Well, we've reached the end of our 2017 E3 Predictions but we've saved the biggest for last. All bias and fanboyism aside, Sony has owned E3 every single year since the PS4 emerged in 2013. The company has been on a hot streak like nothing ever seen in the industry before.
This year Sony has a lot more of their cards already on the deck, so it might not be a hugely surprising show like the past two years. That's not to say it won't be an exciting show, on the contrary it will be a fascinating one! Last year Sony revealed Resident Evil 7, Days Gone, Spider-Man, God of War, and lots more. And this year, we're set to see a lot more of these titles and possibly get some release dates.
Of course, there will definitely be a couple of surprises as well. So, for the last time this year, get hyped!!
Spider-Man
One of Sony's biggest announcements last year was an exclusive Spider-Man game being made by Insomniac Games. That's a massive deal but it might not seem like that just yet. For so many years we got mediocre Spider-Man games from Activision, games that were rushed out to fit a specific release date. Now though, we're getting a Spider-Man game from one of the best developers in the industry, a team who is getting as much time as they need to make it, and it's exclusive to the PS4.
Marvel has hit the reset button on the video games department and Spider-Man is the first real showing of that. So this could easily be the start of something special, akin to Arkham Asylum, that spawns an entire universe of amazing superhero games. There's a lot riding on this Spider-Man game but I expect a gameplay demo at E3 to seriously blow some minds!
ThatGameCompany
It's been five long years since ThatGameCompany released the seminal Journey. Expectations for the company's next game have been astronomical and the guys and gals have definitely taken their time in crafting an experience.
The studio has started teasing the game since last year and have said it will be a story about "giving", as well as showing children and candles. That's about all we know but the game is scheduled for release this year, so the time to show it is nigh.
Bloodborne II
It's no secret that Sony really regretted letting Demon Souls go as an exclusive game. The company simply didn't see the potential in what would become Dark Souls. This was rectified when the company announced Bloodborne at E3 in 2014, a game that went on to sell millions of copies.
The game was a critical and commercial darling and a sequel is inevitable. Now, given that it was only released in 2015, it may be too soon for a sequel but From Software are really good at quick turnarounds and I wouldn't be surprised to see a trailer for a sequel with no release date. As they say in the sister series, "Prepare to Die".
Days Gone
After many years of curiosity regarding what Sony Bend were up to over there in Oregon, the company finally revealed its baby to the public last E3, and that was Days Gone.
Now, a lot of people walked away from last year's E3 thinking Days Gone didn't look special. They said it was "just another zombie game", or a "crappy The Last of Us", but that couldn't be further from the truth. It seems everyone forgot about the fantastic story trailer that played for Days Gone in the middle of Sony's conference - which depicted a biker gang following the outbreak of a virus. The main character wasn't a by-the-numbers gruff hero, he was an emotional, broken man who longed for the days when he used to be with his lover.
Days Gone isn't just another zombie game, it's a really nuanced, fun zombie game with a huge, beautiful open world, deep characters, and a fascinating story. It's the zombie game people have wanted and waited for for years and I think it's going to surprise a lot of people both at this year's E3 and when it releases, which should be fairly soon.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
One of Sony's most under-the-radar games is Ni no Kuni II, a sequel to the incredible JRPG from 2011. There has been multiple games in the series but it was 2011's Wrath of the White Witch that really turned heads.
For years, I along with countless others, cried out for a big open-world Pokemon game. Well, Ni no Kuni gave me everything I ever wanted from that; a stunning world filled with unique creatures to battle and capture, and a heart-breaking story. It's a game that slowly but surely gathered a big following through word of mouth and became a real cult hit.
The sequel Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was announced for PS4 back in 2015. Last year at E3 we got a nice long look at the game and it looks really far along into development, which means I wouldn't be at all surprised to get another trailer, accompanied by a release date for either this year or early next.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a standalone expansion for Uncharted IV: A Thief's End, and it releases this August.
The expansion is said to be between 4 and 12 hours long, which makes it the longest DLC Naughty Dog has ever made, and, for all intents and purposes, a new Uncharted game!
There's not much to say here, but the game launches in two months so it's fairly obvious we will get a new trailer or gameplay clip to wet our appetites and remind us the game is coming soon!
PlayStation VR
This here will be a very unpredictable section of Sony's conference. It's absolutely certain that PS VR will be shown in some capacity, but it's unclear how much time is spent on it.
PS VR has sold over a million units, which puts it vastly ahead of all other VR competition. Sony may want to give the system a new push, especially since Farpoint just released, or the company may let the hardware continue to sell without a ton of marketing.
Regardless, we're liable to see a handful of new VR games revealed at E3. I expect two or three to get full trailers, and then a quick sizzle reel for 10 or so upcoming titles. We may also hear about a bundle for the hardware, so if you've been waiting to purchase, wait just a little longer!
Sucker Punch
Sucker Punch is one of Sony's very best studios, responsible for both the Sly Cooper franchise, and the inFamous franchise.
inFamous: Second Son launched in 2014 for PS4 and was a great game, quite underrated actually. That was three years ago and it's quite likely we'll see what the studio has been hard at work on. At E3 2015, Shuhei Yoshida said he had played a working build of Sucker Punch's next game and the team was rumoured to be working on Spider-Man last year, although that turned out to be untrue.
The team are almost certainly working on a new game though, nothing related to inFamous, but we know absolutely nothing more right now. I think there is a strong chance we see what the new game is and it could very well steal the show!
Star Wars Battlefront II/Destiny 2/Call of Duty WII
Sony has done a fantastic job this generation in partnering with third-party developers, particularly Activision and EA. Every year Call of Duty and Destiny make an appearance on Sony's E3 stage, and this year will be no different.
As well as the Activision titles, Star Wars Battlefront II is sure to make an appearance on Sony's stage, with a likely announcement for exclusive and timed DLC.
The outlier here is Red Dead Redemption II. Sony also has a marketing partnership with Rockstar when it comes to the western sequel, so there is a possibility that we see a new trailer at E3. Rockstar generally don't appear at E3 but GTA V remastered was announced on Sony's stage at E3 2014, so an appearance isn't out of the question. Also, when the game was delayed Rockstar said we would see more soon, and E3 seems perfect.
A trailer for Red Dead Redemption II could win E3 for Sony by itself!
God of War
Last year at E3, Sony opened the show with the reboot of God of War. The new, story-driven, character-focused, beautiful God of War stole the show and completely reinvented the series.
The game looked phenomenal and we haven't seen a single glimpse of it since. Throw in the massive wall mural Sony had painted for E3, and it seems God of War will be the focal point of Sony's conference. I expect another lengthy gameplay section, followed by a release date to close out E3 2017 for Sony.
The return of Kratos is going to be a very big deal and what better way to end proceedings than by telling us when we'll get to play it.
That's it for our Sony E3 2017 predictions, as well as all of the E3 predictions for this year!
It's going to be an amazing show this year for Sony, and that would be the case even if no new games were revealed. With Spider-Man, God of War, Days Gone, Ni no Kuni, and Uncharted, Sony could easily walk away on Monday, once again the winners of E3!
What do you want to see Sony reveal at E3? Do you agree or disagree with our predictions? Let us know in the comments and, as always, stay tuned to GameSkinny!
Published: Jun 11, 2017 09:59 pm