E3 2021: new games from Ubisoft, Bethesda, Square Enix and others

At long last, a cornucopia of new games has graced us again. The all-digital Electronic Entertainment Expo 2021, or «E3» for short, opened the flood gates. Here are the most important announcements made in the Saturday and Sunday events so far. Get hyped for trailers from Ubisoft, Xbox and Bethesda, Square Enix and the PC Gaming Show.

Ubisoft Forward Event

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

James Cameron’s Avatar is getting a stunningly aesthetic next-gen game adaptation. In Frontiers of Pandora, you take on the role of a Na’vi, exploring a never-before-seen western part of Pandora. Unique creatures and characters await you, as well as protection from RDA forces. A release date isn’t yet known, but the game is scheduled for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Google’s and Amazon’s cloud services.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – First Look Trailer:

By the way, the publisher has announced another sci-fi game, but we don’t know much about it yet: apparently, it’s an open-world Star Wars game.

Far Cry 6

In Far Cry 6, you’ll fight alongside a guerrilla army to liberate the tropical island of Yara. Fight your way towards the capital through jungles and beaches, all to topple the despotic leader Antón Castillo and his regime. Its newest trailer reveals how merciless your tyrannical foe can be, all yours to defeat come October 7. The game will be released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna.

Far Cry 6 – Meet the Villain: Antón Cinematic Trailer:

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

With Ubisoft’s first Mario + Rabbids, as well as 2017’s «Kingdom Battle», fans of turn-based crossover strategy games are definitely getting their money’s worth. If you’re into tactical gameplay in the style of X-COM as well as Mario and Co., I’d definitely look forward to the upcoming sequel. «Sparks of Hope» will be released sometime in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Cinematic World Premiere Trailer:

Rainbow Six Extraction

Fancy some spooky PvE co-op? Rainbow Six Extraction pits up to three players against a sinister alien threat known as the Archean. The latest Rainbow Six title brings rescue missions with procedurally generated challenges to twelve maps. Look out for unique weapons, gadgets and abilities as well as a variety of gruesome enemies. Rainbow Six Extraction will be released on September 16 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC and Stadia.

Rainbow Six Extraction – Cinematic Reveal Trailer:

Rainbow Six Extraction – Gameplay Deep Dive Reveal:

Riders Republic

In the extreme sports MMO Riders Republic, up to 50 competitors will be able to compete against each other from September 2. A long trailer reveals bikes, snowboards, wingsuits, even an ice cream stand, all turned into weird motorcycle hybrids. Except whimsical equipment and a variety of modes – all enabled by cross-play mass racing with the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna.

Riders Republic – Official Deep Dive Trailer:

Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

Back 4 Blood

Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, will be released on October 12. In a new trailer for the zombie shooter, new PVP and Swamp modes are shown in addition to co-op. Anyone interested may pre-order the game and participate in an open beta from August 12 to 16. The full game will be released as an Xbox Game Pass title and for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Back 4 Blood – Official PvP Announce Trailer:

Forza Horizon 5

The Forza series is blessed by an incredibly stunning new instalment in Horizon 5. Playground Games’ open-world racing game is set in Mexico and features stunning landscapes dotted with rainforests, a dormant volcano and pristine ray-traced graphics. All to be released on November 9 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. It will also be included in Xbox Game Pass from day one.

Forza Horizon 5 – Official Announce Trailer:

Hades for Xbox and PlayStation

Previously only available for Windows, macOS and the Nintendo Switch, Hades is now coming to Xbox (as a Game Pass title) and PlayStation. The roguelike dungeon crawler from Supergiant Games was one of the best games of 2020, and was therefore quickly picked up by Sony and Microsoft’s consoles. Free yourself from the clutches of the god of Death as an immortal prince of the Underworld starting August 13. At 60 FPS and 1080p on old consoles, while new ones deliver 60 FPS at UHD resolution.

Hades – Xbox & PlayStation Trailer:

Halo Infinite

After more than a year off, 343 Industries finally have new gameplay material from Halo Infinite to show off. More specifically, the multiplayer side is highlighted. It will apparently run at up to 120 FPS on the Xbox Series X, featuring classics such as Capture the Flag. You’ll even be able to use helpful skills such as a grappling hook to easily pick up objects. The multiplayer part of the game will be free to play for Xbox and PC, bot matches included. This instalment will be released sometime in autumn for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Halo Infinite – Official Multiplayer Reveal:

Redfall

Left 4 Dead with vampires: Dishonored developer Arkane Studios has birthed Redfall, a vampire shooter in which you’ll be able to create your perfect vampire hunting team. It’s set in the picturesque island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, where, cut off from the outside world, you combat diabolical enemies with a handful of survivors. The game is scheduled for release in 2022 as an exclusive for Xbox and PC.

