E3 2018: The Biggest Disappointments And Absent Games

Walmart kicked off E3 2018 on a sour note by spoiling many of the surprise reveals with premature online listings but the lack-of-presence by several highly-anticipated or rumored titles also played a part.

By MarkJulian - Jun 19, 2018 05:06 PM EST

Filed Under: E3

Another E3 has come and gone and gamers are now left to wade through all the press conference details and developer interviews that continue to make their way online. Though Walmart spoiled a large chunk of what developer had in store for attendees, there were still a few surprising developments and jaw-dropping new trailers.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Cyberpunk 2077 are steadily becoming the most talked about games at the conference, while Spider-Man PS4 is quietly setting itself up for a game of the year type awards run.

In terms of the most lucrative announcement, Fortnite launching on the Switch will only strengthen the free-to-play battle royale's dominance on the genre while simultaneously lining Epic's already swollen pockets. Of course, they might need the extra revenue with PUBG taking their competitor to court in Korea.

Still, there's no escaping the fact that there were a number of titles that gamers were hoping to receive updates on, only to be severely disappointed. And we're not talking about titles that were recently announced and likely wouldn't have anything to show at E3. Some of these games, like Shenmue 3, have been in development for a very long time.

Check out our recap of some of the games that were rumored to make announcements on the E3 stage, only for the conference to come and go with no updates.

Shenmue 3

Shenmue and Shenmue 2 were stellar installments for the Dreamcast but the console's struggles meant that the trilogy was in danger of never being completed. Fourteen years after Shenmue II's release, its creator, Yu Suzuki, launched a Kickstarter campaign for the game's release on the PS4.

To provide an idea on the cult following around the titles, the campaign reached its $2 million dollar goal in the first 8 hours and ended with a grand total of $6 million. However, despite exceeding its funding goals, the game's development has been plagued by delays, with its latest announcement in May 2018 stating that Shenmue 3 would be released in 2019 instead of late-2018.

Gamers were expecting a new trailer or details to be revealed at E3 to offset the disappointing news of the delay but sadly, Deep Silver and Ys Net opted to remain radio silent.

Final Fantasy 7

The Final Fantasy VII remake was first announced three years ago but updates and details on what's widely regarded as the best installment in the long-running JRPG franchise have been few and far between. That's partly because its game director, Tetsuya Nomura, has been busy dragging Kingdom Hearts III to the finish line.

Speaking to The Verge, Nomura explained that though FF7 skipped E3 this year, it's in active development and not just in a conceptual phase. "Right now, it’s like I’ve been putting in 100 percent into Kingdom Hearts, 100 percent into Final Fantasy VII, 100 percent into Kingdom Hearts […] just going back and forth.”

However, with Kingdom Hearts 3 set for release in February 2019, Nomura should soon be able to turn his full attention to the FF7 remake.

Metroid Prime 4

Metroid Prime 4 was first announced at last year's E3 and Nintendo fans were hoping to see much more than the simple teaser trailer revealed during one of the company's Treehouse streams. With not much known about the new Metroid title, fans were disappointed that the presentation focused on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pokemon: Let's Go and Pikachu!

Nintendo of America's Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime told Polygon at E3 2018, "We believe it is not fair to the fan to repeatedly tease them over time about a game. That's why we tend to focus close in, typically in a six-to-nine-month timeframe, and go deep in sharing content and information on a particular piece of content."

Fils-Aime would go on to confirm that Metroid Prime 4 is not launching in 2018 but some outlets are speculating that it won't be released in 2019 either.

Rocksteady's Long-rumored Superman Game

Prior to E3's start, the rumors about Rocksteady's Superman game grew to a deafening roar. So, the disappointment in the game's absence is palpable.

Rocksteady director and co-founder Sefton Hill took to Twitter to explain why the studio skipped E3 this year. "We know some of you were disappointed that we were not at E3 this year. The whole team has been reading your comments, and all of us here at Rocksteady really appreciate your passion for our next project. Knowing how much it means to you keeps us inspired and energized to deliver a game you will be proud of. We’ll share it with you as soon as it’s ready."

