The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is nearly upon us. This yearly gathering of all the top video game publishers and developers is where the biggest game announcements are made. Last year saw the announcement of Shenmue III, a remake of Final Fantasy VII, and the revival of The Last Guardian, among many other surprises. E3 2016 is going to have to be truly spectacular to top last year's show.
Some already-announced games we're expecting to see at this year's event include Mass Effect Andromeda, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1, and many others. However, for this list, we're going to take a look at games which haven't been officially announced. Some of these titles have appeared on financial reports and are all but confirmed, but others are personal pipe dreams we would kill to see, as well as lost legends we'll never give up on. Here's 15 Unannounced Games We Want To See At E3, along with our best guess as to the likelihood of their appearance.
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog is arguably Sony's most powerful weapon in the neverending Console Wars. Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter were de facto mascots for Playstation and Playstation 2. Uncharted and The Last of Us brought epic action sequences and dramatic storytelling to the PS3 generation, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End just released on PS4 to massive critical acclaim.
Naughty Dog split into two teams after developing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in 2009; one team worked on the sequel, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, while the other half began work on a completely new title, whose surprise announcement took the gaming world by storm in 2011: The Last of Us.
The Last of Us was a smash hit, and its mature and brutal take on a post-apocalyptic future, as told by its uniquely believable and human characters, resonated strongly with gamers. The game went on to become a top seller and even spawned a PS4 re-release, The Last of Us: Remastered, which beefed up the graphics to unbelievable levels and included the stellar DLC story add-on, Left Behind, as a bonus.
There have been rumblings of a sequel to 2013's surprise hit, but there's nothing official, yet. However, we wouldn't put it past the crafty minds at Naughty Dog to have a show-stopping trailer lined up for E3 2016.
Probability: 65%
Red Dead Redemption 2
Like The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption was a case in which the developer (Rockstar Games) of a massively successful franchise (Grand Theft Auto) decided to take a chance on a different style of game with familiar mechanics but in a totally new setting. Red Dead Redemption took the open-world gameplay of Grand Theft Auto IV and applied it to a Wild West setting. While GTA IV was certainly a moody drama in comparison to its cartoon-ish predecessors, Red Dead Redemption dropped any and all pretense of comedy, and was a stunningly realized tale about the death knell of the Old West. It's probably the closest we'll ever get to a video game version of Sam Peckinpah's cinematic masterpiece, The Wild Bunch.
Rockstar is notoriously secretive when it comes to their projects in development, but the internet has been buzzing with speculation and alleged leaks that a Red Dead successor is on the way. Whether such a title even exists is still a matter of great debate, but there's no doubt that Rockstar would make a huge splash by announcing a new Red Dead title at E3 2016, the biggest video game show in the world.
Probability: 35%
Agents of Mayhem
Developer Volition made their mark with the cult shooter Red Faction and the Saints Row series, which can be best described as Airplane! meets Grand Theft Auto. Red Faction is sadly a dead franchise for now, and Saints Row IV: Gat out of Hell is a pretty definitive conclusion for that series, so Volition's next title is likely to be a brand new IP...
The recent internet buzz points towards Volition being behind a secretive new title called Agents of Mayhem. The game's existence was revealed via a trademark filing from publisher Deep Silver, and also appears on the resumes of several people who claimed to work on it.
We don't have much to go on beyond the title, but we're chomping at the bit to see a next-generation version of Volition's legendary Geo Mod engine, which allowed their Red Faction games to have an unprecedented level of environmental destruction. Battlefield 4 can't hold a candle to Red Faction Armageddon, at least when it comes to the sheer joy of reducing a towering building to rubble. We're absolutely ready to break some more stuff as an Agent of Mayhem.
Probability: 75%
God of War 4
God of War is one of the most revered Playstation-exclusive franchises ever. The blood-soaked stories of Kratos, the angriest man in video games, have entertained gamers since the launch of the first God of War game back in 2005. After God of War III ended the trilogy, the next, and latest, title was the ho-hum God of War: Ascension, a fairly entertaining yet derivatively pointless prequel, which only raised hopes for a true follow-up that would pick up where God of War III left off.
