Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, God of War.
This year has seen some incredible games hit the shelves (mostly on PlayStation, we might add) – and the good news is that there’s still plenty more to look forward to.
Here, we go through some of the biggest titles coming your way in the next few months. Whether it’s exploring a sprawling futuristic metropolis or diving in to some remade classics, there’ll be something for everyone.
Hitman 2
Release date: November 13, 2018
Rather than go back to the drawing board, developer IO Interactive has revamped the 2016 formula to offer more freedom than ever before.
As well as larger play areas, offering multiple ways to take down targets, there are a host of smaller details that drastically affect the way you play.
For one, mirrors are now functional, meaning that NPCs will now see you sneak up on them. You can blend into crowds to lose pursuers, while CCTV has also been beefed up.
Just like the last game, levels will be released episodically – kicking off with a sun-kissed race in Miami before moving to the lush jungles of Colombia.
If you already own 2016’s Hitman, all the little details – such as the improved mirrors – will automatically be updated in game, so it’s the perfect excuse to dust off the Silverballers.
Sypro: Re-ignited Trilogy
Release date: November 13, 2018
It’s been 20 years since Spyro first landed on the PlayStation 1 – but he’s aged very well indeed.
Developer Toys for Bob have taken the helm from Insomniac to give the purple dragon a much-needed visual update, thanks to Unreal 4.
Gameplay wise, it’s very much true to the original. In fact, the layout of the levels remains the same as the classic games.
While this works a treat for Spyro 3, some may find the first game’s levels rather simplistic.
Still, if you’re after a true blast of nostalgia, look no further.
Fallout 76
Release date: November 14, 2018
This ambitious project from Bethesda has been receiving mixed reviews from the community – but it’s no doubt still got huge appeal.
Unlike the last games, which were single-player adventures, Fallout 76 is all about teamwork – with real, human players. Think Destiny with V.A.T.S.
Upon exiting the vault, you’ll need to work together to survive in the irradiated wasteland.
Much has been made of the game’s repetitive mission structure – often consisting of little more than fetch quests – but with a vast world to explore, they’ll still be plenty to do.
Graphically, it’s taken a hit when compared with Fallout 4, but the game still looks very pretty in parts. Plus, a cool photo mode can help you bond with your team.
Battlefield V
Release date: November 20, 2018
A few years ago, the announcement of a new Battlefield game would have caused a huge amount of hype.
Fast forward into an age of micro transactions, the Star Wars Battlefront II saga and samey-looking graphics, and the Battlefield titles hold fare less appeal.
It’s not helped by the game looking frighteningly similar to the brilliant Battlefield 1 – both in terms of gameplay and aesthetics.
Still, with the news of a battle royale mode, a brand new set of War Stories (which were surprisingly decent in the last game) and incredible Real Time Ray Tracing (RTX) for those with the new Nvidia 2080 Series graphics cards on PC, and there’s still plenty of firepower on offer.
We’ve played it and were impressed – sort of.
Ride 3
Release date: November 30, 2018
Ride 3 is set to deliver the greatest two-wheeled gaming experience to fans ever.
Not only will this be achieved visually, but also through the game’s realistic bike mechanics and the vast array of in-game options given to players.
Unlike other racing games, Ride 3 strives to immerse players into the game, through realistic AI patterns, a detailed environment and more than 230 usable bikes at launch.
Since adopting Unreal Engine the aesthetic quality of developer Milestone’s games has vastly improved. And Ride 3 is no exception.
The Italian company has put a huge amount of time in to recreating world famous roads and tracks in-game – and the new engine really helps them feel more lifelike than ever.
The same goes for the environments.
Take the ‘Strada Della Forra’ for example – otherwise known as Biker’s Paradise – most famously known for its role in James Bond: Quantum of Solace.
It’s been painstakingly recreated in Ride 3 allowing motorbike lovers to go around it to their heart’s content.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Release date: December 4, 2018
Yes, you’re reading that right.
Despite being a year or so old, Ninja Theory’s masterpiece finally lands on physical disc a few weeks before Christmas.
You play Senua, a young Nordic warrior, mentally traumatised by the events of her past, who has to venture to the Underworld in search of her husband.
Not only does it tackle mental illness in a clever and sensitive way, but it offers some of the most memorable scenes you’re ever likely to play.
It’s half the price of most AAA games, coming in at £24.99 – and is worth playing for the opening 15 minutes alone.
Trust us. Buy it now.
Just Cause 4
Release date: December 20, 2018
If Michael Bay made a video game, Just Cause would be it.
