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The 9 things that aren't Project Scorpio we want to hear about most during E3 2017

Xbox’s new console is going to be big, but there are plenty of major game announcements expected at the industry show too.
Xbox’s new console is going to be big, but there are plenty of major game announcements expected at the industry show too. Xbox’s new console is going to be big, but there are plenty of major game announcements expected at the industry show too.

E3, one of the biggest events in the video games calendar, begins next week when the industry’s top names unveil what they have in store in the coming year.

2017 is expected to be a particularly big year as not only are several popular franchises due to make comebacks, but Xbox has a major new console to unwrap – Project Scorpio.

Set to be the most powerful games console ever, Scorpio is likely to be the headline news of E3, but there’s plenty more to look out for too.

1. Call of Duty: WWII

Activision’s juggernaut franchise is going back to its roots this year – returning to the Second World War as its setting after several years of modern day, near and then far future stories that got a mixed reception from fans.

The hype is already steadily rising again now however, with the reveal trailer above having offered a glimpse of what’s to come.

Expect Activision to use E3 to fill out more of the story, the characters and the gameplay for both single and multiplayer in the run up to the November launch.

2. Star Wars Battlefront II

It’s impossible not to be excited by a Star Wars Battlefront trailer, such is the power of that universe. But we’ve been burned before, with 2015′s Battlefront being incredibly narrow in its settings and offering limited multiplayer arena missions and no single player story.

A lot of these issues would appear to have been fixed this time around. We know there’s a single player campaign for one, and not only that it spans across the series’ three main eras and is played from the unique perspective of a soldier of the Empire.

All this ramps up the intrigue, and has many keen to know more about Battlefront II.

3. Far Cry 5

For the sheer amount of debate this trailer has generated, Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 will be a fascinating discussion at E3 this year.

The open world shooter is set in the US for the first time, and depicts a heavily armed religious cult terrorising the local community.

At a time of social and political divide in the US, some have called the game’s narrative a bold choice at such a sensitive moment.

4. Red Dead Redemption 2

One of the most anticipated sequels of the coming 12 months, from one of the most famous studios out there.

GTA-makers Rockstar tend to get the gaming world’s attention when they launch a game, and the return of open-world Western shooter Red Dead Redemption is for some an even bigger deal than a new Grand Theft Auto game.

Expect an audible hush of excitement during any E3-based discussion of this one.

5. FIFA 18

The reveal trailer gave away little, other than a big focus on Cristiano Ronaldo, but FIFA 18 is expected to showcase a big step forward for the football series.

The game will be in its second year of using the Frostbite engine, which after being a learning curve last year should hopefully start to bear fruit this time around.

6. Destiny 2

We already know a fair amount about Destiny 2 following a reveal event last month, but plenty of details are expected ahead of the game’s launch in September.

What will the new Raids be like? What else is to come in terms of multiplayer content? The Sony press conference is likely to give us some of these details.

7. Super Mario Odyssey

The next big flagship launch for the new Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey sees Mario leave the Mushroom Kingdom for far broader horizons.

The trailer shows city landscapes, colourful frontier towns and misty forests – all in 3D, a relatively rare Mario experience.

We still don’t know much about Odyssey, so anything Nintendo choose to share will be a bonus.

8. The Last of Us Part II

OK, so there’s another candidate for ‘biggest reveal of E3′. The Last of Us was, and remains, one of the best video games ever made.

Fans have craved a sequel since completing the first, and that wish has now been granted. Some trepidation remains over any follow-up’s ability to meet expectations.

But at the same time many just want to know what’s in store next for Joel and Ellie.

9. Death Stranding

The trailers for this game have so far been so random and difficult to follow that many just want a few more answers as to what this game is actually about.

But with a cast that includes Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen and directed by industry legend Hideo Kojima – creator of the Metal Gear Solid series – it’s hard to not to be intrigued by this mysterious project.

All this is also not to mention we may see a new Assassin’s Creed, Halo