At the 2014 Playstation Experience event, Corey Barlog, director of God of War II, confirmed that a new title is in development. It's been nearly two years since then, and we reckon it's time for Kratos to make his grand reappearance. Persistent rumors point towards our psychopathic "hero" setting his sights on the gods of Norse mythology, and we're inclined to believe them. We fully expect to see God of War 4 at E3, in playable form. We'll put money down that, by the end of 2017, we'll be smashing Odin's head with Thor's hammer as Kratos, the mighty God of War.
Probability: 90%
Resident Evil
2016 is the twentieth anniversary of the original Resident Evil. While the series has seen its ups (Revelations 2, HD ports) and downs (Resident Evil 6) as of late, we're ready to forgive past misdeeds and move forward into a bold future. Both the Resident Evil 2 remake and Resident Evil 7 have been confirmed to be in development, though neither title has seen an official announcement, to say nothing of trailers or playable footage.
While it may be too early to expect either of those titles to make an appearance, we'd like to think that Capcom has more tricks up its sleeve to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its most successful franchise. The Resident Evil Origins Collection is a great deal, and Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps seems cute, but we'd like to see something spectacular at this year's E3. Maybe Revelations 3, or a trailer for a new animated film, or something. Getting Resident Evils 4, 5, and 6 on PS4 and Xbox One is nice, but it's not really enough. We need Capcom to truly surprise us, and we need it at E3.
Probability: 25%
Star Wars
A few years back, EA signed a deal with Disney to exclusively create new Star Wars videogames. The first big-budget title to come out of that deal was Star Wars Battlefront. While a decent start to a new generation of Star Wars games, Battlefront lacked substance and ultimately failed to live up to the esteemed Battlefront name.
We're willing to forgive Battlefront's shortcomings if EA follows through on its promises of expansive and diverse new Star Wars games. So far, Respawn Entertainment, developers of Titanfall, are confirmed to be working on a new Star Wars project, and Uncharted scribe Amy Hennig is working on a separate title with developers Visceral Games, the folks behind Dead Space and Battlefield Hardline. It may be too early to expect anything more than a concept trailer for either of these titles, but we're optimistic that we'll surely see something Star Wars-related when E3 comes around. Also, we've been waiting for Knights of the Old Republic 3 for over a decade, and there's no time like the present, so bring it on.
Probability: 99% certainty that there will be lip service to the multitude of Star Wars projects in development, and Battlefront's next DLC package will surely be featured. But an official reveal of a brand new game? 40%.
Banjo Kazooie
Rare developed some of the greatest Nintendo games of the '90s, from Donkey Kong Country to Goldeneye 007 and Conker's Bad Fur Day, among a great many others. In 2002, Microsoft paid a staggering $375 million to acquire Rare as a first-party developer. If we're being honest, their mammoth investment still has yet to truly pay off. Perfect Dark Zero was a stinker, Kameo: Elements of Power failed to break out, and Viva Pinata was great, but just couldn't find an audience. Ultimately, Kinect Sports was the only bona fide hit to come out of Rare during their first decade with Microsoft.
Rare Replay, a 30-game collection of Rare titles from the last three decades, was a rousing success as an Xbox One exclusive, and was also notable for having an obscene amount of content on one disk. Despite, or perhaps because of, Rare Replay's popularity, it only shined a light on the desperate need for Rare to reignite the spark that they had in their N64 days.
At E3, we expect to see a showcase of Sea of Thieves, their pirate-themed title, but what we really want is a new Banjo-Kazooie game, and Nuts & Bolts, endearing though it might be, doesn't count. The hugely successful Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter campaign proved that fans of Banjo-Kazooie are willing to get their old-school 3D platforming fix any way they can. Maybe a new Banjo-Kazooie game wouldn't be revolutionary, but it certainly would get older fans who still play the games on their N64 to invest in finally upgrading to an Xbox One.
Probability: 15%
Grand Theft Auto V Story DLC
Ever since Grand Theft Auto V first launched in September 2013, we've been patiently awaiting word of single-player, story-driven downloadable content. GTA IV's expansions, collectively called Episodes from Liberty City, were glorious triumphs in the realm of add-on storytelling, and hopes were equally high for GTA V's presumptive additional chapters.
