E3 2015 is almost here and gamers have been waiting. In the hope that their long anticipated titles will finally see a release, as well as new surprises for their next generation console, the impatience is certainly justified. In the run up to E3 2015, PlayStation Universe has been debating back and forth and raging an arms race over which titles will finally seek an existence and which games from the past may possibly see a resurrection. As such, we’ve narrowed it down to our top ten most anticipated predictions for this year’s E3.
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Criterion Will Show Off Its Next Racing Title
While it is increasingly obvious Need For Speed is going to show up at EA’s conference, I think we will also see what progress Criterion has made with the multi-vehicle racing project it announced a year ago. It was clear at last year’s conference that EA had very little new and concrete to show the public so it lumped in projects that were in the embryonic stages of development, and that’s why we’ve heard nothing from Criterion since then. At least I hope that’s why EA has been quiet.
Capcom Remasters & Resident Evil 7
With Capcom recently confirming its intention to issue more HD remasters, the company will use E3 to announce Resident Evil Zero HD, as a follow-up to the Resident Evil HD remaster from earlier this year. It may also go overboard and bring us Resident Evil 5 or 6 in remastered form before the reveal of Resident Evil 7 which will most likely be teased.
Bethesda Finally Gives Us What We Want
Bethesda isn’t hosting an E3 press conference to showcase just a couple of games; it must have something else up its sleeve. No doubt at all that Fallout 4 will make an appearance, alongside the first gameplay footage of Doom, but our money is on Dishonored 2 being announced. The first game in the series has recently been one of the PlayStation Plus free games, giving those who haven’t already played it a chance to sample its delights before they unleash the sequel at E3 2015.
Media Molecule And Project Morpheus
Sony’s Project Morpheus is said to release at some time during 2016. With a recent job listing revealing that Sony has assembled a new studio in North West England to work specifically on Virtual Reality, it’s clear it has plans to launch the device with a bundle of games. Hopefully. Given Sony’s approach at appealing to an alternative audience primarily consisting of children, thanks to titles such as Little Big Planet, Puppeteer, and Tearaway, the likelihood of virtual reality playing a role in this genre holds a lot of potential.
This is where Media Molecule steps in. The studio clearly knows what it’s doing in making use of the DualShock 4 and PlayStation Vita’s touch features. The very thought of the studio not being involved with Project Morpheus would appear very unlikely. Up until now it’s the only studio that’s actually made significant use of alternative input methods as well as peripherals for the Sony consoles. It would be a shame for Media Molecule not to take advantage of the possibilities for what Project Morpheus has to offer.
Koei Tecmo Struts Its Stuff
With Koei Tecmo recently announcing a new Nobunaga’s Ambition being localized for the western market, I’d expect to see some teasers of other upcoming products, or games with localization potential to float around, and test the waters, at E3. It could mean a resurgence in the west for the Koei side of the company which hasn’t done much outside of the various Warriors franchises since the early PS2 days, or it might just be a blip on the radar. Either way, KT fans have a reason to be optimistic.
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Sony Pushes Indies
Many (including some of the PSU staff) have observed that 2015 seems to be "Year of the Indies" for Sony Computer Entertainment and PlayStation. I think Sony’s E3 2015 showing will reinforce that, but this isn’t a bad thing. No Man’s Sky is poised to return to the scene in a big way. Remember when it was the hottest topic in gaming in 2014, spurred on by its triumphant E3 gameplay trailer? I expect we’ll finally hear a release date for The Witness and get more footage or gameplay impressions of mysterious names like Rime and The Tomorrow Children. Drinkbox’s Severed is also on the horizon!
Crash Bandicoot Spins On To PlayStation 4
Fans have been asking for a return to the Crash Bandicoot series for a fairly lengthy time. Since the release of the PlayStation 4, Naughty Dog‘s popularity, and the launch title Knack, it’s clearly something that fans have been anticipating will finally see the light of day. At this point in time however, it’s nothing but rumors and fan fantasy. We can only pray that Sony’s been spying on our Tweets and has something planned for E3.
Nathan Drake Becomes Pretty
Uncharted 4 has been set for a 2016 release date. Needless to say fans aren’t to happy. Uncharted 4 has been their reason to purchase the PlayStation 4 but with the game not due for quite some time, and Sony’s tendency to polish their last-generation titles on to their pretty new box, there’s a slight possibility we’ll see an HD trilogy of Drake’s past adventures. The possibility of BETA access for the 2016 release or additional content should fans pre-order the Uncharted trilogy, it seems more than likely that we’ll see it make an appearance at Sony’s E3 conference. Given the negative feedback that gamers have associated with the term "HD Remasters", our guess here is that Sony will do away with this naming scheme. Sony, if you’re reading: "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Trilogy"
Gran Turismo Shifts To Next-Gen
Since the release of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, as well as the drastically increasing number of people taking to the PC platform, we’ve been treated to a great amount of racing games, be they exclusive or third-party. Forza 5, Forza Horizon, Need For Speed: Rivals, DRIVECLUB, Project CARS…the list goes on. With Microsoft gearing up to launch Forza 6 and Sony’s online issues with Driveclub, the gamer ideology of rivalry that exists between the two consoles is clearly leaning more towards Microsoft when it comes to a competitive and enjoyable racing experience.
This brings us to Gran Turismo. In the case we don’t catch gameplay of the 7th installment at Sony’s E3, there’s still a fair chance we’ll be greeted to a teaser. Rain physics, gritty textures on the racing lines, and a zoomed-in shot of rims in slow-motion reflecting light of the sun as crowds in the stands shout and cheer while the sound of an engine raises in power. Gran Turismo is Sony tradition. It’s a given it’s in development.
God Of War 4
Honestly, I’m pretty sure Kratos has slaughtered every God and Goddess in ancient Greek mythology. There’s none left. They can’t come back. Heck, the guy killed both Thanatos and Hades so it’s not like there’s an afterlife waiting room for them where they can reminisce on old times while they wait for a sacrifice. They’re dead. However, as we now know there’s a God of War 3 HD Remaster on the way, and God of War 4 has been teased and leaked on numerous accounts, there’s a good chance we’ll get to see a live demo of the game at Sony’s E3 conference. That’s right, a live demo, not a teaser, not a trailer, but a demo. I’ll personally hand my soul over to Aries if I’m wrong.
What games would you like to make an appearance at E3 2015? Give us a shout in the comments section below!