Top 12 games at E3 2016 so far

The dust has settled somewhat as the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) moves into its second stage for the week. Microsoft, Sony and others showed off anticipatedgames for the coming yearand announced new titles that have made a splash among fans online.In no particular order, here are 12games that stood out from the rest.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn establishes a unique aesthetic by infesting an open, naturalistic landscape with robotic,animal-like creatures. The heroine, Aloy, is a resourceful archer and hunter who has to salvage materials from the cyber-creatures she takes down.

Release date: February 28, 2017 forPlayStation4.

The Last Guardian

The makers of cult classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus have been working on The Last Guardianfor the better part of a decade. In it, players guide a young boy and his companiona large, feathered flying creatureto navigateancient ruins and fend off enemies.

Release date: October 25, 2016 forPlayStation 4.

Dishonored 2

Dishonored 2by Bethesdastars Emily, the nowgrown-up empress from the first instalment. She's inherited the stealthy assassin role from the last game's hero, Corvo, allowing her to teleport and transform into a shadowy cloud to stalk her enemies amidst a city with a gorgeous,Victoriansteampunk aesthetic.

Release date: November 11, 2016 forPlayStation 4,Xbox One andPC.

For Honor

Ubisoft'sthird-person combat game For Honor mixes western medieval knights, Vikings and samurai warriors in a weird historical smash-up. Character designs looked a bit generic when footage debuted last year, but extended gameplayfrom this year's E3impressed with a mix of giant meleeslike the Dynasty Warriors series with the methodical,one-on-one duels of Dark Souls.

Release date: February 14, 2017 forPlayStation4,XboxOne and PC.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

The debut trailer for Infinite Warfare became one of the most-disliked videos on YouTube when it debuted a month ago.But it made a great second impressionat E3, with a long trailer set in a giant,multi-ship space battle.

Release date: November 4, 2016 forPlayStation 4,Xbox One andPC.

Mass Effect Andromeda

Edmonton studio Bioware's Mass Effect trilogy was one of the most beloved series in the last generation of consoles, thanks tocomplex characters,acustomizable main character and diverse, Star Trek-likesetting. The latest trailer for Andromeda looks to offermuch of the same, but it's exactly what fans were waiting for.

Release date: Early 2017 forPlayStation4,XboxOne andPC.

Prey

The new Prey, developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda, appears to have next to nothing to do with its 2006 predecessor. Nonetheless,the teaser trailer piqued interest;it starsa man in an Ex Machina-like future setting with a jarring, psychological horror twist.

Release date: 2017forPlayStation4,XboxOne andPC.

Watch Dogs 2

The first Watch Dogsbuilt an impressive simulation of Chicago,but faltered with an unlikable protagonist and flat storyline. Ubisoft hopes to revitalize the concept by shifting the setting to San Francisco and putting playersin control of DeadSec, a colourful gang of Anonymous-like hackers and rabble-rousers.

Release date: November 15 forPlayStation4,XboxOne andPC.

Steep

Ubisoft debuted Steep,a new open-world game with a focus on extreme winter sports instead of urban mayhem.Players can ski, snowboard and fly wingsuitsas they takeavirtual trip through the French Alps and Alaska.

Release date: December 2016forPlayStation4,XboxOne andPC.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo's only non-Pokemon game featured at E3 this year features a young adventurer named Link, just like every Zelda game. But the short preview shown revealed an astonishingly large, open pasture and more involved equipment, crafting and even cooking functions.

Release date: 2017forNintendo Wii U andNX.

We Happy Few

Montreal-based indie studio Compulsion Games joinedthe spotlight at Microsoft's E3 press conference with itscreepy We Happy Few. It depictsan alternate-history England in 1964, whereeveryone is hooked on Joy, a psychedelic drug that helps them forget the horrors of the past.

Release date: July 26, 2016forXbox One,PC,Mac andLinux.

Death Stranding

Afterhiscontroversial departurefromKonami,Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima made his first appearanceat Sony's E3Playstation press conference. His new project was revealed witha bizarre, haunting,music video-style vignette featuring a digitizedNorman Reedus (best known fromThe Walking Dead) sporting a dramaticc-section scar andawakeningnaked on a beach litteredwith dead fish and whales.

Release date: TBA