E3 2016 – Andreas’ personal highlights

The E3 is just around the corner. The first press conferences from major publishers begin on June 12. I’m really looking forward to many new announcements.

Of course, not too many games are known yet that will be showcased at the fair, after all, there should be one or two surprises. However, there are a few games that are already known to be presented. As in previous years, there seems to be a bit of a lack of great new announcements in the MMORPG area. What will be shown in this area is still not entirely clear at the moment. Therefore, I have to speculate a bit about what I would like to see and will divide the article into online and offline games.

New in Online and Offline

In the online games area, I would be very excited about the announcement of a new AAA MMORPG. Electronic Arts recently stated that they are considering returning to the Ultima and Wing Commander franchises. How about a new Ultima Online or a Wing Commander MMO that follows in the footsteps of Star Citizen? Speaking of Star Citizen, Chris Roberts’ space epic will not be shown at the fair, so I can’t look forward to that either.

ION

In 2015, DayZ creator Dean Hall announced the MMO ION. In the game, players are to experience the colonization of the universe by humanity and encounter a massive, simulated universe. So, a sort of No Man’s Sky with real MMORPG elements. After a year, I hope we will finally see something from the game.

Lineage Eternal

I have been following Lineage Eternal for years and thought when I saw the first trailer about how cool it looked and that I would really like this game concept – a mix of Diablo and MMO. Therefore, I am curious what NC Soft will show new about this game.

Bless

I have heard a lot about Bless – both good and less good, and yet I am just as excited about what it will ultimately be like. Perhaps a potential presentation at E3 will provide more insights into the MMORPG that at least looks fantastic.

Battlefield 1

I mainly played the Battlefield series because I had to test many mods for it in the past. I’m not a big fan of shooters, but I have always liked Battlefield due to the epic battles, and I find the setting of World War I for Battlefield 1 very interesting.

Bethesda Softworks

Actually, I could list Bethesda among both online and offline games. On one hand, I hope for something big and cool for The Elder Scrolls Online and perhaps even the announcement of a Fallout; on the other hand, I would be thrilled if they showed The Elder Scrolls 6.

There are many offline games that interest me, especially since more focus has been placed on this area in recent years.

Horizon – Zero Dawn

The post-apocalyptic action RPG looks outrageously good, and the scenario of a world populated by living robots, which hides a secret, already makes me eager to play it. Unfortunately, the release has only recently been postponed to February 2017.

Red Dead Redemption 2

It is still not confirmed that Rockstar Games will showcase the western game Red Dead Redemption 2, but I hope so. I had an incredible amount of fun with the predecessor, and just imagine a possible online mode like in GTA…

Watch Dogs 2

Many consider Watch Dogs to be significantly worse than GTA V. Ubisoft’s open-world action game may not measure up to Rockstar’s cult game, but I have spent a lot of time hacking and I am already looking forward to the sequel. Maybe this time also with a GTA-like online mode…

Virtual and Augmented Reality

I am very excited about the games that will be announced in the field of virtual reality for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. So far, I don’t see any reason to invest in new technology, but with the right game, that could change. How about a VR MMORPG? I also find augmented reality exciting, and Minecraft for AR has shown what can be done with the technology. Even here, interesting games could entice me to want to get a Hololens or another AR headset.

I am very much looking forward to what E3 will offer this year and of course hope for a truly big surprise.