Nintendo:
- Breath of the Wild 2 will release to critical acclaim, but less acclaim than the first. Story will be well received, Zelda is playable, second week of November release.
- Bayonetta 3 will re-emerge with gameplay, 2022 release. Metroid Prime 4 is still in development, will close out the Switch generation.
- There will not be a Switch pro.
- Fire Emblem 17 will be announced for 2022. Koei Tecmo co-develops.
- Super Mario Odyssey 2 releases March 2022.
Sony:
- Sony will acquire Bluepoint Games and Housemarque.
- Horizon Forbidden West will be to Zero Dawn what Uncharted 2 was to Drake's Fortune: an improvement in every way with deeper rpg elements. Massive GOTY contender.
- God of War Ragnarok, if it makes it into 2021, will barely squeak in in early December, making it ineligible for the 2021 Game Awards.
- Spider-Man 2 will be announced. It's a Spider-Verse game with 4 player co-op, but is designed around being a thoroughly enjoyable single player experience first and foremost. Holiday 2022 release.
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will receive series best reviews.
- Gran Turismo 7 will be delayed until Spring 2022.
- Returnal will be the Dreams/Ori of the year. Critically beloved, early release + niche genre hurts GOTY nods it deserves.
Xbox:
- The Zenimax acquisition will close February 2021. The first 2 games released will be Wolfenstein 3 in August and Starfield in October.
- For Zenimax, New IPs, stand alone sequels (i.e. Fallout 5/Elder Scrolls 6) and reboots will be full exclusive. Continuations of ongoing stories like Wolfenstein 3 will be one year timed exclusives. ESO and FO76 will continue to see updates on all platforms and the back catalog will remain on competing services like PS Now and Stadia until end of contract, will remain on PS Store/Nintendo Eshop in perpetuity.
- Halo Infinite will receive the best reviews of 343's tenure but still below Bungie standards. Still a GOTY contender.
- Starfield will receive reviews similar to Fallout 4, but will be received better than that game in fan circles.
- Xbox will find a loophole to put Ghostwire and Deathloop into PC Gane Pass day one.
- Psychonauts 2 will be among the year's most acclaimed and beloved games, but snubbed come GOTY season.
- As Dusk Falls will release in August, but year one will be more about third party partners like Fatshark and GSC Game World, as well as Bethesda, than XGS content.
- We will see gameplay for Avowed, Everwild, Fable, Forza and the Bethesda titles, but not for SoD 3 or Perfect Dark.
- Quakecon will replace Bethesda E3, with Xbox's E3 teasing the event. A new IP from Arkane Austin will be shown off.
- InXile's RPG will be announced at The Game Awards. Steampunk themed. 2024 release.
- Game Pass will surpass 20 million subs
- MS will acquire Bungie and Asobo.
Misc.
- Stadia will show off footage of the Jade Raymond game. Looks promising.
- The Amazon MMO will receive mixed/negative reviews but will get better over time.
- Battlefield 6 will be well received, but not up to One's reviews.
- Rainbow Six Quarantine will be shelved indefinitely.
- Far Cry 6 will receive mixed reviews.
- Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 will be the FO76/Anthem of 2021. Dying Light 2 will surprise.
- Dragon Age 4 will be tentatively dated for 2022.
- Intellivision Amico will find a small niche, Atari VCS will flop.
- Elden Ring will release September!
- Cyberpunk 2077 will not be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards due to controversy but will get better over time.
- E3 will be cancelled again, Summer Games Fest better paced.
- TGA GOTY noms: Halo Infinite, Horizon Forbidden West, BOTW 2, Starfield, Ratchet and Clank, Elden Ring.
www.resetera.com
