Bueller?
One of the hardest parts of following E3 is keeping track of every announcement, reveal and sneak peek that rolls out during the course of the show.
It takes no time at all to forget about That One Big Game that got you standing up and cheering when it was announced because, well, it’s been six months and some of the Other Big Games are hitting store shelves.
This is a list of the games that grabbed our attention during E3 2015, only to fade into the background for the next twelve months, resulting is us going, “Ooohhh yeaaah, I forgot about that,” or “Wait a sec, is that still happening?” when we reflect on last year’s showcase.
These projects may be potential vaporware – or just announced a little too early – but they are all due for a check-in at E3 2016, if only so we know that they haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
What is it?
The follow-up to Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda returns to the Bioware’s sci-fi universe with a new cast, new scenario, and not-so-new return of the extraterrestrial all-terrain rover, the Mako.
While the fourth major entry in the series, Andromeda isn’t a continuation of the past games’ storyline, instead taking place several years after the saga of Commander Shepard.
Will we see it again this year?
Almost certainly. Despite being delayed until 2017, EA is still reportedly gearing up to show off Andromeda at EA Play on June 12, an event the publisher is throwing instead of attending E3.
Shenmue III
What is it?
Sega’s open-world drama series Shenmue may have been a cult hit, but it was also a commercial failure that nearly bankrupted the company two decades ago on the Dreamcast.
The next installment, Shenmue III, was thought to have died in the depths of development hell until last year, when Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki announced that the project would live on in the form of a Kickstarter campaign, resulting in one of the fastest-funded crowdfunding projects in history.
Will we see it again this year?
Unless there’s another surprise up Suzuki’s sleeve, it doesn’t seem likely. Sony may show off some footage at best as part of a highlight reel of upcoming PS4 titles, but considering that Shenmue III still isn’t expected out until December 2017, we aren’t holding out on seeing the game in action anytime soon.
Dreams
What is it?
Media Molecule, the squad behind the charming handmade worlds of Little Big Planet and Tearaway, continue to blur the line between game and art software with Dreams.
Announced last year with a trailer as vague as the game’s concept, Dreams appears to be a crafts project taken to the next level, as players design and animate imaginative beings and turn them into assets for any game, song or animation they wish to create. Heady stuff, really.
Will we see it again this year?
Goodness, we hope so. Media Molecule projects hit a niche few other games can, plus we’d love to learn more about exactly what Dreams is. The team has reemerged with a few breadcrumbs to sate us, including some new gameplay and a beta opening up this fall. Fingers crossed we’ll hear more in the coming week.
ReCore
What is it?
Unveiled for the first time at Microsoft’s E3 presser last year, ReCore is a brand new IP from Comcept – the organization behind Kickstarted Mega Man spiritual successor, Mighty No. 9.
Players take to a robot-dominated wasteland, relying on wits and a special power core able to convert mechanized foe into friends. Oh, and did we mention that some staff working on the game are veterans from the acclaimed Metroid Prime series? Consider us sold.
Will we see it again this year?
So, here’s the thing: We don’t know how Comcept founder Keiji Inafune has had the time to get the ball rolling on ReCore.
Given that Mighty No. 9 took three years and withstood multiple delays before it finally releases this month, we worry the producer’s hands have been full these past twelve months.
Now, it’s possible that the team is perfectly capable of working autonomously, so we’re just being cautiously optimistic that ReCore dodges the same hurdles that bogged down Mighty No. 9’s development.
The Last Guardian
What is it?
The runner-up to Half-Life 3 for the “So Longly Awaited To The Point That It’s Become A Joke” award.
After years of presumed cancellation, the boy-and-his-beast journey from the auteurs behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus emerged from its slumber last year in a surprise that rekindled our hype anew.
Will we see it again this year?
More than likely. Word on the street is that the agonizing wait for The Last Guardian will be complete this year, so we’re sure there will be something to roll out on the show floor at E3 2016.
The game has since gone quiet, sure, but reportedly this was an intentional move by Sony to keep spoilers to a minimum, which we appreciate. After nearly a decade in development, losing the mystique of this nearly forgotten game would just plain suck.
ION
What is it?
The creators of DayZ take to space in a massively multiplayer persistent galaxy where players live, explore and inevitably die in the unforgiving, endless expanse.
It’s kind of like the bleak transhumanist world of the Eclipse Phase tabletop game, mixed with No Man’s Sky.
Will we see it again this year?
Similar to No Man’s Sky, ION’s staff is considerably small given the grandiose scope of its game. We haven’t heard much else since the game’s official announcement and teaser trailer, which gives us reason to worry.
If it came down to putting money on the table, we’d bet on the game needing another year before it’s presentable – that is, if it’s still being developed at all.
Sea of Thieves
What is it?
Rare’s first original game for current hardware – not counting last year’s Rare Replay – Sea of Thieves looks like the Monkey Island MMO we didn’t know we wanted.
Players set sail in search of treasure, confronting both treacherous creatures of the deep as well as other players … and that’s about all we can surmise about this game, really.
Will we see it again this year?
Maybe not this year, but soon. Rare is very active on social media – assuaging any fears that the project has gone to meet Davey Jones – but most of what’s been shared are simple assets, sounds and animation.
It’s apparent that Sea of Thieves is still eaaaarly in development, so sitting tight for another year could yield better results. In the meantime, the 1989 classic Cobra Triangle is available on Rare Replay, should you still be in need of some Rare-produced high seas action.
Tacoma
What is it?
Created by Fullbright Games – the folks behind 2014’s surprise smash, Gone Home – Tacoma sets players alone on a space station that’s stranded 200,000 miles from home.
The sense of isolation that Tacoma exudes reminds us of our time in the underwater city of Rapture, from the BioShock series – natch, considering that Fullbright’s staff has experience working on both BioShock Infinite and the painfully underlooked BioShock 2 downloadable chapter, Minerva’s Den.
Will we see it again this year?
Announced for PC and Xbox One, Tacoma was shown off very briefly during Microsoft’s conference last year, only to go silent and eventually be delayed.
Also worth noting that Fullbright has a staff you can count on two hands, so we imagine the Oregon-based developer probably still has a lot of work ahead of it before heading out to the 2016 show floor.
Kingdom Hearts III
What is it?
The first true sequel in the Disney/Final Fantasy mashup series in over a decade, Kingdom Hearts III is “highly anticipated” made incarnate.
Despite 10 years of spinoffs, re-releases, and literally numbering the series in decimals, fans still clamor for the true return of Sora, Donald and Goofy years after they were relevant. We may be a little harsh on the game taking its sweet time, but the excitement is hard for us to deny, too.
Will we see it again this year?
Definitely. Maybe. While we saw some fresh gameplay of Kingdom Hearts III from Square Enix’s 2015 presser, the game has a nasty habit of only surfacing up from the darkness when it thinks people have forgotten about it.
It’s also been in development for years with little to show for it, leading us to worry the game may fall down the rabbit hole that swallowed Square’s other long-in-the-tooth development, Final Fantasy XV. With luck, Square Enix will have more to show game besides a pretty cucutscene or two – maybe even a set-in-stone release date?
Source: techradar.com
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It's only been 1 year since Shenmue 3 was announced FFS. And yes, we have "heard from" it. We've seen videos and screenshots of it, and multiple interviews about it.