Here’s the line-up of games from last year’s E3 to look out for this year.
As is to be expected with each year that goes by, E3 brings about plenty of new game announcements that get gamers in a buzz for the future. It’s one of the most anticipated times of the year for a gamer, and we expect 2019 to be no different, even if it is unlikely that we’ll see any new hardware and without the presence of Sony.
However, E3 is also an excellent time for developers who brought their games to the crowds last for the first time to showcase their year’s worth of progress. Many of the announced games from last year’s E3 have already been released and on the whole, have been very good. Examples include the excellent Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Destiny 2: Forsaken which has revitalized the game in the same way that The Forgotten King did for the first game, and the closest you can get to cruising around in an expensive car carefree, Forza Horizon 4.
But there were also games that were announced last year still in development. We are hoping that the developers of some of the most anticipated games from last year’s E3 will show off some more of their creations this year. Here are the games we hope to see.
Notable exception: We would have loved to see more of Ghost of Tsushima, but as it’s a Sucker Punch developed Playstation exclusive, you may have to wait for Sony’s next State of Play for more.
Star Wars – Jedi: Fallen Order
Announced during EA’s conference, Jedi: Fallen Order is the single player AAA Star Wars experience that fans of both the franchise and gaming have been waiting for since, well, Amy Hennig and Visceral Game’s canceled adventure.
Helmed by Call of Duty and Titanfall creator Vince Zampella’s Respawn Entertainment, the game was revealed bizarrely as Zampella confirmed the game during an interview while in the crowd. However, a trailer for the game dropped last month, and it looked like a fantastic addition to the Star Wars gaming brand. You can find the trailer here if you missed it the first time around.
The game is planned for a 2019 Holiday release, and we fully expect gameplay and more for the game at E3.
Gears 5
Microsoft almost pulled a Diablo Infinite on its fans last year. Announcing a Gears game based on the Funko POP vinyl line left a few scratching their heads, but of course, this was followed by a brand new mainline Gears of War game and the fifth installment in the main series.
Having dropped the ‘of War’ from the title, Gears 5 follows Kait Diaz, an Outsider who is of Locust descent as she looks to unravel the origins of both her family and that of the Locust.
Gears 4’s protagonist JD, his buddy Delmont Walker and series veteran Marcus Fenix are all returning for this sequel, and while the cinematic shown last year was enough to whet the appetites of Gear’s fans, we expect some gameplay this year as the game moves closer to release.
Halo Infinite
Steeped in history and always a big occasion when it’s announced, last year a new game in the legendary Halo series was announced, Halo Infinite, with little more than a teaser trailer. All that we know of the game is that it’s not going to include a battle royale mode and that those who enjoyed armor customisation in Halo Reach will get a kick out of it. It also appears that it will act as a “spiritual reboot” according to 343 in an interview with IGN.
343 Industries also have the Master Chief Collection on PC in development which they say they are taking very seriously, so while we hope that there is more on Infinite at the Microsoft Conference, we suspect that its release is not going to come in 2019.
Dying Light 2
The first game is one of the most underrated games of this generation, so when a sequel was announced with legendary industry writer Chris Avellone coming out to the stage and announcing he’d be part of the writing team, you knew that Techland would be going all out on the game. Some exciting details were announced too, including a story where all of your actions will have consequences for the rest of the game.
If they can continue to nail the gameplay and improve the presentation of the game, Dying Light 2 has the potential to be a sleeper hit of 2019 (if it makes a release this year). It was announced during Microsoft’s Conference, so don’t be surprised to see more of it this year, hopefully with more gameplay and release date.
Babylon’s Fall
Another of Platinum Games new IPs, Babylon’s Fall was announced during Square Enix’s E3 conference and is due for the PS4 and PC. Accompanied by a trailer that had heavy religious influences pointed to war against humanity, and it looks as though the player will take on the role of a Nomad, an order formed for humanity to strike back.
It looks like this could be a Souls-esque game, which is possible as it’s a new IP, and with it looking fairly similar aesthetically to From Software’s games. Our bet though would be more of an RPG/Adventure game, or more in the vein of Nier: Automata. So far though, both Platinum and Square Enix have been very tight-lipped about the project. Hopefully at this E3, we’ll find out more.
Gears Tactics
What with Gears 5’s announcement, Gears Tactics was a much lower key announcement from Microsoft, but a Gears game exclusively for PC that looks like a crossover between the Gears universe with XCOM Enemy Unknown’s tactical gameplay sounds like a match made in heaven. Set 12 years before the first Gears game, Microsoft showed off the game in a small segment with a look at the gameplay, and it showed a lot of potentials.
It’s being developed by The Coalition too, so it’s been given to the series now the main developer to handle, which bodes well for how serious that it’s being taken. We hope to see more of it this year, and if it expands more on what we saw last, fans of Gears, XCOM, and tactical games will rejoice. As yet though, no release date.
Sea of Solitude
Another game from EA but not one that you might have been expecting them to show last year. An EA Original, part of EA’s brand for bringing through more indie-developed games, Sea of Solitude seems to be a horror/thriller adventure game with an emphasis on water as you sail around a flooded city playing as Kay, as she searches for the reason that she turned herself into a monster.
It’s unique in graphical style, and with a so far fairly good track record under the scheme with the release of Fe and A Way Out, Sea of Solitude has every chance of success in our increasingly competitive indie game market.
Honorable Mentions:
Battletoads: Probably the least expected (and most joked about) announcement to come out of Microsoft’s conference last year, a new entry to classic beat-em-up Battletoads is in the works. Will it work in modern gaming? Hopefully, we will find out this year.
The Elder Scrolls VI: A massive cheer rang around the arena when Bethesda showed its announcement teaser for a new mainline Elder Scrolls game, and with good reason considering the love for the series. It’s only an honorable mention though as Starfield is likely to take center stage with a new TES not likely to be out until late 2020 at the earliest. Potential next-gen launch title?
Session: Officially unveiled for consoles last year, this new skateboarding game looks like a return for those looking for more action similar to EA’s Skate games. It’s due out late this year, so expect much more for it at this year’s event.
