Luke Brown

We didn't realize how badly we wanted a massive hammer that doubled as a shotgun until we equipped one in Dauntless. At that point, we'd already been playing Phoenix Labs' upcoming multiplayer action role-playing game for a hunt or two, but wanted to change things up to see what the different weapon loadouts offered. After using the hammer to hunt down massive frost-powered owl creature, we became enamored with it. Not just with the hammer gun mind you, but with the co-op action at the core of Dauntless.

In the darkness below the surface, two lone treasure hunters have come together to explore a dungeon in search secrets from a world lost long ago. An ocean of black envelops them both, the only salvation in the depths provided by lone lanterns each wanderer carries. A somber melody plays somewhere, echoing from deep within the tunnels running though the heart of this cavern. Distracted, the hunters miss something flash before the lantern light. Whatever is lurking has its eyes on our adventurers. This is the world of Ashen, and it will test your spine and ability to cooperate like few other games.

Ubisoft is taking a different approach with Far Cry 5 than we're used to seeing from the franchise. Typically a series that's been about exploring locales many people can only dream of traveling to, it's a bit strange to see one coming home to roost in the United States. That's not a bad thing, as even the US is country that has a number of states and cities that are often ignored when it comes to games. With its rural setting in the Big Sky Country of Montana, Far Cry 5 already had our attention. It's the new spins on gameplay and narrative that'll keep it.

While most of the world got to see a new Uncharted: The Lost Legacy story trailer during PlayStation's E3 event, we got to see a bit more of the upcoming action game behind closed doors. What we saw was most definitely more Uncharted, which has never been a bad thing. More importantly, we got to see how Naughty Dog and creative director Shaun Escayg put the focus on two of the more criminal characters in the franchise's history, Chloe Black and Nadine Ross. We've seen the smuggler with a heart of gold enough. Now it's time for the thieving hustlers to get their time in the spotlight.

Last year, we got our first glimpse at Volition's first new IP since Saints Row dominated the previous generation of consoles. Agents of Mayhem billed itself as an action-packed adventure that poked fun at the concept of international security agencies like SHIELD or GI Joe and their rival groups, Hydra or Cobra. With that classic Volition sense of wicked humor, open-world adventure and ludicrous weaponry, Agents of Mayhem captured our attention early on. One year later, with Agents of Mayhem mere months away from release, Volition's concept has gotten that much tighter and stronger. And so has our desire to play the full game.

We've all heard the stories about the amnesiac hero who washed up on the shore of a dangerous island only to become its savior. Or perhaps the version you heard told of a teen with extraordinary courage, who stepped up in a time of need to make the lands he lived in safe again. Whatever deviations you may have heard, the stories all share a familiar core. The Swords of Ditto follows that same narrative thread, only this time it gives it an explanation. It also does it with one of the more delightful and humorous presentations we've seen.

No matter how fleeting the feeling, we've all dreamed of being a rock star at one time or another in our lives. Some video games have come close to giving us that feeling, with the likes of Rock Band and Guitar Hero putting the power directly in our hands. Few developers have looked beyond the rhythm to the central source of those desires, but with The Artful Escape, Beethoven & Dinosaur can count itself among them. Rather than turning us into the greatest cover band in the virtual world, The Artful Escape takes us on a psychedelic trip through the multiverse to find the artist within.

When we sat down with Sledgehammer Games before E3 officially began, it was to get a glimpse at Call of Duty: WWII's story. The development team is taking the duty of relaying the deadliness and heroism of the world's greatest conflict quite seriously, and everything we saw of it rang true with Sledgehammer's earnestness. The campaigns aren't what people traditionally come to Call of Duty for these days, and Sledgehammer hasn't forgotten about multiplayer. While it won't be quite as authentic and sobering as the story, Call of Duty: WWII's new multiplayer elements will make for some interesting online sessions.

I honestly didn't know how badly I wanted to see one of Jack Kirby's Celestials in Lego form until I played Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. It was amazing to see such an iconic design rendered in the block form Lego is known for without losing any of that Kirby aesthetic. Just the opening moments of the demo at E3 left me in awe, and for that reason alone I'm excited to play more Lego Super Heroes 2. Good for this game, there are plenty more reasons to be excited too.

What if I told you there was a whole new continent out there filled with monsters of every shape and size, and they were all wild game there for the taking? Of course, these great beasts aren't exactly going to go down easy as another trophy for your wall, and they're going to fight back as hard as they can. Only the best and most courageous hunters will have what it takes to survive this dangerous ecosystem, and they'll be legends among the rest of Monster Hunter World.