Ah, E3. We’re getting our umbrellas ready for the deluge of video games that’ll be pouring on the big screen this year: God of War, Call of Duty: WW2, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Super Mario Odyssey, Destiny 2 - you get the idea. You’ll have heard of these games, especially as the majority of them are sequels. We’re not afraid to admit that. But turns out we already know a ton about them thanks to leaks, trailers, and whatnot - plus there’s plenty of wild rumours around about what might be included in the demos. So here’s the biggest E3 2017 games you simply can’t afford to miss.
God of War
The sequel to: God of War 3
Will be shown at: The Sony conference - watch it here
What we know so far:
The berserker has taken a holiday from ancient Greece and voyaged to somewhere where Norse trolls roam and beards must be grown. Kratos now has a son to look after, which might already be softening his gruff God of War demeanour a little, by the looks of it. Going by the name Atreus, he’s the offspring of Kratos and an unknown woman, and is pretty handy with a bow. He’s still got a lot to learn from his father, though - namely the harsh codes of survival and combat. With all the baddies lurking in the snowy forest, that shouldn’t be very hard. Especially with Kratos getting all paternal.
The rumours are…
In classical literature Atreus is the grandson of Zeus, so some fans think Kratos might be gearing up to become Odin in an almighty religion crossover...
This definitely won’t happen:
Ares will turn up midway through and kidnap Atreus, who you’ll then have to play as and escape from his heinous lair.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
The sequel to: Not really a sequel, but features the light-footed Assassins jumping back in time to a new era
Probably going to be shown at: The Ubisoft conference - get the details here
What we know so far:
Egypt. That’s the biggest thing about Assassin’s Creed Origins so far, and when you add the metric ton of Assassin’s Creed Origins leaks by a 4chan user, Ubisoft’s latest instalment turns into an almighty pyramid of information. The game is apparently being worked on by the team behind Black Flag, which bodes well. You’ll be stepping into the sandals of the assassin Bayek, a bow-wielding, shield surfing (probably not, but still) Egyptian who will apparently star in two more games. This time there’s no towers to synch with, as instead you’re given - wait for it - an eagle. Your feathery friend is probably going to be called Akhom, who Bayek chucks into the air to scout a location and reveal it on his map. As if that wasn’t enough to fill a canopic jar, the leaks also claim that Origins has “smaller segments that take place in different times; the setting is the same though”, with the present day being a bigger part of the game than in previous instalments.
The rumours are…
A leaked screenshot shows Bayek on a boat, so people are guessing that sailing across the Mediterranean will be a decent chunk of Origins. Seeing as the minds being Black Flag are supposedly working on it, I guess that isn’t too much of a surprise...
This definitely won’t happen:
Bayek will come face-to-face with Cleopatra. Seeing as Origins is predicted to take place “between 1400 and 1200BCE” and the queen lived between 69BCE and 30BCE, this isn’t looking likely.
Call of Duty: WW2
The sequel to: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Probably going to be shown at: The Sony conference - watch it here
What we know so far:
Trenches, Normandy beach landings, the general massive loss of life: Call of Duty: World War 2 is returning to its roots, and is looking all the better for it. The first trailer shows a glimpse of shooting at Nazis in forests, and people have spotted that the tagline mentions ‘the liberation of Western Europe’. Many gamers have noticed that it could tie in with the mention of Bridge Troops, who deployed multiple bridges (bet you didn’t see that coming) in World War 2. You won’t just be playing as Allied infantry either. On the cards are protagonists including a woman fighting for the French Resistance, possibly a German family, a British officer, and an African-American officer from a different regiment. Activision is definitely going further than just focusing on the American side of things, so there’s sure to be a ton of confused, morally-conflicted feelings running through your veins.
The rumours are…
After Bret Robbins, Sledgehammer’s senior creative director, dodged questions about regenerative health, it might be a thing of the past. Call of Duty: WW2 might instead showcase a new mechanic: calling out for first aid and being healed by teammates. Interesting.
