E3 2019: The Biggest Rumored Game Announcements

Technically, Mortal Kombat never really died, it held on by a thread during the PS2 generation. Titles like Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon made several changes to the formula, making the series unrecognizable from its roots except for the trademark aesthetic. After Midway closed its doors and the studio was picked up by Warner Bros., Ed Boon and his team became NetherRealm Studios and got to work on a return to form. 2011’s Mortal Kombat brought the battles back to a two-dimensional plane and added a story mode where bouts were divided up by detailed cutscenes showing the game’s soap opera-esque narrat

Though Wolfenstein 3D may not have been the first FPS , it certainly revolutionized the genre and made it a force to be reckoned with. Hype for the series waned over time, but MachineGames brought it back in full force with 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order . The alternate history game brought a surprising depth to the narrative. Players came in thinking Inglorious Basterds , but got something more along the lines of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Cast

Alongside games like Knights of the Old Republic , which featured its own morality system with a light side and dark side meter, black-and-white moral systems were fairly common in a game, adding an additional layer of depth to individual characters. It was an early blueprint for what was to come, providing ways for players to impact a game’s narrative, at least to a degree, with decision making, but not quite having the effect on entire worlds like fans see in more modern ga

Microsoft’s premiere RPG franchise is Fable , with the first three Fable games all launching to various degrees of success. But despite their popularity, Microsoft has squandered the IP in recent years, releasing misguided spin-offs instead of proper sequels. However, rumors indicate that the Fable franchise will soon be coming back in a big way on Xbox Series X. According to various reports, Fable 4 is in active development at Playground Games , with the game set to be a major return to form for the series. There’s a chance that Fable 4 could even be revealed as early as next month’s Xbox 20/20 July presentation, so fans of the franchise should be sure to tune in just in c

Nintendo’s surprise Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal was the addition of Banjo-Kazooie as a DLC fighter , something that seems incredible considering that Microsoft owns the license to the franchise. But many fans were hoping for more than just a cameo in a fighting game, they wanted a full-fledged Banjo-Kazooie title – something that apparently just isn’t in the cards right

One of the biggest, if not the biggest game at E3 2019, was CD Projekt RED’s ambitious open world Star Wars game world title, Cyberpunk 2077 . The CG trailer introduced fans to the male version of V, showed off lots of newer story elements and plot points, and finally gave fans what they want: An actual release date for the game. With one of the biggest questions about the title answered, the studio could’ve stopped there. Instead, it upped the ante even further by announcing the inclusion of Johnny Silverhand played by none other than Keanu Reev

From Software’s next game is rumored to be titled Great Rune, and comes as a result of a collaboration with A Song of Ice and Fire writer George R. R. Martin. It’s rumored to feature three different playable characters set in the backdrop of a 100-year civil war, and recently discovered game files of Sekiro suggest Great Rune is a legitimate rumor . From Software is allegedly announcing this game at E3 2019, but if so and to what extent is currently in the

Microsoft plans on launching its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X , at some point later this year. So far, the only first-party game confirmed for the Xbox Series X is the upcoming Halo Infinite , leaving much of the console’s launch lineup a myst

On Sony’s original PlayStation, there were no better platformers than the Crash Bandicoot trilogy. All three games gave everything one desires from the genre: challenge, beautiful art, and rewarding secrets. The next generation wasn’t as kind to the mascot, and he was nearly silent on the PS3 and Xbox

An Xbox 360 launch title, Kameo: Elements of Power was essentially Rare’s take on The Legend of Zelda franchise. The game was popular enough for its time, but like many Rare IP, has since been abandoned. A Kameo sequel could expand on what Rare established with the original game, while also addressing its faults and delivering a generally higher-quality adventure. Microsoft doesn’t really have a Legend of Zelda -equivalent exclusive for Xbox, but it could very well use the Kameo franchise to fill that v

This unforgiving turn-based strategy series was adored by its niche audience back in the ’90s. After 2001, the franchise dropped off the map for more than ten years until 2012’s X-COM: Enemy Unknown . The title received more attention than usual for the genre and managed to break into the mainstream audience. A sequel came out in 2016, ratcheting up the difficulty and arsenal of weaponry. Rarely do such difficult games garner such a player base, but this decade has seen intense challenges gain a new appreciation with this series and games like Dark Sou