One of the major problems with the Electronic Entertainment Expo is the fact that it’s too big. So big, in fact, that it hurts, even though the show seems to get more and more exciting every year. However, at the same time, publishers are showing fewer games. I’ve also heard anecdotal evidence that the show floor is so quiet that you can get cell signal. And after the rush of pre-E3 announcements this year, it could be said that the expo itself is all bark and no bite.
Correct or not, there is still a lot of bark during the second week of June every year, so much, in fact, that dozens and dozens of games get lost in all the noise. Here are seven of them.
Cuphead
Cuphead is the sort of game that sells itself purely on its art style. It’s the first game from StudioMDHR, which consists only of the brotherly pairing of Chad and Jared Moldenhauer. Cuphead will be released for the PC sometime this year, and it’ll come to the Xbox One after that.
Sporting an aesthetic that evokes animated shorts from Disney’s early days, Cuphead looks to represent the best of the run-and-gun genre. The developers call back to Gunstar Heroes and Contra: Hard Corps as their inspiration. “With Cuphead, we aim to evolve the genre by adding new features such as: super arts, infinite lives, a playable world map, and hidden secrets,” writes the team.
Lifeless Planet
Lifeless Planet follows a lone scientist exploring a once-inhabited planet after a mission gone awry. After the protagonist is unable to locate the other crew members, he discovers an abandoned Soviet outpost. By navigating a series of puzzle-platforming missions, your character will discover what happened on the planet.
The one-man development team has taken inspiration from adventure games like The Dig and Another World as well as Cold War sci-fi B movies. Lifeless Planet has simple, progressive gameplay, as well as an intriguing mystery. I’m sold, but if you’re not quite there yet, Lifeless Planet is currently available through Steam Early Access.
Mario Party 10
I would assume that you know what Mario Party is by now. I mean, this most recently announced version is going to be the tenth in the series. Still, I’m placing Mario Party 10 in this list because the game was stealthily announced by Nintendo after their “Digital Event” had finished.
New to this version of Mario Party, aside from the usual array of unique minigames, is a mode that allows one player to endlessly troll their friends as Bowser using the Wii U GamePad – the appropriately named Bowser Party mode. It’s unique multiplayer that only the Wii U can really do, and it looks great.
Starwhal: Just the Tip
This title should not need a huge amount of explanation because the one-line pitch is stunningly hilarious. In this four player competitive co-op title, each player picks a narwhal, dresses it up in a funny outfit, then uses it to battle other players to death. In space.
It’s out now on PC via Steam Early Access or the Humble Store, but it’s also coming to consoles very soon.
Threes!
Sod your 2048 nonsense. Threes! is a genius puzzle game on iOS and Android… now coming to Xbox One. It even appears that the developers are trying to the get the game going in Snap Mode. I’m never getting my phone out of my pocket ever again.
Nidhogg
All you have to do is Google “Nidhogg” and you can find nothing but praise for this fantastic multiplayer fencing game, yet some people still don’t know what it is. Well, it’s a side-scrolling one-on-one fencing title, with online and local multiplayer, and single player training modes – all wrapped up in a bold, colourful, and pixelated aesthetic.
Nidhogg is coming to PS4 real soon… or you can pick it up on PC now.
Murasaki Baby
Another side-scroller to finish off this list, but this time I’ve got a bit of a weird one. Murasaki Baby is a Vita title from Massimo Guarini, who worked on Killer7, No More Heroes, and Shadows of the Damned. In a pen-and-ink, Edward Gorey-styled world populated by children’s fantasies and fears, you play as Baby, who you must guide through the world with the Vita’s touch controls.
It’s only supposed to be four hours long, but it’s super stylish with a unique way of play. Murasaki Baby will be released in September.
