The E3 2021 is officially over. A lot was shown, but there were some games that we at MeinMMO missed at the digital fair. Here are 6 of them.
What it’s about: The days following the end of a major gaming fair are always filled with much anticipation for all the games that are finally getting more information or even release dates, mixed with a slight pinch of sadness.
Of course, at a gaming fair, not everything one wants to see is shown, no matter how big it is. And so we missed some games at this year’s digital E3, for which we would have liked to receive another tidbit of information. Here are 6 of them that we are most excited about.
Final Fantasy XVI
Genre: Action-RPG | Developer: Square Enix | Publisher: Square Enix | Platform: PS5 | Release Window: 2021
What do we know about the game? Final Fantasy XVI was first revealed at Sony’s major PS5 showcase. The next flagship game from Square Enix is being developed under the leadership of Naoki Yoshida, who brought FFXIV back from obscurity.
The RPG returns to a high-fantasy setting and takes place in the world of Valisthea, blessed by the light of crystals. They give life to the land and grant its inhabitants the power of magic. A few chosen ones can even summon powerful Espers, the classic summons from FF games like Shiva or Titan.
In the game, you take on the role of Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria, one of the 5 kingdoms of Valisthea. He is the protector of his brother Joshua, who can summon the mighty Esper Phoenix. However, due to intrigues and the mysterious Esper Ifrit, Clive loses everything he ever held dear.
Similar to the predecessor FFXV, the combat system of the new Final Fantasy game is heavily action-oriented. Clive is a skilled swordsman who dispatches his opponents with quick strikes and magic. The trailer also shows that he can use Esper abilities in combat, such as Phoenix’s wings or Titan’s fists. However, nothing is yet known about the skill and armor system.
Why I missed the game:
As a long-time fan, I’ve eagerly anticipated every main entry in the Final Fantasy series. FFXVI is one of the highlights slated for release this year. Accordingly, I’ve kept checking the news regularly, waiting for more information about the game.
E3 seemed like a perfect opportunity to show fans a piece of news or a new trailer, especially since the game is supposed to be released in 2021. Unfortunately, neither was presented during the Square Enix conference. It’s certainly possible that SE is preparing a major presentation packed with new information, but it would have been nice to see a sign of life during E3.
Irina Moritz
Community Manager at Mein-MMO
Grand Theft Auto 6
Genre: TBA | Developer: TBA | Publisher: Rockstar Games | Platform: TBA | Release Window: TBA
What do we know about the game? We don’t actually “know” much about GTA 6 and its release. The Rockstar Games team is keeping it very under wraps – it hasn’t even been officially announced. However, various sources report leaks from internal sources that claim to know the setting.
- Vice City? For many players, the abbreviation “GTA VI” alone is reason enough to believe it will be [GTA VI]CE City. A leak about GTA 6 from 2018 discusses that GTA 6 is allegedly to be released in 2022, is set in Vice City, and has a female lead.
- Narcos? Other leaks suggest that the Vice City setting has been scrapped. Instead, it references an extremely popular series and brings GTA 6 with Narcos setting.
These are the hottest leak candidates for the setting. In April 2020, author Jason Schreier, known for having many insider sources, stated that GTA 6 is still at the beginning of development.
Why I missed the game:
I have spent over 1,000 hours in GTA Online and know the map, houses, intersections, missions, and heists very well. I still have a lot of fun in the online world, but a new installment in the series would be great now. GTA 5 was released in September 2013 – that’s nearly 8 years ago. If Rockstar had simply shown a teaser during E3 – a tagline like “VI … 2024” – fans, including myself, would have gone wild.
Just a confirmation, officially: “Yes, a new installment of Grand Theft Auto is coming. Don’t worry. We’re on it.” That would have sufficed for me and likely would have landed in the top 3 of my E3 highlights for 2021. After all the leaks that have circulated in the online world for years, I would have appreciated a small sign of life.
Patrick Freese
Editor at Mein-MMO
Everwild
Genre: Open-World Adventure | Developer: Rare | Publisher: Xbox Game Studios | Platform: PC, Xbox Series X / S | Release Window: 2023
What do we know about Everwild? So far, we only know two trailers that show a mystical world. Humans seem to live in harmony with nature. In symbiosis with fantastic beings, they protect their world and help the strange creatures.
We know nothing about the gameplay, the game’s objective, or the story of the world.
- The open-world adventure from Rare was first shown at XO19 in 2019.
- During an Xbox showcase in 2020, a new trailer was released. Since then, there has been radio silence.
- However, it seems there were issues during development (via VGC).
The Creative Director Simon Woodroffe left the team at the end of 2020, which was indirectly confirmed by Rare. At the end of last year, Gregg Mayles was introduced as the new Creative Director. He is a veteran of the studio and worked on Donkey Kong Country and Sea of Thieves.
It is alleged that there has since been a complete overhaul of Everwild’s design and direction. It may now take a while before we hear anything about the game again. Everwild has been in production since 2016. The release is now targeted for 2023.
Why I missed the game:
When I see a trailer with a huge swamp amphibian in pastel colors releasing a shimmering school of fish from its mouth into the water, I can’t help but be highly interested.
I have started many games just because I was eager to see the creatures in their worlds. I like the underlying theme of wanting to create a harmonious symbiosis with the life around me. So many video games revolve around fighting, killing, and destruction that I can only welcome the contrast.
Additionally, I have been a fan of the developer studio Rare since at least Banjo Kazooie on the N64. Even in their cooperative game Sea of Thieves, it is evident that they can create loving, beautiful worlds with a good dose of humor.
