The Top 5 Moments from Sony’s E3 2016 Press Conference

First came Microsoft with Xbox One (as well as Xbox One, to say nothing of Xbox One. Oh, and Windows 10), and now we’re on to Sony with PlayStation 4. Just PlayStation 4 (sorry, Vita fans).

5) God of War

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been the biggest God of War fan. Kratos is sort of neat, I guess, in a kind of 90’s comic book sort of way, but the stuff I’ve seen never quite resonated with me. A little too over-the-top and maybe intense in some of the ways he goes about his business — plus, I really am not a fan of quick-time events.

Despite all of that, this has my attention. A reboot that focuses on Norse mythology instead of Greek is nothing if not inspired, and I’m only saddened if what I heard is true and this isn’t the same Kratos from the previous games, essentially moving on to a new pantheon, but a complete and total reboot of the series. I might even like to try it sometime, based on what we’ve got here.

4) Detroit: Become Human

Oh hey, it’s a new David Cage game. To be honest, I’ve not played any of his previous works, so I don’t know about all the grief he seems to get, but this appeals to me on something of a thematic level with its Pluto/Blade Runner-ish premise of men, machines, and the two trying to function together in society.

3) Horizon Zero Dawn

This was a neat one last year, and I think they might have dialed back the constant chatter just a bit (if only a bit). While the original trailer was overall more intriguing, this one adds promise with things like the ability to reprogram robotic beasts you come across for your own ends.

2) Spider-Man

Now this is intriguing. I don’t recognize this costume design for Spider-Man (and I somehow knew it was him once he said “Queens,” just before the Marvel logo showed up). I wonder if this is going to be the Spider-Man equivalent to the Batman: Arkham series — an actual its-own-version take on the character and everything, rather than based on certain movies or comic stories. Insomniac Games has a pretty good pedigree, to boot.

I’m eager to find out more.

1) Crash Bandicoot and Skylanders Imaginators

Why does this beat Spider-Man? I guess because I want to find out more there, while here I feel like I know what I need to know.

I’m a fan of Skylanders (if a relative new one), and since sister-series Spyro was used to kick it off, I couldn’t help but feel that it would work as a good stomping grounds for Crash Bandicoot as well. And hey, getting a neat Crash Bandicoot figure in the process? I’m sure the former PlayStation mascot will look great up there next to Spyro, Mario, Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man!

But what brings this to number one on my list is what you’re not seeing. Not shown in the above trailer, but used as a segue into it during the show, was the announcement that the original game, its sequel, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped are all getting the remaster treatment. As someone who’s viewed the series from afar (and only really gotten to play the first via demo disc), I’m eager for a new chance to take a shot at these games with updated visuals and whatever else.

Even as someone who’s perhaps not a proper “fan” of Crash, I always felt he deserved better than to languish in obscurity, and it looks like he’s getting some far better treatment now.

Honorable Mentions

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

I didn’t even realize this was a Call of Duty game at first, so that’s a positive for me. That said, I’m not a big first-person shooter guy, and while this does little to change that, I would be interested in giving it a shot alongside PlayStation VR, if it were compatible.

The Last Guardian

Yay, it’s finally arriving! I’m at a weird place where I’m just sort of tired of hearing about it until I can maybe get to try it.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Interesting title with brilliant branding, squeezing the “VII” into the last three letters of “evil.” Save for the likes of The Darkside Chronicles, I’ve always been more a fan of the Resident Evil series’ characters and story than the gameplay, so I’m interested in where this one goes.

Batman: Arkham VR

Really, the whole PlayStation VR thing is hopelessly out of my reach, price-wise, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t love to don the cowl of the Caped Crusader.

And there we go. Truth be told, I came into this article with only a solid five items, but digged up a couple of other things that interested me a little bit. Sony has a lot of neat stuff ahead, but I don’t think a lot of it is for me, for one reason or another (FPS, zombies, price…). Still, it ought to be a fun ride as things develop further.

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David Oxford is a freelance writer of many varied interests. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.