Just like Killzone, no Sony hardware release would truly be complete without another inevitable installment to the Gran Turismo franchise. Having already been recently announced to the PS3 with a Christmas release date it’s still being debated as to whether or not this racing giant will park itself on the list of PS4 titles as well. Along with showing off a handful of the beautiful 1,200 cars featured you can also expect to see a demo of the new course maker, tracks and clarification about a PS4 release too.
Rumored since the moment the Wii U was announced, we’re still lacking this key title amongst the ranks of Wii U games. Although confirmed to be in early development stages little else is known about the next Legend of Zelda game, it’s rumored to be maintaining the graphical style of Skyward Sword whilst expanding dungeon sizes exponentially. Although not yet given a time frame it’s likely to focus on an older Link, exploring the romance between him and Zelda that was so well received in Skyward Sword. It’s also in circulation that it’ll have a 2014 release leaving E3 2013 as a prime opportunity to get the hype started and clear up many of these rumors.
Even though it was at E3 2012, WatchDogs is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated titles gracing the next generation consoles. Ubisoft have released tease after tease regarding this game including trailers and gameplay footage. Arguably that leaves little room for an E3 demonstration this year but its more than likely Ubisoft have a few more aces up their sleeves. A playable next-gen console demo along with some plot and character information will be a few of the tasty tidbits you can expect to see this year.
Strategically announced after several problematic leaks, Call of Duty: Ghosts still has a lot to clear up. All we have so far is a live action trailer and a short sneaky peek at development processes. Although the main announcement for the game is due alongside the Xbox Infinity reveal it’s highly doubtful that Infinity Ward won’t want to show it off at E3 too. Extensive gameplay footage, new weapon debuts and probably some fresh kill streak rewards can be expected for E3, they might even clear up whether or not the character ‘Ghost’ will be making an appearance.
After the announcement of this game at the PS4 event a few months back we’ve been delivered a steady trickle of information, enough to wet our appetites but not really enough to be convinced. A booth at E3 is almost a certainty and will hopefully deliver the first opportunity for people to try out some gameplay along with developing Delsin Rowe’s powers of pyromancy. A few new innovative enemies and a deeper look at the new playground of Seattle are also highly desirable aspects of the game we can expect to see.
We’ve been treated to a few glimpses at the next game to come from the magical minds of Team ICO, we’ve even been given a few empty promises of release dates. Question is, where is The Last Guardian? This hugely anticipated IP has had a rather turbulent development history filled with delays and mystery, something we have hoped will be but to bed at every E3 since 2011. Unfortunately The Last Guardian still remains an uncertainty, however recent claims that it’ll make its way onto the PS4 have reignited hope that it will finally make its debut. Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony’s Game Studio, has raised even more eyebrows by stating that they’re “waiting for the right time to re-introduce The Last Guardian”. Fingers crossed E3 2013 is the right time!
Showcased at E3 last year, Quantic Dream’s stunning cinema-styled game has since been causing quite the stir. It’s the second videogame to ever be recognized by the Tribeca Film Festival where viewers got to see an exclusive 35-minute clip. It has also shown off its extensive dialogue script and groundbreaking animation mechanics. Not too much is left to debut at E3 so it’s possible we’ll see some more glimpses at the innovative development process. Some elaboration on the storyline and the powerful abilities of protagonist Jodie would also make for an excellent E3 event.
Similar to the inevitability of a Gran Turismo title, Nintendo always accompany a new release with a Smash Bros. game. As of yet, however, we’re yet to see any concrete information regarding a Wii U installment to the franchise. The Wii U has been met by a somewhat stale reception; E3 should be where Nintendo re-establishes the console as a contender in the next generation. Considering Nintendo aren’t holding an event at E3 the (almost certain) unveiling is likely to be at their own separate event, however you can be sure that we’ll get to give this title and its new characters a spin at E3.
After the not-so-great reception of the Kinect title ‘Fable: The Journey’ the Fable franchise is in need of a little rejuvenation. With that in mind many have been speculating about the development of Fable 4, potentially for the next generation consoles. With news from the Official Xbox Magazine a few days ago that Lionhead Studios are looking for Unreal Engine experts it would seem that a new Fable title might well be in the pipeline. All things considered, if they’re still recruiting it’ll be in the early stages of development however that doesn’t rule out the high chance of a debut trailer and concept art to feature at either E3 or the prior Xbox event.
Along with a likely Fable announcement, Microsoft will probably release something regarding the next Halo game. Halo 4 was just the beginning to the new “Reclaimer” trilogy of games, developed by 343 industries, meaning a direct sequel to Halo 4 is effectively guaranteed. Aaron Greenberg, Chief of Staff for Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft (phewf!) has also teased us, stating they have “tonnes of exclusives” to debut at E3 this year. Its doubtful Microsoft will announce a next generation console without a new title from their most popular franchise so hopefully E3 will shed light on a concrete release date and some next-gen Master Chief FPS action.
Which title are you most looking forward to? Any titles not on the list that you’re expecting to be at the event? Let us know in the comment section below!