Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: E3 2019 hopes and predictions

It seems a bit surprising but the two games I’m most looking forward to are both movie licences: Marvel’s Avengers and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Obviously I love both franchises but they both have good developers attached, in Crystal Dynamics and Respawn, and given the length of time they’ve been in development must have had a ton of money pumped into them. I realise that doesn’t equal a good game but it should at least guarantee some spectacle.

The gossip on Avengers is that it will be like Destiny but with superheroes, which seems good in terms of online co-op being a good match but bad in terms of however they’re going to use lootboxes and handle repetition. Hopefully they’ll understand the risks and the current mood about these things and we’ll also get a good story as well.

In terms of Star Wars I have a lot of faith in Respawn as I am great fan of their work on Titanfall and Apex Legends, as well as the original Modern Warfare series. The only thing I’m worried is that the game tries to be too much like Force Unleashed, which I thought was not very good. But if the Jedi is young and unexperienced hopefully that means you won’t be too overpowered from the start.
Wendel

For E3 I’m looking forwards to the same thing I’m always looking forwards to: the surprises.

The leaks (and leaks that have led to unplanned early reveals) so far have been more tolerable than before, as there doesn’t seem to have been as many leaks.

Beyond this, I would like to see a good bit more information on Halo Infinite, Splinter Cell – if the rumours are true, Astral Chain, Psychonauts 2, and Watch Dogs Legion.

I hope everyone ‘wins’ E3 this year and it is just a shame that Sony, Activision, and EA are treating it like a second-class citizen now and won’t be attending.
NatorDom

I’m very curious to see how Bethesda handle this year at E3. They had a great show last year and then immediately went on to disgrace themselves with Fallout 76, not just the game but the way they handled the many controversies they got themselves into.

As many have theorised the obvious way to redeem themselves is to show off more of The Elder Scrolls VI and/or Starfield, which I expect them to do. I assume the games genuinely aren’t very far along though so we’re probably just talking some kind of brief CG trailer.

A remake of one of the Fallouts also seems a no-brainer but again, I don’t know if they’ve had time to get that going because they clearly didn’t seem much interested in doing it before they upset everyone. They need to pull something out the bag though so maybe an alternate answer could be announcing a new Dishonored or Prey game, even if again they probably won’t be able to show much.
Radiobottom

With so many companies not in attendance or putting in a minimum effort it seems like this E3 is all down to a few publishers, namely Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Nintendo. Since I only have a PlayStation 4 that kind of limits my interest this year, which bums me out as E3 is always something I look forward to and I think is a good platform for showing the best of gaming.

I don’t know why Ubisoft stuff leaks out so much, but I get the feeling it may be on purpose to raise interest because it happens so often. We already know about Watch Dogs Legion and Roller Champions, and this news about the sci-fi Rainbow Six seems pretty definite.

I’m still very confused about Splinter Cell though, because that GameStop leak seemed like a smoking gun and yet you had other places saying that there is no new game. I don’t see how all these games can be at E3, plus the stuff they’ve already announced like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, so I’m going to guess one reveal is fake and that it’s probably Splinter Cell. Poor old Sam.
Pointer

E3 is an event I look forward to each year, with the promise of glimpses of future games and tech to come. It’s a bit disappointing that Sony are absent this year, but with the PlayStation 5 on the horizon I guess most of the games they are developing will be for their next gen console and they will want to make a big splash with that when the time is right. It’s really opened it up for Microsoft to steal the show, so it will be interesting to see what they do. Nintendo are so difficult to predict, but I’m hoping they, along with some of the other publishers, have a few big surprises in store.

This year it sounds like Microsoft will be really going for it, with lots of new game announcements, and maybe even a glimpse of their next gen plans. I think they have been sadly lacking in exclusive games, so hopefully this year they will have a crop of new and interesting games to show that help make the Xbox One a more attractive purchase.

Nintendo need to up their game after a quiet year last year and I’m hoping they announce a new Pikmin title for the Switch, with news on Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3, and perhaps even something Zelda or Mario related. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new Luigi’s Mansion 3 in action, and hopefully some new franchises as well.

