[E3 2013 Feature] Our top five games of E3 2013

It’s easy to quantify why Yoshi’s New Island takes my number five spot on this list: It’s a new Yoshi’s Island title without any of the vaguely-gimmicky touch-based gameplay mechanics of the series’ DS iteration. I can’t say that this game completely blew me away during my time with it, but rarely have any side-scrollers offered as interesting an aesthetic or as dynamic of boss battles as this series does and will clearly continue to do with its third entry.

I’ve not ever played a Mario & Luigi title before, but after a vaguely brief session with the series’ next entry, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, it’s very clear that the franchise going forward will incorporate some of the best writing, most interesting RPG mechanics, and most varied gameplay that the 3DS has yet seen. The standard turn-based (and timing-based) battling system is back, but now it feels like the “bro attacks” are more interesting than ever, requiring reflexive skill and quick thinking to execute them perfectly. It’s a remarkably satisfying way to play.

The move from 2D to 3D has been as smooth as ever for Phoenix Wright, it seems. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies on 3DS is not a game you would expect to demo particularly well, but in the ten minute mini-case available to try, Capcom managed to give players a taste of the humor, the puzzle-solving, the new (sort of dumb, but ultimately inconsequential) “emotion tracker”, and the stellar visuals masterfully, and not once did it feel drawn out or boring. Truly, this is one that fans of charm, humor, or visual-novel-esque games should be extremely excited for. It’s likely going to be quite good.

I can’t say I generally like these hack n’ slash sorts of games, but Bayonetta 2 presented itself so fantastically at Nintendo’s booth that I’m willing to make a very big exception, giving it my number two spot at the show. The gameplay doesn’t stray too far from the formula of God of War or Devil May Cry, but where those games fail, Bayonetta succeeds, making generally repetitive gameplay entertaining by painting it with an exceptional style that only Platinum Games could manage.

It’s hilarious, it’s smooth, and it’s absolutely insane. But it’s all the better for it.

I wasn’t all that excited for Pikmin 3 prior to playing it at E3 this year. I knew all the details, I knew it was coming from a great team, I saw the aesthetic, and I knew the story– it just didn’t grab me as it may have some others. So why, after going hands-on with it, did the game go from being “yea, sure” to being an absolute must-have? Because the gameplay is just that good. It feels absolutely incredible to play, like a game from the best team in the world with an endless budget of time and money.

I can’t say that the pacing won’t ruin it, that the difficulty won’t mar the final experience, or that the story won’t drastically reduce my appreciation of the title, but if they can manage to at least not totally screw up those non-essential pieces, Pikmin 3 is an extremely strong contender for many a game of the year award.