This definitely won’t happen:
A level where you play as Hitler.
Destiny 2
The sequel to: Destiny
Probably going to be shown at: The Sony conference - watch it here
What we know so far:
So - trying to stay as calm as possible - after its phenomenally successful livestream, we’re going to see more of Destiny 2 at E3. Details are few and far between currently, but we do know that developers are playing Destiny 2 at home, so Bungie must have a decent build of it waiting in the wings. Rumours abound, but with the release of kits to influencers and journalists alike, it looks like one thing is certain: the Ghosts are dead. ‘Welcome to a world without light’ was emblazoned on the swag, which raises questions about whether players will have the normal light level, or whether a levelling overhaul is in store. It doesn’t bode well that the Cabal have stormed the tower either. In the teaser the Traveller looks like it is on fire, resulting in the vanguard being depowered which would explain players suddenly being kicked back to level 1. Doesn’t mean we’re not going to mourn the loss of all our loot, though. Sob.
The rumours are…
Bungie mentioned "follow-on content plans" which "set the stage for growth", so this could be a move away from the irregular DLC releases that characterised the first Destiny. Maybe we’re about to see a steadier release of additional content? Who knows.
This definitely won’t happen:
The Fallen will be introduced as a fourth playable race.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The sequel to: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Will be shown at: The Sony conference - watch it here
What we know so far:
You thought Uncharted was dead? You’re wrong! Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has the Aussie Chloe Frazer at the helm, the morally-grey treasure hunter with a penchant for the unpredictable. She’s teaming up with Nadine Ross, the mercenary who we’re used to seeing as an antagonist (remember Uncharted 4?), and judging by the trailer the pair are pretty unstoppable. The villain Asav looks to be a tricky one - voice actor Usman Ally described him as “incredibly smart, steadfast and absolutely sure that what he is doing is for the benefit, longevity, and pride of his culture”...but “he has the propensity for rage and psychotic behavior”. Great. Dodging his goons will take you through various parts of India’s stunning landscape, as although The Lost Legacy is shorter than Uncharted 4 it’s set in an even bigger world, giving you even more to secrets to find, puzzles to solve, and lost civilisations to explore.
The rumours are…
Seeing as they’re on the hunt for the Tusk of Ganesha, we’re hoping for a glimpse of a vine-strewn ruin and some puzzle action. Chloe and Nadine aren’t known for their pacifism, so a brief snippet of some combat with the new silenced pistol wouldn’t go amiss either.
This definitely won’t happen:
Chloe will smash a crate, only to reveal a curled-up Nathan Drake hiding inside.
Super Mario Odyssey
The sequel to: Technically it’s not a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy 2, but it’s certainly got that vibe.
Will be shown at: Nintendo Direct - watch it here
What we know so far:
Our favourite Italian plumber (sorry, Luigi) is back, and this time his hat has eyes. Does it feel? Are all its organs in that hat, squished into its tiny fabric lining? Whether it’s sentient or not, Mario uses it as a boomerang or impromptu jumping platform, so we want to see a bit more footage of it in action during Mario’s quest to stop the Bowser/Peach wedding. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto says that Super Mario Odyssey is going to be open-world, set in a city called New Donk. There are lampposts to swing on, taxis to jump on, and eerily realistic humans walking alongside the rotund plumber. And surprise surprise, Bowser has kidnapped Peach again. Plus he looks like a pimp. No, we’re not kidding. A wild wild west town, a fantasy forest, and a geometric extravaganza await, as well as multiple purple triangle collectibles which Mario is seen picking up.
The rumours are…
The rabbits seen in the trailer on their very own ship look dastardly and aren’t the usual cohort of mini-Bowsers we usually see, so we reckon they might be the game’s mini-bosses as well as Bowser’s lackeys.