It's not much but at least Rocksteady is acknowledging that they're aware of their fan's expectations.

WB Montreal's Batman game

One of gaming's worst kept secrets is the fact that WB Montreal is working on a new Batman game. However, the only WB game showcased at this year's E3 was the next installment in the Hitman franchise.

Just exactly what the Canada-based developer is working on and whether it will be connected to the Arkhamverse remains a mystery. However, one thing that is certain is the fact that majority of fans want a continuation of Batman: Arkham Knight and not another prequel, like Batman: Arkham Origins.

Square And Crystal Dynamics' Avengers Game

Square Enix is putting its subsidiary studios, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal in charge of an ambitious Avengers project that has slowly released tidbits to reveal that it will likely be a "games as a service" title in the same vein as Destiny and The Division.

First announced in 2017, details on the title didn't emerge until a year later. The little that's known comes from a recent update to Crystal Dynamics' website, which describes The Avengers Project as an original story, set in a universe that will have gamers playing for years...

Skate 4

To say that Skate 4 fans were bummed out by the fact that E3 didn't reveal any updates on the oft-rumored skating game would be quite the understatement. It certainly didn't help that Twitch trolled its users with a fake announcement trailer.

Microsoft unveiled its own skateboard game, Sessions, to try and cash in on all of the Skate 4 hype but skateboard gaming enthusiasts wanted no part of it. If you check out EA's Instagram feed, the comment section has turned into one big Skate 4 petition.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2's absence at E3 wasn't a huge surprise as Rockstar and Take-Two routinely skip the exhibition. However, details are beginning to emerge that the game actually WAS at E3, but was only available behind closed door to a select number of journalists and insiders.

This has prompted many to speculate that gameplay footage should be making its way online sooner, rather than later.

Mortal Kombat 11

A single Tweet from Ed Boon back in May was all it took to fire up the Mortal Kombat II hype train. Sadly, nothing substantial about the game ever materialized and though many wishful thinkers prayed for a reveal at E3, no such thing occurred.

It' likely that NetherRealm wants to let Injustice 2 enjoy a few last sputters of life before officially shining the spotlight on something else. Fans shouldn't expect any news on MK 11 until after the EVO championships in August.

Pokemon Switch

Rumors of a core, RPG Pokemon game coming to the Nintendo Switch surfaced months before this year's E3 kicked off. And while Pokmeon: Let's Go Pikachu and Pokemon: Lets Go Evee were announced, Nintendo confirmed that the next mainline installment in the Pokemon franchise for the Switch is planned for late-2019.

As Reggie Fils-Ami stated earlier in the Metroid Prime 4 section, the company elected to focus on games that were six-to-nine months out for this year's E3. That sentiment also spelled doom for our next entry...

Bayonetta 3

When you tally things up, the Nintendo presentation had a number of disappointing absences. No Metroid Prime 4, no Pokemon game and no Bayonetta 3 news. In fact, investors are pointing to the company's lackluster E3 presentation as the reason by Nintendo's 7% drop in stock prices.

The Switch burst on the scene, buoyed by a stellar Zelda game, Breath of the Wild and followed things up with Super Mario Odyssey. However, it seems there will be no flagship Nintendo title to carry the hybrid console through 2019. Instead, it appears that Fortnite will have to do the heavy lifting during the next fiscal year.

Biomutant

Biomutant is an upcoming action RPG from THQ Nordic, the minds behind Saints Row and Darksiders franchise. Details on the game surfaced in August 2017 and the protagonist's resemblance to Rocket Racoon only served to strengthen interest in the game that was described as a, "post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable." The game was actually playable a few weeks later at Gamescom so its absence at this year's E3 is a bit baffling.

THQ Nordic actually had a humorously honest reason why they were not at E3 this year. A statement on the company's website revealed the company was sitting out this year to watch the FIFA World Cup.

"It is with great regret that we at THQ Nordic must report that we will be unable to miss a single moment of this great sporting event. Therefore, we will be forced to stay in our lovely Viennese beer gardens, blowing the froth off a couple, watching football and one or two cool press conferences on Twitch (looking at you, Devolver) instead of rocking it ourselves."

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