We’ve asked the Editors to list off their most anticipated games expected to be shown at E3. For a game to be on this list, the title has to be confirmed to have some form of presence at E3. Speculation on some scale will be fine, but if it’s an unrealistic prediction or was announced to not be at E3, don’t expect it to appear in the list. This list contains the opinions of Adam Beck and not necessarily that of Hardcore Gamer as a whole. 

10. The Elder Scrolls Online

There were so many other games I cut, but The Elder Scrolls Online just squeaked by. Why it got through instead of Resident Evil 6 or God of War Ascension is mainly for my wonder at how Bethesda will differentiate themselves in the MMO business. Now I’m not a MMO fan; I used to be long ago, but they haven’t been able to hold my attention entirely well. The Elder Scrolls Online interests me in the sense that they’re taking one of the biggest single-player RPG franchises and flipping the switch to multiplayer. What will they do differently from the games, such as World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Tera, that we have received in the past eight years? Can Bethesda breach the market or will it be just a clone?

9. Overstrike

Where is Overstrike? It was announced long ago that Ratchet & Clank developer, Insomniac Games teamed up with EA Games and started developing multi-platform, but little has been known about Overstrike since it was announced last E3. We know it’s still being worked on, but we have no timeframe for release nor have we seen any gameplay. A team-based shooter from the whacky minds at Insomniac seems like the next great thing but we need more than just a CG trailer. Special Ops + insane gadgets + personality is always a winning combination, so let’s hope we see more at E3.

8. Halo 4

With Bungie gone, everyone is wondering how 343 Industries will fair with the next big installment into Halo series. Halo is arguably one of the biggest game franchises in the world and while 343 did well on the remake, their biggest challenge will be replicating and evolving the beloved fiction. This isn’t a spin-off; this is a significant addition into the universe that all fans will play no matter what. It was announced last E3 and very little has been said since then. There have been small snippets of gameplay coming from other forms of media, such as Conan O’Brien’s talk show, but with a release by year’s end, expect Microsoft to shoot for the stars here. Hopefully 343 Industries delivers as we will get a glimpse at what they’ve been working on for so long next week.

7. Far Cry 3

From someone who loved the first game and wasn’t too fond of the second, I’m finding the third has found is a good mixture of survival and absolute insanity. With arguably the best villain we’ve seen in a video game, and probably the most psychotic, it provides an intriguing storyline that comes packed with lots of gunplay and intense cinematic scenes. Returning to the jungle is also an appealing factor; a lot more color and vibrancy helps a video game look all the better, not stale brown and grey we expect from a lot of shooters. Far Cry 3 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting additions to the series, and hopefully we will see more at this year’s E3, especially considering it is scheduled for a September 2012 release.

6. Tomb Raider

While Lara Croft won’t see her reboot this year, Tomb Raider is still one of the most anticipated games for E3 as it has an astounding amount of mystery surrounding it. We got to see a short demonstration at Microsoft’s E3 press conference last year and behind closed door gameplay for some, but there’s still little known about the setting, the plot and even most of the gameplay mechanics. How crazy will the story be; will we face dinosaurs, or will it be down to Earth and realistic? Considering that Tomb Raider ships next March, this could be the last time we see it at such a significant press event so expect something relatively large. While Tomb Raider has never been my thing, the reboot definitely struck a chord showing some interesting mechanics and a more intriguing Lara Croft.

5. Assassin’s Creed III

Ubisoft has racked in on their biggest annual franchise for the past three years, but the fifth game seems to be a huge evolution, even more so from the first two entries. Despite being a Canadian, the American Revolution interests me greatly and seems like the perfect setting for the next Assassin’s Creed. While it’s hard to imagine the acrobatics of one of Desmond Mile’s ancestors through the small towns and huge battle settings, the ability to fluently run through the trees and use them to your advantage is something we haven’t seen before. There’s no way the series will end here, but story-wise, Assassin’s Creed III seems like the Assassin’s Creed game to get and play by year’s end. It should be interesting to see what they will show and what will expect.

4. The Last of Us

When this was first revealed, I had very little excitement moving through me. Yes it’s from the Uncharted developer and yes it’s a little more creative than just a zombie outbreak, but the post-apocalypse setting has done little for me lately. What interests me here is the relationship between Ellie and Joel along with the survival aspects of the gameplay. You have to be resourceful and you have to be smart when moving through the environment and interacting with people. My biggest concerns, though, stem from the recently disappointing release of I Am Alive, which promised similar grand features. Regardless, this game looks visually astounding and with such strong talent behind it, I am only expecting big things.

3. Metal Gear Rising

Even with only two games under their belt, Platinum Games has already been labeled as one of the craziest developers out there. Bayonetta had a heroine who cloaked herself in her own hair and summoned demonic beasts with it, and Vanquish had you jet-sliding through space against Russian robots. When Konami announced that Platinum Games was now working on Metal Gear Rising, it was a mixed reaction, but mine was absolutely positive. As much as the demos made the tech look cool, it was hard to imagine a fully fledged game out of that. This one that has me curious as the last trailer had the insane antics that we all know from Platinum, but less of the Metal Gear we’ve come to love. I mean, throwing a Metal Gear hundreds of feet into the air, running up its arm and cutting it into bits? Tell me where to sign up.

2. Wii U Line-Up

We have heard grand promises of Super Smash Bros., Pikmin 3 and all our favorite Nintendo franchises returning, but there was nothing to show. Even Lead Designer, Masahiro Sakurai, didn’t know that he’d be working on a Wii U Smash Bros. game until it was announced on stage at last year’s E3. We know there are some third-party games coming over from their development on current-gen systems, and many developers are looking to support it, but Nintendo must show the lineup for this E3 as, if they’re still on track for it, the Wii U ships this year. So I’m sure everyone, including myself, is eagerly anticipating what Nintendo will show and what their new console is capable of.

1. Hitman Absolution

It has been six years since we’ve seen Agent 47, minus the half-decent film, and oh how we’ve missed him. The bald genetically-enhanced assassin has been missing in action as IO Interactive has been trying new things. I’m glad the team did something new instead of relying on sequel after sequel, but let’s face it, the Kane & Lynch games were a bit of a letdown and Mini Ninjas… well Mini Ninjas was fun but not as memorable as it could have been. Finally, Hitman makes it return on the current-generation of consoles and PC hardware and while some people are worried about how action focused it may be, I am eagerly waiting to see how the game really controls. Will it be linear or will it be an open sandbox? Will it follow a consecutive story or will it go from assignment to assignment? I will be on a quest to dig up everything there is to find on this upcoming stealth action title.