Sony at E3 2017: Expectations and Predictions

E3 2017 is fast approaching, and Sony is heading into the conference with the PlayStation 4 millions ahead in the console sales market and with a strong lineup of games to back it up. Now, with the recent release of the PS4 Pro and PSVR, there is little need to reveal any new or additional hardware (unless it’s a slimmer PS4 Pro) anytime soon.  With that in mind, there is one thing we can expect from Sony’s conference this year: games, games, and more games.

With E3 2017 open to the public this year, it’s going to be a madhouse of people trying to get a glimpse of, and hopefully getting their hands on, some of the gaming’s most anticipated releases. Below is a list of games we can expect to see at Sony’s conference this year, as well as some predictions about release windows, potential gameplay trailers, and demos.

In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is driven by revenge

• The Last of Us: Part II; Naughty Dog

The Last of Us Part II was revealed at Naughty Dog’s conference at PlayStation Experience (PSX) last December. It was only a four-minute trailer, but between seeing a vengeful Ellie, hearing Joel’s voice again, and seeing that Firefly logo, in the beginning, it was more than enough time to get everyone on board the Hype Train. It would be more than surprising if we didn’t get more information about TLoU: Part II at Sony’s conference. The game is still in the beginning stages of development, so any extended gameplay demos could be unlikely, but never say never. If it’s a no-go on the gameplay, we will settle for a story trailer and a release window.

• God of War 4; SIE Santa Monica Studio

Announced at E3 2016, the gameplay trailer for God of War 4 was one of the show-stealers at Sony’s conference. We’re greedy, though, and want more now. We’ll definitely get a better look at Kratos and his young son this year, potentially with a new trailer and some gameplay to back it up. We will also be anticipating a release date of late 2017 or early 2018. My money is on 2017, considering the voice actor for Kratos, Christopher Judge, may have accidentally leaked God of War as releasing this year. Thanks, Christopher.

Insomniac has been keeping Spider-Man under wraps. We’re expecting a lot more at E3 this year

• Spider-Man PS4; Insomniac Games

Insomniac held off showing anything new about Spider-Man PS4 (yes, that’s the working title for now) at the Game Awards and PSX last year, stating that 2017 was the year we’d see more about the game. We already know that Spider-Man PS4 is its own story, separate from Spider-Man: Homecoming that will be in theaters on July 6, 2017. Insomniac has been guarding information about the game closely, so a release date and an exclusive look at the game would be much appreciated at E3 this year.

• Days Gone; SIE Bend Studio

If you thought post-apocalyptic games were over, think again. Revealed at Sony’s conference last year, Days Gone, has been looking increasingly like the ambitious, open-world zombie game we didn’t know we needed. You play as Deacon St. John as he makes his way through this post-apocalyptic world, and the action we’ve seen so far of Deacon taking down hordes of zombies looks incredible. There’s already a trailer and gameplay floating around for Days Gone, but what we can expect at E3 2017 is a shiny new trailer with a release date at the end of it.

Every choice will matter in the futuristic world of Detroit: Become Human

• Detroit: Become Human; Quantic Dream

It’s not unusual for Quantic Dream games to take a long time because the freedom of choice is at the core of every game and can take the story in a variety of directions. While that undoubtedly takes some careful planning and story-mapping, it’s time we get some solid gameplay from Detroit: Become Human at E3 this year. Some more story details would also be nice. Oh, and we’ll take a release window, too.

• Death Stranding; Kojima Productions

What would E3 be without another look at Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated project? Don’t answer that, but I’m sure you know the answer. Even more than The Last of Us Part II, Death Stranding is still in the way early development stages where our expectations feel like too much too soon. Kojima confirmed at Sony’s conference last year that the game would be a PS4 exclusive, and since then we’ve gotten some details here, and some rumors there. There are bits and pieces of information about Death Stranding scattered everywhere, and pinning down the nitty-gritty details about the game can prove challenging. At E3 this year, it would be great to get more story details and a new trailer- preferably one that doesn’t confuse us as much as the first one did.

Red Dead Redemption 2 should be getting a solid release date soon

• Red Dead Redemption 2; Rockstar Games

We expect nothing less than to see Rockstar Games on Sony’s  stage at E3. Red Dead Redemption 2 is already set to release this Fall, and Rockstar has confirmed it’s working on giving PS4 players “first access to earn select online content” in the game. No doubt we’ll be hearing all about that select content in the coming months, so throw on your cowboy hat and get ready.

• Final Fantasy VII Remake; Square Enix

With the release of Final Fantasy XV last November and the great reception among fans, now would be a great time for Square Enix to take advantage of that excitement and give us some fresh information for the Final Fantasy VII Remake– something that rhymes with “release window”. It’s well into development now, so a window is a reasonable expectation, as is getting more information about how the game will be releasing episodically-  how many episodes? How long between them? What first appeared as a tech demo for the PS3, FFVII Remake is a game that will be great for newcomers to the series and also give long-time fans a huge dose of nostalgia. It’s releasing on both PS4 and Xbox One, though the PS4 release will be first. With that in mind, expect Square Enix to provide details about exclusive content for PS4 users.

Players will take control of Knack again in this sequel adventure from SIE Japan Studio

• Knack 2; SIE Japan Studio

In the midst of all this anticipation, let’s not forget about Knack 2. Yes, it’s happening. First announced at PSX, it’s the sequel to Knack, which was an original launch title for the PS4. Like the original, Knack 2 will be an action platformer that puts you in control of Knack, a mash of ancient Relics of varying sizes that tries to defend mankind from evil Goblins. No, I didn’t make that up. This was announced at the end of 2016, and since then not too much information has surfaced. Here’s hoping we learn more about this at E3 with the reveal of some gameplay and a new trailer.

• Kingdom Hearts 3

Do we even dare put this on the list? Kingdom Hearts 3 news is so rare that the game feels like a distant memory that we all made up. Square Enix likes to remind us the series does, in fact, exist with the release of Kingdom Hearts games that nobody asked for. It’s been over a decade since the second installment in the franchise, and fans are growing more than a little restless. The game wasn’t confirmed for development until E3 2015, and now we are officially overdue for a first look at the game. Kingdom Hearts is a massive story, and if you’re still confused by it, or simply need a refresher before the third game releases, read the entire breakdown of the story here.

What games are you hoping to see more of at Sony’s press conference this year? Let us know in the comments!

Tori Morrow

Tori is a writer and gamer originally from Vault 111, but now she resides in Chicago. She has an MFA in creative writing-fiction, runs primarily on coffee, and is an expert on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Follow her on Twitter @torithatnerd.