7 Pie in the Sky Hopes for E3 2018

E3 is just around the corner, and new game announcements and conference reveal speculation is running rampant. Rather than add to the noise of what you should expect to see from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda, EA, and Ubisoft, I’m going to highlight some things that have very little chance of happening… but would be oh so cool (or funny) if they did.

Check out my post from last year to see how many I got right (spoiler alert, it was surprisingly more than zero), and let me know in the comments what crazy insane things you’d like to see revealed during the biggest gaming week of the year.

 

A New Bioshock

I started last year’s list with this and I’ll start every list with this until it happens. There have been rumblings in recent months about 2K potentially unveiling a new Bioshock — developed by a different studio than Irrational Games, obviously — but I won’t believe anything about a new Bioshock until I actually see it in action.

The concept can so easily be adapted to different time periods and settings that it only makes sense to add a fourth game to the mix. A space station in the 70s could be cool, a hidden society in the South American jungle in the 80s could be cool, Western America in the late 19th century could be cool, an oceanic oiling rig in the 90s could be cool. There are infinite directions for Bioshock, which is partially what makes it so fascinating.

The original Bioshock is my favorite game of all time, so come on. Do it for me.

 

Open World Splinter Cell

This is theĀ actual prediction I’ll allow myself. Splinter Cell is listed on the now infamous Walmart video game leak of 2018, and since then, Rage 2, Lego DC Villains, and a new Assassin’s Creed have been confirmed. And since a large chunk of the other games on that list were already announced, it’s probably safe to assume that there is indeed a new Splinter Cell in the works.

Well, since this is Ubisoft we’re talking about, how about turning it into an open world game? But in all seriousness, I think this would actually work quite well. All Ubisoft has to do is take some lessons they’ve learned recently from other open world games and implement a touch of Metal Gear Solid V (the mission design and combat options, not the story).

 

More on the “Core” Pokemon Game

Nintendo recently unveiled Pokemon Quest and Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, and I was… underwhelmed. Sure, it’s great that Pokemon fans of all ages and gaming interests can now enjoy Pokemon, and us hardcore Pokenerds are still getting a core RPG in late 2019. But I’m selfish and I want every Pokemon game to have something for me to enjoy, and if not, I want the one that’s for me to come first.

I am still hoping that the inevitable gameplay we see of Pokemon Let’s Go at E3 will look better and more interesting than what I’ve seen. But folks involved in the development saying it’s for younger gamers, first-time Pokemon players, and Pokemon GO fanatics doesn’t lead to high expectations for me.

It’s a very long shot since Let’s Go will surely dominate the Pokonversation, but maybe, just maybe, we’ll get more info on that core Pokemon game coming late next year.

 

Fallout 76 Isn’t What Everyone Thinks It Is

Bethesda surprisingly teased a new Fallout game last week before announcing it as Fallout 76. Details are still scarce, but it’s safe to assume that it takes place in West Virginia mere decades after the bombs fell. The details in the trailer and Fallout Wikia all but guarantee that.

Initial speculation was that Fallout 76 would be some kind of vault management sim, combining elements of Fallout Shelter and the settlement building from Fallout 4. I initially prescribed to this theory, just going from the trailer. Since then, a Kotaku report seems to suggest that Fallout 76 is an online multiplayer survival game.

Single player, open world RGS are what Bethesda does best, so obviously I’d love if that’s what Fallout 76 actually is. Is it too early to announce a huge new game like that? Probably. Does it make more sense for Bethesda to release Elder Scrolls VI or a new IP first? Probably. Isn’t it about time that Bethesda tries a new genre? Probably.

I have faith in Bethesda to make a solid game, regardless of the genre. But I’d be lying if I said I’d be as excited about playing a city-builder or troll-infested multiplayer game than a brand new solo RPG.

 

New Game From Sony Japan, to Be Released in 2038

The Last Guardian finally came out in 2016 after approximately seven decades of development, so Sony Japan is bound to be working on something new. It’s impossible to speculate on what that game might be, but my money is on some kind of emotional tale starring a young lead, a misunderstood creature or person as a sidekick, a dark ending, and gameplay mechanics that are better in concept than they are in execution.

 

A Previously Announced Game is Available Now

There are some heavy-hitting, AAA games that have been announced without a firm release date. Some of them have been delayed multiple times (Crackdown 3) and some have already been “confirmed” for 2019 (The Last of Us Part 2). But what if one of the big publishers comes out and blows us all away by announcing that something is available for purchase RIGHT NOW!?

Ghosts of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Borderlands 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Kingdom Hearts 3, Bayonetta 3? Any one of those games would blow the roof off the building. It’ll never happen, but that’s kind of the point of this list. I’ll look like a genius if even one of these things somehow comes to pass.

 

Half-Life 4

Half-Life 3 is old hat. Give us Half-Life 4, a combo VR/AR experience using technology I couldn’t even begin to describe. And just for kicks, it stars Chell from Portal opposite Gordon Freeman. And they both talk… like, kind of an annoying amount. AVAILABLE NOW.

 

So, what do you think will be unveiled at E3 2018? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to check out The Shea Hates Everything Podcast for video game news, reviews, and opinions! And tons of E3 content to come…

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