However, when looking at the long list of Microsoft and Sony franchises that could make the jump to next-generation hardware, it's fairly evidently who has the edge. Taking star power and prominent, marketable franchises into account, Sny is packing several massive names that are each easy system sellers. Horizon, Spider-Man, God of War , Tango Gameworks The Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted; these are all series that are offering fresh, interesting concepts that fans are clamoring to see more of, and that's without even mentioning all the currently dormant franchises that Sony could dip its toes back into as w

What was possible for open-world RPGs in 2004 versus what can be achieved now is drastically different. There are some exceptions, Morrowind managed to bring a well-realized open world to the Xbox, but Fable, visually, was a far superior game, obviously leading to restrictions in other areas. The core elements of RPGs have remained the same, but morality systems are an exception. For the past few decades, what gamers want out of a morality system has shifted dramatically, and with it, the way that gamers think about a narrative as a wh

The shift between video game morality when the first Fable game released — all the way back in September 2004 — and now has been massive. Fable helped lay the foundation for morality as a central factor in games, and watching a character slowly grow horns as they fall further into evil is still neat, but it has far less weight than what fans expect to see

One of the most demonstrable shifts in the way morality systems work now is in the Mass Effect series. While Andromeda's facial animations and other aspects faced major criticisms when it released, most of which were deserved, it ditched the paragon and renegade system found in the first three entries of the series. The newer system, which gave players the option to respond in four different manners rather than just two, was still flawed, but it marked a departure from the standard good versus evil archtypes, attempting to give players more characterization, even if it didn't necessarily succ

Another title likely to appear at Ubisoft's press conference is Watch Dogs Legion , with rumors also alleging that Watch Dogs 3 will be set in London and release later this year . Leaks have also indicated that there will be no lethal combat and that players will be taking on the role of a counter-terrorist operative named Sarah. Of course, this could all be the workings of the internet, so until Ubisoft shows its hand, players are left wait

Naturally, that's an incredibly important next step for Xbox too considering the fact that this current console generation hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Microsoft . Sure, it's easy to blame that on the Xbox One's unfortunate E3 reveal back in 2014, but the reality is that Microsoft could never deliver where it needed to most: huge exclusives. While PlayStation 4 has given fans some of the most groundbreaking experiences of this entire generation, Microsoft has struggled to give its customers any significant exclusives outside of the Gears of War or Halo series. Next-gen is shaping up to be a game-changer, but new IP alone either won't cut

Meanwhile, Microsoft can't boast the same number of significant system sellers. Halo: Infinite is undeniably a massive draw, but it's far from something entirely new for the franchise, especially with Microsoft continuing to pump out fairly frequent Halo titles over the past decade. Naturally, Xbox could provide followups to titles like Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, and Recore, but very few of these games managed to impress players or build giant fanbases when they launched during the Xbox One's life cy

Now that Piranha Plant and Joker from Persona 5 are out for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , fans of Nintendo's ambitious crossover fighting game are waiting to see the next character to join the DLC lineup. There have been various "leaks" about who that character might be, with the most popular theory being that Erdrick from Dragon Quest will be joining the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster next. Whoever the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character is, it seems likely that Nintendo will reveal their identity at E3 2019, especially since the game is already confirmed for the s

Video games go through the same processes as their popularity grows and wanes. Unlike people, however, they also have a chance for revival. As an acknowledgment of all the franchises that either came or went this decade, the following list will detail five franchises that left the industry and five that came back in full force. The latter entries' revivals give hope to the former series that they too can one day come back from the d

Aside from minor nitpicks, I found myself smiling from ear to ear playing Bug Fables . Yes, it is definitely coasting on a major wave of nostalgia, but it feels fantastic. It absolutely nails the combat, the visual style, and the general tone and vibe of the Paper Mario games. It's a little awkward in places, but that honestly didn't stop me from enjoying this game immens