Of the other publishers, Cyberpunk 2077 is the game that I’m most looking forward to and I hope they have some gameplay to show at E3. I’m also really looking forward to seeing some gameplay from EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. I loved Titanfall 2’s campaign and am excited to see what Respawn do with the franchise. I’m hoping Watch Dogs Legion also turns out well, as I really enjoyed the last game and am looking forward to playing in an open world London, after growing weary of games set in the US.

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the new Avengers game and I hope it looks great but doesn’t take too much inspiration from Destiny, as has been rumoured. Another rumour has been FromSoftware developing a game with George R. R. Martin, which could be quite interesting if true. Most of all I want to see some surprises, and some interesting and imaginative games at E3, so fingers crossed, and hope you all enjoy the show!
Cubes (PSN ID)/@Cubes1 (Twitter)/Kevin M

The rumours of (S)Witcher 3 are the most interesting pre-E3 rumours to me.

I have already played The Witcher 3 on PlayStation 4 so I am not interested in buying it again on Switch but I am intrigued as to whether or not this seemingly ludicrous rumour is actually true. If such an ambitious port turns out to be decently implemented it could lead to more big budget games appearing on the Switch, which is a very tasty prospect indeed.

If I was to make wild Switch-based wishes they would be: Borderlands 3, Advance Wars Switch, Skies Of Arcadia 2, Trails Of Cold Steel collection, Ori And The Blind Forest plus sequel, Super Metroid remake, Suikoden collection, and Bully 2.
PazJohnMitch

After many years of anticipation for other E3s, I still feel the buzz and excitement, even if it is not quite as high as previous years. But still, it is a chance to show the world that video games are huge and important to the human populace in general.

My favourite ways of watching E3 are through streaming it on Twitch, with broadcasters like DansGaming or Lirik, etc., as I get banter from them and chat (their viewers messaging them) and feel as though I am watching it with an audience of like-minded fans of gaming.

My interest for this year is a few anticipated titles which could really show some advancement from their previous instalments, or not but are definitely ones to watch out for.

Watch Dogs Legion, which I think was leaked, is one that if going by only the original I’d definitely be cautious of. But the slick coolness and colour dynamics of the second instalment, which also had some interesting gameplay, makes any others in this series something to really get excited for.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order may, and I mean may, be exciting but I am definitely not getting hyped up for an actual good Star Wars game. I have lost faith in this gaming franchise, as developers are just not bold enough in making anything complicated like a western role-player or Dark Forces/Jedi Outcast type first person shooter set in the Star Wars universe, which is disappointing to say the least. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Fable IV may be a contender for a possible reveal or not. I thought that this franchise may not be making any comeback in any significant way, but rumours are out there and maybe some clever developers have found the secret to making this series something that was originally envisioned by series creators Lionhead Studios and Peter Molyneux.

Final Fantasy VII Remake will, of course, be pretty much my top interest but there have been so few reveals of anything significant that maybe Sony are saving the main reveal for their conference as a headline act. I’d love to know at least how far away it is from being released. It’s hard to envision how a huge PlayStation 1 game can be turned into a full blown modern looking game for modern gamers and still keep the magic for the ones who have lived with this title since 1997. But I feel confident that it can be something quite special, especially after seeing what Final Fantasy XV achieved.

The Elder Scrolls VI is, of course, another main title I’d like more information on, but I think it has been reported that director and executive producer Todd Howard has told a bunch of attendees at PAX East that it’s still too early to talk about the game and asked everyone to please be patient.

He needs to get the company he works for back into the good books of gamers after some recent backlashes on a particular title recently, of which I won’t go into here. Either way, Elder Scrolls VI is still a long, long way off yet.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the last major title of mine that I am majorly looking forward too. It seems forever since we saw those intriguing screenshots many a good year ago and the CGI film from last year I think (or whenever it was) still never gave much hint of how this game is going to be played out. The big talking point was about all the bad language and adult nature of it, which was definitely not what the original had and the contrast between the two games has already been spelt out! I don’t have anything against that, I just want a proper reveal of actual gameplay and a possible release date window.

Now, E3 2020 may be the one to watch out for some of the above titles but hopefully most may be show this year. Cyberpunk 2077 may be released next year as it is based on or inspired/adapted from the 1988 tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020. You never know! Either way I’ll enjoy the Twitch banter and hopefully enjoy another show with our favourite hobby being showcased across the world for everyone to see or hear about.
Alucard