What Are Your Favorite Games of E3 2021?

This year’s E3 was a little different, sure, but there were still some exciting new reveals! What were your favorite games of E3 2021? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! Here are our picks.

There were a lot of cool projects revealed at this year’s nebulous virtual show, but for me? Nothing beats a new heartbeat for what may be my favorite franchise. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp brings two games I love to a modern audience, sure. And a modern platform for multiplayer action is certainly useful! But I’m psyched about the possibilities for the future if this remake sells well. The aesthetic is new, but every time I look at it, I like it more. And I trust WayForward to deliver polish on a shoestring. It’s our time, Orange Star. Rally the troops. — Graham

I can’t believe Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp exists. I’m absolutely stunned. The Nintendo Treehouse Live E3 2021 segment sold me on the new art direction. And we already know the series’ classic gameplay will be intact. I can’t wait to play it again.

Though a close second for me was Tales of Arise too. Dohalim and Kisara look great. — Jenni

I spent countless hours listening to people discuss Slime Rancher either as their favorite game or their favorite game to compare others to. Unfortunately, it released right when I had no means of playing video games, so I sadly missed the hype. Now that Slime Rancher 2 has been announced, I’m ridiculously excited to finally experience what looks to be a cute, relaxing time collecting and raising slime blobs. — Dani

There was a lot more for me to love this E3 than I was expecting. Indie games Pekoe and Yokai Inn struck an instant chord with me, both appealing to my need for chill kawaii games. Then Bethesda brought out the big gun I had been waiting for with Starfield, before KOing me with the not-really-a-trailer for The Outer Worlds 2. I was riding that high for hours. And when Nintendo and Atlus gave us a date and showed off gameplay footage of Shin Megami Tensei V! Let’s just say my heart has been racing ever since.

Sure, E3 wasn’t the event we’re used to seeing, but it still delivered a few wonderful surprises that have me budgeting out my game spending for the next year. — Annette

This year’s virtual E3 felt a little bit more scattered than before thanks to the loss of that “center stage” effect provided my the big publisher and platform-led event. Not to mention the noticeable absence of some of the industry’s biggest players. And yet, that extra space felt like it opened up opportunities for excitement about somewhat smaller releases. Sure, Advance Wars, Elden Ring, Shin Megami Tensei V and Starfield were all exciting, but I found myself gravitating to the many new indies and other titles that popped up in places like the Guerrilla Collective showcase and Wholesome Direct.

For those, my standouts were Sable and Far: Changing Tides, both lonely exploration games with a really cool aesthetic vibe. The impact of the pandemic on game development was impossible to ignore this year, but if anything E3 2021 proved that there are still plenty of cool games in the spaces between. — Josh

What are your favorite games of E3 2021? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.