My top five favorite moments from E3 2016

E3’s press conferences are something I look forward to each and every year. This year, as usual, there were countless reveals and updates that made me proud to be a gamer. I have chosen just five moments to highlight in this article. Here are my top five moments from E3 2016. (Please note: This article was submitted for deadline on the morning of June 14, and may not include every exciting announcement from E3.)

Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima’s new game
Let me start by saying that Sony’s press conference this year was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I know I’m a PlayStation fangirl, but it’s undeniable that their conference this year was on point. Out of all the press conferences, my favorite announcement was Hideo Kojima’s new game, Death Stranding. When I witnessed Hideo Kojima’s almost religious comeback, I immediately thought about P.T./Silent Hills and how much I still want a game like that. When the trailer started to play and I saw a naked Norman Reedus with a fetus attached to him, I jumped off the couch and ran across the room in excitement. I have no idea if this is going to be similar to what Silent Hills was going to be, but it’s pretty clear that this is going to be some type of horror game, and that’s enough for me. I cannot wait to find out more about this game.

Resident Evil VII, first-person and playable in VR
When the trailer started, Jimmy, James, and I had no idea what game was being shown. “Is this P.T.?!? Wait, it might be Allison Road...even though that was cancelled. WAIT...that video tape reminds me of Resident Evil!” Jimmy was right: Resident Evil VII is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC next year. The game takes place before Resident Evil 6 and is entirely playable in VR (VR is optional; the game can be played without a VR headset). The demo is available to PlayStation Plus subscribers RIGHT NOW, so get on that! Capcom is trying something new with their beloved franchise, and I could not be more excited.

God of War for PS4
I’ve got to say, I’m not a God of War fan by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t dislike the franchise, I’ve just never taken the time to sit down and play the games. I played the demo of God of War 3, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Now that I’ve seen a glimpse of the newest game in the franchise, I’m going to have to bust out the PS3 and get those games off of my backlog. I was thoroughly impressed with the trailer for the new game. The engine looked extremely similar to The Last of Us, and that is a huge plus for me. I am very excited for this reimagining of the series, and I’m sorry for jumping on the GoW bandwagon so late.

Inside
As a huge fan of Danish indie studio Playdead’s Limbo, I was giddy when I saw the trailer for their new game, Inside. While it was first revealed at Microsoft’s 2014 E3 press conference, it had fallen off my radar. It is a spiritual successor to Limbo, and it looks incredible. It looks even eerier than Limbo; it again follows a young boy, but this time the boy is trying to stop evil forces from taking over the world through bizarre experiments on humans. I’m so excited to play this game, and I’m even more excited that it’s coming out THIS MONTH (June 29) on Xbox One, and on July 7 on Steam. Limbo is currently free on Xbox One until June 21 and on Steam June 21-22. If you haven’t played Limbo, now is your chance!

Crash Bandicoot Remastered reveal
The Kinda Funny best friends need to start a new hashtag, because #TimWasRight this time: Crash Bandicoot is back! The original game, Crash 2, and Crash Warped are all being “remade from the ground up” for PlayStation 4. Crash will also be a playable character in the new Skylanders. The crowd went nuts, and Jimmy, James, and I were jumping up and down and screaming in our living room. I never expected this to actually happen, and it proves that Sony knows what their fanbase wants. #SavetheBandicoot

Honorable mentions
Project Scorpio, “most powerful console ever built”
“Project Scorpio” is a codename for Microsoft’s 4K-capable, VR-ready Xbox One. It is expected to launch sometime next fall, and will give gamers another option when it comes to purchasing a console. “When it ships, it will be the most powerful console ever built,” Xbox Chief Phil Spencer told The Verge. This is certainly something I will keep on my radar.

Fe, first EA Originals title
Fe is a new game by a small studio in Gothenburg called Zoink. It is the first game coming to EA Originals, a program that will help more games by smaller developers be discovered. Upon watching the reveal of Fe, I was immediately reminded of Journey. No release date or even window was mentioned, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing and hearing more about this title soon.

Dead Rising 4
I have been a fan of Dead Rising ever since I played Dead Rising 2 on PS3 some years back. It’s mindless fun, and finding new and creative ways to slaughter hordes of zombies just never gets old. Dead Rising has always been about gameplay. In Dead Rising 4, Frank West, the protagonist from the first game, is back. The zombie outbreak in this game takes place around Black Friday, which is a very interesting premise in itself. Since the game is slated to release this holiday season, I know I can look forward to spending my winter break finding new ways to kill zombies.

Days Gone, new IP from Bend Studio
FINALLY, we know what Bend Studio (Syphon Filter, Uncharted: Golden Abyss) has been working on! Days Gone takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Yes, I know we’re all kind of burnt out on zombies, but this looks different; these zombies are fast and they move in swarms. When I say swarms, I mean swarms; the amount of zombies on screen at once was shocking and had me on the edge of my seat. We’ll be playing as a guy named Deacon, a biker and a drifter. It definitely looks similar to The Last of Us in some ways, but it’s much faster-paced and less linear. I’m anxious to learn more about this new IP.

What were your favorite moments from E3 2016? Let me know on Twitter: @gottosaurus