Where's that Final Fantasy 7 remake? Every game we missed at E3 2018
The radio silence is driving us wild.
Maybe next year...
The big E3 2018 press conferences have come and gone, with the jaw-dropping Cyberpunk 2077, the provocative The Last of Us 2 and the jam-packed Smash Bros. Ultimate leading the excitement for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo respectively.
But as hectic as this year's E3 was, there were still some notable absences on every platform. Each of these games may get their time in the sun during future events, but during E3 at least, they were scarcely mentioned.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Kingdom Hearts 3 got a big push from developer Square Enix this year, and for good reason: It's hitting stores early next year, and fans have been waiting more than 10 years for another flagship entry in the series. But it's been more than 20 years since Final Fantasy 7 first debuted, and three years since its remake was first teased.
So far, all we know for sure is this: the remake will be split into multiple parts; its battle system will shift toward action and away from menu-heavy, turn-based combat; and there will be some changes made to the story beats to update the game for modern audiences.
The game's director, Tetsuya Nomura, told the Verge Thursday that the remake is in active development, and is happening in parallel with his efforts leading Kingdom Hearts' development.
But for fans looking for more than just a breadcrumb trail of updates, Sony's E3 2018 event had a huge buster sword-shaped hole in it.
Metroid Prime 4
We got our first tease for Metroid Prime 4 at last year's E3, and since then... silence. Nintendo has confirmed it'll be a first-person game, but that's it. Is Retro Studios, which brought the Metroid Prime series into existence, working on it? Is Bandai Namco involved? Is it a sequel, a prequel or a side story? No one knows, and E3 2018 didn't change that.
Skate 4
If you were watching any press conference stream that had a public chat, you probably saw people yelling about Skate 4. For years, fans have screamed "Skate 4" into the void, attacking YouTube streams, forums and Instagram comment threads. But year after year, EA press conference after EA press conference, their cries are unheard.
Maybe next year, Skate 4 maniacs.
Me when the trailer ended and it said, “Sessions” instead of Skate 4 pic.twitter.com/75UnsZsQaC
— 🗣‼️#Free@ItsLauraBear‼️🗣 (@TGBEric) June 10, 2018
But at least we did get a trailer for Session, a kickstarted skateboarding game that may scratch your ollie itch.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Yet again, developer Rockstar had no dedicated presence at E3, and publisher Take-Two Interactive was pretty much silent during the show. But there was still a sliver of hope that Red Dead Redemption 2 would get some kind of showing during E3, especially given that its October 26 release date is rapidly approaching. But fans will have to hang up their spurs and wait a while longer for more details on Rockstar's next open-world opus.
Crystal Dynamics' Avengers game
Last year, a surprise teaser revealed that Crystal Dynamics, the studio that spearheaded the Tomb Raider franchise's comeback, would be bringing its talents to bear on Marvel's superheroes. That so-called Avengers Project "is being designed for gamers worldwide and will be packed with all the characters, environments and iconic moments that have thrilled longtime fans of the franchise. Featuring a completely original story, it will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come."
That last bit hints at a broader, multiplayer ecosystem like we've seen in games such as Destiny 2 or The Division, and Crystal Dynamics is partnering with Eidos Montreal to tackle the video game adaptation of the biggest movie series in the world. But outside of those details, we're still effectively in the dark.
See also
Throw us a bone here
In addition to the games we wish we saw but didn't, we also got several teases that were characteristic of E3. A long shot of a beautiful vista. A slow musical build that hits a crescendo as a familiar logo or character appears on screen. A title is revealed, but without a date attached. This year, we got several, but the oddest reveal-but-not-a-reveal was for Jedi: Fallen Order.
The latest EA-produced Star Wars game, Jedi: Fallen Order will be developed by Respawn Entertainment, of Titanfall fame. But we didn't get a trailer teaser or a gameplay showcase. Instead, it was just spoken about during EA's press conference, with a website with a sparse few details popping up after the show.
Then, during Microsoft and Bethesda's respective events, their most anticipated properties were teased with excruciatingly little additional detail.
You can check out the reveal trailers for Halo Infinite, Starfield (Bethesda's first new game series in 25 years) and Elder Scrolls 6 below, but none of them will tell you much about the actual games. Better luck next year... or the year after that... or at E3 2021?
E3 2018: Everything you need to know.
E3 2018 coverage at CNET: All of our E3 2018 coverage in one place.