Rapid Reviews UK E3 2019 Predictions

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E3 is upon us yet again! Here are our hopes, dreams and predictions from the team at Rapid Reviews UK.

We would love to hear your predictions! Find us on Twitter @rapidreviewsuk

Mike O’Hara – Editor-in-Chief – @rapidreviewsuk

‘The Big Three’

Sony

Sony may not be at E3, but they will make their mark if that makes any sense?

I think the day before E3; they’ll have a special live stream or event to provide more details about their new console, possibly with a surprise launch date. I also wouldn’t be too shocked if they announced their version of Games Pass.

Microsoft

Microsoft will announce their new consoles. One will be a cheaper Xbox One X and the other a new, premium console to rival the PS5. There will be more details about Project xCloud also. They might even announce their version of a portable Xbox a la Switch.

Nintendo

Nintendo will announce the Switch Mini and/or Switch Pro. They will also have news about the New Pokémon games and of course, the hotly anticipated Animal Crossing for Switch.

Tim Reid – @PressPaws17

‘Sam Fisher is back, kind of’

It has been six years since the last entry in the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell franchise. Ubisoft stated in October 2013 that Splinter Cell: Blacklist, their most recent title, had failed to meet sales expectations despite receiving critical acclaim.

For years I have had my fingers crossed that Ubisoft would reveal the next entry in the stealth franchise. This year, however, I am predicting not only that Splinter Cell is back but also that Michael Ironside will reprise the role of Sam Fisher. While Ironside may be 69 years of age and was unable to perform the motion capture for Blacklist, I believe fans of the series would be ecstatic to hear the return of both Sam and Ironside. I have so much love for this franchise, and it’s about time that we hear a new main character donning the iconic night-vision goggles. Yes, you read it here first; Sam Fisher will not be the playable character and, instead, an aged Sam will guide a new recruit in the next Splinter Cell title. Come on, Ubisoft, it’s time to mark and execute.

Patrick Cotter @PJCPlays

‘Microsoft to mix it up’

What I’d like to see is Microsoft moving to get out of the standard console cycle. They’re a company that is uniquely poised, through their partnership with Nintendo, focus on making games available on PC, and teases around streaming to do something different. What I’d love to see is a tiered system more akin to devices like Apple’s iPad. Bring a new console out over 2-4 years with upgraded hardware, but keep supporting current consoles for a couple of those cycles.

As an Xbox One X owner, I would be thrilled to be able to use my system to play new games, and based on the horsepower in that box there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to at the cost of performance or some fidelity. I think with a move like this, Microsoft could continue to entice people into their ecosystem while existing in a different space than the other console makers. On top of this, I think that by offering game streaming, they could continue to serve Xbox One S owners as well. To me, it just makes sense, and I hope they give it a shot.

Martin Barnes @MDBCartographer

‘What I’m looking forward to’

I am particularly excited about this year’s E3. As a huge lifelong Nintendo fan I feel that we have a lot to be looking forward to with the likes of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and of course Animal Crossing hopefully making an appearance this time around. There will also be additional information about the likes of Daemon X Machina, Astral Chain and Pokémon Sword and Shield. It is sure to be a good show from Nintendo.

However, there are so many other companies on at the show who have so much to offer. I always look forward to the Ubisoft show with their inevitable Just Dance announcement, this is due to the dancing Panda and not because I have some hidden passion for dancing games honest.

Outside of my usual shows though I am interested to see what Netflix has to say. I’m not convinced that they will be launching a gaming platform as I have seen speculated. I think it is far more likely that they will be launching some games related shows either along the lines of a “choose your own adventure” show, similar to the books of the 80’s/90’s. Or, and this is my obvious preference, a new original show about gaming, something along the lines of Video Game Nation which used to be on Challenge and was hosted by Eurogamer’s Aoife Wilson amongst others.

I do have a few things I would love to see announced at E3 ranging from the possible to the unlikely.

I hope to see the announcement of a sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle being in the works, which given the success of the first game is entirely possible.

On the slightly less likely side of things, I am hoping for a Fable Trilogy port to the Nintendo Switch. Again this is possible as a result of the growing relationship between Nintendo and Microsoft. However, I am not putting any money on this one.

Finally Metroid Prime 4, how amazing would it be if we were able to get a release window and some gameplay footage of one of the most anticipated games on Switch.

For the first time in years, I don’t have any idea what original IP might be coming, and I love that. I can’t wait for the show to roll around.

Andre Cole – @coolsl4w

‘Microsoft’s time to shine’

This E3 will not have a ton of games, but a majority of the games there will be bangers. I expect the Microsoft conference to be showcasing many games, much like it did last year. With Sony out of the picture that gives third parties even more reason to want to show up on that stage. I expect Capcom’s rumoured Resident Evil 3 remake will be absent though. Sony will have that locked down for a PSX or State of Play.

I expect a new unannounced Star Wars game from EA, as they attempt to cling to that license for all it is worth. Other than that, I don’t think EA Play will offer all that much excitement.

