Pre-E3 blowout

Next week, we'll be coming to you direct from Los Angeles, where the 2006 E3 trade show will be held. There, every single publisher will be blasting the latest and greatest in games. From Nintendo's brand new Wii to the PlayStation 3, the hottest systems will be drawing crowds. Xbox 360, PC, PS2 and the rest will be fighting back with amazing new games. Either way, it's you who's going to win. And we bring it all to you.

But before that, we're going to show you the games we know about now. The ones that we're sure will be amazing. The ones that you absolutely have to play. Over the course of a week, we'll clue you in to the best and biggest of the games that we know are on the way. If that doesn't get you pumped for E3 - our coverage begins May 8 - then nothing will.

Day one:
Xbox 360

Day two:
PlayStation 2, PSP

Day three:
PC

Day four:
PlayStation 3

Day five:
Nintendo GameCube, DS, Wii

Latest in Games
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InZOI screenshot from creation studio demo which depicts a shockingly realistic character model rendered in Unreal Engine 5
The director behind The Sims competitor InZOI spent 20 years making MMOs, but he ditched the massive RPGs after playing life sims with his son
Demon Slayer season 4 episode 2
True to the anime, Stardew Valley's hottest mod adds two romanceable Demon Slayer dudes who are both "rude and standoffish" at first
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of joker cards
Balatro creator intentionally avoided roguelikes but did eventually play and "steal from" Slay the Spire anyway: "Holy s***. Now that is a game"
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Arrowhead reveals the Helldivers 2 ideas left on its cutting room floor, from 5-player squads to low-gravity planets and a whole new armor system
Screenshot of Herdling, showing the weird yaks heading toward a sunset horizon.
With 18,000 glowing Steam reviews on their lovely debut game, this indie team's game about leading cute fantasy yaks up a mountain is instantly one to watch
Latest in Features
Kai and Giatta battle Xaurip in Avowed
I get why Obsidian doesn't like The Elder Scrolls comparisons, but Avowed is the first RPG to have its hooks in me this deep since Skyrim took over my life 14 years ago
GoDice in their RPG case beside Pixels dice
I put two electronic d20s head-to-head and the bad news for your wallet is the discount D&D dice failed its saving throw
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread in play
This board game TRPG hybrid delivers something D&D hasn't quite managed to capture for me
Disney Lorcana cards in a circle around a deck facing down on a wooden surface
Disney Lorcana: Archazia's Island has one major advantage over MTG, and the new decks prove it
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again immediately earns its title with a foundation-shaking opening that sets it apart from its Netflix predecessor
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush's twisted chiller is a much-needed shake-up to the horror genre, disrupting harmful elderly stereotypes embraced by the likes of X and The Shining