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The Best Indie Games of E3 2017
We take a look at the best indie games the show had to offer.
We take a look at the best that the show had to offer
E3 2017 has finally come to a close and we here at IIG have a round-up of what we feel were the best indie games featured in the show. E3 may usually be about showcasing the latest and greatest from the triple-A camp, but there’s also a plethora of smaller games fighting for the limelight that deserve just as much attention.
A Way Out
EA kicked off their conference with a look at one of their new EA Original titles, A Way Out. The action adventure game is being developed by Hazelight Studios, the creators of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, a follows two convicted prisoners as they plot to escape prison. It has a heavy co-op focus and is specifically designed for split-screen cooperative multiplayer, which means you’re going to need to bring a friend along for this one.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Microsoft revealed a sequel to the critically acclaimed Metroidvania, Ori and the Blind Forest during its E3 Press Conference. Featuring an excellently composed soundtrack and a beautiful art style that had a unique hand-drawn quality to it, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a welcome return that will no doubt be just as entertaining as its predecessor.
The Last Night
Cyberpunk, pixel art cinematic platformer, The Last Night showcased an excellent trailer during Microsft’s E3 Press Conference dripping with neo-noir style. Inspired by classic platformers such as Flashback and Another World, The Last Night will see you explore a Blade Runner-esque, two-dimensional open world with gameplay focussed on action and infiltration.
Griftlands
Don’t Starve developer, Klei Entertainment announced its new game, Griftlands at the E3 PC Gaming Show. The new sci-fi RPG invites you to create a character and battle your way through alien worlds using any means necessary to survive. Griftlands will be launching in late 2017/early 2018 on PC.
Ashen
Open world survival game, Ashen got a new trailer which showcased some of the combat and exploration players can expect from the title. Aurora 44’s Xbox exclusive could possibly feature Souls-like gameplay with the mechanics revolving around the use of light and co-op play.
Darwin Project
The Darwin Project is a multiplayer battle-royal game taking place in the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Northern Canadian Rockies. The game will see you hunt your adversaries down in Hunger Games style fashion, as preparation for an impending Ice Age sees the launch of a new half science experiment, half live-entertainment project.
Tunic
Tunic is a rather cute looking action-adventure game about a little fox exploring a big world. Coming from solo developer, Andrew Shouldice, Tunic lets you explore the isometric wilderness, discover spooky ruins and fight terrible creatures from long ago.
So, there’s our list of the best indie games from E3, there were, of course, many more titles showcased at the prestigious event that didn’t quite make the cut. This year’s E3 featured a host of fantastic games and of course, a few let downs, it just wouldn’t be E3 without a few disappointments. Overall, the event gave us some great looking indie games to look forward to though, so at least that’s one upside to the whole thing.
If you’re interested in checking out what other indie games to look forward to this year then why not give our Best Upcoming Indie Games of 2017 a read.
Jon Calvin
Inside Indie Gaming 
A Way Out was the most interesting one to my mind. Asynchronous local co-op sounds tremendous.
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It was certainly a stand out title, it’s interesting to see another good looking game coming out of the EA Originals program, it felt a little bit like a corporate cash when it was announced.
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They’ve improved a lot in the last couple of years. Activision seem to be the money hungry exploitative company these days.
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Ori and the Will of the Wisps does it for me. The first one is a masterpiece and I’d consider it one of the best games of all time, frankly. A tremendous achievement. Greatly looking forward to the sequel.
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It has an absolutely stunning art style, I know for a lot of people that was the best announcement of the show and it’s easy to see why.
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Yeah, it’s a beautiful game, but for me it was all about the soundtrack – genius! And the challenge as well. Very addictive gameplay. Other than Metroid Prime 4, the Ori sequel was what pleased me most about E3.
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