I have mixed feelings about E3 2015. There was some great stuff that was shown and some awesome games Iโ€™m excited about — but overall, this yearโ€™s E3 didnโ€™t leave me with the same sense of excitement and wonder Iโ€™m used to feeling during the yearโ€™s biggest week in video games.

E3 2015 seemed to be one of the most awkward E3s Iโ€™ve ever seen. Between EAโ€™s 10-minute conversation with Pele, Aisha Tyler demonstrating she didnโ€™t know how memes work or Square Enixโ€™s entire presentation, these awkward moments seemed to permeate throughout the conference. Due to this, I spent a good deal of time shaking my head in embarrassment rather than clapping my hands in excitement.

One of the other major themes I noticed during E3 2015 was the emphasis on remakes and nostalgia. I think itโ€™s awesome that FFVIIย is getting a proper remake — and Iโ€™m hopeful that the Gears of War games get the next-gen treatment they deserve — but I need more than an updated trip down memory lane to keep me excited. E3 is supposed to be a place where the future of gaming is revealed with new IPs or fresh ideas added in sequels; it feels wrong to keep pulling out old games from the vault and presenting them at E3 as part of the โ€œfuture of gaming.โ€ Donโ€™t get me wrong: Iโ€™m completely cool with remakes and โ€œre-mastered editionsโ€ of games; I was just not a fan of them taking center stage at E3.

On the positive side, I did notice a strong push for diversity in this yearโ€™s show and it did not feel like a bro-fest. It really feels like the gaming community is finally starting to come together, which is awesome.

Now, onto the conferences!

Bethesda
They killed it! I found it hard to believe that was their first ever E3 showcase. Bethesdaโ€™s showing was one of the most polished conferences at E3 2015 and was a great way to kick off the week. Fallout 4 is obviously a big deal, and Bethesda set the stage that it is going to deliver and innovate in ways no one was expecting. Too bad all the other conferences couldnโ€™t capitalize on the momentum Bethesda created.

Fallout 4

Fallout 4

Microsoft
Microsoftโ€™s show was decent. Iโ€™m excited to see the potential of HoloLens, but a part of me is having Kinect flashbacks where the product showcased at E3 was nowhere near the final product. I think the first generation of HoloLens wonโ€™t be as great as we want it to be — but by the second or third generation (if it lasts that long), itโ€™ll be a cool product worth having. Otherwise, the Microsoft show was very โ€œmeh.โ€ We all knew about Gears of War and Halo, so those lacked any real โ€œWOWโ€ power. Iโ€™m not sure why they dropped a Ford GT from the ceiling for Forza; it seemed like a waste of time and effort. The one new IP Iโ€™m excited to hear more about is ReCore. I wish they spent more time talking about their new IP than giving us a history lesson on the Ford GT. I also find it very difficult to be super excited for backwards compatibility. The entire premise basically follows a โ€œyou donโ€™t have to pay for things you already paid forโ€ model. So . . . yay? This feature should have also been there since Day One, so Iโ€™m happy itโ€™s finally happening. Good on Microsoft.

HoloLens

HoloLens

Electronic Arts
EA was all over the place. The show had no pacing or continuity. It kicked off with Mass Effect 4, which I was super excited about . . . because letโ€™s face it, Iโ€™m a Mass Effect fan boy. From there, EAโ€™s conference went from Star Wars, to sports, to mobile, back to sports, then back to Star Wars — with some other stuff peppered in between. I will say that EA stole the show with Unravel. That game looked amazing. It seems to be EAโ€™s response to Little Big Planet, and Iโ€™m perfectly okay with that.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Ubisoft
Ubisoftโ€™s presser was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed Aisha Tylerโ€™s performances and how she directed the show from point to point. Ubisoftโ€™s reveal of the next Ghost Recon was incredible. Iโ€™ve got to hand it to Ubi on that front; their reveals are always pretty awesome. In the same breath, Ubi also killed any excitement I had for The Division. Their emphasis on โ€œanyone can (and probably will) betray you at any momentโ€ is not something Iโ€™m fond of. A game that encourages that level of underhandedness will likely have a very toxic community, and I imagine that Ubisoft is going to have its work cut out for them trying to manage the chaos theyโ€™ve created. I loved South Park: Stick of Truth, so Iโ€™m super stoked for The Fractured But Whole. Even the new Assassin’s Creed has a bit of modern flair to it, which Iโ€™m interested in.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Sony
What a show. Sony isย probably going to be declared yet again the โ€œwinnerโ€ of E3. Sony knows exactly how to appeal to the gamer in all of us — going all in, no-holds-barred during E3. Opening with The Last Guardian was a great way to kick things off. Even though I hadnโ€™t followed the game much since its initial announcement, I could feel the energy from the crowd when they were showing the demo. I honestly donโ€™t know which the crowd was more excited about: FFVII, The Last Guardian, or Shenmue III. I was very happy to see some of the new IPs Sony showcased, especially Horizon Zero Dawn. While I do think a good chunk of Sonyโ€™s press conference was dedicated to nostalgia, they did have some new stuff to keep me entertained and interested.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn

Nintendo
Oh, Nintendo. I really donโ€™t know what to say about this one other than โ€œnext yearโ€™s show is probably going to be amazing.โ€ Seriously though, what was up with those puppets? Why are we getting all these weird spin-off type games? Whatโ€™s this mysterious new console youโ€™re hinting at? Nintendo really dropped the ball this year, but I think thatโ€™s because they really didnโ€™t have much to show. Without a doubt, though, Iโ€™m positive Nintendo will knock out of the park next year.

Nintendo execs -- courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop

Nintendo execs — courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop

Square Enix
Why? Why oh why, Square Enix? What happened? This was the most awkward presentation I think Iโ€™ve ever seen. Why did you put a boring corporate narrator in the Just Cause trailer? Why did you preface Kingdom Hearts 3 with a mobile game? Why was that one guy wearing a mask? I have so many questions! Despite all the awkwardness, there were some promising things to look forward to. Iโ€™m really stoked to get my hands on the next Deus Ex, and I know several people are excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 — so not all was lost.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

PC Gaming Show
Lastly, the PC Gaming conference/show/expo/thing. This was the first time anything like this had been done before, which is surprising. PC Gaming has always needed a space at E3, and Iโ€™m happy to see it start to happen. It was an odd mix of stuff. AMD obviously sponsored the event — so naturally, they had a big presence there and even showcased some new video cards. There were announcements made, such as No Manโ€™s Sky coming to PC, and interviews about Steam Early Access. This show has some growing pains to go through — but all in all, I enjoyed it. Although it could have been better, it was entertaining.

No Man's Sky

No Man’s Sky

All in all, this yearโ€™s E3 was okay. While it was very awkward and nostalgic, it did give us an exciting glimpse into the next couple years of gaming.

Top games Iโ€™m interested in: Mass Effect 4, Fallout 4, Unravel, No Manโ€™s Sky, Horizon Zero Dawn, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Deus Ex, and The Last Guardian.