It is that time of the year again, that time where the P2 team bash their heads into a crystal ball and come up with some bad guesses as to what will appear at E3. Join us as we check out their hopes and wishes for gaming’s biggest event.
E3 2021 Predictions – Bethesda
Matt Hewson
Safe Bet – Deathloop
Having seen a bit of this in action, I can say that I am rather keen for the final product. Think a more action-oriented Dishonored crossed with a rogue-like and you will have a pretty good idea of what is heading your way. Add to this, the super sexy 60s setting and I think this is going to be a rollicking good time. It is coming in September so it makes total sense to give it as much air time as possible, the only sticking point is its status as a PS exclusive, so that may cause some interesting glances at the conference itself.
Fairly Likely – Wolfenstein 3
I know people are going to point to Indiana Jones and say Machine Games is too busy for B J Blazkowicz, but I feel like that game is still years and years away. I firmly believe that Machine Games have a third Wolfenstein game close to finished and is ready to finish the story after the open-ended ending of the second game. I need some more of what in my mind is the best story-driven FPS franchise since Half-Life and I hope we see it on stage at this year’s E3
Wishful Thinking – Quake 5
So with Doom Eternal done for now and Quake Champions being a bit of a bust, it is time to return to the single-player shenanigans of the second and fourth Quake game. Both Wolfenstein and Doom have had massively successful modern reboots so now it is time for Quake to follow suit. I am sure ID software want a break from Doom at the moment so why not dive into another cherished IP that has had a rough run of late? Fingers crossed right?
Shaun Nicholls
Safe Bet – Starfield
So we had an announcement trailer in 2018 and nothing much since then. Well, I am pretty sure it is about time we finally get a good look at this new IP from Bethesda, and possibly getting a release date for it as well. How much we get to see is debatable and will depend on how far away from the release date we are, but I would expect a story trailer and maybe even some gameplay as well.
Fairly Likely – Elder Scrolls 6
Much like Starfield, we have not had any info about Elder Scrolls 6 since E3 2018. Unlike Starfield though we know that ES6 is still going to be a while away yet. However, given that the next two games slated to come out, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, both have at least timed Playstation exclusivity unless Bethesda has a sneaky game they have been developing in secret then I think we will see some ES6 to tide over the fans.
Wishful Thinking – Fallout: New Vegas Remade
I loved New Vegas and played it through many many times, yet always ending up being the hero of the Mojave Wastes. With today’s tech that game could look fantastic and can introduce a whole new generation to the Fallout spin-off that so many of us hold near and dear.
Jess Zammit
Safe Bet – Starfield
The promo art for the showcase is Starfield themed, right? It has to happen. It’s Bethesda’s upcoming big space RPG (and if the recent reception to Mass Effect’s Legendary Edition shows anything, it’s that everyone’s here for a good space RPG). We haven’t seen much of the game since its 2018 reveal, but odds are pretty good that we’re about to get a whole lot more info. That, or Bethesda have really doubled down on misdirection in their marketing, which would be an interesting choice for a power move.
Fairly Likely – Deathloop
It’s due to release pretty soon, so surely we’re going to see something – even if it isn’t anything groundbreakingly new. But hype levels need to be built, and E3 is the ultimate hype-building event, so it would be strange if Deathloop didn’t make some kind of appearance.
Wishful Thinking – Indiana Jones
It’s probably too early to be getting any new content for a game that was just teased in January, but I’m so intrigued by this game that I’m going to cross my fingers. Even if they just dramatically play the good old Indy music over some more footage and answer zero questions, I’ll probably count that as a win.
Stephen del Prado
Safe Bet – Deathloop
With its impending release, it makes sense to push Deathloop and lift those hype levels. Arkane hasn’t let me down in any prior release, but it’s safe to say that the sales numbers haven’t always reflected the critical reception – hopefully Deathloop can turn things around for the studio with the ongoing support of Microsoft going forward.
Fairly Likely – Starfield
It’s been three years since Starfield was revealed, giving Bethesda plenty of time to cook something up for showing. Expectations are high given the pedigree of the studio, and this being their first new IP in decades brings a weight like none before it. A rumoured release next year exclusively to Xbox could also do a lot to sway sales leading up to the 2021 Holiday season, something that Microsoft could only encourage.
Wishful Thinking – Morrowind Remake
Morrowind was a revelation for me on release – weird, dark, not particularly friendly in the ways Oblivion and Skyrim were. Not having anywhere near the money for a PC, I traded my PS2 and a handful of games in to secure an Xbox console and Morrowind GOTY Edition. I expect Elder Scrolls VI is a good 3-4 years away at this point, so I’d love to see Morrowind get a ground-up revamp rather than yet another Skyrim rerelease. With Oblivion exceedingly underwhelming in retrospect (outside of the Shivering Isles), it leaves Morrowind as the obvious choice (sorry Daggerfall fans).
Paul James
Safe Bet – Starfield
It’s been wayyyyy too long getting to this point, but E3 2021 is finally playing host to the much anticipated new title from Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield. From external noise, it seems clear that Bethesda has their eyes on what Bioware achieved with Mass Effect, and are looking to eclipse their efforts, but it’s been a long time since Fallout 4 and there are bigger questions that need answering. The bugs, how can they arrest them? The aging engine, when is a significant upgrade going to happen? The game itself, what are they shooting for? Hopefully, 2/3 of these questions are about to be comprehensively answered in a week from now.
Fairly Likely – Deathloop
The reason that there are even two separate conferences, one for Microsoft, and one for Bethesda is due to this sucker. With Deathloop still being a PlayStation exclusive due to prior contractual agreements between Bethesda and Sony, Deathloop will need to be presented, given its imminent release, but couldn’t possibly be shown on the Microsoft stage. This very interesting AAA rogue-lite has been teasing us for some time now, but E3 2021 is the scene for the breakout showing.
Wishful Thinking – The Elder Scrolls VI
You’ve waited a long time for more Elder Scrolls, but you’re just going to have to keep on waiting. This one is still a number of years off with Starfield only now closing in on a launch window. The marketing for it was mismanaged, but what’s done is done, and we all just need to sit in hope that the game makes it sometime before the end of 2025.
