E3 2018: The tension is rising!

   It seems like E3 2017 was here just a week ago, yet we're only 2 months away from E3 2018. And just like pretty much every year since I started this blog, I deemed it appropriate to write a post about the most anticipated titles and what to expect from them. Of course, having expectations for an event like E3 is always proven to be a mistake, since sometimes you get something completely from left field and other times you get severely disappointed by not seeing a highly anticipated title make an appearance, but the guessing and theorizing before the grand event is what it's all about! As the date of the event approaches, the tensions get higher. So let's take a look at some of the stars of the show that are definitely gonna be there, then we'll make some theories about others that could potentially pop up and knock our socks off!
   First list are the games that are almost sure to make an appearance:

   1) KINGDOM HEARTS III. I would like to kick off this list with one of my most highly anticipated titles. Sora, Riku, King Mickey and the rest of the gang are scheduled to return within the year and Square Enix will be looking to show off this game hard at E3. Expect a revelation of a new world, brand new trailers and new designs for some other characters (Kairi, Axel?). Perhaps even a release date.
   2) SPIDER-MAN. Considering the game's recently announced early September release date, developer Insomniac Games will be doing their utmost to show off Spidey's flashy new adventure. As this is a PS4 exclusive, it'll most likely be shown off during Sony's presser. 
   3) SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER. What was said about Spider-Man also goes for the latest installment in the early life of Lara Croft. Expected to be released by mid-September and with not much else known or shown about it, Square Enix and Eidos Interactive should go all out in their exposition of this game. A lengthy trailer or even a couple of trailers (story, gameplay) wouldn't be too far fetched for this.

   4) RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2. Even though developer Rockstar Games aren't too keen on showing off their titles in big events like these and usually just go by their own rules, this time around it seems likely that we might have a little something for the sequel (that is actually a prequel) of their second most popular franchise, behind only GTA. With Red Dead Redemption 2 scheduled for release on October 26, it seems like a good time to promote the game a little further, not that it needs any sort of promotion to be honest. With the hype it generates by a simple trailer release, we can already tell that even if it's a no-show at E3 2018, people will still be lining up to buy it on release day. That's the Rockstar effect.
   5) SHENMUE III. Another title with a Q3 release window, Yu Suzuki's Shenmue III should be seen at Sony's press conference due to its exclusivity with the PS4. A game that was highly requested and anticipated by many who were fond of the franchise, yet has increased worry after certain screenshots were released, it is with great interest that we look forward to fan reaction to its showing. Hopefully we get a concrete release date for it as well.
   The second list contains titles that might appear but then again might not.
   1) THE LAST OF US PART II. Will NaughtyDog surprise us yet again with another trailer of Joel and Ellie's new adventure? Will it spark as much controversy as the one from PSX 2017 due to its raw gore and unnecessary violence? Will we finally get to see Joel and Ellie themselves? Could we even get a release window/date? All these questions and more remain to be answered at Sony's press conference.
   2) DAYS GONE. With this title having been delayed to an unspecified date in 2019, it wouldn't be surprising if we didn't see it at all. However there is a chance we could see the horde of zombies hunting down our poor protagonist as he rides on his bike or even some other game mechanics. This one is a real question mark.

   3) SUPER SMASH BROS. This title having just recently been announced, we can't know how far along it is in production. However if it is almost near completion, then Nintendo might just give us a sweet taste of the bitter battles that are to follow against our friends on the Switch. Which characters are going to be added? What new arenas are we going to be duking it out in? We'll just have to wait and see!
   4) ANTHEM. Yet another title that was pushed back to 2019, BioWare seem to be really aware of the fact that they've dropped the ball one too many times and so they need to make this title as good as possible. Which is why they're taking their time developing it. However an appearance at E3 2018 shouldn't be entirely out of the question, just as a "progress report" or to maintain fan interest. Besides, the EA presser doesn't seem to have much else going for it, with the lack of any new Battlefield titles.
   5) DREAMS. Media Molecule's latest game has been a long one coming. Having initially been announced all the way back in 2013, Dreams is expected to be released sometime within the next half a year or so. So logically speaking, the good people at Media Molecule would want to advertise their new sandbox game as much as possible. Then again, they could pull a complete 180 and push it back even further. With this title, you can never be too sure!
   And finally, a list of games that would be the cherry on top and make this E3 a truly unforgettable one.

   1) FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. No list is complete without this title. The game a lot of people usually watch these shows for, ever since it was announced back in 2015. How far along in development is the remake of FF VII? Are Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase ready to re-reveal it to the world? Could we see some of the older characters in glorious HD (Aerith, Tifa, Sephiroth)? We can only hope. The one thing we know for sure is that we're not getting a release date anytime soon (*cries*).
   2) UNANNOUNCED FINAL FANTASY TITLE. According to FF Brand Manager, Shinji Hashimoto, E3 2018 will be one to remember for fans of the franchise. Which sort of ties my hands and forces me to put this on the list. Yet Square Enix have been known to disappoint their fans in the past, so we'll just have to wait and see how much of Hashimoto-san's words are true.
   3) THE ELDER SCROLLS VI. Okay, this is something that Bethesda themselves have debunked time and time again. But eventually it has to happen, right? I mean, Skyrim can only grow so much. The series has to go somewhere else from here. And if this announcement were to occur, it would literally break the internet.
   4) BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL 2. This game created a lot of buzz when it was shown off as the final trailer at last year's Ubisoft press conference. However not much has been heard about it ever since. It would be a great opportunity to see it again and witness its progress. Still, it might be a while before it hits store shelves.
   5) FIFA 2019. Could this actually be a thing or is it just vaporware?!
   And there you have it. 3 lists of titles that could make this year's E3 good, great or mind-blowing depending on which ones show up. Of course, this list is entirely subjective and could be different for every individual, however I do believe that there are certain titles in there that are common for all gamers (I mean, who doesn't wanna play The Last Of Us, am I right?), just like we all have things we're looking forward to from this event. Gamer's wonderland is shaping up to be one of the greatest of all time this year and for three whole days we will once again be lost in the anticipation of all those awesome new games that we'll soon get to enjoy! So get ready, sit back and enjoy the ride! Only two more months left to go!