And then, nothing happened. First, GTA Online took a bit longer to get off the ground than Rockstar had surely hoped, and then the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the title must have taken up a huge amount of resources, and finally Heists, the much-hyped multiplayer mode, took forever to get off the ground, though most fans agree it was definitely worth the wait.
Now that GTA Online is stable and we've all played each of the Heists dozens of times, we're ready for a new single-player adventure, continuing the adventures of Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, or maybe a new character in the big bad city. Either way, Rockstar knows how badly the fans want a new story campaign, and they're so famously secretive, we wouln't rule out a surprise reveal at E3. Rockstar doesn't often make prominent appearances at shows like this, but we feel they might make an exception for something as hotly anticipated as the prospect of more GTA V.
Probability: 55%
Metal Gear Rising 2
Metal Gear Solid 4 was the grand finale of Hideo Kojima's epic saga of Big Boss and his sons. Everything after that is merely extra. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, as great as it is, fits comfortably in the realm of "supplementary material," as does its exceptional sequel, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. While Kojima and his team opted to remain in the past when it came to the MGS timeline, they entrusted action auteurs Platinum Games with the future of the Metal Gear universe, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Rising told the story of Raiden, the hero of Metal Gear Solid 2, in the aftermath of the fall of the Patriots and the fallout of the world-altering ending of MGS4. Rising was praised for its lightning-quick action and smart storytelling, which advanced Raiden's character and the themes of his games, while also forging new ground for the future of Metal Gear.
Rising ended with a great setup for a sequel, though Platinum Games has been all but silent on the possibility of another stylishly violent excursion with everybody's favorite cyborg ninja. There was some rumbling about a year ago that Rising 2 was in development, but the rumors were refuted. We feel that Raiden will return and Metal Gear will continue, but will it be sooner, and at the hands of Platinum Games, or will it be later, in an entirely new direction? Maybe we'll find out at E3.
Probability: 22%
Wolfenstein: The New Order Sequel
The biggest surprise of 2014 had to be Wolfenstein: The New Order. The combat was balanced perfectly between visceral shooting and cunning stealth, and the story was leagues ahead of what anyone could have possibly expected, with fully-believable characters and a chillingly realistic take on an concept which seems more ripe for parody than drama: Nazi-occupied America in 1960.
The New Order was followed by a stand-alone DLC campaign, The Old Blood, which served as a prequel to the events of the main game, and was relatively more laid back and action-focused than the more dour and restrained main game. The Old Blood released in May 2015 to critical acclaim. It's been over a year now, and we're ready for the next step in the journey of B.J. Blazkowicz. Between Wolfenstein and now Doom, old-school FPS sensibilities are making something of a comeback. If publisher Bethesda Softworks wants to maintain this momentum, we might just see a Wolfenstein announcement at E3. The only thing holding it back right now is that they might not want to take their marketing focus away from Doom, which deserves its time in the limelight.
Probability: 50%
Fallout 4 Expansion
The first half of Fallout 4's season pass concludes this month with the release of Far Harbor, a DLC chapter which is set on the biggest map Bethesda has ever built for a piece of add-on content. After the release of Far Harbor, we know there will be more content, but we don't know what form further expansions may take. If we had to speculate, we'd guess that there will be one more expansion, and it will be large, like Far Harbor, or, going back to one of their earlier games, the beloved Shivering Isles chapter from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Lending credence to this theory is the fact that, in March, Bethesda raised the price of the Fallout 4 season pass from the already-high $40 dollars to a wallet-destroying $50 bucks. For that kind of money, fans are hoping for another addition in the vein of Far Harbor, and not a small toolkit like the Wasteland Workshop add-on. WW was quaint, but it wasn't up to Bethesda's high standards.
Bethesda is going to have their own press conference at E3 this year. We anticipate a new Wolfenstein and maybe some news about Doom DLC, but we'd be disappointed and, frankly, surprised if a new Fallout 4 episode doesn't get announced.
Probability: 80%
Mega Man Legends 3
Mega Man Legends 3 was unceremoniously cancelled back in 2011. Alongside the untimely death of Mega Man Universe, it seemed the Blue Bomber might never make a true comeback. However, Mega Man's classic incarnation made a surprise appearance in Super Smash Brothers for Wii U and 3DS, and then the original Mega Man Legends titles (and spin-off The Misadventures of Tron Bonne) made their triumphant debut on the Playstation Network store. Meanwhile, the Mega Man Legacy Collection for PS4, Xbox One and 3DS reminded us why we fell in love with Mega Man in the first place, all those decades ago.
Mega Man has returned to prominence, but his comeback is not yet complete. He needs a brand new, original title to solidify his place as one of the true titans of gaming. We think that title should be Mega Man Legends 3.
Maybe we sound naive, but one must remember that we're living in the age of miracles. In just the past year, we were gifted with new films in the worlds of Mad Max, Rocky, and Star Wars. We got new episodes of The X-Files, and a new season of Twin Peaks is on its way... So why not Mega Man Legends 3? It's not just nostalgia; it's the need to continue exploring universes with more stories to tell. Last year's E3 saw the announcement of a Final Fantasy VII remake and Shenmue III, two sequels whose existence had been ruled out by our better judgement years ago. We choose to believe in Mega Man Legends 3.
Probability: 10%
Left 4 Dead 3
As much as we would like to, we won't predict a Half-Life 3 appearance at E3. We know it's happening, but we don't want to put a year, or even a decade on it. We'll let it happen on its own time, as Valve has made it clear they only ever work on their own schedule. That being said, it's been seven years since Left 4 Dead 2, and we're ready for a new, PS4/Xbox One version of the classic co-op zombie shooter.
Left 4 Dead is such a beloved series that rumors of a third entry have been swirling around the internet for half a decade, and Valve has displayed their characteristic silence on the matter. Not counting The Lab, a VR playground, Valve hasn't released a game since Dota 2, and we think it's about time for a new Valve FPS. While we would certainly prefer a new Half-Life story or Portal 3, we'll be more than happy to settle for a new entry in the Left 4 Dead series, and we wouldn't be shocked if Gabe Newell made a surprise appearance at E3 to announce such a project.
Probability: 20%
Titanfall 2
Respawn Entertainment, a team made up of developers who jumped ship from Infinity Ward after finishing work on Modern Warfare 2, released Titanfall, a multiplayer first-person-shooter with free-running elements and giant mechs. While the game sold decently and received positive scores (86 on Metacritic), it failed to revolutionize the genre or pull enough gamers away from their addiction to Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Respawn and Electronic Arts have been tight-lipped regarding Titanfall 2; like God of War 4, the title is confirmed to be in development, though, apart from a vague teaser trailer, it has yet to be formally announced, despite being confirmed for E3. It only barely squeaks its way into this list, by virtue that, while we're ready for more Titanfall, we're only on board if the title is the FPS evolution we were hoping for the first time around, and not just "Multiplayer-only Call of Duty with mechs."
Probability: 95%
Crash Bandicoot
Something strange is happening with regards to Sony's original platform mascot, but we're not quite sure what's going down. First, one of Sony's Middle-Eastern offices tweeted a photo of the long-lost heroic marsupial, with the caption, "Where are you, Crash?" and then, at 2015's Playstation Experience, Shawn Layden wore a sweet Crash Bandicoot tee shirt. Coincidence? Probably, but one we want so badly to believe in. Jak & Daxter is a great series, and Uncharted is monumental for the Playstation brand, but there's something special about Crash Bandicoot's brand of old-school platforming with light 3D elements.
They're probably just teasing us, but check this out: at PSX 2014, Square trolled fans by announcing a PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII... But not a remake, just a port of the Steam version. Then, at the following E3, Square not only announced that the PS4 port of FFVII would be out that day, but they also showed a trailer, complete with gameplay, for the Final Fantasy VII remake. What if something similar is happening with Crash? What if that shameless tease at PSX was there to acknowledge to the fans that Crash is still a beloved and integral part of what makes Playstation special? Activision still owns the Crash Bandicoot IP, but if we believe hard enough, maybe Crash may yet have another chance to remind us why we loved him so much to begin with.
Probability: 40%
---
What games would you like to see at E3? Does Crash Bandicoot really have a chance to rise again? Do you want to believe in miracles? We believe. Sound off in the comments below!