The great absent from E3 2021
We are not referring only to the publishers of enormous depth, some of which have already been absent for years and not only in 2021, but also to the individual games that we would have liked to hit the stage. For some of them the various development teams had expressed themselves in time, declaring that they would not take part in E3 to return to the spotlight in dedicated events during the summer. Now that the curtain has fallen and we have put aside the regret of not having seen something new of the titles expected by the players, it is time to think about which absences weighed the most on the budget of this event.
Having said that, however, we cannot complain about what was staged from 12 to 15 June last, with many important announcements that gave us the opportunity to admire titles of the caliber of Elden Ring, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5 is the new Legend of Zelda. We cannot deny, however, that the products you will find below would certainly have made this edition much more satisfying. So let's find out together what for us were the absences that have weighed significantly and of which we will have to wait who knows how long to see them return as protagonists.
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy is undoubtedly one of the most important sagas in the gaming sector and it is really impossible to think of a Square Enix conference without its spearhead. What we saw on June 13 is definitely not what the public was waiting for, running out of new information regarding Final Fantasy XVI. Since this is an exclusive time on consoles for Playstation 5 at launch, probably a possible next appointment in which we can finally know more could be in a Playstation Experience or State of Play that Sony will hold at a date yet to be defined. Fans of the saga for now will have to settle for the classic remastered in 2D and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Watch on YouTube. Metroid Prime 4
The first reveal of Metroid Prime 4 took place in the now distant 2017, and for four years this project seems to have disappeared from the radar, with no new information that can reassure us on the status of the works. During this E3 our hopes of finally being able to see something concrete have inexorably crumbled when instead of Metroid Prime 4, during Nintendo's Direct, it was Metroid Dread to take the stage. How long will we have to wait? Difficult to say but the hope of a reveal in a further Direct of the big N before the end of this year is always on.
Watch on YouTube. Bayonetta 3
Unfortunately, as regards Bayonetta 3, we could make a copy and paste of the previous paragraph dedicated to Metroid Prime 4. Both presented four years ago simply with a logo and nothing more, the aura of mystery remains dense and impenetrable around these two long-awaited productions. This lack of information has begun to annoy fans who have feared the hypothesis of a possible development block. No less than Hideki Kamiya responded to this statement in a very animated way, who scolded the user not to make careless statements about what they are not given to know but reassuring that the work is proceeding and when the time comes we will be able to find out more. .
Watch on YouTube. Hollow Knight Silksong
Among the great absentees we must unfortunately also mention the highly anticipated Hollow Knight Silksong, even if Team Cherry had announced in advance that it would not take part in E3 in any of the scheduled events. The cover of Edge completely dedicated to Silksong had made us dream about a fairly close arrival but unfortunately, after the announcement in 2019, little other information came before our eyes, exponentially increasing the wait towards this second chapter.
Watch on YouTube. Warner Bros.
The Californian company presented itself this year with a lot of meat in the fire but still decided to take the time to show their lineup, bringing only Back 4 Blood, the work of Turtle, to the stage Rock Studios coming to consoles and PC on October 8 this year. Although we appreciated the focus dedicated to the new zombie-themed online coop, the silence coming from the developers of Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad and Hogwarts Legacy is starting to get really worrying.
Nintendo Switch Pro
We know, we must never fall into the trap of leaks that precede the great events but we must admit that the rumor of seeing a new Nintendo-branded console presented has teased us a lot . Also in this case Nintendo at the dawn of the start of E3 had warned us that the Direct aired on June 15 would only focus on software ads. Who knows if in the fall there will be room for new hardware in a dedicated event or we will have to wait for the new year.
Watch on YouTube. Electronic Arts and Sony
Although these two companies have no longer chaired the Electronic Entertainment Expo in recent years, Electronic Arts and Sony have held conferences shortly before or after the official event par excellence. EA Play had recently reserved its forerunner place with the opening of the show floor at the end of the event to try out the products presented on stage, while Playstation had taken the right distance to have all the spotlight on itself.
Thinking back to the format before the farewell of these two big companies, one wonders how much this 3 days of E3 could be more electrifying with the participation of these software houses. As for the American company, the wait will be rather short, which will preside over an event on July 22nd. For Sony, however, everything is still silent and the possibility of seeing a Playstation Experience or State of Play for now remains only a rumor, but it is reasonable to expect news by the end of the summer.
Watch on YouTube. The second conference of Xbox + Bethesda
We can say without a doubt that Xbox has amazed and convinced during this E3 finally giving some emotion and certainty on the state of work of its exclusives. What made us think, however, are all those IPs that did not take part in the Showcase, which are equally numerous and thick. In this moment Xbox + Bethesda could create on the spot another conference as rich as the official with the excluded.
Watch on YouTube. We are talking about products like Avowed, Fable, Hellblade 2, Everwild, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scroll 6 and why not, a new Fallout. Here, imagine another 90 minutes where the aforementioned titles are shown and announced even with a provisional launch window. It's nice to dream right?
