Top Bananas #E3 - The Ten Best E3 2013 Announcements

The E3 website www.e3expo.com suggests that there should be 4 Es, not 3.

The big three have now had the chance to wow E3, and wow it they did. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have all made the most of this year's E3, and gamers everywhere have 'won'. So, without any further ado Top Bananas presents you with the ten best E3 2013 announcements so far.

10. No Used Games, Wait. Yes, Used Games!

Well played, Mr Sony, well played.

This may not be a big deal to some, but to others it's a neon beacon shining from the sky and pointing in the direction of the PS4. The used game market is huge, and if the message boards and forums are accurate (when are they ever wrong?) everybody and their CoD dog shares and swaps games with friends. The PS4 will seemingly allow this while the Xbox 1 will punch you in the balls if you so much as attempt to take the game out of your house. This is a big pro for the PS4 and will likely result in a lot of pre-orders, and a whole bunch of sissy-pants name calling on message boards across the web. In political terms this is a big move, and it injects some much needed energy into the console competition, which will hopefully result in a price war where the only winner is the consumer.

According to Google Images this is a consumer.

9. Bayonetta 2

Oh. God. This looks sooo good!

Roughly one week ago, the official consensus on the Wii U was 'meh'. That has now become 'fuck, I need to buy a Wii U'. Nintendo had a strong showing at E3, Mario Kart 8 looks so good it almost justifies combining amazing and balls into one word. Almost, but not quite. X looks insane, and the multiplats (Assassin's Creed for example) appear to rival their PS4 / Xbox 1 counterparts. Overall though, the highlight of Nintendo's show was Bayonetta 2. Bayonetta provided some of the best gaming moments in memory, and Bayonetta 2 looks to provide more, and then some. If you are still unsure, watch the hell out of this:

8. Ryse: Son of Rome

Guess where that sword is going.

The first exclusive shown by Microsoft was a good 'un. This is one of the most impressive looking games on the horizon; amazing character models, graphics to die for, and combat that may even rival that of Bayonetta 2. Sure it's loaded with QTEs (Quantum Termination Exuding), but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. There are many great games that are chock full of QTEs. The setting here is exciting; it is a time period that has not been explored so well on consoles, and it deserves more. Who doesn't want to take control of a Roman General storming a beach? Seriously, do people want more? What more is there?

7. Sony's Indie Loving

Pictured: Indie Gaming

The Indie market is important. That is unquestionable; the amount of great games that have been produced of late by independent developers is so large, the human brain cannot accurately calculate it. It is also quite obvious that the home of the Indie game was the Xbox 360 - XBLA / XBLI. This E3 has seen Sony play their Indie card, and it is great to see. If Microsoft keep up their Indie focus, this increased competition should benefit gamers, who stand to be flooded with interesting, innovative and unique Indie gems, unless they all complain and everybody stops trying to please them (could happen).

6. Final Fantasy XV

No, it's not an exclusive - did anyone really think it was? What it is, is awesome. As one would expect from a Final Fantasy game it looks incredible; the graphics positively leak off the screen in sexy little bubbles of joy. Sure, there is an annoying looking JRPG kid, but the game looks ace; more freedom, more action-based gameplay, and dem grafix. Feast your eyes:
 

5. Metal Gear Solid V

The game that kicked off the festivities, is a game that boasts a bloody terrible title; The Phantom Pain, seriously? That title, however, is easily forgiven merely by watching the trailers. Deary me, this looks ace; an open-world MGS? Hell, yes.

4. inFamous: Second Son

Wow. One of the undoubted highlights of the show was Sony's unveiling of inFamous: Second Son. Action-packed insanity is a good way to sum it up. Taking superhero powers to a new level of open-worlded coolness, this looks to be one of the games to watch, and could prove pivotal in the console 'war'.

3. Witcher 3

This is a very exciting game. As with all the other entries in this list it looks beautiful - next gen graphics are indeed very nice. It also has amazing potential; if Witcher 3 can replicate Witcher 2's weaving, branching storylines, lore, political goings-on, grandeur, maturity, and detail while adding a gorgeous open world to explore, and hopefully fixing the combat a little. Well, it will be very very special.

2. Watch Dogs

The more that is seen of Watch Dogs the less easy it becomes to wait. Another open-world (are all games from now on going to be open world? Open world Mario? Open world Street Fighter?) to explore, but this time with the ability to change the world through hacking. Based on that premise alone hundreds of gamers asked the question 'who can I throw money at and when can I start?' Yet, with every trailer or snippet of gameplay footage more and more eyes are opened, and jaws are dropped. The graphics are amazing (as usual for this year's E3), and the game looks to play well; stealthy and highly interactive, Surely this must top wishlists everywhere!

1. £350 / $399

Is that even a real shape?

All good competition breeds sneakiness. Sony showed the might of their sneakiness at E3. Offering a price $100 less than Microsoft, on top of allowing used games, and no DRM, was a swift kick to the balls of the Xbox 1, and a move celebrated by gamers everywhere. What are the implications for the price of the Xbox 1? Will it go down? Will it stay the same in a stubbornly childish fit of petulance? Will Microsoft spread the word that the Xbox 1 is actually cheaper as it includes Kinect? Whatever happens this price should be good for the consumer. It may lead to a price war, and the appearance of deals and bargain price matching. Of course, let us not forget that it was Sony who priced highest with the PS3 - was that a lesson learned? A lesson that Microsoft is soon to learn? If so, the generation 9 Xbox should be affordable.

Notable mentions for other announcements of awesomeness go out to Mario Kart 8, X, The Order, PS4's elongated sexiness, drivatar, Ass Creed: Black Flag, Titanfall / Destiny, and the new and uber-hot small Xbox 360.

Comment my lovelies...