While the Microsoft’s press conferance was shocking and surprising with titles like Ori and the Will of the Wisps and a Dragon Ball Z fighting game made by ArcSys, Bethesda went with its old and trusty classics to carry the weight into E3 like Rocky goes into boxing rings; with heavy hitters, some classics, and what everyone wanted… but without many surprises. The left and right hooks were sequels to Dishonored and Wolfenstein respectively, with The Evil Within sequel and some healthy changes for their current games for good measure. Best of all, they’re all coming sooner than we thought, later this year and not 2018.

Dishonored

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider will be less of a game and more of an expansion starring a mechanically augmented Billie Lurk, Doud’s right hand lady as they aim to kill the Outsider. There was no gameplay shown, but seeing how Dishonored’s content has only been getting better and better with the two-part Brigmore Witches DLC’s and then Dishonored 2, hopes are high here. Arkane Studios clearly is learning, and knows what put their franchise where it is today. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is planned for September 15th, 2017.

The Evil Within 2

This sequel was announced with goo monsters, burning girls, and a cult, in what will probably be the most bizarre trailer this E3. The trailer looks stranger, creepier, and more importantly, faster than the first The Evil Within. You’re still playing as good ol’ Sebastian, and you’re diving back in to rescue your daughter rather than unknowingly saving a lunatic like last time. The Psycho Break elements are still very in-place as reality is shifting, bodies are appearing from nothing, and monsters are creeping everyone out to the point of madness. The ending of The Evil Within left more players confused than excited, but it had some of the most entertaining combat/gameplay of any modern horror game; giving it a sequel is anything but evil. The Evil Within 2 comes out on Friday the 13th, October 2017.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

By far the most anticipated game from Bethesda; it seems like people just can’t get enough of murdering Nazis. I don’t know how BJ Blazkowicz survived the end of Wolfenstein: The New Order, or how he’s willing to go back out into the field to fight more Nazi death-machines or robo-puppers, but I’m glad he is because Wolfenstein II looks awesome. The light-hearted charm of the dialogue remains, as does the absolute brutality that made the previous game such a hit, but it’s clear from the trailer that Bethesda has put some dashes of DOOM into our Wolfenstein too, especially in the parts where you just turn people’s heads into mulch. There’s great new characters, new guns, the coolest looking armor I’ve ever laid eyes on, and plenty to be excited about. It doesn’t look like Bethesda will be changing Wolfenstein’s gameplay formula much besides some cool new trinkets and armor, but maybe that’s OK for a shooter that’s been revered for having industry-inspiring gameplay for 35+ years now. Wolfenstein II: The New Colosus comes out on October 27th, 2017.

Fallout VR & DOOM VFR

Fallout 4 and DOOM are getting officially-supported VR modes in October. If your dream was to either kill radiated mutants or horrible Hell-beasts in horrific triple-A wastelands, start writing your thank-you letters and preparing your vomit bags now. While Fallout 4 will remain the Fallout we all know and love just with a new perspective, DOOM VFR will be a little different. Instead of being just the base game, VFR will have unique missions, and hopefully compensate for all the frantic turning and burtal beatings you’re doing on Mars.

“Creation Club”

Fallout 4, Skyrim, and likely more games in the future, will also be part of Bethesda’s new “Creation Club” where you can buy mods with “credits,” which sounds an awful lot like the paid-mods system they tried to introduce for Skyrim a while ago that ended in a catastrophic backlash. In its defense, it sounds like Bethesda is trying hard to reach out to the modding community. Modding can be a pain especially when you’re dealing with the number of mods available for games like Skyrim and Fallout, but the Creation Club is a simple and easy way for anyone on any platform to mod their Bethesda games. Now even PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players can turn dragons into trains and nuclear wasteland into a lush forest wonderland!

Speaking of Skyrim, it’s getting amiibo support on the Nintendo Switch! You can now use your Link amiibo to get the Breath of the Wild tunic, Master Sword, and extra gear to wear in-game without having to scrounge the Nexus or Steam for mods. Does this mean that Argonians are just lizalfos now?

The Elder Scrolls & Quake: Champions

Lastly, a new trailer for some Elder Scrolls: Online content was shown off that adds Morrowind and Red Mountain to the explorable bits of Tamriel, and Quake: Champions will be getting its world-championship tournament at Quakecon this year. Quake Champions will also be adding another playable champion: BJ Blazkowicz from Wolfenstein. I guess Nazis just weren’t enough to satiate his dual shotgun rage. The tournament will be held in Texas, and the pot will be a whopping $1 million USD.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Bethesda had a great E3 this year. People were excited and the games were all cheered on. It’s a little disappointing that no new IP’s were announced, but the diversity of the games is admirable between a horror game, a shooter, and a stealth-action game that borders on character action. While VR and the Creation Club are nice bonuses for those interested, I don’t see them catching on anytime soon for the majority of gamer’s. Bethesda’s gameplay and world-building (and hilarious gameplay bugs) are some of the best in the business, and I won’t be complaining once I’ve got my hands on any of these phenomenal looking titles.