It’s been a week since Bethesda took the stage at E3 2015 and wowed everyone with what they had coming soon. Over the next few days, developers and gaming companies alike blew the minds of gamers everywhere, including us here at Midnite Release. Connor and I went through all the games we saw and created a best in show for the major categories. 

Best Sports Game

Nick- FIFA 16: EA’s conference had a lot to it and a big part of it was EA Sports. Both Madden and NHL looked good but the best game the company puts out year in and year out is FIFA and it looked the best here.

Connor – Madden 16: Seeing as NBA 2K didn’t make an appearance at the conference, I had to go with my second in command. Madden always delivers on its grab bag of game modes from career mode to ultimate team, but what makes it hard to beat for me is that I always come back, despite always telling myself to skip a year.

Best Shooter

Nick- Star Wars Battlefront: I was skeptical about this game at the start. I had not seen gameplay so I didn’t really know what to expect. After I did see it, though, I was sold. This game looks like it is going to be incredible and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Connor – Doom: It’s definitely difficult to go against Battlefront here, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed past Doom games and the newest installment is incredibly promising. Not only does the revamped campaign look brilliant, but the introductions of new takes on modes similar to Gears of Wars’ horde and Call of Duty’s Nazi zombies along with an easy-to-use map/mode builder push this over the edge.

Best RPG

Nick- Fallout 4: It’s been a whirlwind of a couple weeks for this game and I have only become more excited. Seeing the gameplay quelled my worries about how the game is going to look. The features Bethesda added will only make the game better.

Connor – Fallout 4: A no-brainer that makes any other choice criminal. I’m so eager to play this that I’ve resorted to using a buddy’s 360 just to get the closest fix I can with New Vegas. Todd Howard saying he doesn’t even know all of the story and missions in the world made me even more excited to dive into a world us gamers know and love.

Best Action Game

Nick- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End: This series has been amazing and it is definitely, in my opinion, the best Playstation exclusive. At E3, this game was shown to have improved graphics while keeping the same formula that made this game so successful.

Connor – Smite: I have a soft spot for MOBAs due to moonlighting as a wannabe PC gamer. Having found this available for the One after playing it on PC I was pleasantly surprised with how much more natural it feels, especially as it demands much more skill on console due to heavy reliance on skill-shots and constant strafing. The lore taking root with actual mythical gods and goddesses adds a nice touch.

Best Racing Game

Nick- Need for Speed: I was a HUGE fan of Need for Speed Underground and Underground 2 so I am pretty pumped this game is going back to those roots. It looks like the game is going to have a whole bunch of customization options for your car which is great. As a reboot of sorts, it takes into account a bunch of new cars and the social media aspect of the world today which is pretty cool.

Connor – Need for Speed: Due to lack of contention in the genre, NFS takes the cake. Aside from Forza, it rarely sees any other game of its type come close. The user friendly style, gameplay, customization and entertainment value are what consistently place it at the top of the list.

Biggest Surprise

Nick- XBox One Backwards Compatibility: This is something I never thought would happen just because most consoles don’t do this. When they announced this, I was pretty floored. One of my favorite games of all time is Bioshock Infinite and I hated the fact I couldn’t play it anymore when I traded in my 360 to get my One. The fact that I may get a chance to play this again is so exciting for me.

Connor – Revival of Guitar Hero & Rock Band: I put an absurd amount of time and money into almost every single game on both sides of this rivalry. When I got wind that I’d not only be able to re-download all of the songs I previously bought on my 360, but also use my ion drum rocker on next-gen, I lost it. Additionally, the guitar controller is getting a makeover with different button-mapping on the neck so it isn’t necessarily the same rodeo.

Best Game at the Show

Nick- Fallout 4: It was between Battlefront and Fallout 4 here but I went with Fallout because it showed off a lot more. I had a feeling Battlefront was going to look like it did and it looked better than I thought, but Fallout knocked my socks off. From the gameplay, the visuals, and the features they showed off, I was glued to my screen watching it live and I have watched it more than a few times since.

Connor – Fallout 4: If you’re talking to a friend about E3, this has got to be one of the first games that rolls off the tongue. The anticipation for this has been ridiculous and Bethesda showed off their purebred stallion about as successfully as possible without spoiling it entirely. In basketball terms, the trailer release threw the lob and the display at E3 delivered the alley-oop jam with beautiful gameplay, smart accessories and a promise that this will be the best installment yet.