It’s that time of year again where E3 is just around the corner and the hype train has really gained momentum. E3 (The Electronics Entertainment Expo) will be taking place tomorrow in Los Angeles where all the leading developers, publishers and companies will unveil or showcase all of their upcoming games and hardware. This year’s E3 is set to be one of the best in a long time as Microsoft’s Project Scorpio will be making its official debut. June is set to be an early Christmas for gamers, fans and tech-geeks alike. So, without further ado, here is a list of our top 10 things The Hidden Levels would like to see.

10) Console Indies

Gamers have been taught to vote with their wallets and this is especially true in the case of Indie titles. Indie games receive no financial support from publishers and often focus on innovation. YouTubers and Twitch streamers also play an important role in the popularity of Indie titles and have a huge impact on their sales. Although the gaming industry is saturated with games that are pumped out yearly, there will always be hidden gems. Undertale, Axiom Verge and even Shovel Knight are a few of these hidden gems that truly deserve all the praise that they receive. You can never go wrong with more indie titles and, hopefully, most of the big names can capitalize on the growing trend of Indie games like ID@Xbox has done. Speaking of ID@Xbox, Cuphead and Below are two that we are looking forward to the most.

9) Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima first announced Death Stranding last year during E3 at the Sony Press Conference. Although none of us here at The Hidden Levels know what the game is going to be about, what we DO know is that it’s going to be one hell of a ride thanks to Kojima’s astounding story-telling. The title gives off a spooky atmosphere with its impressive visuals and thought provoking symbolism, Death Stranding is sure to creep out a few of us here. Also, what the hell is up with the umbilical chords and babies?

8) Call of Duty: WWII

Call of Duty: WWII is taking the series back to its roots with a more ‘boots on the ground’ approach compared to the yearly releases of its futuristic counterparts. The advanced shooter scene was saturating the market and CoD: WWII seeks to rectify that with a more human story with characters that feel real. In addition to this, it also offers a feature that allows you to choose from various WWII divisions. There are five in total (Airborne Division, Mountain Division, Infantry Division, Armored Division and the Expeditionary Force) and each have their own skills. We still don’t know what any of this means. Can we select classes? Will there be a medic? If so, will there be any health packs? We are hoping to see some story and multiplayer game-play. I, for one, cannot wait to enter the trenches with my brothers-in-arms.

7) Borderlands 3

Borderlands has become a surprising success with its shootin’ and lootin’ philosophy as its centerpiece game mechanic. Alongside the addictive game-play, it also offered a very diverse cel-shaded art and lewd satirical humor. With the disappointment of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the third installment is now necessary to take the series back to its root. Handsome Jack was such an awesome, yet evil, character and if Borderlands 3 is just as good as Borderlands 2 or better then it will be a must buy for everyone.

6) Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts has brought the world of Disney to children everywhere with its magical game-play, characters, and somewhat convoluted story. Joy, sadness, pain, loss, and hope are some of the emotions that we felt when playing Kingdom Hearts and the hype for the third installment knows no bounds. We cannot wait to be taken back to the magical world of Disney, now even more so with the possibility of Star Wars and even Marvel being introduced to the universe. Hopefully, Goofy doesn’t return as he scares me somehow and I can’t figure out why.

5) Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human tackles one of the many questions that we are bound to face in the future. Can androids be trusted? Can they hurt us? Detroit: Become Human will feature decision-making that will impact the game in various powerful ways. Every decision we make will have its own consequences and branching paths. The philosophy, moral ambiguity and the question of consciousness coupled with the deep rooted, yet engaging story, will give us a thought provoking experience that we will remember for sure. We cannot wait to see some more intuitive game-play from Detroit: Become Human.

4) Crackdown 3

Crackdown has always been an innovative game with all its collectibles and super-hero like agents. This time, Crackdown 3 is taking things to the next level by introducing citywide destructible objects that fully utilizes the power of The Cloud. Every single building isn’t just a shape or object with its own texture. They are all physical entities that have their own physics. Glass will act like glass in real life and shatter when struck and concrete like concrete when blown up. We would love to see some destructive game-play along with any new additions to the game. Who wouldn’t like to spend a few hours online blowing up the whole city? I know I would. Commence ‘Ride of the Valkyries’.

3) Halo 3’s 10 Year Anniversary

Halo 3 was a gigantic part of my teenage years that I still remember fondly. The memories of coming back from school, turning on the Xbox 360, launching Halo 3 to be greeted by its awesome menu theme, and then proceeding to wreck scrubs in matchmaking to attain my Rank 50 in most of the playlists are ones that’ll I’ll always look back to. Although Halo 3 was part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection a few years ago, we are still hoping to see it properly remastered in all its glory. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to experience this masterpiece again with updated graphics and any added mechanics 343 Industries sees to include like how Halo 2 HD remake included the prototype Mongoose. After all, the advertisements did say it was ‘the game of the decade’.

2) Xbox Scorpio

Not much is known about the Xbox Scorpio apart from a few of its specs and designs, but this hulking beast is sure to make everyone drool during its official reveal at E3. The Xbox Scorpio possesses a 6 Teraflops GPU, 2.3Ghz Customs CPU, 12 GB GDDR5 Memory, 326 GB/s Memory Bandwidth, 1TB HDD Space and true 4k Gaming Resolution. This behemoth will be a worthy rival against the PlayStation 4 Pro and competition is always good for the gaming industry. We will be keeping our eyes and ears open during the reveal and are interested in seeing what the future holds for the Xbox Scorpio, both software and features wise.

1) Final Fantasy’s 30 Year Anniversary

Seeing as 2017 is the 30th Anniversary of Final Fantasy, we are hoping to see more Final Fantasy related content for this year. Awhile back, there was a rumor that a Final Fantasy Collection would be releasing this year, compiling the first nine games except Final Fantasy VII which, of course, is getting its own remaster. In addition, there would also be a Final Fantasy XIII Collection, as well. A collection this big is too good to pass up for any gamer especially for JRPG fans and so we are expecting the two collections to be officially announced at this year’s E3. Who wouldn’t want to replay Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI again? Hue Hue Hue. Apologies for the terrible Kefka laugh.

These have been the most anticipated things we at THL are looking forward to. We cannot wait for E3 and will be covering most of the news here at The Hidden Levels. Hopefully, everything will live up to the hype and does not disappoint us.