E3 2021: Every Major New Game Reveal & Announcement | Screen Rant
While the all-digital E3 2021 was more accessible for fans than past years' expos, the sheer amount of streams and developers showcasing games during and around the event could be difficult to keep track of. Between Xbox, Bethesda, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and others, E3 2021 had more than 20 brand-new game reveals - and that's not counting the various pre-E3 events.
Prior to E3 proper, the week of gaming events began with Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live!, an online showcase not associated with E3 that was first held last year to cover E3's pandemic-induced cancellation. The kickoff show included a few brand-new game announcements, some of the most notable being Borderlands spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Jurassic World Evolution 2, and a new co-op FPS called The Anacrusis.
For those who register for the E3 Expo Portal on E3's official website, the show's streams and trailers can still be be viewed in one place until June 30. But for fans who just want a quick rundown, here is every major new game revealed during E3 2021, in no particular order. Several smaller titles and indie games - like Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and IXIOM - are not included in this list, so this is not a comprehensive list of every game at the showcase, but it does encompass all of the major AAA reveals and some indie surprises.
Easily the largest list of new AAA games comes from the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase that took place on June 13, and Contraband, a collaboration between Avalanche Studios and Xbox Game Studios, is a unique part of that list. Contraband is a co-op, open-world game that is described as a "smuggler's paradise." It's built on the Apex engine, which Avalanche Studios used to make the Just Cause action game series. While it has no release date yet, Contraband will be exclusive to Xbox Series X|S and PC.
The newest installment in the Forza franchise was voted Most Anticipated Game in the Official E3 2021 Awards Show, and it's easy to see why. Forza Horizon 5 takes place in Mexico, giving players the opportunity to race through rainforests, city streets, and even Mayan ruins. Fans of the classic racing series won't have to wait too long, since Forza Horizon 5 is set to release on November 9, 2021.
Redfall is an open-world, co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the developer behind Prey and Dishonored. It features a team of four diverse characters with varying skill sets and weapons. Players take on the role of one of these characters to fight vampires in a small town in Massachusetts. Redfall is set to be an Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusive, but it won't be dropping until 2022.
Not much information was revealed about The Outer Worlds 2, the sequel to Obsidian Entertainment's 2019 sci-fi RPG, it seems that The Outer Worlds 2 will at least continue the first game's tradition of sarcastic and witty dialogue. Its teaser trailer was framed as a self-aware spoof of E3 trailers for games that aren't ready for for a full reveal.
Another sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, follows sister and brother Amicia and Hugo as they attempt to survive disease-ridden rats and the Inquisition. A Plague Tale: Innocence is an action-adventure, survival horror, and stealth game, and it won awards both for Best Narrative and Outstanding Story Rich Game in 2019. Requiem is set to release sometime in 2022.
Replaced is a 2.5D, sci-fi, retro-futuristic action platformer in which players take on the role of an artificial intelligence named R.E.A.C.H. that is trapped in a human body against its own will. The game combines cinematic platforming, pixel art, and free-flowing action combat. Replaced does not yet have a release date, but like many of Xbox's E3 reveals, it will come to Xbox Game Pass on launch day.
In Square Enix's new Guardians of the Galaxy game, players take on the role of Star-Lord as leader of his AI-controlled Guardians teammates. Players will get to utilize blasters, jet boot-powered dropkicks, and tag-team takedowns in combat, and the game puts an emphasis on player choice in its narrative. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will launch on October 26, 2021.
Players will explore a dark fantasy world and battle monsters from the Final Fantasy series in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, a Dark Souls-like action game. The game stars Jack and his allies, Ash and Jed, as they attempt to destroy an evil entity called Chaos. Final Fantasy Origin is set to release in 2022, but PS5 owners have access to a free demo version until June 24, 2021.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the sequel to Ubisoft's unexpected crossover game, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Players hop between planets with a team of nine heroes to battle a new villain named Cursa. Unlike the original, the levels (planets) in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope allow for more free exploration. The game is available for pre-order but will not be released until 2022.
The first 2D Metroid in years, Metroid Dread's storyline is a direct sequel to Metroid Fusion, which was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2002. Players control Samus once again as she takes on a new robotic enemy on the planet ZDR. While Dread maintains the classic, side-scrolling gameplay, it adds some 3D elements and new features like stealth. Metroid Dread is set to release October 8, 2021.
Although many Just Dance players have expressed frustrations at having to buy a full-priced game once a year with little changes other than new music, Just Dance 2022 is still on its way. It will feature 40 new songs, as well as continued support for the Just Dance Unlimited subscription service. Just Dance 2022 is set to release November 4, 2021.
Created by Sam Barlow, the developer behind Her Story and Telling Lies, Immortality follows fictional actress Marissa Marcel, who starred in three films that were never released before she went missing. Not much is known about the gameplay of Immortality, but Sam Barlow's other games have included live-action footage in FMV-style. The tags for this title on Steam definitely follow the vibe of the trailer, including "horror," "adventure," and "simulation." The game is set to release in 2022.
Survival Machine can be played solo or with friends and asks players to travel through an ever-changing land on a great machine. Players build structures on their moving towns in real time as they attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse. Survival Machine is being created by indie developer Grapes Pickers and is coming in 2022.
First-person life sim adventure Slime Rancher has players step into the life of Beatrix LeBeau, who sets out far away from home to try her hand at wrangling slime. Slime Rancher 2 appears to follow in its predecessor's footsteps with colorful visuals and relaxing gameplay. The game is set to come to Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2022.
FAR: Changing Tides lets players sail stormy waters, dive unknown depths, and explore forgotten ruins. It's a follow-up to FAR: Lone Sails, which was released in 2018 and received high praise. FAR: Changing Tides does not yet have a release date.
The trailer for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora doesn't feature any actual gameplay, but the beautifully rendered cinematic show off the world of Pandora - and a look at what this first-person action-adventure game's combat could look like. The game will put players in the role of one of the Na'vi to embark on a journey across the planet. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is set to release in 2022.
To celebrate 20 years of AiAi, Sega is releasing Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, a remaster of the first three Super Monkey Ball games. The collection will feature more than 300 levels, a local co-op mode, and access to online challenges. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is scheduled to release on October 8, 2021.
Mario Party Superstars brings five classic boards from the Nintendo 64 Mario Party games to Switch, along with a collection of minigames from throughout the series. Unlike the recent Super Mario Party, Mario Party Superstars will support online play from launch. Its scheduled release is October 29, 2021.
WarioWare: Get It Together! features over 200 quick and quirky microgames. For the first time, players get to control Wario (along with another character in co-op) onscreen, as he and his friends use absurd abilities to fix Wario's business plan gone awry. WarioWare: Get It Together! is scheduled for release on September 10, 2021.
Hitman Sniper: The Shadows is a spin-off of the Hitman: Sniper mobile game in which fans will play as one of five new characters. It will be free to play and is launching for Android and iOS later this year.
Shredders is an all-new snowboarding simulation game that looks to feature lifelike graphics and no-frills gameplay. It's planned for a December 2021 launch and will be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a JRPG that raised $4.5 million through a Kickstarter campaign in 2020. Its spin-off, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, was revealed for the first time during Xbox's showcase. Its announcement trailer gave fans a brief sneak peek at its 2D brawling gameplay. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is coming in 2022.
Advance Wars is being reimagined for the Nintendo Switch in Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, which includes the original Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. The remaster of this classic strategy game looks great and is slated for December 3, 2021.
Danganronpa Decadence is a collection of the new anniversary editions of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Each of the these can be purchased individually on the Nintendo eShop, but the Decadence collection is a physical exclusive set to come out later this year.