10 hopes for E3 2018
This year’s E3 is shaping up to be the biggest on record, with the major publishers all gearing up to show off some future titles.
Here’s a mix of hopes and predictions I have for the show:
10. Smash Bros for Switch isn’t just a port: Nintendo has seen some real success over the past year in porting some of the Wii U’s critically successful (but commercially poor) games to the Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Donkey Kong and Bayonetta to name a few. Whilst it makes sense to get these titles to a new audience, it will be a touch disappointing if Smash Bros for Switch is simply a ‘Smash Bros for Wii U Deluxe’, although the relatively imminent release does suggest this will probably be the case.
9. Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Red have been extremely secretive when it comes to their new RPG thus far, but many are expecting some new information this year. A Witcher-esque futuristic adventure seems to be on the cards, but who really knows what to expect? With CDPR’s track record however, there’s reason to be optimistic.
8. Starfield is playable: Bethesda have booked quite a lot of floorspace, and rumours abound that it’ll be primarily to shout about their new IP Starfield, which is touted as something of an ‘Elder Scrolls in space’. The concept is mouth watering, so it would be great to see a game that’s well into development and in a playable format. Anything to tide us over until Elder Scrolls VI.
7. A new Rayman game: It’s been a good few years since the superb Rayman Legends, and we’ve seen nothing of Ubisoft’s mascot since bar a gazillion Legends ports to every system under the sun. Rayman is my favourite Ubi franchise so I’d love to see another game in the same vein as Legends/Origins for current-gen systems.
6. Halo 6 isn’t rubbish: Microsoft desperately need to get people excited about its exclusives, and if there’s one franchise that sums up the Xbox One’s problems thus far it’s Halo. After a mixed reaction to Halo 4, 343 Studios massively dropped the ball with the Master Chief Collection and followed that up with good-looking but ultimately lackluster Halo 5:Guardians (no local co-op? Really?). Halo 6 simply needs to be good, and a strong showing at E3 is critical.
5. Metroid Prime 4 gameplay: Possibly the most exciting announcement of last year’s show was the teaser-title for Samus’ next adventure at the end of Nintendo’s presentation. It’s been years since Prime 3 and fans have been yearning for another title in the series. A trailer would be fine, but having the game actually playable in the Nintendo Treehouse would be a dream come true.
4. Borderlands 3 announced/playable: Yet another franchise that’s long overdue a new instalment is Borderlands. Whilst 1 and 2 rocked everybody’s world, the Pre-Sequel wasn’t quite as good, and left gamers a little unfulfilled. A true sequel is eagerly anticipated, and heavily rumoured to be on show this year.
3. Fable 4: This one is a bit of a Hail-Mary, but as Microsoft are in desperate need of some exciting exclusives after a lacklustre few years, an announcement of a new game in one of its most beloved and all-but-lost franchises would get everyone very excited. There seems to be a space in the market for a more light-humoured fantasy adventure, and Fable’s unique trademark charm would be a welcome addition to this generation’s library.
2. Star Wars that isn’t Battlefront: To say EA had dropped the ball with the Star Wars licence thus far wouldn’t be an unfair statement. Of the two Battlefront games they’ve released, one was simply unfinished and the other a complete money-grabbing, lootbox-filled, gambling simulating pitiful excuse for a game. It would be great to see an announcement of a non-Battlefront game with the IP, something like a big RPG akin to KOTOR, or a space-shooter a la Rogue Squadron focussed on the single-player experience. I can’t say I’m optimistic, but surely there’s a chance?
1. Beyond Good & Evil 2 playable: The most unexpected announcement last year came from Ubisoft, who not only confirmed BG&E2 still existed, but also hit us with a trailer and a snippet of gameplay. And what gameplay it was – the glimpse we saw implied something spectacular on a scale we’ve never seen before. Only by getting our hands on the game will we know if it’s as good as they’re promising, so let’s hope we can do so this year.