It’s the equivalent to Christmas Eve in the gaming world! Electronic Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as E3, will be upon us all and the hype is very real! Every year around the end of May, the video game world is on pins and needles while we weed through which leaks and predictions are legit, and which ones are pure pixelated garbage. Now while we over at NerdBacon.com are salivating at the possibilities that an event like E3 2018 will bring, I personally wanted to bring each of you on a journey of what announcements would make me ‘level up’. So sit down, buckle up, and enjoy the ride that is my Top Five Fantasy Predictions for E3 2018!
Left 4 Dead 3 and remasters of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2
Just imagine if this logo ever showed up on the big screens at E3!
You’re probably sitting here saying, “Why do we need another zombie game? Don’t we have enough?” Well my answer would be a resounding, “No!” Of all the Valve games that have been released, the Left 4 Dead games have a special place in my video game heart. The always changing atmosphere, the gut wrenching hordes of zombies, and that damn witch that you swear you didn’t startle, are all just some of the reminders as to how fun this game could really be. Where Left 4 Dead succeeded was putting you with three other survivors and letting you figure out your own path through each of the levels. One play through you may get hit with a horde instantly where the next play through you find yourself battling the gigantic tank with a katana in that very same spot. The unpredictability and uncertainty that is Left 4 Dead gave me a feeling that no other game has yet to accomplish. Just imagine the announcement on a stage like Microsoft/Xbox where the lights go out, you hear that zombie groan, so you groan knowing it’s another zombie game. Instead you see a massive horde of zombies that parts down the middle revealing a tank headed your way. Instantly the camera cuts away showing your camera view, the witch just feet away, and your ears ring with her signature cry. She jumps up and slices at the camera revealing a hand missing its pinky and thumb and the Left 4 Dead 3 logo fades onto the screen. You think that witch jumps up quick when you’ve startled her?! You haven’t seen anything yet if Left 4 Dead 3 gets announced!
Tony Hawk’s Skate
“That dual stick 900 is so sick dude!”
You read that right ladies and gents, Tony Hawk’s Skate. The tale of two very different franchises and their journey to no longer being franchises becomes the story of the best skateboarding game ever made. The master of the “900”, Tony Hawk himself, has already said that he is done working with Activision but very actively wants to make another Tony Hawk game. The Tony Hawk games could be found in most everyone’s collection in years past. The games introduced skateboarding to the mainstream masses while still being grungy enough to satisfy the fans who threw on their Vans and hit the pavement every afternoon. Unfortunately the coolest arcade skateboarding series at the time wilted away while the Skate franchise ollied in to take its place. Skate was the diehard skateboard fans’ game. Skate picked up right where the Tony Hawk games left off and introduced a realism that we had yet to see. Dual stick controls were just one of the many changes that Skate introduced to help make us feel like we were actually grinding down the rails of your high school’s staircase. Now imagine if the two had a baby. The fun loving Tony Hawk series, with its fast paced action, quirky missions, and gnarly soundtrack, combined with the precision realism that is Skate. It’s almost too good to be true. Hence why it’s on this list and not actually announced. Tony Hawk’s Skate could give us the skateboarding game that most people didn’t know they wanted. Believe me, if Tony Hawk’s Skate were to get announced I better be wearing a skateboarding helmet because I’d fly through the roof!
A revival of the NCAA Football franchise
Now that the legal issues are behind us, it’s time to call an audible and get this franchise back in the game!
Alright let’s be real here for a second. At some point, some way, somehow, the NCAA Football franchise will be back. I feel like it’s more a matter of WHEN than it is a matter of IF it will return. But that doesn’t stop it from being on my list of games that would quite literally make me do my touchdown dance. The NCAA Football series is my favorite sports franchise to play. Even more so than MLB The Show or Madden. Having the 120+ colleges represented in a game where I can live out fantasy matchups like Troy vs. Boise State for the National Championship has me excited just thinking about it! In the last installment of the series, NCAA Football 14, the game had reached its peak and still to this day has a dedicated fan base that continues to play this last-gen game. The franchise mode allowed me to recruit kids straight out of high school and in NCAA Football 14 it was done just right. No other sports game allows you to get into that kind of experience when building your rosters. There is just something about the sounds of the marching band, the tailgaters, and the unpredictability that is college football that is screaming to be brought back to gamers everywhere. I know I’m not alone in saying this, but there is just something about a good NCAA Football game that no other sports game on the market brings. Trust me when I say this, NCAA Football done right, is what’s best for business.