This definitely won’t happen:
Mario will crash Bowser and Peach’s wedding just like in The Graduate, but it’ll be revealed that Peach has been in love with Bowser all along. Aww.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
The sequel to: Star Wars Battlefront
Will be shown at: The EA conference - get the timings here
What we know so far:
Solo player campaign! Centred on a female stormtrooper! Set after Return of the Jedi! Yoda vs Darth Maul SHOWDOWN! That list might be long but the thing is, there’s so much to be excited about with Star Wars Battlefront 2. You can play through multiple eras, stretching from Luke Skywalker all the way to Rey, and Battlefront 2 promises to tell the ‘untold soldier’s story’. That soldier isn’t a rebel though. Instead the trailer reveals that she’s an Imperial stormtrooper. Stepping into her shoes will be a good chance to get a glimpse of what it’s like to work for the Empire which so often is considered evil, whereas it really might be a lot more nuanced than we give it credit for. Seeing they grey moral side of the Empire would be a welcome change of pace, especially as The Last Jedi is gearing up to explore the same concepts.
The rumours are…
This is a biggie, and very tenuous right now - but we’re going to go ahead with it anyway. A leak on Reddit has claimed that Battlefront 2 will be released on the Switch. According to them, it’ll be out in Fall 2017. Mind you, it could be total tosh.
This definitely won’t happen:
Darth Vader will enter a special rage mode whenever he’s fighting on a sand planet. Because, you know. He hates sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
Crackdown 3
The sequel to: Crackdown 2
Probably going to be revealed at: The Xbox conference - watch it here
What we know so far:
You can destroy everything. Set in a glistening metropolis, every single skyscraper and bridge will topple under the weight of bullets, rockets, and general mayhem. This destruction that’d bring a tear to Michael Bay’s eye is restricted to multiplayer, however. Mind you, there’s plenty to keep you occupied during the singleplayer campaign, as Crackdown 3 makes you a futuristic law-enforcement Agent set on annihilating the criminal network that’s corrupting the city. You can throw cars, scale up buildings, and generally feel like Robocop on adderall. All these abilities will be indispensable when it comes to taking down the Crime Lords running the illicit network that’s undermining the city. You can’t take the fight straight to them, though - instead you have to build up your Hate Meter by executing their goons and restoring order to parts of the city. Once they’ve noticed you, their spotlight is sure to feel very hot indeed. Massive boss fights await, with Xbox One’s cloud computing making all those toppling buildings possible. Don’t cry, Insurance companies. It’s going to be okay.
The rumours are…
Seeing as Xbox One is about to be upstaged by the supposedly superpowered Scorpio, we’re waiting to see whether Crackdown 3 will be one of its games. If it was, it could rely less on the cloud computing aspect with the Scorpio able to render the falling buildings alone - meaning that feature could be included in singleplayer.
This definitely won’t happen:
You’ll be able to rebuild structures using the city’s fresh rubble. Let’s leave that job to the city’s blossoming construction industry.
The Evil Within 2
The sequel to: The Evil Within
Probably going to be revealed at: Bethesda conference
What we know so far:
If you don’t know why the possibility of The Evil Within 2 is making our heart rates jump, let us explain. On one hand you have intensely clever foreshadowing via environmental design, and on the other, well… general monstrous horrors stalk you through the corridors. This survival horror is from the mind of Shinji Mikami, who directed the first Resident Evil and Resi 4 - yes, the one with that chainsaw guy. With stealth sections taking you through rural villages as well as going in an electric chair when you get new abilities, The Evil Within 2 would have a lot to live up to. Let’s wait and see whether they bring back those divisive cinematic bars.
The rumours are…
The Evil Within 2 is one giant rumour as Bethesda hasn’t clarified it yet, despite the fact that a job listing for Psychobreak 2 made its way onto the internet.
This definitely won’t happen:
It’ll be a crossover with Silent Hill, with Pyramid Head teaming up with Boxhead (otherwise known as The Keeper).
