Announced, applauded, and then accompanied into the ether by silence. When was the last we heard from the new Mirror's Edge and the new Gears of War? What's going on with the Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem crossover? How's Cliff Bleszinski's new game Bluestreak going?
Here are a handful of games that have been revealed in the past years but from which we have not seen hide nor hair in quite a long time. You won't see games like The Last Guardian, Half-Life 3, and BioShock on Vita on this list, because nothing definitive has been said recently or at all--and at this point, pressing the issue is a little heartbreaking. But as far as these following games go, we may have heard tiny tidbits in recent weeks, but not enough to say we know what's going on for sure.
The next Mirror's Edge
Developer: DICE
Rumors of a new Mirror's Edge were already swirling when DICE officially announced the title during EA's 2013 E3 press conference. Announced for the new generation of consoles, this Mirror's Edge would be not a sequel, but a prequel delving into the past of protagonist Faith.
Little is known about content for the new Mirror's Edge. DICE confirmed it will be an open-world action adventure and will focus on first-person combat. In January 2014, Mirror's Edge writer Rhianna Pratchett announced that she was not working on the prequel.
After EA's 2014 E3 press conference, alongside new concept footage for the new Mirror's Edge, DICE senior producer Sara Jansson posted a letter on the official Mirror's Edge website stating the game was in full development. However, the team needed more time and was not ready to show gameplay--or anything else--anytime soon.
The last word: More than six months later, DICE is still quiet on the new Mirror's Edge. A representative for EA told GameSpot to "keep the faith."
Crackdown
Developer: Microsoft Game Studios
Another fleeting ghost of Microsoft's E3 2014's press conference. The new Crackdown is being headed by Dave Jones, who worked on the original 2007 Crackdown at developer Realtime Worlds.
The game's only teaser trailer showed a return to the familiar Crackdown art style and destructible environments. It would have online multiplayer and a co-op campaign. Other than that, not much is known. It will be an Xbox One exclusive and blend single-player and co-op into one seamless experience.
The last word: Since the teaser trailer, we've heard nothing about Crackdown, other than Microsoft's Phil Spencer tweeting last August that 2014 would hold no more news on the title. When reached for comment, Microsoft offered no new information.
Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem
Developer: Nintendo, Intelligent Systems
Shin Megami Tensei developer Atlus and Fire Emblem studio Intelligent Systems announced their planned crossover during a Nintendo Direct presentation at the end of January 2013. The title is a joint project between the two developers and will feature characters from both franchises, with the initial trailer showing 10 Shin Megami Tensei characters from the 1992 original game up to 2013's Shin Megami Tensei IV, and 15 Fire Emblem characters from first hero Marth to Fire Emblem: Awakening's heros Lucina and Chrom. As of now, all we know is that it will be a Wii U exclusive and a role-playing game.
During a Q&A session at E3 2014 following the announcement of another Intelligent Systems game, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., Nintendo producer Hitoshi Yamagami stated that the Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem was still in development despite there being no news. Code Name: STEAM was not affecting its development and the crossover was still on schedule.
Earlier this month Nintendo announced that the team behind Fire Emblem: Awakening was working on a new Fire Emblem title for the 3DS. There's no official name or release date yet, but the studio did show a trailer featuring both gameplay and what appear to be cutscenes.
The last word: When reached for comment recently about the Shin Megami Tensei crossover, Nintendo and co-developer Atlus couldn't share any new details.
Silent Hills
Developer: Kojima Productions
During a Gamescom 2014 press conference, Sony dropped the news that new game called P.T. was available for download off the PlayStation Store. Less than a day later, a Twitch streamer was the first to complete the creepy horror mini-game, and to everyone's utter shock discovered a trailer for a new Silent Hill game at its end.
The new game will be called Silent Hills, is in development with Kojima Productions and is being created under both Hideo Kojima and renowned filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Also featured in the teaser trailer is who appears to be the game's main character: The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus.
The last word: Since the unearthing of the trailer from its playable teaser, news has been quiet surrounding Silent Hills. A representative from Konami told GameSpot that no official updates for the game are available at this time.
Kingdom Hearts III
Developer: Square Enix
In early 2010, director Tetsuya Nomura first began talking openly about the existence of Kingdom Hearts III, referencing the game in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Ultimania Guidebook. And when Dream Drop Distance launched for 3DS in summer 2012, Nomura noted that Kingdom Hearts III was connected to it, both in terms of story and gameplay systems.
