By: Tyler Miller

It’s that time of year again! E3 2017 is right around the corner and the excitement is hitting an all time high. So far this year has been great for games and it’s only June.E3 is sure to give us more games to get excited about for the rest of the year, as well as next year. Just like last year, in the days leading up to the first press conference (EA this Saturday), we’ll be talking about each company that’ll be having a show, what I’m looking forward to from them, and what I’m hoping they do not do. So without further ado, let’s start going down the Road to E3 2017 with EA.

What I’m Looking Forward To

Need for Speed: Payback

In 2015, EA and Ghost Games rebooted the Need for Speed series with a game that was returned to focusing on street racing culture. It was pretty good and I had loads of fun with it, but it was bogged down by the need to be always online. Two years later the series returns with Need for Speed: Payback, and it looks to be taking the series to the next level. With off-road racing, a 24-hour day/night cycle, more car customization, a story straight out of the Fast and Furious series, and most importantly, being able to play offline, the game is looking to improve and expand on the groundwork that the reboot already established.

Star Wars Battlefront II

DICE’s first attempt at Star Wars Battlefront was a gorgeous and faithful recreation of the Star Wars universe, but it wasn’t fun for too long. It had plenty of potential, but with gameplay that was pretty barebones and no single player campaign, the game just felt empty. That’s not even to mention the expensive season pass. Things appear to be looking up for the sequel, as it looks to be righting all of the wrongs of its predecessor. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the game is its campaign that puts you in the shoes of an Imperial special forces soldier between the end of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. We normally don’t get to have a story told from the perspective of the Empire, so it’ll be great to have that for a change. There’s also the addition of characters from all the movies and not just the original trilogy, giving us more of what we want and love from the Battlefront series.

Bioware’s New IP

For a couple years now, Bioware’s been working on a mysterious, brand new IP that we’ve only seen fleeting glimpses of. It’s been some time since they announced it, and with the recent news that the game was pushed back into EA’s 2019 fiscal year, there’s even more time before we’ll be playing it. But now is definitely the time for us to see it. Blow us off of our feet Bioware. Mass Effect: Andromeda may have been a bit of a misstep, but you can still wow us all with this new game.

EA’s Other Star Wars Games

In addition to Battlefront II, EA has some other brand new Star Wars games that they’re cooking up over at Visceral Games and Respawn Entertainment. We’ve heard very little about them over the years, and last year we only got some behind the scenes looks at the games, so we really haven’t seen anything from them either. These games have been in the oven for quite some time though and both teams have been very quiet, so this year’s E3 is the time for both of these games to make their grand debut and get us hyped.

What I Don’t Want To Happen

Sports Lasting Too Long

When it came to EA Sports last year, things weren’t all that bad. We only had two sports games that they showed off, but they were simply the topic of conversation for a tad too long. I will admit that I am not a sports game fan, so I never care when these games inevitably pop up during the press conference, but I always feel like they last too long. Last year was better than in 2015 (why Pele?), but it still dragged. Keep it short, sweet, and simple EA. You guys can do this.

No More Developer Docs

For the love of God EA, please stop doing this! I understand that you want to get people excited about a game that’s a long ways out, but you all have got to stop making this documentaries of people working at their computer on a game or some concept art. Sure you all didn’t have your press conference last year consist of only this, but you did it again with Star Wars. Just stop it please, I’m begging you.

There’s not much that I’m looking forward to from EA this year. That’s mostly because we really don’t know what they’re making over there aside from what’s already been announced. Perhaps they’ll have some surprises for us (a Dead Space reboot perhaps?). We’ll find out this Saturday at 12 PM PT/ 3 PM ET.