Sports Gaming Post-E3 Power Rankings
 

The post-E3 world is always a fun time where we know more about our favorite sports games, but not quite everything. And while exciting, there's always a lot of anticipation waiting on the next shoe to drop when it comes to info.

And let's face it, some games simply don't show up to E3 -- I'm looking at you 2K Sports games.

But with that said, if you are a sports gamer and you somehow don't have a favorite sport -- and if you want to simply know which games you should be most excited about buying heading into the Fall, here is the list of the major AAA sports games which are simply looking the best coming out of E3:

1. Need for Speed: Was there a game which had a better E3? I'm not really sure. Need for Speed looks great, and seems like it is finally combining all of the elements that makes each iteration of the series great into one superstar packed game. Here's to hoping...
2. NBA 2K16: There's not much to say about NBA 2K16 at this point. We don't know much, and that's probably ok as this has been the norm the past couple of years. The game itself has no reason to not be on the up and up after a great run the past few years.
3. Madden NFL 16: The passing game is getting serious work, legacy issues are being worked on, and there's a new mode that might be pretty cool in Draft Champions. As always, Madden will always have its detractors but the series has been rising in quality every year and that track will not abate this year it looks.
4. Forza Motorsport 6: Yes, there's a built in 'this is only for Xbox' strike against Forza...and that's not anything that can be helped. The game itself looks spectacular and the improvements in modes are going to make this the best in the series yet.
5. NHL 16: After a year that was nothing short of a disaster the game simply needed to have something big. While it had a quiet E3, it also had a quietly very impressive show. Many came away impressed with the on-ice gameplay, here's to hoping the modes are better.
6. FIFA 16: No, FIFA isn't going anywhere. The subtle improvements being sold at E3 though really didn't move the needle for many. However, don't bet against FIFA being great once again.
7. PES 2016: There's a lot to be excited about with PES, most notably the fact the game still exists despite Konami's recent direction change. The new controls and revamped Master League are quite intriguing. PES could be one to watch!
8. NBA Live 16: This seems like a knock against NBA Live being this low, but it's really not. The game looks to have improved dramatically, with good player motion and some cool physics touches. Is basketball gaming about to become a tougher choice?
9. Rory McIlroy PGA Tour: The dropoff from Live to Rory is pretty big. There wasn't much that impressed about the game at E3. The lack of licensed players means the game has to have a reason to lure you in and there's not much there. Pretty graphics? A few real courses? Yeah, I suppose.
10. WWE 2K16: I'm still sitting here waiting for something, anything about WWE 2K. It's doubtful the game bombs, but there's no reason to have excitement about it just yet.

What sports game has you most excited as we march towards Fall?

Update: Put PES 2016 into the rankings. That was a complete slip of the mind!

Joe Montana Football. Oh never mind!

Re: Sports Gaming Post-E3 Power Rankings
 

No PES 2016?

I wa thinking the same.. no love for PES? Especially with the PS4 changes and the ability to do option files again, FIFA has a real contender. Especially with the latest news to make goalies have different styles to go with individual player styles.

Nice article; however, PES is missing, which had a great showing, and the always online thing ruined Need for Speed for me and I don't believe I'm alone on that one.

FIFA 16 gameplay improvements: defensive agility, new tackling mechanics, interception intelligence, no touch dribbling, precision ground passing, clinical finishing, and dynamic crossing.

NHL 16 gameplay improvements: puck pick-ups, precision skating.

This is the problem with the NHL series. They're so lazy. I'm not counting EASHL as a new feature because it's not new. I'm only comparing gameplay features because ultimately that's what makes the game great. Seriously, we only get two new gameplay features this year? I'm a bigger hockey fan than soccer, but the FIFA series blows NHL out of the water. FIFA 16 still haven't even released their new features for career mode, BAP, and online play yet. Sure, you can blame it on the money I guess since FIFA is worldwide and NHL is largely only North American... But there is a lack of effort into whoever is making the decisions on the NHL series.

NHL 16 is number one. After the disaster that was 15, this game has shown the most improvement and is looking to be the sports game of the year. I would say Madden is number two (not the popular answer here) but this year they added a number of features that the community has been asking for a long time and this could be one of the best playing Madden's in years.

NHL 16... Impressed with the gameplay? They didn't show any real gameplay at all. New features? Old features brought back are not "New" When does EA's NHL license expire? When that day comes then there may be hope for a competent hockey game.