E3 2017 has been a year of big upsets, but in the best way possible. The type of games that came out of the blue to win crowds have been more present than at any other show. That, for a year that was otherwise tame in presentation, is quite the achievement and one to remember this edition of E3 by. So, let’s take a look at the games that were most able to start from the bottom and rise up the ranks in no time flat. We’ll concentrate on projects that received stage time, since those titles are most open to scrutiny and, subsequently, also can do the biggest turnaround.

Here are the top 5 most surprising games of E3 2017:

 

 

5. Monster Hunter World

What started as yet another game about a dude, walking through a menacing fantasy world with a big sword, quickly turned into a familiar face. From there, minds went racing. Monster Hunter is coming back to its Playstation origins. Not only is the creature slaying adventure returning to big consoles and PC, but the enhancements are there to back it up. Visuals are on par with current releases and that makes Monster Hunter quite the captivating spectacle of thrashing dinosaurs and flailing heroes. It’s been too long. More importantly, however, Monster Hunter World is doing away with some of the tedium and introducing management during missions. Accessibility might just be the thing Capcom implements to bring the series to the next level.

The only reason why the game ranks at the lowest spot in the top 5 list is because everyone expects quality from a Monster Hunter release already. That shine has never really gone away; but the niche the game has been pushing into for the last years might be expanding soon. Just like Dark Souls and Persona keep welcoming new players each iteration, so can Monster Hunter World finally get more than just a hardcore, extremely dedicated audience.

 

 

4. Super Mario Odyssey

Mario is Mario. Well, usually Mario has been an expected entity in the Nintendo spotlight. This time, though, Super Mario Odyssey may have blown off the nonchalance that comes with its franchise in a big way. This game is nuts. Introduced with another dinosaur, most people were expecting Monster Hunter, but no such thing happened. What actually happened took everyone on the wildest ride in trailers in ages. Mario is the goddamn dinosaur! Now Mario is riding a scooter in the big city. Wait, you can be a frog? A Goomba; you can be a fish? Oh my god, Mario just turned into a taxi with a mustache.

The sensory overload happening in Super Mario Odyssey has taken crowds aback, to say the least. Not only that, but the game seems enormous, which only makes its possibilities grander. And the release date states that Mario would delight Nintendo Switch owners as soon as October 27, 2017. That’s not a long time to recover from this crazy ride we witnessed at E3 2017. Even the game’s story seems to step out of the bounds of the usual. There’s a big wedding planned and Mario is fighting off wedding planners? Well, OK then.

 

 

3. Spider-Man

Spider-Man is closing down the Sony press conference? Why the hell would they be doing that? It seems like cross-pollinating promotion of Sony’s properties is getting the best of the company. Since Sony owns the rights to the Marvel superhero, it felt a little forced to claim it as a show stopper. The franchise has not had a successful game in many releases.

Well, the more the guided demonstration of Spider-Man went on, the more the audience’s slight disgust turned into sheer awe. Holy hell, did they ever put some production bucks behind this new project. Spider-Man sweeping around the metropolis makes for some incredible visuals, rich in detail and high on eye candy. The animations are so fluid and nimble, which not only makes combat appear versatile, but also lets exploration seem effortless. Even the story seems to skip some tired usual suspects and instead focuses on a much lesser known, but more intriguing villain.

People have been pining for another Spider-Man that’s actually good for a while now. Maybe Sony was right to pull this one out at the last second, because it certainly was a major surprise to anyone watching. Some quick time event (QTE) focus aside, I guess Spider-Man is back on the hype menu.

 

 

2. Lawbreakers

We all knew about Lawbreakers for a while now. Everyone knew and no one really cared, because who still gives a crap about some multiplayer shooter trying to add its drop to the ocean-sized bucket. Cliff Bleszinski took the stage at an already terrible PC Gaming show to do their usual song and dance, filled with crass remarks and edgy attitude. That’s Cliffy B in a nutshell; doesn’t get anyone really excited anymore. Lawbreakers, however, took all that negative space and rammed itself down people’s throats. By no means does this look like just a standard shooter. If anything, the fast-paced action in this game looks like a return to form that many other titles are failing to grasp towards.

More than just flashy good looks and appealing blood sport, Cliff Bleszinski also managed to make Lawbreakers feel versatile. It’s that flexibility in combat that might just give this project a top spot in a currently pretty contested genre. High flying, knee sliding and rocket rocking action look like just the beginning for this shooter. We’re eating our words about the mediocrity of same-y multiplayer releases right now. We expect big things from Lawbreakers and, from the looks of it, Cliffy B is set to deliver.

 

 

1. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

It’s XCOM. Goodbye.

No, but seriously, Ubisoft opening with a Rabbids game likely urged a ton of viewers to go grab something from the fridge, just out of habit of how boring and unwatchable the company’s press conference usually is. Well, we’ve never been more wrong in our life. In just about ten seconds, we went from never wanting to touch a Rabbids game to frothing at the mouth to play this one. Mario teams up with the Ubisoft mascots, grabs some damn guns and gets behind cover to defeat their enemies in a legit turn-based strategy game; wow.

What really sells Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is that the game doesn’t necessarily seems dumbed down for its targeted audience. There are quite the options in both combat and movement, to make Mario’s team get where they’re supposed to be and exploit vulnerabilities in squad positioning. It’s absolutely crazy to think this could ever even happen; crazier than seeing Beyond Good & Evil 2 reemerge on stage. It actually looks like we might get to play this game and soon!

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle releases August 29, 2017. If it ends up being a system seller for the Nintendo Switch, even for just a dozen units, then it can easily crown itself the master of E3 2017.

 

 

There were more surprises to come out of E3 2017 to keep us on our toes, such as a stealth announcement of a 2D Metroid on Nintendo 3DS. Some more under-the-radar announcements include Blade Strangers, a franchise fighter from publisher Nicalis that will feature characters from Code of Princess and Cave Story, coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC at the end of the year. Kingdom Hearts 3, forever in development, got a brief new trailer, for those who went to look for it. There’s always more than meets the eye and that makes E3 a spectacle to look forward to every year.

What was the thing to most take you off your guard at E3 2017? Let us know in the comments.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)