E3 is just around the corner folks and you know what that means. That’s right, wildly inaccurate predictions as to what will appear at the show. The Player 2 crew has once again gotten together and gazed into their crystal balls (there was a 2 for 1 special at Kmart) and have put their E3 predictions on the virtual page for everyone to tease them about in 2 weeks time. Now we look at Ubisoft.
E3 2016 Predictions – Ubisoft
Matthew Ballinger
Safe Bet
Watchdogs 2 is set to hit this year and Ubisoft are promising big changes from the original. When the debut title was announced they jacked the hype up to eleven and had people gushing over the possibilities and then after some delay we were served a mediocre experience that didn’t manage to hold me past completing the campaign. I am really interested to see what they do change and convince me to dive back into a world of hacking and intrigue.
Fairly Likely
An Assassin’s Creed reveal, the franchise is taking a year off releasing a main series game (although we did get the three-part Assassin’s Creed Chronicles). But that isn’t to say they couldn’t reveal their plans for next year’s inevitable release, get us on the hype train early and promise us the world. I’m still gunning for a game set in Feudal Japan but we can expect some sort of teaser even if it is just the Assassin’s Creed symbol and something related to the setting (c’mon katana or cherry blossom petal).
Wishful Thinking
A new Rayman platformer made using the UbiArt Framework, for decades developers have been trying to bottle the magic of Super Mario Bros and make it their own and in my eyes none have come as close as Rayman Legends. It was beautiful and skilfully designed, we need more of it pronto.
Paul James
Safe Bet
For Honor – One of the surprise announcements of E3 2015 was that of For Honor. Ubisoft have become quite good at hiding a game from the public and then unleashing the surprise reveal at E3, and while I’m sure we’ll get more of that this year, I totally expect to see much more from the highly anticipated multiplayer melee combat game. All going well we get new gameplay and a release date, with attendees getting the opportunity to take up arms as either a knight, Viking or samurai to fully get a handle on the unique quirks that makes each character shine.
Fairly Likely
South Park: The Fractured But Whole – The Stick of Truth was one of the best-received games of its year, and with the 2015 announcement that we’d be getting an unexpected sequel to the game, the hype train immediately left the station. We have scant details about South Park: The Fractured But Whole, though it reportedly is to again follow you, the ‘new kid’ as the children of South Park role-play as Superheroes. Enormous laughs are expected, and I feel it’s reasonable to assume we’ll see at least our first proper slice of the game at E3 this year
Wishful Thinking
It seems that in favour of Rainbow Six, The Divison and Wildlands that the iconic Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell has fallen a little off the radar at Ubisoft. We got Conviction in 2010 and Blacklist in 2013, but there’s not even been a hint of what is to come next – with any luck that all changes at E3 2016. It’s time that we saw more of Sam Fisher, and I hope like hell that E3 is the scene of the unveiling of his next mission.
Jenn Christodoulou
Safe Bet
The new IP. None of us know what it is but it’s been teased enough to have fans of the brand frothing at the mouth. Rumour has it that we’ll hear a lot more just prior to E3 but I think the real crux of the information will come during the conference.
Fairly Likely
More Tom Clancy titles. Ubisoft is on the “let’s turn everything into an open world game” at the moment so I won’t be at all surprised if they announce yet another Clancy Goes Outside game.
Wishful Thinking
South Park! This isn’t exactly wishful thinking as I know the game is meant to be coming up, so it’s likely we’ll see more of it soon, but the amount I want to see is, well…most of it. Which I know is just not going to happen.
Adam Rorke
Safe Bet
Just Dance 2017, just do it. These games rock and are pretty much the only game that utilises the Kinect in a way that doesn’t feel cheap and nasty. Expect a new song roster and a bit more polish.
Fairly Likely
Even though we’re down to one every two years, that won’t stop Ubisoft from giving their fans some more Assassins Crack. Maybe it’ll be a teaser, maybe something else, we won’t know until the lights go down and Ubisoft do their thing at their conference.
Wishful Thinking
For anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve been fairly critical of Watch Dogs. Not mechanically, because there are so many good things in this game that you’d be a sociopathic monster to ignore them. But the story and characters were beyond woeful. Not only did I not care about the protagonist, I often thought that had he just jumped off a cliff, the world would’ve been a better place for the people he ‘cared’ for. But with all those other good things, it’s easy to build on, hire some great writers and present a game worthy of a 10.
