Gaming
Games
7 things we need to see at E3 2018
Once a year the biggest names in gaming come together to try and blow our minds. Here’s what would make our dreams come true for E3 2018.
Whether you have to stay up late, get yourself to Los Angeles, or take time off work, if you’re a fan of games then every June you wait with baited breath to hear what the biggest names in gaming have to show us at E3. People probably think Rockstar Games will appear at E3 2018 and reveal the battle royale mode for Red Dead Redemption 2, or Valve will reveal Half-Life 3 on stage somewhere – and although these things likely won’t happen, such rumours are indicative of the level of hype swirling around.
But no, we don’t think Bully 2 will be announced, or that Gabe Newell will announce the long awaited threequel to Half-Life, but we do have some thoughts that could make our year if the people involved get together and make it happen. These are the things we desperately want to see at E3 2018.
1. Bloodborne 2 announced
We’ll start with something that’s often been rumoured, but in terms of likelihood seems about at a 50/50 right now. There’s no question that Bloodborne was a rip-roaring success for Sony, but developers FromSoftware have been pretty clear that they aren’t really too interested in making any more “Souls-like” games. This is proven by the fact that Bandai Namco are remastering Dark Souls for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch without much input from the original developer.
But that doesn’t mean that Bloodborne 2 would be completely off the table, it just means that the chances of it being developed by the original creators are, perhaps, unlikely. People are still unpacking hidden content for this beloved game, and while we'd want Hidetaka Miyazaki to be involved because it’s his brilliance that shapes the lore, we could imagine a better-looking game that runs amazingly if developed in-house by a Sony studio. Maybe Miyazaki could be on-board as hired gun, perhaps as a consultant? Either way, it’s been long enough – we want more Bloodborne, and we want it now.
2. No mention of a PS5 or Xbox Two
We’re quite happy with our X and Pro, for now
© Microsoft
It’s almost certain that Sony and Microsoft are working on their next-generation hardware and are probably fairly far along in the development stage. But with the Xbox One X less than a year old, and Sony’s PS4 Pro doing incredibly well, it’d be borderline insulting to start talking about the next-gen just yet. More than that, though, Sony are in an incredibly strong position as the current market leader, and Microsoft are selling the most powerful console on the market, so there’s actually no good reason to officially reveal new consoles right now. People are still buying Xs and Pros, so let’s stick to the games, please!
3. Crackdown 3 dated for this year
On the subject of long waits, the third game in the Crackdown series (which to this date we’re unsure as to if it’s actually called Crackdown 3 or Crackdown, or whether it’s a sequel or reboot) needs to come out this year. Whether or not you buy into the “Microsoft has no games” narrative, there’s no question that this game needs to be finished and released.
After the multiplayer beta that never happened, multiple delays, and just nobody really getting to see too much of it, this has to be a shock release date announcement for Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference. We’re hoping that it’s done, and that the Xbox brand will benefit from its release very soon after, or perhaps even during the conference itself. Given the support for Sea of Thieves in the Game Pass program, there’s really no reason it couldn’t be a massive “and it’s out now” style reveal.
4. Doom 2 announced, and dated for 2018
We want to see Doom Guy back, very soon
© Bethesda
Back in 2014 when the rebooted Doom was announced, we had no indication that it would end up being one of the finest shooters in years. Released in 2016 (then later on Switch in 2017) it channeled the very essence of the original game’s attitude and design, but gave it a modern lease on life and, quite frankly, we’re desperate for the sequel to be announced.
That said, there are things to improve on. This time around we’re hoping that Bethesda entirely ditches the multiplayer and focuses on the single player, perhaps focusing on some DLC for the campaign later on. Doom 2 must surely be in development, and we’d even wager it’ll be set on Earth. We’re hoping and almost kind-of expecting it to be announced at E3 and released within a year, because that’s how Bethesda seems to do things these days. Of all the games we’re hoping to see revealed, this is top of the list: the previous one was just that good.
5. Horizon Zero Dawn 2 announced
Aloy’s incredible adventure in Horizon Zero Dawn left us wanting more, and not because it was short or unfulfilling: quite the opposite, actually. The story left room for a sequel and developers Guerrilla Games have all but confirmed publicly there will be more games in the series. But after seeing the original set a benchmark for visuals, only to be surpassed by the recent release of God of War, we’re actually salivating thinking about what the sequel to Horizon could look like.
We’d love to see more combat options, more robot-animals to tame or conquer, and a deeper dive into the backstory of the entire state of the universe its set in. Given that Sony have delayed Days Gone until 2019 (in all probability along with The Last of Us Part II) and with the knowledge that Spider-Man and Detroit: Become Human are 2018 games, it’s standard for Sony to announce a game that’s coming a lot further down the line, and what bigger title could they have than Horizon’s sequel?
6. A Nintendo Switch hardware revision, and their online plans revealed
Nintendo Switch is amazing, but could be better
© Nintendo
We know what you’re thinking – “you just said you don’t want new consoles” – and we don’t, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see Nintendo revise the Switch hardware with some tweaks to make it better. First of all, we think that a handheld console should be able to use bluetooth headphones. It could also be a bit lighter and have better battery life. These are small tweaks that are in line with the kind of thing Sony and Microsoft do with their “Slim” and “S” models respectively. We love Nintendo like everyone else right now, but Switch has issues that could be fixed with minimal effort, and it’d make the console even better.
Then, of course, there’s the long-awaited reveal of what Nintendo’s online services will be. Will your subscription get you free games each month like Xbox Games with Gold or PlayStation Plus, or will Nintendo do the unthinkable and go for a Netflix “all you can eat” style model. Imagine if you could play any retro Nintendo game for a monthly sub! If nothing else, we just want to know what they’re going to be asking us to pay for, and it shouldn’t just be “online multiplayer and chat functionality”. Oh and please show us the Pokemon game running on Switch.
7. A new Splinter Cell game that isn’t open world
Ubisoft are teasing us all right now. It’s great that they are supporting Ghost Recon: Wildlands (as they're supporting most of their service-based games), but getting back the original voice actor (Michael Ironside) of Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher is just a tantalizing taunt to fans of the series. The logic is simple: you don’t go out and get the fan-favourite voice actor to do a small add-on to an existing game, so we think there must be a new Splinter Cell ready to be announced.
That said, Ubisoft are known for these huge, epic open-world games like Far Cry 5 and The Division, and we’re worried that if they announce it, they’ll go a similar route. We want the espionage action that lets us plan routes and be sneaky, as well as a narrative that’s tight and rewarding. It’s strange that the series went away for so long as the last two games were great, so we’re hoping to see a new one at this year’s show.
