Some of the best game reveals were so exciting back in the day. There’s a huge audience gathered around as executives parade the stage, showcasing the latest and greatest. With any other industry, a press conference would be dull to sit through. However, that anticipation of seeing what’s next makes us feel giddy like a kid on Christmas Eve.
When we finally see something we’ve dreamed of emerge on the screen, we jump up and down, screaming “yes.” Our relatives try to figure out what the hell is going on. But you don’t care. You finally have the sequel or remake of your dreams on the screen. While the “Direct” age is arguably not as exciting, seeing some of the best game reveals still gets us excited. Here are some of them over the years.
10. Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077
Seeing well-known actor Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 was truly “breathtaking.” The trailer showcases his intriguing, yet important character, pulling us further into this promising RPG. Reeves then walks onto the stage with so much fanfare from the music and the audience’s reaction. The actor seems so pumped about the project as well, which isn’t normal from Hollywood talent. We then get that famous line of him saying, “You’re breathtaking!” While the game had a rocky launch, we will all remember this moment fondly. These natural reactions are part of what made E3 so magical.
9. Street Fighter x Tekken in front of fans
During this Street Fighter panel, we see Tekken‘s executive producer Katsuhiro Harada unexpectedly invade the audience. Everyone was shocked to see him as he handed out copies of Tekken 6.
Harada joined the panel as Street Fighter‘s executive producer Yoshinori Ono instructed the fans to look at the screen. What they witnessed was a stunning CG trailer of Street Fighter x Tekken with Kazuya taking on Ryu in Capcom’s signature painted style.
The logo then appeared, making the audience go wild. The idea of these two fighting franchises crossing over was thrilling, even if the end product didn’t match expectations.
8. Grand Theft Auto IV reveal
Microsoft had a huge upper hand when it came to Grand Theft Auto IV. Peter Moore revealed the game in a unique, yet memorable fashion: he lifted up his sleeve to show a tattoo of the game. Moore announced the release date and then went on to say the DLC would be a timed exclusive to Xbox systems. That’s a major win for Microsoft.
This was such a big deal for Xbox as Rockstar Games is usually quiet during the busy E3 season. It likes to announce its games on its own time. I guess the developer was ahead of its time as companies announce their games whenever nowadays.
7. Kingdom Hearts 3 reveal
After multiple mediocre-to-good handheld entries, the Kingdom Hearts 3 reveal trailer sparked the imagination of Disney fans around the world. The reveal trailer has bright visuals and gorgeous animation that many have been waiting for over the extremely long PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. It came as such a surprise, and I personally jumped up and down in joy.
While we didn’t know how long the development would ultimately be, this E3 moment was electrifying and exciting. I get excited whenever I see a Disney logo pop up during a major gaming event because of this trailer.
6. PlayStation – $299
Sony killed Sega’s console future with one number: “$299.” The crowd went crazy with a round of applause. Spoken by Steve Race at E3 1995, this undercut their competition’s $399 price for the Sega Saturn by $100. This price point immediately established Sony’s presence in the hardware space, and arguably paved the first steps towards its current status as a console giant.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (EVERYONE IS HERE!)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a legal miracle. We had the likes of Konami’s Snake fighting Sega’s Sonic, Nintendo’s Mario, and Square Enix’s Cloud in one game. It’s still wild to this day. The reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is incredible, as it showed off every character that’s ever been in the series up to this point. It’s a massive roster of 70 gaming heroes and villains. That’s not even including the DLC later on; we’re talking about the initial roster.
It truly lived up to its “Ultimate” name and excited fans around the world. This reaction from Nintendo fans at the company’s New York store should tell you how hype it was. It still gives me chills.
4. The God of War orchestra reveal
Sony Santa Monica took the stage at E3 2016 to reveal a new look at an old series with God of War. Starting off with a grand orchestral opening, the gameplay showing was a much-needed reboot for Kratos. In just a few minutes, it depicted Kratos as a more in-depth character, as he looks after his son. He wasn’t the same one-note character from many entries before it. The series was reborn, and it was a huge game reveal for PlayStation at the time. It left a major impact on fans after its debut at E3 2016.
3. The PS4’s support for used games
One of the greatest E3 moments is also one of the best game reveals in history. As a new console generation was dawning in 2013, some worried that the end of used games was arriving. A move towards digital seemed inevitable, with the Xbox One clamping down on game ownership, but PlayStation became a savior for many. They said you can use discs with their console and share your game with anyone, with no strings attached, during an E3 presentation. The crowd was electric.
Similar to the $299 PlayStation announcement, Sony went directly after the competition in the most public arena it could have. It’s a move you can still feel the tremors of today.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
A shiny new trailer? Check. The creator of The Legend of Zelda series holding the Master Sword to the crowd? Check. This reveal is so iconic in the gaming industry. That image of Shigeru Miyamoto holding this special weapon sticks in my memory.
It also landed with many Zelda fans because it was the first time we had a more realistic-looking title in the GameCube era after the cartoony Wind Waker. It heralded back to the exciting tech demo from Spaceworld that was shown in 2000.
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
A Final Fantasy VII remake sounded like a pie-in-the-sky idea before E3 2015. We wanted to experience Cloud’s adventures in high-fidelity rather than early PS1 polygons and no voice acting. However, our prayers were never answered for many, many years.
But during E3 2015, Square Enix finally showcased what a Final Fantasy VII remake could look like. It wasn’t a movie, a remaster, or a spinoff like many times before. This was a true remake (or at least we thought that at the time). Square finally delivered. In such great detail within the teaser trailer, we saw the city of Midgar come to life. One of the greatest RPGs to release is now arriving to a new audience.
The dream was now a reality, and somehow Square Enix matched most fans’ expectations when the game was finally released in 2020. Destructoid gave it a superb score in its review. I can’t wait for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
