1. NiOh : I think I've spent around 50 hours on the two demos alone. 50 hours. Yup, that's more than the average time I spent with 99% of the games I play. And I treasured every single moment I spent dying in this incredible soulslike: a game that will not only probably mark the comeback of Team Ninja (after the downfall of Ninja Gaiden 3 and Yaiba) but that will also be much more than an imitation of what From Software does. Of course the inspiration is undeniably there, but the combat to me felt perfect, way more interesting than any Souls ever. Yup, I said it. Do not disappoint me (again) Team Ninja!
2. Cuphead : I've been a fan of Cuphead the second I saw the very first picture of it, I mean the idea of a game with that kind of art direction is stunning and the execution is even more incredible. The fact that the game not only looks like nothing else, but that it also plays like a dream - I've played it four time throughout the years and every single time I couldn't put the controller down - is making the wait so hard to bear. Just give it to me, Microsoft! Potential GOTY 2017 here, for me.
3. Resident Evil 7 : despite being a longtime fan, the latest entries in the Resident Evil franchise disappointed me so much I frankly stopped caring about the saga. Resident Evil 7 is exactly what I needed to get back on board: the premise sounds amazing and I applaud this new take on the series (a lot closer to its original horror roots). The demo felt simply PERFECT to me - it almost gave me a heart attack with PSVR! - and next January 24th can't come soon enough, as I really want to unravel all the mysteries behind the Bakers. Will this be the long awaited return of the king? I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I am pretty confident Capcom is hitting all the right spots.
4. Horizon: Zero Dawn : a game with stellar art direction that features (cyber) dinosaurs. Should I really add something more?
5. For Honor : Jason Vandenberghe is, along with Yoshida, my favorite person in the whole gaming industry. He's an icon, a friend and a badass designer: I've always been a fan of his work on Red Steel 2, and I know this game is for me (or at least that's what he told me, LOL). Joking aside, I played the Alpha on PS4 and I enjoyed every single moment I spent with it: the combat system is solid, the art direction is good, the sense of impact of the weapons is thrilling and there's always this amazing tension when battling someone face to face with a sword in your hand. It's gonna be a bloody Valentine's day, fuck yeah.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild : I was definitely fascinated by Breath of the Wild at last E3, even if at the same time I was also a bit worried about the framerate and the performance in general. I hope that the game runs (a lot) better on Switch - where I'll definitely be playing it - and I can't wait to jump into Hyrule again, even more considering that this time the series truly seems ready for a fresh restart.
7. Nier: Automata : never played the original, but now that PlatinumGames is involved, I'm all in. I'm just a sucker for action games, they are the best in the world at that... so IN MY VEINS, pretty please.
8. Mass Effect: Andromeda : I've always enjoyed Mass Effect (even if I never actually beat the third one and the original still remains my favorite...), and I absolutely down for some more interstellar trips and alien interactions, despite not being too hyped about this new chapter. Just let me have a Krogan always at my side, please.
9. GNOG : a quirky indie game I discovered by pure chance at last E3, and one that I instantly fell in love with. It's based on Mighty Max (yup, the 90s toys!), it's published by Double Fine, and it supports PSVR. The point? You have these weird looking monster heads in front of you that are de facto very obscure puzzles: there won't be text indications, you'll just need to figure out out to solve them and sort of crack them open, immersed in a crazy world of vibrant colors and strange sounds.
10. Little Nightmares : I've always been a fan of narrative platformers such as Limbo or Unravel, and this game by Tarsier Studios has been under my radar since its original unveiling, when it was still called "Hunger". I am sincerely loving the eerie vibe, the twisted atmosphere and the fascinatingly dark art direction: I really want to get my hands on it, as I think there's a lot of potential here.
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