Officially announced at E3 2013 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the action role-playing game is set to be the first Kingdom Hearts game released for more than one platform and the eighth title in the storyline. Nomura has stated that Kingdom Hearts III will wrap up the current storylines, but will not mark the end of the Kingdom Hearts series.
Shortly after E3, however, Nomura told Famitsu that Kingdom Hearts III had been announced "too early" based on where it was in development. He did share a few more gameplay details, calling the action "frantic" and announcing the return of three-person parties in combat, with NPCs pitching into fights. Keyblades will be able to change shape and teaser trailers indicate the presence of super moves based on Disney theme park attractions.
Kingdom Hearts III's development was impeded largely in part by Nomura also taking lead on Final Fantasy XV, formerly known as Versus XIII. Square Enix announced that Nomura had stepped away from XV in September 2014 to focus on Kingdom Hearts, leaving XV's development in the hands of Final Fantasy Type-0 and Crisis Core director Hajime Tabata. The company also announced Kingdom Hearts III would run on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 and not Square's in-house next-gen Luminous Engine.
Since the announcement of Nomura's departure, things have been quiet on the Kingdom Hearts front, other than a brief demo shown at a fan event this past December.
The last word: : Co-director Tai Yasue told GameSpot that 2015 will be the year we hear more about Kingdom Hearts III. "Not only have we established the development environment on the Unreal Engine 4 and set the team structures in place, we've decided on a colorful look that can be achieved through our unique shading technology," he said. "We're also working to build up the main elements of the game, like the Attractions and the Keyblade Transformations."
Phantom Dust
Developer: Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference was a barrage of announcements with very little information attached. One such announcement was for a new Phantom Dust, in development with Microsoft Game Studios.
This new Phantom Dust would be an updated version of the 2004 classic developed exclusively for Xbox One. Microsoft promised "a reimagined version of the beloved classic with all-new gameplay and graphics." Later that year at Gamescom, Xbox head Phil Spencer told Game Informer that more information on Phantom Dust would likely not come until E3 2015.
The last word: GameSpot reached out to Microsoft for news. The company declined to share.
Scalebound
Developer: Platinum Games
Since the announcement, Platinum has announced and released a video game based on Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra animated series as well as Bayonetta 2, but not much has been revealed about Scalebound. During the 2014 Tokyo Game Show, Kamiya told IGN that Platinum Games has "never made a game like Scalebound," stating the power of the Xbox One is allowing the team to create a more realistic-looking game.
Like Crackdown and Phantom Dust, Microsoft's Phil Spencer noted last fall that we wouldn't see any more Scalebound news until the new year.
The last word: And like Crackdown and Phantom Dust, Microsoft told GameSpot it had no new details to share on Scalebound. But recently, Microsoft's Ken Lobb spoke vaguely about Scalebound on a podcast, stating that the game would "shock" players.
New Gears of War
Developer: Black Tusk Studios
At the end of January 2014, Microsoft announced that it had acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, including the rights to all past and future games. Additionally, Microsoft announced that Gears of War veteran Rod Fergusson had left the 2K Bay Area studio to return to the franchise, where he is playing a "key studio leadership role" at developer Black Tusk Studios.
As of late 2014, we know next to nothing about the new Gears of War other than it will be an Xbox One exclusive and is not a franchise reboot. The title is still in its very early stages.
The last word: When asked about the state of the game, Microsoft and Black Tusk declined to comment.
Tekken X Street Fighter
Developer: Bandai Namco Games
Namco first announced Tekken x Street Fighter at San Diego Comic-Con in summer 2010. Previous Namco and Capcom crossover, 2012's Street Fighter x Tekken, used Street Fighter IV's 2D style. But Tekken x Street Fighter would borrow from Tekken's 3D fighting style. The game was announced for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Since then, there have only been a handful of tidbits released about the title, leaving many to think it may have been scrapped. At Gamescom 2010, Capcom showed a prototype model for Street Fighter's Ryu. In spring 2012, Tekken's Facebook page hosted a poll asking what characters fans wanted to see in the crossover, with Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada stating the game was only 10 percent complete at the time.
At San Diego Comic Con in July 2014, Harada said during a panel that Tekken x Street Fighter was still in development despite the delay, noting that release timing and marketing were challenging. "It hasn't been canceled, so please relax," he said. Later in December, Harada told Korean website Inven that while Tekken x Street Fighter's base system was finished, fans would have to wait for Namco to complete work on Tekken 7 and its planned updates.
The last word: Namco could offer no new details when we reached out for comment.
