The Electronic Entertainment Expo – or as most commonly known as E3 – is the annual gaming trade show that unites all of the world’s gamers for a period of one week, every year.  It just so happens, that this year marks 22 years since the convention first started  in May, 1995  – and boy have things changed since then. To put things into perspective, E3 has seen four different generations of the PlayStation console, with a fifth looming very closely on the horizon.

The most surprising thing about this year’s E3 is that it seemed alarmingly different in many aspects as the conferences were actually aimed towards what the fans have been pleading for over the past several years – games. No one wants to hear a high up executive talk sales and new hardware for 10 minutes that – let’s be honest – no one has ever wanted, or will ever use.

This year, it seems that the big corporations have finally taken the fans feedback to heart and have actually delivered one of the most trailer-heavy E3’s to ever take place. Let’s also not forget that this is the first time in E3 history that fans are allowed to attend the event.

There has been a lot to take in from this event – from new IP’s, sequels and remakes in this year’s conferences that have delivered some massive shocks! So, get ready because here are some of the most shocking reveals from this year’s E3 Press Conferences.

15. Beyond Good And Evil 2

That’s right, you read correctly – after almost 10 years since announcing the sequel, Ubisoft revealed during the final moments of their Press Conference the much anticipated Beyond Good & Evil 2. This – as expected – sent the internet into a frenzy as after countless years of rumors, leaks and lost hope, fans were finally getting something they had waited for since 2003.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is set in the 24^th century and is a prequel that takes place before the birth of Jade, the protagonist of the first game.

Don’t get too excited though, as while the game may look absolutely stunning, it is clearly still in the early stages of development as no release date was listed during the trailer – so don’t expect it to launch anytime soon.

14. Assassin’s Creed: Origins

Assassin’s Creed: Origins is possibly one of the best kept secrets of this year’s E3 – sorry, even I couldn’t write that without laughing. It has been quite a year for the Assassin’s Creed franchise as after almost a year of leaks it has been revealed that Assassin’s Creed is indeed heading to Ancient Egypt for its next instalment of the series. Assassin’s Creed: Origins will tell the story of how the Assassin’s order first began. You will take on the role of Bayek – one of the first assassins – and his Eagle companion Senu as you traverse through the games massive open-world environment.

The game is set to launch on October 27 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC – but, let’s just hope that this instalment of the series fairs much better than the previous one.

13. Anthem

We had heard rumors that the EA studio BioWare – best known for the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games – were working on a new IP that was set to blow people away. We received our first short teaser trailer of Anthem at EA Play, but it wasn’t until the Microsoft press conference that we saw over 6 minutes of gameplay – and boy did it look good.

Currently being dubbed the Destiny Killer, Anthem is described as an online, shared-world action-RPG that is set in a sci-fi/fantasy world. The game is complete with exosuits, mutated animals, breath taking environments and loads of gunplay. Set for a release in the fall of 2018, Anthem is easily one of the most impressive games we have seen at E3 so far.

12. Xbox One X

After more than a year of rumours, leaks and teases, Microsoft has finally unveiled their latest console, and competitor to PlayStation’s PS4 Pro, the Xbox One X.

While the Xbox One X may be the most power console on the market, it still feels – much like the PS4 Pro – as an unnecessary upgrade since Microsoft is still lacking in what truly matters – the games. A number of games were announced at their press conference – 42 to be exact – but none stood out as a reason to upgrade from their original Xbox One console.

The Xbox One X is set to launch world-wide on November 7 and will wear a staggering price tag of $499. Microsoft better have some first party exclusives up theirs sleeves if they want this console to succeed.

11. A Way Out

Publishers like EA are known for their big budget games and are often not ones to take risks, so it came as a surprise when they announced A Way Out at their E3 conference, EA Play. A Way Out is a cooperative prison break game that has to be played with a partner via a split-screen, where each player takes on a different role to help the duo survive not only prison but also the outside world.

Whether you’re sitting next your partner on the couch or with a random person online, A Way Out is one of EA’s biggest risks ever. Despite some obvious Uncharted vibes – from the setting to even the main character looking like Nathan Drake – it is fair to say that A Way Out is going to be one of the most compelling and interesting experiences of 2018.

10. The Evil Within 2

Announced during the Bethesda press conference, The Evil Within II’s trailer sent chills through the audience as the horror game – from the Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami – looked even more twisted and freaky than the original.

Many often claimed that despite its flaws, The Evil Within combined some of the best elements of past horror and modern third person action games to form a horror experience like no other. If you are brave enough, The Evil Within II will feature scary looking beasts and all of the jump scares you could ever want.

The Evil Within II is set to launch later this year on Friday, October 13 for PS4, Xbox One and PC – just when we thought things couldn’t get any creepier. Here’s hoping that the game doesn’t get delayed, because the release date is just too perfect to pass up.

9. Metro: Exodus

Post-apocalyptic shooters have always been popular, so when A4 Games revealed their latest game Metro: Exodus during the Microsoft conference fans were beyond excited. The trailer featured the return of makeshift weaponry, giant mutated rats and even bear like creatures – to top it all off, the game looked absolutely stunning.

