E3 2017 - Ubisoft Predictions
They say, like Christmas, that E3 gets earlier each year. That’s a lie. There’s always about 365 days between each show, but low and behold it’s that time of year again. With the press conferences officially confirmed, it’s time to pull out the crystal ball and delve into the world of predictions - Here’s five things that might crop up in Ubisoft’s press conference.
1: A new Tom Clancy IP
Tom Clancy games are a staple part of Ubisoft’s gaming backlog and it wouldn’t be stupid to imagine that the publisher are working on another shooter under the name of the military novelist. Smart money would be a current-gen Splinter Cell, the last iteration being 2013’s Blacklist, dumb money would be HAWX 3 - a boy can dream - but the most likely bet would be something new altogether with Ubi’s trademark ‘online connectivity’. That or Siege 2!
2: Far Cry 5 will release alongside a Far Cry 3 remake
With Far Cry 5 now officially confirmed by the publisher, set in rural Montana and primed for release next year, all eyes will be on a release bundle. My suspicions, with it being five years since Far Cry 3 launched, many fans’ favourite iteration, don’t be surprised to see a remastered version of the 2012 game launch either with a Special Edition of Far Cry 5 or as a standalone, too. What gives evidence to this rumour was a tweet from Ubisoft France a few weeks ago teasing a ‘Return to Rook island’.
3: First look at early footage from Avatar game
Earlier this year Ubisoft announced that it would begin work on a game based in the Avatar universe with developer Massive (creators of Tom Clancy's The Division) behind it. While it’s still too early to expect a lengthy in-game trailer and heaps of leaping through the lush forests of Pandora, it wouldn't be surprising to be shown a small tone piece, with perhaps a logo and official title. What makes this more feasible is that The Division was shown three years before its release, and with recent reports hinting at a 2020 release for the untitled Avatar game, feedback will likely dictate its direction. The bigger question is, does anyone still care about Avatar?
4: Look at rumoured Rabbids Nintendo RPG
The launch of the Nintendo Switch has rocketed the Japanese company back into the mix in the videogame industry. Fans are no doubt still finding secrets 100s of hours into The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and finally playing Mario Kart 8 on an acceptable console, but while busy, they are still looking forward to games heading to the Switch. One such game is the Mario RPG featuring everybody's least favourite, French cousins of the Minions, the Rabbids. It remains unclear on who will be leading the development, the Ubisoft side or the Nintendo side, but no doubt, it’ll make an appearance in some form or another during both press conferences.
5: Assassin’s Creed has undergone a substantial facelift
If you’re a fan of stabbing people in the face, hunting down artifacts of a biblical proportion and ever-so-slightly awkward climbing, then good news; Assassin’s Creed is back for 2017. Speculation became reality a few weeks back when screenshots leaked before being officially confirmed by Ubisoft. The location is believed to be Egypt and while not entirely new to the franchise - we’ve killed in the Middle East before - the year long hiatus was due to fatigue and wanting to make improvements. That’s why Assassin’s Creed *INSERT ABSTRACT NOUN* will be bringing with it some significant changes: think more combat freedom and a post-Breath of The Wild open-world and proper side-quests. Assassin’s Creed is going more RPG than action-adventure this time around.
COMMENTS
Dombalurina - 10:41am, 31st May 2017
I hope there are towers.
swimmeyfish - 07:52am, 1st June 2017
How about that new logo.