These are the things I want to see at E3 2019

Can you believe that we are just over one month away from E3 2019, the year is moving at a breakneck speed and while we have had some incredible games already, Apex Legends, Metro Exodus and more, E3 is all about looking towards the future, so with that in mind, here are the 5 titles I want to learn more about, or see shown off at E3 2019.

At the end of 2019, you will have three ways to enjoy your Star Wars content, on the big screen with the final chapter of the Skywalker story in Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, on tv or digital devices with The Mandalorian or on your gaming platform of choice with Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and the game is going to be at EA Play, which runs the weekend before E3.

While the game was debuted at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, there was no gameplay shown, just story and while the story sounds intriguing, a former Jedi Padawan living in hiding, before being exposed and having to flee from the Second Sister. The cast has some strong chops, coming from Gotham and Wolfenstein, plus the father of Star Wars sounds, Ben Burtt has created an all new voice for Cal’s droid BD-1.

The small sections of the story trailer, that seem like gameplay, lead to belief that it will play much like Titanfall 2, just without the giant robot and force powers instead. If nothing I have said above makes you stand up and take notice, the game is being written by videogame legend Chris Avellone, know for his work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Baldur's Gate and more.

It will have been 12 months since we got a tease of the next Halo game and the next time we see it, or at least I hope it is, with Halo 5 Guardians ended, there are a great many questions that need answers, the fate of Cortana at the top of that list.

In fact the list of things we know is way shorter, I even hesitate to call it a list, more like dot points, we know it is set on a new installation, one teeming with life. The game is being made on a new engine called Slipspace and that is it, we are not even sure the game is coming only to Xbox One and not the new device, whatever it is called.

Given the rabid nature of Halo fans, the series will make a showing at E3, even if it is just more details about the upcoming PC release of The Master Chief Collection, though that might be at the PC Game Show, but more details about Halo Infinite would be very much appreciated.

By the time E3 will have come around, we will be at 10 months, since it was announced and since that brief bait and switch, pun intended, we have had no information on the next entry in the evergreen series.

Due to the lack of information, there has been a lot of speculation that Animal Crossing might not make its 2019 release, but Nintendo recently confirmed to investors that the game is still on track for a release this year. What the game includes is anyone’s guess, but given the ok-ness of Pocket Camp, along with New Leaf’s continuing success, 7 years later, a combination of the two is not out of the question.

There is one question that must be asked, will the game offer up something new, or are we going to get a slightly prettier version of New Leaf and while a number of people would be ok with that, the basic formula has not really changed since the first game. Adding in multiple jobs for players could be one part at adding more depth into the game, of course, with the Switch’s success, there is no doubt the game will sell well, but dropping more bells on a remaster is not enough, so give us the details.

At this point, the only thing we are missing is the confirmation from both companies, but there is a lot left unknown. There was the announcement or leak if you prefer of Xbox Live coming to Switch before GDC back in March and then Cuphead was announced for Switch, with the developers announcing that the game would be updated to add Xbox Live achievements and such down the line.

At GDC there was even a screenshot from one of the presentations shown off with the names Mr Xbox and Mr Switch on it, once more providing more support for Xbox Live is coming to Switch. Of course, for the Game Pass side of things, the rumours were about it launching with Cuphead on it and Ori coming soon after and while Cuphead became its own release, there is still talk of Ori coming via Game Pass.

Regardless of which parts are real or not, the suspense is the killer, if neither service is coming then fine, but just say so, the problem is Xbox Live is coming with Xbox somewhat confirming it in a post after GDC, we just need the details. Of course, if Xbox Game Pass comes to Switch, that would mean that you can play Mario or Halo on the same device for the first time ever.

It has been the case of late that new hardware is not really revealed at E3, the last time we got proper console looks was the PlayStation 3, it debuted at the show and then soured everyone with its price and cgi gameplay. Xbox changed things a bit back in 2017, when they detailed the Xbox One X at the top of their show, but that was not new hardware, just revamped, but if the rumours are to be believed, we might see more.

There is talk that the next Xbox might be announced at the show, how that happens is anyones guess right now, Xbox teased the X with a video of people talking to a camera in 2016. Will we see Halo Infinite running on the new console, which leads to a tease about the platform, or will it never appear at all?

Of course, PlayStation is skipping E3 this year, but they recently confirmed via The Verge that the PlayStation 5 is in development and will not see release in the next 12 months, which brings it to E3 2020. PlayStation have kicked off their own direct to gamer presentations in the form of State of Play, will they soak up some E3 viewership with their own during the show and sneak a peak at the PS5, anything is possible.

Of course, there are also plenty of rumours about Nintendo announcing two new Switch models, a cheaper version and the Switch Pro, for lack of a better name. The talks have the cheaper one coming out in August or October, depending on who you ask, while the Pro is set for a bundle in November with Pokémon, the problem is, we don’t even know if they are real, let alone if they are releasing this year. Does the appeal of some faster specs and larger storage in a Switch Pro making it appealing, or does the thought of a cheaper Switch for the kids make more sense, who knows.

So while E3 has not become the bastion of hardware reveals it once was, there is no denying that there is potential in 2019, but who will reach out for it.