The 5 Most Amazing Games We Saw at E3

Dan Tynan
Updated

It’s no coincidence that the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo is taking place less than 10 miles from the heart of Hollywood. Like movies, video games tend to come in two forms: blockbuster franchises that deliver big-budget, visceral thrills, and quirky independent productions that often make up in creativity what they lack in cash. At this year’s E3 extravaganza, we saw plenty of both.

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(Sony/Hello Games)

‘No Man’s Sky’

One of the most arresting big-budget titles at this year’s E3 is No Man’s Sky, an open-world intergalactic adventure that offers billions – yes, billions with a b – of new planets for you to explore. This PC and PlayStation 4 title might be available before year-end, but no official release date has been announced.

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(Electronic Arts)

‘Star Wars: Battlefront’

You don’t get more epic than Star Wars, and EA’s Star Wars: Battlefront may be the game Jedi geeks have been hoping for. Starring characters from all six films, Battlefront offers epic battles featuring stormtroopers, TIE fighters, and Imperial Walkers, rendered in stunning detail. It’s coming this fall to PCs, Xbox One, and PS4.

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(Bethesda Sofware)

‘Fallout 4′

Then there’s the long awaited Fallout 4. In this post-apocalyptic saga you must survive in a world where governments have collapsed, buildings are in ruins, and food is scarce. Luckily, you have the ability to build bases, plenty of ammo, and one very helpful canine companion. It will also be appearing on PCs, Xbox, and PS4 in November.

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(Electronic Arts)

‘Unravel’

E3 also saw the debut of some amazing indie titles, like Unravel. This beautiful side-scrolling puzzle game stars a doll made from yarn (called Yarnie, naturally). Its mission: to reconnect a lonely old women with her lost loved ones, literally via a thread that stretches from the past into the future. It’s a gorgeous and poetic piece of work that will be available for multiple systems next year.

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(Microsoft)

‘Cuphead’

Equally impressive in a completely different way is Cuphead, a wild side-scrolling shooter game that looks like it was designed by Walt Disney and Salvador Dali on acid. You play a character that looks a bit like Mickey Mouse, if the world’s most famous rodent had a coffee cup for a head. The game draws its visual style from 1930s-era cartoons, back before Walt realized he could make a lot more money if he just toned things down a bit.

Cuphead is something you have to see to truly believe. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait till next year to play this challenging game on the Xbox One and PC.

For more E3 Coverage, visit Yahoo Tech.