A Look Back at the Geek-Related Predictions for 2021

Now that we’ve reached the end of the year, it’s time to look back at my predictions from the beginning of the year for 2021 to see what I got right. But not wrong. I haven’t been consulting these throughout the year, but I can’t imagine that I made a bunch of bizarre, wildly off-base predictions. Why in the world would anyone predict a bunch of nonsense they could be wrong about? Part of the fun here is being a little daring in making guesses that may or may not turn out true. The other part involves a pathetic attempt to protect a fragile and waning ego. So, let’s start the fun.

1. Sony has several flagship games on their schedule for the recently-launched PlayStation 5 this year, including titles like Returnal, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Horizon Forbidden West. All of those will release throughout the year, but others like the next God of Wargame and Gran Turismo 7will slip into 2022. It will still be a good year for them.

This would have been entirely correct if it wasn’t for one issue: Horizon Forbidden West also slipped into 2022. (It’s due for release on February 18th.) I should have figured this considering it didn’t have a date and how we’re still living within a pandemic. This is only 80 percent correct.

2. Speaking of Sony and PS5: One of the exclusives announced this year will be a sequel to Demon’s Souls, though FromSoftware will have nothing to do with this one.

Ahahahaha no. Sony did purchase its developer, Bluepoint Games, though.

3. Hey, remember Metroid Prime 4? Nintendo announced that it was being moved to Retro Studios nearly two years ago, but we’ve heard nothing about it since. It will resurface this year with gameplay, and a release timeframe. It won’t be due until 2022, however.

Yikes. At least we got Metroid Dread, the fifth game in the 2D series. That doesn’t save this prediction.

4. Nintendo will announce and quickly release an upgraded version of the Nintendo Switch this year. It will retain the hybrid form (thus, allowing for players to “switch”), and will retail for the same price as the current model.

You could call the Nintendo Switch OLED an upgraded version, though it’s not as “upgraded” as many fans would have liked. It also retains the hybrid model, but with a 7-inch OLED screen. It is, however, $50 more expensive than what was the “current” model. This is 66-percent right.

5. Persona 6will be announced, to partly commemorate the 25th anniversary. The release date will be so far off that Atlus won’t even provide a release timeframe.

Nope. Seems like they might announce it next fall, though.

6. Final Fantasy XVIwill not release in 2021, but will get a firm release timeframe for 2022 and plenty of gameplay will be shown. There will be nothing vague about any of the release details.

This, of course, didn’t happen. We just learned that the pandemic pushed its development back six months, and the team helmed by producer Naoki Yoshida is aiming to provide new info in spring 2022, perhaps after Forspoken releases.

7. A new Mega Mangame will be announced: Mega Man X9. Its presentation style will be similar to Mega Man 11, and will involve no 3D elements like those Mega Man X8or especially Mega Man X7 contained.

Not at all. Damn, this is looking REAL bad.

8. The Resident Evil 4remake will be revealed and will be given a release timeframe. With it, however, Capcom will emphasize how they won’t be cutting anything from the original version, after all the complaints about how the Resident Evil 3remake did. They will, instead, be adding features and areas.

Again, nope. There’s a rumor that Capcom has taken a more hands-on approach with it in response to the Resident Evil 3 remake’s reception, which has pushed the game back to 2023. But that doesn’t help me.

9. Dragon Ball Superwill return as an anime TV series in Japan by the end of 2021. It will, like the previous series, be simulcasted for other territories in the world.

No, for God’s sake. There’s a new movie coming early next year (Super Hero), but in no way is that a TV series.

10. There’s a reason why we haven’t seen previews of the new Mortal Kombatfilm, despite it being planned for release in mid-April: It’s going to be bad, to Mortal Kombat Annihilationlevels. This prediction will stick, even if it’s delayed.

This prediction did not stick: It’s actually quite enjoyable despite some issues. The only Fatality here is my predictions this year.

11. The DC movies due for a release this year, The Suicide Squadand Black Adam, will both be better received than Wonder Woman 1984.

Black Adam was delayed until July 2022, but The Suicide Squad did release, and it was considerably better than Wonder Woman 1984. Hey, at least we’re ending with a half-right example.

This was such a terrible result that I won’t even bother totaling up the final count to save what remains of my self-confidence and sanity. My predictions for 2022 will be posted tomorrow, but I’ll make one here: I will be easier on myself and predict matters that could actually come true for most of them. But it’s part of this post and thus tainted, so who knows if that will come to pass.