Bethesda’s E3 Showcase at E3 2018 is reportedly going to be their longest yet, and that’s incredibly exciting. Bethesda and id Software have many popular IPs and also aren’t afraid to start new ones, and that means almost anything can happen this year. Then again, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they talked about another Skyrim rerelease for 40 minutes. At the very least, the Elder Scrolls will likely be mentioned in some way, but I won’t hold that against them.
1. More Switch Love
Bethesda has been killing it on the Switch. Skyrim and Doom were big successes and the upcoming Wolfenstein 2 port looks to be another win. I would be stunned if we didn’t hear about at least 2 titles heading to the Switch at E3 2018. The Evil Within 2, Prey, and Fallout 4 are all potential options. Even Dishonored or Fallout 3/New Vegas could make the jump to Nintendo’s little hybrid. Bethesda is so friendly with Nintendo, we might even see Vault Boy as a character in the new Super Smash Bros. Well, I can dream, can’t I?
2. Rage 2
I know it’s crazy but hear me out. What’s that? Well, what about a new Fallout? Oh. Uh, never mind then.
2. Prey Standalone DLC
This has been so heavily teased on social media, if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be stunned. Prey was my game of the year in 2017 and my review is so glowing you might need sunglasses just to read it, so I’m a little excited about what this DLC could be. Likely it will be standalone ala Death of the Outsider with Dishonored 2, but there are still a lot of other aspects up in the air. Does it happen before, during, or after the events of Prey? Who are we playing as? But more importantly, where is it located? We’re going to get answers, and soon. At least I hope so.
3. Starfield Mystery RPG
The long-rumored space RPG has to be discussed eventually and a show described as possibly being their “longest E3 Showcase ever,” sounds like the perfect opportunity. Nothing concrete is known about this title, but ‘Skyrim in Space’ has a nice ring to it that says: I print money. I’m hoping it leans more into RPG mechanics rather than combat, and if I don’t get to build my own spaceship and fill it with cool aliens I’ll… well I’ll still buy it anyway.
4. VR
In the last couple of years, Bethesda has released virtual reality versions of Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Doom and they’ve mentioned this is only the beginning. Does this mean VR Wolfenstein? Maybe, but my money would be on something completely new or possibly Prey in VR (instead of DLC perhaps). It’s a game mostly about exploring a hazardous space station with combat that is more about preparation than quick reflexes. I think it would be a perfect fit for VR.
Or they could do something crazy and release Fallout: New Vegas in VR. Who knows?
5. DOOM II
It’s been two years since the rebooted DOOM took the world by storm. That’s just long enough for another trip to Mars/Hell to be planned. I hope to see them build upon the reboot with more guns, more brutal melee moves, and more nightmarish hellspawn.
What do you think Bethesda is up to at E3 2018? Do you think they should keep releasing random tidbits in the weeks before E3, or should they keep quiet? How do you feel about Vault Boy being in Smash? Because I definitely didn’t make that up. Maybe.