Most of the games we saw at E3 2018 have current-generation systems attached to them, such as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, but a few of the games on display during the event looked like they could also serve as great launch titles for the future consoles. Others completely avoided talking about platforms at all, leading us to believe they aren’t going to release on the consoles you currently own. Here are the E3 2018 games that could come to next-generation systems.
‘Death Stranding’
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding was announced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive two years ago, and since then we’ve seen several cinematic trailers, as well as our first look at gameplay during Sony’s press conference this year. We have no reason to believe Sony or Kojima Productions don’t plan on launching the game for PlayStation 4, but no release date or even window has been provided yet. With a name like Kojima behind a new franchise, Sony has the opportunity to make it a system-seller for the PlayStation 5 at launch, though we anticipate it will release on PlayStation 4, as well, regardless of what comes next.
‘Nioh 2’
Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo released the Souls-like Nioh to rave reviews on PlayStation 4 and PC in 2017, with the game riffing on existing tropes of the genre while adding a substantial amount of variety to combat. The companies announced Nioh 2 as a PlayStation 4 game during Sony’s E3 press conference, but few details were provided on when we can play it. For such a large project, we wouldn’t expect to actually play Nioh 2 for at least two years, and this could line up with the release periods for the next PlayStation system. Given how well Team Ninja’s innovations worked with the Dark Souls formula in the original game, we hope the team takes its time to make the sequel just as impressive.
‘Cyberpunk 2077’
Microsoft showed off the first trailer for CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 at the tail end of its press conference, and a behind-closed-doors demonstration was shown to press afterward. The game has been confirmed for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, but with no hard release date and a ridiculous level of detail and choice, we won’t be surprised if it ends up releasing as a cross-generational game, similar to titles like Battlefield 4 or Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. That being said, the visuals CD Projekt Red was able to achieve on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with The Witcher III is nothing short of stunning, so we could be pleasantly surprised.
‘Dying Light 2’
Another game that looks like a perfect candidate for a cross-generational release, Techland’s Dying Light 2 blew us away during Microsoft’s E3 conference, with gameplay systems and narrative choices so impressive that we were surprised it’s a sequel to Dying Light at all. The game is being developed with the involvement of legendary role-playing game writer Chris Avellone, and nearly every decision you make will have a lasting impact on the surrounding area and its people. We would love to see this enhanced even further with the power of next-generation consoles, much like Warner Bros. did with the Nemesis system in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
‘Halo Infinite’
343 Industries created an entirely new engine — Slipspace — for the development of Halo Infinite, which the studio said was necessary for a game this ambitious. Microsoft didn’t show any gameplay or give any story details during its E3 press conference and later clarified that the trailer was actually an “engine demo” more than a game announcement. Right now, the studio says the game will be coming to the Xbox One and PC, but we seriously doubt it will skip the next Xbox console. We heard rumors that it could be split into two separate releases, with the campaign arriving in 2019 at the very earliest, but if this is pushed into 2020, it could line up with the launch of the Xbox One’s successor.
‘Starfield’
Bethesda Game Studios’ confirmed the existence of its science-fiction game Starfield during Bethesda’s E3 2018 event, but didn’t actually show off the title or give any details on gameplay. Director Todd Howard tossed around the “next-generation” label when describing the game, and he later said it’s actually in a playable state right now. However, as Bethesda isn’t willing to show it off yet, we’re willing to bet it isn’t coming to Xbox One or PlayStation 4 and Howard recently said he isn’t even sure which platforms it’s coming to yet.
‘The Elder Scrolls VI’
After announcing Starfield at the Bethesda E3 2018, Howard announced the next project his team will be working on: The Elder Scrolls VI. Aside from a basic logo and a short shot of some rolling plains, no information was offered on this game, and Howard later told The Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley that the game was still in pre-production. This means it will likely be several years before we have a chance to play it, and as Bethesda likes to take its sweet time before launching a new title, there is almost no chance it comes to PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. In the meantime, you will have to play Skyrim on your Nintendo Switch or Amazon Alexa, or try The Elder Scrolls Blades on your mobile device.
‘Final Fantasy VII’ remake
Of all the games on our list, the Final Fantasy VII remake is actually the only one to not appear at E3 2018, despite speculation and fans’ hopes of seeing it in action for the first time in years. The full remake was announced at Sony’s E3 2015 show and was initially being developed by outside studio CyberConnect2, but this plan unraveled in May 2017. Square Enix then began developing the title internally, but with no footage for three straight conferences and few updates on the game’s progress, we think it’s very possible for the game to pull a Last Guardian and skip its announced platform — the PlayStation 4 — completely. As a redesigned version of one of the most acclaimed games of all time, we certainly hope it isn’t released before it’s ready.