The biggest surprise came when the camera panned over a vast dilapidated environment, giving the impression that the game has gone from a very linear design to somewhat of an open-world game. John Bloch, executive producer of Metro: Exodus has even stated that this is the company’s most ambitious project yet.

Metro: Exodus is set to release in 2018 for Xbox One and PC. At this time, it is yet to be announced whether or not the game will be available via other platforms.

8. Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds

Officially revealed during the PlayStation press conference, Sony announced the next story expansion for Horizon: Zero Dawn – which as expected, looks absolutely beautiful. The story DLC is titled The Frozen Wilds and will see Aloy travelling beyond the northern mountains to a new snowy wilderness that harbors a new threat and new mysteries for Aloy to solve.

While not a lot is known about the upcoming DLC, we do know that it will bring with it a number of various new characters, weapons, armors and even machines. While The Frozen Wilds DLC has no official release date, Guerilla Games has confirmed that it will launch in the later part of this year at the price of $19.99.

7. Life is Strange: Before The Storm

Get hella hyped because the popular episodic teenage drama is set to make a return to Arcadia Bay this August. Debuting at Microsoft’s E3 conference, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a prequel to the original game and will tell the story of fan favourite – Chloe Price – three years before the events of the first game occurred. The game will be developed by a new developer – Deck Nine Games – and will play as a three part series, with the first episode releasing this year on August 31.

For the most part, Deck Nine Games seem to have done a fantastic job when it comes to the games visuals and animations – an issue that often plagued the original game. However, the most concerning issue seems to be that Ashly Burch – Chloe’s voice actress – will not be reprising her role due to the Screen Actors Guild strike.

6. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Out of all of the E3 conferences, Bethesda was one of the only conferences to announce a surprisingly large line-up of games that are set to release later this year. Along with the announcement of the new The Evil Within II, Bethesda managed to surprise fans with a brand new instalment to the Wolfenstein franchise as they announced Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus with a rather lengthy, but brilliant trailer.

If their trailer is anything to go by, the new Wolfenstein is going to be even weirder as it tells the story of stalwart Nazi fighter, BJ Blazkowicz in an alternate reality where Nazis have conquered the world.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One this year on October 27.

5. Shadow Of The Colossus Remake

Announced via the PlayStation conference, Shadow of the Colossus – easily one of the most loved and appreciated games to ever release on the PlayStation 2 – will be receiving a complete remake using all new assets. Unlike the PS3 remaster, Shadow of the Colossus will be rebuilt from the ground up with the help of Japan Studio – the games developer – and Bluepoint Games who were responsible for creating the Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection.

The gameplay trailer – which looked stunning – just goes to show how much video games have changed since the PS2 era. While there is no official release date, we do know that the game is set to launch sometime in 2018, but with Bluepoint Games behind the wheel we know that the remake is in great hands.

4. The Last Night

Described as a Cinematic Platformer, The Last Night was one of the most interesting and captivating trailers to come from the Microsoft press conference. The small indie game, which has been dubbed the show stopper of the Microsoft conference, is a 2D pixel art game that is like nothing you’ve seen before.

The Last Night has an obvious cyberpunk style and vibe that shows similarities to the likes of Blade Runner. The creators, Tim and Adrien Soret have described the setting of the game as a two-dimensional cyberpunk open world, which features four unique districts for the player to explore.

Where there is currently no official release date, The Last Night is set to launch on Xbox One and PC sometime during 2018.

3. Metroid Prime 4

When talking about great E3 conferences, Nintendo doesn’t usually come to mind – but this year, things were a little different as many would agree that Nintendo had the best press conference of the entire E3 – and all they had to do was briefly reveal a fancy logo on a screen.

That’s right, after years of silence, Nintendo came out of nowhere and announced Metroid Prime 4. There was no gameplay – or any footage in general – just an animated logo that sent Metroid fans around the world in a frenzy.

In typical Nintendo fashion no other information was revealed, other than the fact that Metroid Prime 4 is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch. Given Nintendo’s track record, I wouldn’t get your hopes up for a release any time soon.

2. Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

Ori and the Blind Forest was often described as one of the best games to ever release on the Xbox One, as it managed to captivate its audience in a way that other games couldn’t. The reveal trailer for Ori and the Will of the Wisps was no different – as accompanied by a live pianist playing music from the game, the trailer showcased the hauntingly beautiful world the player will travel through, before cutting to a heartbreaking scene of Ori comforting an owl as he gazes at the skeletons of what we presume is his late family.

Exclusive to the Xbox One and Windows 10 Store, Ori and the Will of the Wisps does not currently have a release date; however, given that no gameplay was shown during the conference, it would be a safe bet that the popular platform is quite some time away from being released.

1. Monster Hunter: World

Officially unveiled during the PlayStation press conference, Monster Hunter: World will be heading back to PlayStation for the first time in several years, after being locked in as a Nintendo exclusive for many years.

When the Sony boss, Shawn Laden, introduced the game, many fans were surprised by the announcement as the series had first gained a huge following on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), until it moved over to Nintendo.

The trailer showed a number of new and interesting twists to the series as Monster Hunter: World will feature destructible environments, a living and breathing ecosystem, and support for up to 4 players in cooperative play.

Like many games announced at the PlayStation conference, Monster Hunter: World is set to release in early 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and later PC.