Nintendo reveals a new F-Zero game
Imagine hearing the Mute City Theme on the giant stage that is E3!
Ok, ok, so it’s cliché that I’m putting a F-Zero game on the list, right? But who really cares?! We are in the golden age of video games and we have yet to play a high definition F-Zero game?! Instead we are getting rumors of a Star Fox Grand Prix… let that sink in folks. Now let the video game gods hear it… WE WANT A NEW F-ZERO GAME! With today’s technology, high definition graphics, and the millions of dollars thrown at budgets, F-Zero would be a slam dunk for Nintendo to reveal. Give us a full F-Zero game with a story mode, sprinkle in some missions for the added replay factor, customizable hover crafts, and an online multiplayer that runs just as smooth as the races look. It practically sells itself! You could even have a couple guest characters just to try and expand your audience. Now I understand F-Zero isn’t Nintendo’s number one selling franchise but with the amount of love this franchise is getting it’s bound to happen. F-Zero on the Nintendo Switch makes so much sense, that it makes sense that it hasn’t happened yet. But when it does you better believe I will play the Mute City Theme loud enough for the entire world to hear it.
A Halo Movie/Television show drops into action
Fingers crossed that a Halo Battle Royale mode isn’t the only Halo announcement looming at E3!
So out of all of the E3 2018 fantasy predictions I have, this one not only is my most far-fetched but the one that would make me explode faster than a plasma grenade stuck to a covenant elite. Steven Spielberg has already said that he has been working on an adaptation of Halo for either the big screen or television. He’s also on record saying that this project isn’t dead… yet we’re on the cusp of E3 2018 and we still have no word on if and when this Halo movie may happen. The Halo universe is full of characters and stories that could be further explored whether in a movie or a television show. Yet we all know that what we want is a Master Chief-centric Halo story, especially after the backlash that the Halo 5 campaign received. If Phil Spencer, 343, and Steven Spielberg were to finally come out on the big stage of E3 and reveal a Halo movie, the internet would catch fire. This could also be the push that Halo needs to reemerge as a top franchise in all of video games. Halo is still a great franchise and can bring numbers. It just needs something fresh to remind us all how amazing Halo really is.
Bonus fantasy prediction: Dead by Daylight reveals its new DLC chapter and it floats too…
“Hey kid… you want a balloon?”
Dead by Daylight, in my opinion, is the best asymmetrical game on the market today. With June marking the second anniversary of its release, Dead by Daylight is primed and ready for a new announcement. Dead by Daylight has already revealed changes that will make the game better and more accessible for new players and seasoned veterans alike. Add this with the fact that the player base is steadily growing and that the Twitch viewership numbers are consistently high, Dead by Daylight is just getting started. Over the last couple years the game has introduced new survivors and killers, including licensed characters such as Michael Myers, Leatherface, Freddy Kruger, and The Pig from the Saw movies. Now, while Behavior Interactive has said they won’t reveal a new licensed killer DLC or a clown, they just might have to change their tune. Revealing Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the Stephen King classic, IT, as its next DLC chapter would be terrifying. (The original Tim Curry Pennywise and not the new adaptation) Pennywise would fit perfectly into the world of Dead by Daylight and he would give players someone they could truly be afraid of. Just imagine trying to repair a generator and a red balloon appears out of nowhere! Tell me you wouldn’t jump out of your seat just like I would if they revealed this DLC. You couldn’t ask for a better fit for this creepy multiplayer game.
There you have it, my top picks for announcements that probably won’t happen, but if they did I’d certainly have a freak out moment. What are some of your more realistic dream announcements for E3 2018? Do you think any of the ones above will actually happen? As always if you liked what you’ve read please follow NerdBacon on all of the social medias and stay tuned to NerdBacon.com for more E3 2018 coverage and all things video games.
Written by Level Up Justin
Justin AKA Level Up Justin, is a video game journalist and content creator from Des Moines, Iowa. He’s a life-long fan of all things video games and has been playing as far back as he can remember. Throughout his life he has grown to love all different types of games. All the way from third person action adventure to first person shooters. From sport simulations to survival horror. Although he would have to admit that he excels at platformers the most. When it comes to video games, Level Up Justin is willing to give everything a shot.
Justin is a so called pro wrestling expert, sports fanatic, rock and roll enthusiast, horror nerd and avid dog lover. If you’re ever out with him be prepared to pet any canine that comes into the vicinity! If he wasn’t creating content for video games he’d be doing something similar in the world of sports, most likely baseball. Make sure to follow Level Up Justin on all of the social medias @ LevelUpJustin
