Games We Hope To See At E3 (But Probably Won’t)

As announcements ramp up next week, we’ll be doing lots of coverage on the games that are confirmed for E3, but this weekend we’re pausing for a moment to consider the games that probably won’t make the cut.  Some are in the works but further out, and others are just wishful thinking. In every case, we hope we’re wrong, but there’s good reason to believe that these longed-for projects won’t be among the titles seen at this year’s conference.

Borderlands 3

Astute observers have noticed that the next Borderlands game (The Pre-Sequel) is not only for last-gen consoles, but is also being developed by 2K Australia rather than Gearbox. So what about a full-on new-gen sequel to this insanely cooperative shooter? Vault hunters needn’t be too worried – we’d be amazed if publisher 2K wasn’t already looking into a true sequel in this lucrative series. However, if it exists, we’ve heard no word about it being at E3 2014. 

Dark Souls III

We expect a number of games to show up at E3 that borrow liberally from the Dark Souls formula, including the already announced Lords of the Fallen, as well as the rumored (and leaked) Project Beast. However, despite the recent success of Dark Souls II, we’re too close the most recent release to legitimately expect a sequel to the hardcore fantasy series.

The Elder Scrolls VI

With Bethesda’s focus on the recent release of Elder Scrolls Online and the upcoming release of the same game on consoles, the company would be crazy to start a new PR campaign for yet another Elder Scrolls game so soon. If this is a game in development, don’t expect to hear about it anytime soon. 

Fallout 4

Bethesda proved that the Fallout franchise still had plenty of life left in it when it took over the series for Fallout 3. Obsidian’s New Vegas continued the trend with another story-focused entry that had post-nuclear fans wandering the wasteland. There’s good reason to believe that Fallout 4 is on the way at some point, but we’ve had zero indications that it’s going to show up at this year’s show.

Half-Life 3

At this point, it’s almost an annual joke that we’ll be hearing some big piece of news about Valve’s mythical sequel in the Half-Life series. However, just as it’s been for years now, there is no reason to believe in any forward momentum on a new game in the series. It’s got to happen sometime, though. Right? 

Igarashi’s Castlevania-style game

The recent departure of Koji Igarashi from his long tenure at Konami perked the ears of Castlevania fans everywhere. The acclaimed developer immediately shifted gears to found his own independent studio, and publicly shared with the press his desire to return to making games like Castlevania. Unfortunately, as exciting as that potential is, his new team can’t be anywhere near far enough along to share game details publicly. But we can always dream. 

[Next Page: A Sony game we've been waiting to play for a long time likely won't make the show]

Injustice 2 

Fighting game luminary Ed Boon has spent recent weeks strongly hinting at a new Mortal Kombat game, which if he’s not fooling us, will be great news. However, it also will mean that the likelihood of another DC comics-themed Injustice game is far smaller. Fans enjoyed the gritty tone of NetherRealms recent Injustice: Gods Among Us, but we’re expecting a longer wait before a sequel is revealed. 

The Last Guardian

This one is likely to be a disappointment to many, but there is little to no indication from Sony that the long-in-gestation The Last Guardian project will be shown at this year’s show. Another game in the style of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus would be a welcome arrival on PS4. We can cross our fingers that Sony will surprise us by an announcement of the game moving to PS4, along with new HD gameplay on display… but don’t hold your breath. 

Mirror’s Edge 2

We’re more hopeful about this than most of the other entries on this list, but only slightly more. Last year’s E3 gave us a trailer announcing a new entry in the beloved parkour game, but things have been largely silent on the project ever since. In addition, developer DICE is said to be working on Star Wars Battlefront, which may be getting more of the studio’s attention because of its high profile potential. We put the likelihood of new Mirror’s Edge 2 info below 50%, but don’t count it completely out yet. 

Overwatch 

Recently, gaming powerhouse Blizzard registered a new trademark for something called Overwatch. Alongside Hearthstone, many observers believe that Overwatch is another smaller team project from this same studio that is known for huge titles like World of Warcraft and Diablo. Regardless, whatever Overwatch is, we don’t expect to hear anything new about the title at this year’s E3. If it is a brand new game series, Blizzard will be polishing it to a glossy sheen before showing it to the public.

Pokémon Snap Sequel

If you grew up in the 90s, there’s a good chance you have a fond spot in your heart not only for Pokémon, but for the picture-taking on-rails game that released on the N64. The enthusiasm for Pokémon games hasn’t dimmed over the years, and a big console release of a Pokémon Snap game using the Wii U gamepad to take pictures seems like a perfect fit. Sadly, there’s no evidence that such a project will be shown at E3, or anywhere else for that matter. Come on, Nintendo!

Rainbow Six: Patriots

We featured Patriots on the cover of Game Informer way back in 2011, but a number of creative shake-ups at Ubisoft in the years since have left fans of the franchise waiting. While we think that Rainbow Six: Patriots is likely still coming at some point, we’d be very surprised to see any of its progress soon.

Red Dead Redemption

Take Two’s head honcho, Strauss Zelnick, as much as confirmed that Red Dead Redemption is moving forward as a franchise. Does that mean a new installment will be at E3? Almost certainly not. Red Dead’s massive open world makes for an extremely expensive and slow-to-develop game. If a new entry is being developed for next-gen consoles, expect a long wait. 

Resident Evil 7

The classic horror series has been around for almost two decades, and you don’t have to look far to find fans of the series. But we’d be amazed if another true sequel showed up at this year’s E3. Capcom has had some financial struggles in recent years, and Resident Evil 6 didn’t help matters. The publisher needs a sure thing, and at this point, a new Resident Evil isn’t it. 

[Next page: Another Blizzard game that we don't expect to see at E3]

Resogun 2

One of the standout titles at the PlayStation 4 launch was the excellent Resogun. Responsive, intense sci-fi shooting recalls the fun of old-school arcade action. The game attracted a surprising number of fans, and it seems like a sequel would be a win for everbody. New levels, enemies, and gameplay modes would be awesome, even without having to go back to the drawing board to fundamentally change the game. However, it’s probably a little early to hope that Housemarque would have a new installment ready to show only eight months after the initial release. 

Shadow Complex 2

Chair was among the early studios to have a big success with Xbox Live Arcade when it released Shadow Complex in 2009. The game offered a great modern twist on the Metroid formula. However, Chair went on to develop the far more lucrative Infinity Blade series of games for iOS, which means that fans are now in a perpetual waiting game for a new installment. We’d love a new entry, but the odds are not great.

Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void

Real-time strategy fans gobbled up the first and second installments of Blizzard’s Starcraft II. Both Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm moved the story forward and offered new strategic gameplay. Unfortunately, it’s far more likely that Blizzard will wait until Blizzcon to talk about the Protoss-focused third installment. 

Transformers Cybertron Sequel

With War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, High Moon Studios did a phenomenal job of crafting a new branch of the Transformers fiction focused on the robots’ war on their home planet. The soon-to-release Rise of the Dark Spark includes elements of both the movie universe and High Moon-developed Cybertron characters, but we’d love to see High Moon itself return to the franchise. Unfortunately for Transformers fans, rumors indicate that High Moon may be working on the current-gen port of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, so the likelihood of a new dedicated Transformers Cybertron game at E3 is close to nil.

What games do you hope to see at E3, even if they’re long shots? Share your thoughts in the comments below.