Rime
Developer: Tequila Works
Sony announced Rime at Gamescom 2013 as a third-party PlayStation 4 exclusive. The first trailer showed an open-world game from a third-person view of a small boy, with both action and puzzle elements.
According to game director Raúl Rubio, Rime is about a boy trying to escape an island and a curse. He cited films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away as well as the work of Salvador Dali as inspirational sources. In early 2014, it was revealed that Microsoft had rejected a $3 million exclusivity pitch for Rime, then called Echoes of Siren.
A second trailer was shown for Rime at Gamescom 2014, but nothing new has surfaced since.
The last word: Tequila Works told GameSpot that Rime is still deep in development but is currently on track for a 2015 release.
BlueStreak
Developer: Boss Key Productions
After 20 years with Epic Games, Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski left in fall 2012 for an extended vacation from making games. In June 2014, Bleszinski announced that he was coming out of retirement and returning to video games. Early the next month he announced his new development studio, Boss Key Productions, and his new game, currently known as BlueStreak. Bleszinski has so far announced that BlueStreak is a free-to-play sci-fi arena shooter for PC.
The last word: The designer recently told GameSpot that the name "BlueStreak" is a placeholder for the real title, which we can expect to learn soon. He also said the 25-person Boss Key Studios is now playing the game on a daily basis.
"We’re playing multiple game modes in a variety of arenas, attacks and abilities are being tested, and we're experimenting with several movement styles," Bleszinski said. "In addition, we’re also figuring out our art style. We don’t want to be the Xbox 360/PS3 'grey' generation that feels very five years ago today, but we also don’t want to be in the 'super vibrant colors realm' that's taken over recently (especially in the mobile and MOBA space). There is a halfway point that looks great, isn't depressing, and also doesn't feel like every color in the rainbow is turned up so darned high."
Cyberpunk 2077
Developer: CD Projekt Red
In May 2012, The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red announced it was working on a role-playing video game based on Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk tabletop series. At the time, the developer called the game a "mature RPG for mature audiences," a nonlinear story set in a futuristic world. The game would place heavy emphasis on character creation and would offer different classes to play as.
CD Projekt Red announced the game had been renamed Cyberpunk 2077 in October 2012 and shared the first visual teasers featuring a woman with seemingly-cyborg arms. In January 2013 the developer shared the first cinematic trailer featuring the same woman. Later that year, the team confirmed Cyberpunk 2077 would also have multiplayer features and that it was "most probably" also coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In March 2014, CD Projekt Red announced a delay for its other in-developer title, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, from fall 2014 to February 2015. At the time, the studio said the delay did not affect development on Cyberpunk 2077. This was the last time CD Projekt spoke openly about the game, and when the The Witcher 3 was recently delayed again to May 2015, Cyberpunk 2077 was not mentioned.
The last word: When reached for comment, CD Projekt Red told GameSpot that the team is currently focused entirely on The Witcher 3, and wouldn't be ready to share news on Cyberpunk 2077 just yet. "We are now focusing entirely on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, everyone is working crazy hard to give gamers around the world an RPG to remember. Worry not, Cyberpunk 2077 is OK, it's time will come."
EverQuest Next
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
The next title in Sony Online Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing series was first heavily hinted at in 2009 but officially announced at SOE Live 2013. Set in a world parallel to other EverQuest games and featuring familiar characters and locations, EverQuest Next would feature what people love about modern MMORPGs while returning to gameplay similar to the original EverQuest.
In January 2014, EverQuest Next's user creation-focused standalone companion, EverQuest Next Landmark, went into alpha. SOE's John Smedley also confirmed that, in addition to PC, EverQuest Next would be released for PlayStation 4. In March Landmark entered a closed beta phase and is still in this phase.
SOE released new information on EverQuest Next and EverQuest Next Landmark in a slow drip through 2014, including some information on classes and how players can build their own in-game lives. But as of yet, the game has yet to receive a release date.
The last word: On EverQuest Next and Landmark, director of development Dave Georgeson told GameSpot that things were going swimmingly and we could expect to see more very soon, including an open beta phase for Landmark. "We’re doing extremely well. Many of the systems we’ve been building for EverQuest Next have been tested in Landmark and the feedback has been amazingly constructive," he said. "Landmark is preparing now for its Open Beta launch (still an unannounced date, but realistically soon), and then we pivot to move full-time to EverQuest Next content and aesthetics. This is going to be a great year for the whole EverQuest franchise and we’re really looking forward to it."