The Xbox-Bethesda show would have been a perfect time to give us an update on Everwild and flash a big “Xbox Game Pass: Day One”. Maybe at the next E3.
Leya Jankowski
Editor-in-Chief at Mein-MMO
The Division: Heartland
Genre: Free2Play Shooter | Developer: Red Storm Entertainment | Publisher: Ubisoft | Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 | Release Window: 2021
What do we know about the game? The game was just recently announced and is currently in a closed alpha, but it is supposed to be released in 2021. There is still no official gameplay or images about it; alpha participants are not allowed to share their experiences or materials publicly.
It will be its own free-to-play game (not a Division 2 expansion). It will take place in the Division universe but does not require any prior knowledge of the previous Division games.
Leaks have revealed the following so far:
- As a Division agent, you make your way through the small American town of Silver Creek – situated in a rural area and not in a typical city found in series.
- The air in Silver Creek is toxic and there are raiders everywhere, who are hostile towards you and other Division agents. You must escape.
- There are two game modes: a purely cooperative PvE mode with teams (1-3 players per team) and a PvEvP mode with 45 players (15 teams of 3 players each).
- The graphics and general gameplay resemble those of The Division 2. Players often take cover – loot and weapons seem to have been borrowed from the “big brother”.
- The game bears great similarities to Scavengers and has parallels to the popular survival mode from The Division 1.
Why I missed the game:
I am a long-time fan of the series and still play regularly. However, new content is currently scarce for The Division 2, and the developers of the main series lack fresh ideas to motivate players to continuously equip their agent gear.
Will the upcoming content for The Division 2 improve things? I don’t know. However, the (leaked) idea behind Heartland, which is being developed alongside new Division 2 content, sounds quite exciting thus far and reminds me of the excellent survival from The Division 1. As a loyal fan, I was hoping for more information on the upcoming spin-off at E3.
Unfortunately, this wish was not fulfilled, but it would have been a perfect opportunity to give the dwindling active players a lifeline they could cling to in the meantime. Because that has become increasingly difficult.
Sven Galitzki
Freelance Author at Mein-MMO
Metroid Prime 4
Genre: Action-Adventure | Developer: Retro Studios | Publisher: Nintendo | Platform: Nintendo Switch | Release Window: TBA
What do we know about Metroid Prime 4? The Prime trilogy is a sort of 3D offshoot of the famous 2D Metroid games, which helped establish the Metroidvania genre. The first part was released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube.
Games of this genre feature a cohesive game world that players must explore without clear objectives. At the start, many areas are still inaccessible and only become explorable as the game progresses.
The fourth part of the Metroid Prime series was unexpectedly announced at E3 2017, about 10 years after the predecessor was released for the Nintendo Wii.
So far, we actually know almost nothing about the fourth part. Since the announcement, there has only been a brief teaser showing nothing more than the title’s text. It is likely that Metroid Prime 4 will continue the storyline of its predecessor.
The announcement caused huge hype among fans of the series. But a year and a half later came the dampener: Nintendo announced that development was not going as desired and that they would have to restart the title from scratch. They even switched back to the Retro Studios, which were also responsible for the original trilogy.
Why I missed the game:
Since the last information about Metroid Prime 4 is a while back, I had hoped at least for a short teaser or concept images at E3 2021.
The Metroid Prime series is among the best games I have played in my “gamer career” and is unique for me with its blend of shooter action, exploring the mysterious game world, solving puzzles and riddles.
The atmosphere of the games and their worlds is unmatched for me and I have been looking forward to a possible fourth part for about 14 years.
At least, with Metroid Dread, a sequel to the fantastic 2D spinoff Metroid Fusion, that is a small consolation. Moreover, I prefer it if Nintendo takes its time with Metroid Prime 4 and delivers a worthy successor.
Still, my gamer heart shed at least a small tear after there were no news again.
Tarek Zehrer
Freelance Author at Mein-MMO
The Elder Scrolls 6
Genre: RPG | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks | Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Release Window: TBA
What do we know about the game? Aside from a very short teaser at E3 2018, not much has been shown about the sixth installment of the Elder Scrolls series. The trailer also only provided a brief glimpse of a vast landscape, which did not even hint at the game’s setting.
TES 6 should again primarily be a single-player RPG and offer another large, open world filled with unexpected and quirky events. This fundamental principle of the series should also remain unchanged in the 6th installment.
At E3 2021, TES 6 was completely absent, but some fans claim to have discovered a clue about the game’s setting in the Starfield trailer: An inconspicuous scratch on a window in Starfield allegedly resembles the regions of High Rock and Hammerfell in the Elder Scrolls world (via GameStar).
A large part of the community also strongly believes that these two regions will be the new setting in TES 6. This could mean a mixture of dark forests, remote moors, half-timbered towns, and vast steppes and deserts.
Why I missed the game:
I have been waiting for years for the latest TES game, especially because I enjoy playing ESO and am curious about how the developers may connect both games. For example, by completing a quest in ESO, the consequences could then appear in a different quest in TES 6 (assuming TES 6 takes place after ESO).
Furthermore, I was absolutely sure that the title “Redfall” was hiding TES 6, as the region of Hammerfell is inhabited by the people of the Rothwardons (Redguards). Redfall would thus connect both terms and would be an excellent title for an upcoming TES game. There was even a leak about Redfall and TES 6 in 2020. But unfortunately, nothing came.
Jürgen Horn
Editor at Mein-MMO
And how about you? Were there any games you would have liked to see at E3, or were you completely satisfied with the games shown? Let us know in the comments.