Like, I said above, Microsoft will be essentially the main focus of the show, where all the major third parties get to stretch their legs. It’s their chance to show off what all those studios they bought have been working with. I expect one of those games to be whatever Project Blacktusk was, before the studio making it got turned into the Coalition (The Gears of Wear studio). Beyond that, it’s hard to say because they acquired such a wide range of studios. I hope to see Fable 4, which is rumoured to be in production at Playground games, makers of the Forza series. And speaking of Forza, It is a long shot, but I feel like Forza may take a year off to prepare for the next generation of consoles.

As those games have taken on more service like elements, it seems smarter to offer a great DLC package for Forza 8 and Horizon 4, while they pour more resources into the next-gen offering. Speaking of next-gen, I think we get merely a CG motherboard flyover, much like the Scorpio tease the year before it was formally announced. They give some tech-specs and say they’re hard at work, but nothing more. Oh, also Cyberpunk 2077 for Spring 2020.

The only thing I am sure of with Bethesda is that Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI will not be there.

I expect Splinter Cell to finally make a comeback, after a long, deeply serious monologue about the state of foreign affairs in today’s world. Also, I expect a sequel to For Honor or Rainbow Six: Siege. However, with the new generation of consoles being so close, it might make sense for them to hold off another year or so on that. I also expect them to show a game that will be built for next-gen hardware but will not be touted as such (like Watch_Dogs was).

Square Enix is hard to read. They publish The Quiet Man and abandon Hitman. They could do anything. I imagine we will get details on Kingdom Hearts 3 DLC, which will include Final Fantasy characters. Also, I think we see a proper Final Fantasy game announcement — either an XV-2 or an XVI. If the game is FFXVI, it is directed by Yoko Taro.

Nintendo could do a lot of things, but I expect most of the direct will be focused on things coming out this year since they have a lot for the next six months. But, I do hope to see Bayonetta 3 finally, as well as Scalebound, which is rumoured to have been resurrected by Nintendo. With Microsoft and Nintendo buddying up, it would not surprise me if Microsoft permitted for that to happen.

Whatever happens, we all win.

Sriram Suresh – @IGoBySRI

‘Games Galore’

With Microsoft and Nintendo’s relationship going so well, I would love to see two games from Microsoft on the Switch – Ori and the Blind forest & Sunset Overdrive. I think Ori would work very well with the switch, a perfect Metroidvania that would work perfectly with the switch’s interface. If Cuphead was possible, this is highly likely too. As for Sunset Overdrive, it might or might not happen, but it sure would be nice to have an open world shooter as the switch desperately needs those. Never had the chance to play it as I don’t own an Xbox, but the game surely looks super exciting. Also, it would be nice to see some Microsoft characters in Smash (Master Chief PLEASE). Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Rare Replay would be welcome additions too.

Nintendo’s E3 is rumoured to be 45 mins long, and I hope they spend more of that time showing Animal Crossing (God I loved the 3DS version), Astral Chain & Town – working title. I feel that Fire Emblem 3 houses and Pokemon Sword/Shield would get more time during the directs. I’ve been looking forward to the new Animal Crossing, and I didn’t expect to fall in love with the 3DS version. It is one of my most played games on my 3DS, so I look forward to seeing what new features and gameplay they bring to the AC switch. We might only have 30 seconds of Astral Chain gameplay, but it seems pretty darn impressive and coming from Platinum games, I’m sure they won’t fail to impress us.

Microsoft seems to be revealing new hardware this year, and I can’t wait to see what it is about; I think a VR headset could be used together with their new console? Possible Sword Art Online experience? The possibilities are endless, and I look forward to seeing what they bring to the table. Can’t forget Bethesda and Ubisoft’s E3 showcase as well. Would love to see some new Rayman games on the switch, Mario & Rabbids was something unexpected that turned out to be something that worked very well. Huge rumours about Witcher 3 being on the switch, but with Panic Button officially saying that they’re not working on it, it seems unlikely. But one can always hope, would love to see GTA 5 on that too.

Sam Harrison – @sgch

“A Hail Mary”

This year is a weird one, as Sony has always been the highlight of my E3 and they’re taking the year off and instead of doing State of Play regular monthly news drops like Nintendo have done previously. My biggest hopes all lie with Nintendo not dropping the Animal Crossing ball, and I’d like to see some small evolutions in the gameplay and combine that with an Autumn release date.

Every year my podcast Gaming Fyx (www.fyx.space) does an entire special betting episode where we bet on what will happen at E3. We make multiple bets on each conference and event, but we also do “Hail Mary” bets that are what we want most in our wildest dreams. Here are mine:

1. MOTHER 3. Available now worldwide, digital only for the Switch. Mother 1 & Earthbound also in the same collection.
   
2. Final Fantasy XVI is announced, and a short CG teaser is shown. This will be Yoko Taro’s next project, working with the FF team. If you want to shout at me about how right or wrong I am, find me on Twitter at @sgch.

Tune in to E3 next week to see if any of our predictions were correct!