E3 2018: 6 Things We Want To See From Sony and the PS4

E3 2018 is just around the corner, if you can believe it. It feels like only yesterday that we were all thoroughly underwhelmed by last year’s show with Sony in particular withholding some of its biggest hitters and announcing little in the way of anything new. E3 2017 was a conciliatory year for Sony and the PS4, but judging from what they’ve revealed so far, this year could be as big as their 2016 presentation.

Sony have gone against tradition by announcing what they have lined up already, but it’s hard to believe that they would show their entire hand already. E3 is built on surprise and hype, so to remove all of the shock factor beforehand would be to rob their presentation of some unforgettable moments. Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II have all been confirmed so far, but that leaves plenty of room on their slate. They’re also in the middle of pre-conference hijinks, though that still doesn’t mean the conference can’t do all the right things as well.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a wishlist because we’re nothing if not optimists. As much as we’d like to see something about the PlayStation 5, it’s not happening — the PS4 still has a couple of years in her yet.

 

1. No nonsense

Nothing reminds you that E3 is an event to sell you products quite like a publisher rep being on-stage and reeling off a PR script for what feels like an eternity. It’s good that a company can put their ethos across and thank the fans, but it’s not really why anyone watches E3: it’s all about the games.

E3 2016 was a rapid-fire success story for Sony with big game after big game dropping with very little downtime between each. They tried a similar tack at their 2017 presentation, but without anything “huge” to really showcase, it felt a little undercooked. To get back on track, Sony should keep dropping revelation after revelation, surprise after surprise, gameplay reveal after gameplay reveal. Speaking of which:

 

2. TLOU 2 and Death Stranding gameplay

Since dropping at E3 2016 to a confused but very excited reception, Death Stranding is still just as wrapped up in secrecy two years later. Various trailers have showcased the wild mind of Kojima, but there’s not been anything on the gameplay front just yet. Now would be the best time to reveal what kind of game Death Stranding is going to be to keep the excitement high and to also introduce the baby in a jar mechanics.

Likewise, The Last of Us II hasn’t actually had a spot at an E3 since it was revealed, swerving last year’s presentation to give the spotlight to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. It’s wishful thinking as the project is still in its incredibly early days, but if we can see some brick action or any kind of confirmation that Joel is alive, that’ll do it for us.

Judging from the language Shawn Layden used during the line-up announcement, we might be getting behind-the-scenes at both games rather than gameplay trailers. We can still dream.

 

3. Medievil

It’s been all quiet on the Medievil front since the remake was announced back in December and with the game slated for release this year, it’s about time we heard more about — there hasn’t even been confirmation of the developer yet, though it’s anticipated that it will be an in-house studio.

The PS1 classic’s modern update would me a medium-sized addition to Sony’s E3 2018 slate, much in the same way that Shadow of the Colossus was at E3 2017. It may not have the kind of hype and buzz surrounding it as many of the games Sony have announced as part of their presentation, but it certainly would be nice to see Daniel in 4K. If it looks anywhere near as good as this, it could be a real treat.

 

4. Wild

Remember WiLD, the PS4 exclusive that disappeared off the face of the planet? Michel Ancel’s ambitious look like it’s been dragged down by its own scale, as well as Ancel’s commitments to Beygond Good & Evil 2. If there’s no word on it this year, it might be time to start worrying about its prospects of ever coming out.

There have been no meaningful updates on WiLD since 2015 with Ancel’s assurances that it’s still in development only temporarily soothing concerns. WiLD certainly shows a lot of promise as a procedurally generated survival game with dynamic weather and online play, so it’s about time that it returned from the wilderness. With a few spots on Sony’s schedule seemingly open, WiLD is a game that people need a reminder about.

 

5. Clarification on Early Access games

Early access on PS4 is just very strange. There’s no system in place and no consistency with what makes the grade and what doesn’t, rather just what’s popular enough to facilitate a version of the game on console. Just look at Fortnite: it’s still in early access but unless you view the description for the game in the PlayStation Store, you might not realise it until you’re playing.

There really needs to be some kind of categorisation or system in place for Early Access games on PS4. Sony have said that they may be working on something, but that was four years ago. Randomly adding early access games without clear indications just breeds confusion and makes their online storefront look a bit slapdash. Xbox have the right idea with Game Preview, so it’s time for Sony to follow suit and introduce a program with consistent values.

 

6. Rockstar’s Agent

Yep, we’ve entered serious wish fulfilment territory here. The chances of Rockstar’s Agent ever seeing the light of day are slim to absolutely none — with the speed at which they release games these days, it might be too much to expect them to work on Red Dead Redemption 2, keep GTA Online updated, and to also announce any kind of progress on their most infamous AWOL property.

But there is always hope, no matter how little. Take-Two Interactive renewed the Agent trademark back in December 2016 with supposed concept art not far behind, either. It’s over a decade since Sony took to the stage to announce their mysterious PS3 exclusive so it’s about time that we found out more about it. If The Last Guardian and Shenmue 3 can get revived after complete silence, why not Agent?

MORE PS4:
– 15 Best PS4 FPS Games You Should Play
– The Best PS4 Games 2018: All The Essential PlayStation 4 Games
– 29 Best PS4 Exclusive Games You Should Play Right Now