Features

So far, so good – that pretty much sums up the the next gen’s raft of titles to date. We’ve enjoyed soaring across Seattle using our video powers in Infamous: Second Son on PS4 and blowing a mech to pieces after launching ourselves from a wall run in Titanfall on Xbox One. And we’re currently hacking an entire city in Watch Dogs, an open-world epic packed with so many diversions that you can sometimes feel overwhelmed.

But it's clear that we’ve yet to see what the next gen can really do and it’s why we’re looking forward to E3 so much – it should provide us with some delicious pointers about what the future holds for our spangly new consoles.

Virtually Everywhere

Virtual reality’s renaissance is now complete thanks to the PC-based Oculus Rift (and that Facebook acquisition) and Sony’s Project Morpheus; the latter wowing critics in particular with its claustrophobic recreation of being trapped inside a shark cage.

Expect more details on both systems – Rift could even be given a bona fide release date at the show – plus fresh info on gaming giant Valve’s VR setup that so impressed at a recent unveiling in Boston. Playing DOTA 2 two inches from your face reportedly caused jaws to drop.

Eye Candy Amplified

Certain next gen titles have been gently massaging our eyeballs with their silky smooth graphics – from the gorgeously-realised city of Infamous: Second Son to Ryse’s epic Roman clashes, we’re clearly witnessing a major push forward in console graphical prowess.

But E3 should see eyeballs popping out even further – Unreal will be showing off more of its new Unreal Engine 4 with a teaser for the Gears of War reboot on Xbox One, while EA has confirmed a new next gen-only title powered by an updated version of DICE’s Frostbite engine. Think Need for Speed: Rivals and Battlefield 4 for examples of Frostbite’s past graphical brilliance.

New Era, New IP

While there will be a host of sequels announced at the show expect further footage and details about a fresh raft of IPs heading our way including the deliriously OTT Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One and cinematic The Order 1886 on PS4, plus fresh info on the already hugely ambitious Destiny on both formats.

Always On

The premise has always been tantalising – a persistent connection to the online world where other players can join your single player game in an instant and team up. Or as exemplified by Watch Dogs’ Online Hacks system, create thrilling games of cat-and-mouse as you try and hunt down a player who has invaded your game (or vice-versa).

And it’s this potential for bringing multiplayer action seamlessly into a single player game that remains one of the most exciting next gen prospects for us, and one which will feature heavily at E3. From more details on the innovative social play aspects of open world racer The Crew to how factions will duke it out in the post-apocalyptic The Division, expect the concept of shared experiences to gain even more traction in 2014 and beyond. All in all then, bring it on – because we can’t wait.

Check out more about E3 here!