Where are they now? We take a look at nine games that were big announcements from recent conferences, but have largely remained silent ever since.
“Deep Down”
Announced during E3 2013, “Deep Down” is a free-to-play cooperative dungeon crawler in a similar vein to Dark Souls. It places a heavy emphasis on combat and exploration, and was said to make use of Capcom’s then-new development technology. Since then, we’ve barely heard anything about it, and as of December 2016, there has not been so much as a public beta for “Deep Down.”
When will we see it again? This one’s a tough call to make. Considering we’ve heard so little about it, I’m not entirely positive Capcom even has plans to still release it. But, they could easily surprise us with an all-new look during Tokyo Game Show or PlayStation Experience this year.
“Crackdown 3”
The latest in Microsoft’s madcap open world series was announced onstage during E3 2014, boasting a new world, fully destructible environments, and a return to the goofy fun reminiscent of its predecessors. Since then, however, we have barely heard or seen anything about it, largely relying on occasional trickles of information from interviews with developers and publishers.
When will we see it again? “Crackdown 3” developers are eyeing a holiday 2017 release date for the open-world game. Whether or not they stick to it remains to be seen, but we’re hopeful we can destroy this cel-shaded city within a few months.
“Kingdom Hearts 3”
Much like the “Final Fantasy VII Remake,” “Kingdom Hearts 3” is one of Square’s Japanese-developed games that have more-or-less gone into hiding. Since its announcement at E3 2013, we’ve learned it will have worlds based on Frozen and Big Hero 6 and have seen a small teaser for it in the Kingdom Hearts HD remaster. Meanwhile, Square is issuing remasters and rereleases of old Kingdom Hearts games with such comically complex names as “Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue” to fill the gap.
When will we see it again? It’s been long enough that I think we can count on seeing more of it during this year’s E3, most likely on Sony’s stage for their major press conference. Alternately, we can look forward to “Kingdom Hearts 2.9.”
“Drawn to Death”
Helmed by longtime veteran David Jaffe, “Drawn to Death” has been largely silent since it was announced and shown off during PSX 2014. Still, we know it’s in development and is targeting a release. It has been spotted on show floors at various conventions and different impressions of it have been recorded in both video and written form.
When will we see it again? Now roughly three years into development, it seems likely we’ve very close to seeing a full reveal of “Drawn to Death” sometime this year, perhaps in the form of a digital download exclusively on PS4.
“Cyberpunk 2077”
CD Projekt Red has been taking its time creating “Cyberpunk 2077,” considering it was announced back in 2012. That may ultimately be a wise decision on their part, however, since expectations in our post-“Witcher 3” world will be heaped on them in a big way. They’ve stuck to a very rigid “it’s coming when it’s coming” development schedule for better or for worse, although we have learned it will feature the same setting from the pen and paper RPG it is adapting and will include “seamless” multiplayer.
When will we see it again? Now that development on “The Witcher 3” has largely wrapped and left a positive impression on the industry, I imagine CD Projekt will want to capitalize on that good grace and keep the train rolling with a brand-new trailer showing off gameplay this year. Perhaps that’s optimistic, but we’d really like to learn more about “Cyberpunk 2077.”
“Shenmue 3”
Announced during the same conference as the “Final Fantasy VII” remake, “Shenmue 3” went on to raise a large amount of money on Kickstarter and beyond. We’ve heard a few things since then, including a recent update from December 2016 showing off screenshots. But we still have yet to see an extended amount of pure footage from it.
When will we see it again? It’s slated for a December 2017 release date. Considering how little we’ve seen, that release date seems highly unlikely. But then, stranger things have happened.
“Dreams”
Media Molecule’s bizarre creativity-driven game “Dreams” was revealed during E3 2015 as a game including the tools for players to craft their own unique adventures akin to their dreams. We’ve seen and heard little of it since its announcement.
When will we see it again? The beta was pushed back to 2017, so it’s possible we get a beta announcement and new trailer (if no complete showcase) during E3 this year. Especially considering its PSVR integration and the relatively new peripheral from Sony, they may want to push it in an attempt to drive sales on the HMD.
———
Shacknews is a leading online provider of videogame, entertainment and lifestyle content, as well as community and interactive services.
Read more at Shacknews.com
About the Author
