By Jeremy Azevedo

Sequels are easy to get excited about. A great sequel can be like having a second go at an ex-girlfriend… One that shows up on your doorstep one day, looking even better than the last time you saw her and performing roughly the same old tricks, but with a new spin that you never imagined possible. There’s something to be said for familiarity.

But there’s also something to be said about trying new things. Dabbling in the strange, if you will. At this year’s E3, Many of us found ourselves doing exactly that (playing a ton of new IPs, not having one-night stands with booth babes… though not for lack of trying). Of the many new, non-sequel games that I played or witnessed in a demo at this year’s show, these 15 were my favorite (in no particular order):

Wet – Bethesda Softworks – Xbox 360, PS3

This may be one of the coolest, most stylish games I have ever seen. But then, I am a huge fan of grindhouse cinema, so I’m biased. Written by the head writer of the first season of 24 and modeled after vintage 70s action flicks, Wet looks and plays like a video game version of Kill Bill. I had the opportunity to play the game behind closed doors, and I can tell you with certainty that it plays as well as it looks. The demo I tried had me jumping, sliding, and running up walls in slow-motion, gunning down bad guys and cutting them down with my Hattori Hanzo like they were made of butter. In one stage, you literally run across the rooftops of cars in traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, taking out armed assailants mid air. If this was any indication of what the final product will be, I can’t wait to see what else Bethsda has in store for us with Wet.

The Saboteur – EA - EA Games - Xbox 360, PS3

The Saboteur was, for my money, one of the most cleverly designed titles of the show. You play as a WWII saboteur for the resistance in Nazi occupied Paris, France. Using your remarkable climbing and/or driving skills, you infiltrate Nazi outposts and destroy them from within. This is where the game gets really interesting: In those areas in which the occupation has total control, the world appears mostly black and white. When liberated, the color returns along with the peoples will to fight. Because the entire world is rendered in real-time, you can see the dichotomy between the territories as clear as night and day. The game is looking great, and plays as well as it looks, offering you countless ways to achieve your objectives.

Brutal Legend – EA Games - Xbox 360, PS3

I’m sure you’re already familiar with Brutal Legend, but for those of you who are not, the takeaway is that it’s a game about heavy metal, starring Jack Black, and developed by gaming’s king of comedy, Tim Schaefer. When I say it’s about heavy metal, that’s sort of not entirely the truth. The best way to desribe it is that it’s more about 1980s heavy metal album art. Imagine playing a game that takes place inside the cover art of an Iron Maiden or Manowar album and you’re at least half way there. The gameplay is more varied than I expected, with melee combat, vehicles, rideable mounts, upgradeable abilities, Guitar-hero-esque mini games, open world gameplay, and big-name heavy metal cameos by the likes of Ozzy Osborne, Lita Ford and Rob Halford. If you like heavy metal even a little bit, or Tim Schaefer games in general, you cannot miss this game.