could have picked any of them, as they all from initial trailers look to understand what makes an effective horror and that isn’t jump scares alone. Stay With Me looks to focus on the mystery over the horror, which along with the visual style could blend together to create one very unsettling experience. No release date as yet, but slated for 2024!

Vultures – Scavengers of Death
SoulQuest
Dreamsweeper
Beacon of Neyda
The Midnight Crimes
Super Farming Boy
Atomic Picnic
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo

If ever a game has sold me on its title and trailer alone, then it is this. It is a top down action adventure game that mixes in little dustings of other genres to keep things fresh. It looks zany in all the right ways and is definitely one to keep an eye on. No release date quite yet though.

The War in Chiapas
Desvelado
despelote
Curilemu
The Coldest Winter
The Path Into The Abyss
The Amazing Crackpots Club!
Arco
Into The Grid
One Card One Shot – Mafia
I Was Lost
Dawnfolk
Ringo’s Roundup
Tracks of Thought
On Your Tail™
Tiny Lands 2
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
FREERIDE
Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge
Umami Grove
Music Power Up
Undusted: Letters from the Past
Katsl
Tidy Cauldron
The Star Named EOS

Damn, I am a sucker for photography based games, but A Star Named EOS is from the team who made Behind the Frame and promises to take you on an emotional journey. Photography might be the hook to get you in, but the atmosphere and puzzles should be what keeps you fully engrossed. I am really excited for this onto release.

Mythmatch
Battle Suit Aces
Cleared Hot
Anger Foot
The Talos Principle 2 – Road to Elysium
Possessor(s)
The Crush House
Tenjutsu
Tides of Tomorrow 🌊
Phoenix Springs
Afterlove EP
Tom the postgirl
Hello Again
Building Relationships

I mean…What?!?! This game just makes no sense, but shows why the indie scene is so good. You just can’t imagine any studio taking a chance on this, let alone a major publisher. Yet here we are. I don’t usually go for the LOL Random type games, but this manages to have a ton of charm and the creator clearly made this with a passion, so why the hell not!

Psychroma
Zoochosis
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
Koira
UFO 50
Cairn
Petal Runner
Neva
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
Trash Goblin
Fishbowl
Pinball Spire
Grifford Academy
Urban Jungle
Endzone 2
While Waiting

A game literally about doing nothing, but also about the virtues of patience, looking both equally comedic and heartwarming. It has a wonderful style and when it releases it could be one of those games that just makes everyone who plays it feel good. No date as yet, but I hope we don’t have long to wait (so so sorry)

Echo Generation: Midnight Edition
Grit and Valor – 1949
MOTORSLICE
Creatures of Ava
Disco Samurai
Urban Myth Dissolution Center
Kriegsfront Tactics
Post Trauma
Neon Blood

And that’s the list. I am sure there are some missing that were already on my list before the weekend. But this is exhaustive enough that we don’t need to worry. Also means I can do something else down the line.

Not every game above is suitable for everyone, nor can any one person hope to play them all, but there is a great mix of titles that anyone reading this should be able to find at least a couple of games to suit them. As noted… at the top, looks past the AAA space and there is a whole world of amazing creativity on display. Embrace it!