Matt Hewson
Safe Bet
It is time to venture into the Wildlands. The latest Ghost Recon game was teased last year so I am pretty sure we can expect a lot more info this year. Going open world is an interesting choice for the franchise and it will be interesting to see how it alters the team dynamics. The setting of a South American jungle is without doubt the most exciting thing for me. So much potential.
Fairly Likely
The limbless hero returns. It is about time for more of that sublime Rayman platforming. It has been a while since Rayman Legends so I think we are due for more crazy 2D shenanigans. More music levels are a must Ubisoft.
Wishful Thinking
Beyond Good and Evil 2. Every few years Beyond Good and Evil 2 pops up and screams “I’m not dead” like something from a Monty Python sketch only to then disappear for an extended period of time. Please Ubisoft, we have been patient. Bring back this wonderful world!
Stevie McDonald
Safe Bet
Now that The Division has made its long-awaited debut, it’s pretty safe to assume Ubisoft will keep resurrecting the corpse of Tom Clancy for the foreseeable future.
Fairly Likely
I’m staying the course from last year and holding out for a Watch Dogs sequel. All signs pointed to yes last year, maybe this year I’ll actually be right.
Wishful Thinking
Again, I’m keeping my wishful thinking the same as last year: Prince of Persia 2008 sequel. The story line needs wrapping up and, now that the Uncharted series has ended, I’m gonna need to get my Nolan North fix somehow (that doesn’t involve listening to side characters in literally every other video game out).
Stephen del Prado
Safe Bet
Ubisoft goes over some general franchise updates, highlight upcoming Division DLC and pretends that Beyond Good and Evil isn’t a thing, promoting some more Rabbids shovelware instead.
Fairly Likely
Gameplay footage of Watch Dogs 2 is shown and Ubisoft stresses that the visuals shown will be present in the retail release. To wrap things up, a new Prince of Persia title rears its head – you didn’t think the AC team was sitting around on their hands, did you?
Wishful Thinking
Ubisoft stop pretending Beyond Good and Evil isn’t a thing and score a standing ovation following gameplay footage and release date for the sequel. Beyond Good and Evil HD comes to Xbox One and PS4 as a promotional tie-in.
Sarah Ellen
Safe Bet
Safest bets are for another Tom Clancy game. Rainbow Six may have had questionable staying power, but The Division is still going strong nearly three months after release. I think the next one is Ghost Recon, which was hyped at E3 last year with a new engine and an open-world to explore. As a tactical shooter, I will fail at it miserably I’m sure.
Fairly Likely
We had an initial gameplay demonstration from Ubisoft Montreal last year and very little has been mentioned about For Honor since then. I am really hoping for a further update at this year’s E3 – it was such a nice mix of strategy and smack-things-with-weapons-and-make-them-bleed. With friends.
Wishful Thinking
Ubisoft registered the trademark for Beyond Good and Evil in April 2016. Either it was a colossal psyche-out (because it was registered on April 1 you jerks), or there is some validity to the registration.
James Swinbanks
Safe Bet
No Assassin’s Creed! – Ubisoft has released an Assassin’s Creed game every year since 2009, so this is the first time in 7 years that we won’t see a cloth-laden, dual blade wielding free runner committing wanton murder. What will they have in its place? Maybe Watch_Dogs 2.0? What do you think are the chances they’ll call it “Watch_Dogs 2.0: Cyber Murder”?
Fairly Likely
Ghost Recon: Wildlands – The trailer that hit with the announcement of Ghost Recon: Wildlands caused a bit of a ruckus, and given it’s due later this year I’d be amazed if it were absent from 2016’s show floor.
Wishful Thinking
A new Driver – Driver: San Francisco was one of my surprise games of 2011. Blinking in and out of different cars was a great new mechanic that allowed the devs to knit together a wild story that was both fun to play through and compelling to experience. It’s time Driver got a facelift and joined us in the current generation.
Other E3 2016 Predictions
Microsoft – Sony – Nintendo – Square Enix – Bethesda