Redfall – Official Announce Trailer:

Sea of Thieves Expansion: A Pirate’s Life

In Rare’s new, free Sea of Thieves expansion «A Pirate’s Life», two pirate worlds collide. Simply put, you’ll have to free Pirates of the Caribbean captain Johnny Depp aka Jack Sparrow from prison. In the process, you might also have to outrun the mythical Davy Jones. You’ll also explore «memorable locations» from Sea of Thieves and Pirates of the Caribbean. Look forward to five new stories full of secrets and side quests starting June 22.

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life – Announcement Trailer:

Starfield

A first glimpse of universal greatness? Starfield, a Bethesda exclusive title, will be released for Xbox Series X/S and PC on November 11, 2022. The trailer shows little gameplay. The game itself is said to focus on a group of explorers in space, allowing you to «be who you want and go where you want».

Starfield – Official Trailer:

The Outer Worlds 2

The role-playing shooter «The Outer Worlds» is getting a successor. Its trailer doesn’t show much yet, but deals with exactly this aspect humorously. What exactly awaits us isn’t yet clear. But the game is likely to be set in a new star system and with a new crew. Granted, we also don’t really know when this will happen. Still, the trailer is worth watching.

The Outer Worlds 2 – Official Announce Trailer:

Square Enix Keynote

Babylon’s Fall

Announced back in 2018, Babylon’s Fall, developed by PlatinumGames, finally gets its first meaty gameplay trailer. The action-adventure game can be played solo or with up to four players. It’s all about surviving challenging dungeons and climbing the Tower of Babylon. The trailer shows off melee combat as well as ranged weapons, as well as the Gideon coffin to carry on your back. It’s a special tool on which the protagonist’s powers are based. The game will be released sometime in the future for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Steam. Towards the end, the trailer does point out that the studio is recruiting for its closed beta here.

Babylon’s Fall – E3 2021 Trailer:

Final Fantasy 1-6: Pixel Remaster Series

Final Fantasy 1 through 6 is being re-released in a Pixel Remaster series for Steam, Android, and iOS. The games will be relaunched with a «Pixel-Perfect Makeover». Sounds like an improvement on the originals, without all that 3D nonsense. However, more details aren’t yet known. Neither is the release date for these remasters.

Final Fantasy Pixel-Remaster – E3 Trailer:

Guardians of the Galaxy

Eidos Montreal, the studio behind the Deus Ex games, is developing a Guardians of the Galaxy title. As the player, you’ll slip into the boots of Star Lord (Peter Quill) and experience a story alongside the Guardians, set a few years after an intergalactic war. As the leader of the Guardians, you’ll have to make tricky decisions, engage in shoot-outs, and immerse yourself in a colourful world with strange aliens, spicy spaceships, and a great 1980s soundtrack. The game will be released on October 26 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Official Reveal Trailer:

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin

Action-packed bloody battles and huge swords. All this and more can be yours in the next Final Fantasy spin-off Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. The title is a collaboration between Tetsuya Nomura, Kazushige Nojima and the studio Team Ninja. It isn’t yet clear how the gameplay will look compared to the predecessors. What is clear, however, is that it will be different, with Nomura noting, «Even though it’s Final Fantasy, it feels different – but there’s no doubt that Final Fantasy’s blood runs through its veins.» The game is scheduled for release in 2022 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A PS5 demo can be tried out from now until June 24.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin – Announcement Trailer:

PC Gaming Show and Upload VR

Have all these announcements from big publishers still left you unimpressed? Thankfully, aside from these huge reveals, E3 also hosted a PC gaming show with more great announcements. In addition, new games for virtual reality headsets were shown at Upload VR.

PC Gaming Show E3 2021:

Upload VR Showcase 2021:

Last but not least, there’s an announcement for all Diablo fans. At E3, Blizzard announced that «Diablo II: Resurrected» will be released for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and the Nintendo Switch starting September 23. Naturally, there’s also a new trailer.

Diablo II: Resurrected – Street Date Trailer: