15 things we’d like to see at E3 2017
It’s almost here, the biggest gaming convention of the year! The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, will take place June 13-15, preceded by the press conferences, and gamers everywhere are looking forward to the new announcements, reveals and details that will be showered with during these days. Here are 15 things – some more likely than others – that we are hoping to see.
Spider-Man gameplay demo
All we’ve seen so far of this game is the reveal trailer shown at E3 2016. This year would be the perfect opportunity to give us an extensive gameplay playthrough of Insomniac’s take on the web slinging hero. This may also be a good opportunity to give us a release date, although it doesn’t seem likely the game will come out this year… but they may surprise us!
The Last of Us Part II story trailer
Judging by Naughty Dog’s comments during the PSX 2016 panel, it’s probably too soon to expect to see gameplay of this highly anticipated title at E3 2017. But the game will probably make an appearance in some form, and a story trailer seems to be most likely. The sequel will take place 5 years after the original and will have an even darker tone. As The Last of Us on PlayStation 3 is one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed games of all time, it is no surprise that gamers are really excited to hear and see more about the sequel. Whatever they will show us, it’s sure to be one of the highlights of the conference.
Retro Studios game reveal
What has Retro Studios been up to ever since they finished Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze on Wii U? This is something gamers have been asking themselves, and E3 would be the perfect time for Nintendo to provide an answer.
Fire Emblem Switch gameplay
One of the things announced at the special Fire Emblem Nintendo Direct in January was a brand new installment in the series for Nintendo Switch. Fire Emblem is obviously an important property to Nintendo, and despite successes on the 3DS it’s been a while since we’ve seen one on a home system. We don’t know much about this title at this point, and E3 is to perfect opportunity to show something more concrete.
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 3 was one of the best games on the Wii U, so releasing a sequel for the console’s successor would be the logical thing to do. It was also one of the system’s best looking games, and the series’ characteristic mixture of realistic ‘backyard’ environments and objects and imaginative creatures can come to life even more with the Switch’s enhanced capabilities. A fourth installment is actually confirmed to be in development as early as 2015, and at this point it would only make sense for it to appear on Nintendo’s new system – assuming the confirmed game wasn’t Pikmin Go! on 3DS.
No More Heroes 3
One of the more surprising announcements at Nintendo’s January event was a brand new entry in the eccentric series by Suda51. With the first two installments on Wii, the franchise skipped the Wii U but now makes a return on Switch. Not much was shown except a piece of artwork of the game’s protagonist, Travis Touchdown. Expect this game to make use of the Switch’s HD rumble in some kind of crazy way.
Death Stranding gameplay
It is probably still a bit too early for this, but it would be great to see Hideo Kojima’s mysterious new title in action with some gameplay, running on Guerrilla Games’ impressive Decima engine. We already learned it will be an open world action game with a unique twist, but other than that little is known about how exactly it will play.
Sucker Punch’s New IP Reveal
What has Sucker Punch been working on ever since they shipped Infamous First Light in 2014? According to insiders, it will not be a new game in the Infamous series but an all new intellectual property this time around. New projects by popular studio always have a way to excite people, and thinking about what Sucker Punch could have in store for us this year certainly has that effect.
Super Mario Odyssey gameplay
Super Mario Odyssey is the most important title Nintendo has planned for the holidays, so it is safe to assume this will be the main focus of Nintendo’s E3. The company confirmed a playable demo will be at the show floor, and we can probably expect an extensive look at the game at their E3 presentation and Treehouse event. What we have seen so far looks very promising, and gives us the impression that it will take all the good elements from the different 3D Mario games that have released over the years, melding them together for this new title, while adding a new twist: for the first time Mario will make an appearance in our ‘own’ universe, as he’s seen walking and jumping around an environment that looks very much like New York City. Maybe we can expect an exact release date at E3.
A new Metroid
It’s time for Metroid to make a return, but in what form? Are we going to explore alien planets in first person again, like in the fantastic Prime trilogy by Retro Studios? Or will Nintendo choose a different route with the series? Team Ninja’s take on the franchise with Other M wasn’t liked by everyone, so it will be interesting to see what the company will do this time. There are some rumors going around that there are not one but two new Metroid games in development, with one of them in the style of Metroid Prime. However, these are just rumors, so they should be taken with a grain of salt for now. Perhaps we’ll learn more at E3.
Dead or Alive 6
We are several years into the new generation, and Tecmo still hasn’t released a new entry in the famous fighting series. Instead we’re getting buried by an avalanche of costume packs for Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, a rerelease of a rerelease of the latest entry in the franchise. Isn’t it time for a completely new installment, built from the ground up for the new generation of consoles?
Mario Party Switch
Multiplayer has always been a big focus of Nintendo’s consoles, and the Switch is no different. With games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2 and Arms there is plenty of multiplayer fun to be had already, but one thing that would be a welcome addition is a new installment in the classic Mario Party series. A mixture of fun minigames and a good single player mode in the frantic and competitive Mario Party tradition would make a nice addition to the console’s library. Maybe Nintendo can even make use of the Switch’s ‘HD rumble’ feature for certain minigames, adding a unique new element to the series.
Devil May Cry 5 reveal
It’s been a long time since we last saw a Devil May Cry title. Ninja Theory’s DmC reboot was met with mixed reception, so it would probably be smart to return to the established canon for a true sequel to Devil May Cry 4. There have been rumors originating from DMC4 voice actors that give such an announcement at least some credibility. It’s still mostly wishful thinking at this point, but a new classic Devil May Cry game would certainly get some fans of the series excited.
A new F-Zero
We haven’t seen a new game in the F-Zero series since GX on the Gamecube (together with AX in the arcades). It’s time for the futuristic, fast paced racing series to make a return on Nintendo Switch. After this kind of absence the announcement of a new entry would make a big impact, and Miyamoto has stated that the series is not dead, and that they could bring it back if Nintendo were to develop a ‘unique controller interface’ for their next system. So… maybe?
A Metal Gear Rising Sequel
A few years ago, Konami collaborated with Platinum Games to create a new kind of Metal Gear game, a fast paced action game called Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Starring a cybernetic Raiden and a cast of crazy characters, the game digressed far from the established boundaries of the franchise but managed to ‘carve out’ an identity of its own. Konami has taken note of the interest fro a sequel, but even if it does exist, it’s probably still too early for an announcement – it would be a cool surprise though.
So, quite a list. Obviously many of these things have a very slim chance of becoming reality, but likely E3 always has a bunch of big surprises in store than no one could have imagined. Now, only a few weeks left!