Hitting the shelves just before Christmas (see what we did there?) Avalanche Studios have cranked up the action to deliver the most OTT open-world game of recent years.
Set in the fictional South American country Solis, you’ll be treated to one of the largest and most impressive maps of the year.
It’s so large that some areas feature their own micro-climate – complete with tornadoes, flash floods and blizzards.
Improvements to AI make enemies more of a threat, while a host of planes, boats and cars help make this game the perfect pre-Christmas gift.
Ace Combat 7
Release date: January 18, 2019
Fittingly set in 2019 amidst the fictional ‘Second Usean Continental War’, you play ‘Trigger’ who’s tasked with defending the skies from invading unmanned drones.
Sounds like a thrill a minute.
But seriously, before you write this off, there’s plenty to get excited about. For one, it’s compatible with PSVR – and even features a few exclusive missions if you pick it up on Sony’s platform.
It’s also the first game in the series to be powered by Unreal engine – resulting in visual that look almost photo-realistic.
Add to the mix Top-Gun-style dogfights and some plenty of stunning mid-air explosions, and you’ve got a very capable combat sim.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Release date: January 25, 2019
Need we say more?
Capcom’s classic PS1 title is getting a full remaster treatment – with cutting-edge visuals courtesy of Resident Evil 7’s RE Engine.
Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi told press he wanted to keep the feel of the original game, but make it more realistic.
Leon doesn’t wear shoulder pads, for example (a trick used to help add detail to his low polygon character model back in the day).
Fixed camera angles, another technique to take pressure off the PS1’s hardware, have also been scraped – replaced with a free-to-move camera.
Horror fans, don’t fret. The team has stressed gameplay will prioritise horror over action. So don’t expect to see many Resident Evil 6-inspired OTT set pieces.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead
Release date: January 25, 2019
As you’ll see as you make your way through this article, you’ll see that 2019 really caters to the zombie-lovers amongst you.
This first-person shooter – not to be confused with the Telltale Games’ scripted RPG series – is developed by Starbreeze Studios and 505 Games.
According to brand director Almir Listo, the story will explore “different things emotionally that aren’t investigated much by the TV show”.
Gameplay will be similar to Payday: The Heist – which will see a team of four try to survive against waves of zombies.
Sounds an awful lot like Left For Dead to Us. Let’s hope it fares better than Earthfall.
Metro Exodus
Release date: February 22, 2019
Set two years after Last Light, Exodus blends survival with first-person shooting and stealth.
Unlike the last two games, which were linear and offered the player a fixed path – Exodus rewards those who wander off the main track.
Levels are more sandbox in design, encouraging you to scavenge for items and materials, which can be used to craft and upgrade weapons.
You’ll need an impressive arsenal, too – if you’re to have any chance against the huge monsters or highly-trained (and likely starving) soldiers out to kill you.
Graphically, it’s powered by the 4A Engine – the same powerhouse as the last two games. However, while Last Light offered glimpses of the outside world, Exodus puts the engine through a far more challenging test given that the majority of it takes place outside.
Lush woodlands and abandoned villages replace the confined, dank sewers of the first two games. There’s even dynamic weather and in-game seasons that affect the landscape.
Exodus also supports RTX, providing you have the right hardware, so – as per the last games – expect for a very impressive-looking title. As we’ve seen with RTX-enabled titles, framerate and performance takes a real hit – but rest assured, it looks fantastic with RTX disabled, too.
Anthem
Release date: February 22, 2019
A game that seems to have been in development forever, as it keeps getting delayed.
Thankfully, EA and Bioware have settled on February for the launch of Anthem – an ambitious, multi-player sci-adventure that blends Gears of War-style shooting, with Mass Effect-esque worlds.
From what we’ve seen, the story can be tackled with friends (Think Army of Two), and sees you and three other heavily armed soldiers (wearing ‘Javelin’ suits) venture out from the safety of civilisation into a world teeming with dangerous beasts.
These Javelin suits can be fully customised to suit your playstyle. Not that any upgrade can prepare you for a ‘Shaper Storm’ – devastating, world-changing events that destroy everything in their path.
Thanks to EA’s in-house Frostbite engine, Anthem looks the part, too.
Left Alive
Release date: March 5, 2019
Little is known about this upcoming shooter from Square Enix, apart from that it’ll take place in mechs and feature multiple protagonists and missions.
The team certainly know a bit about mech-based action.
Toshifumi Nabeshima was the director of the Armoured Core series, while Yoji Shinkawa (from KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS) was the character designer in the acclaimed Metal Gear series.
One to keep an eye on.
Devil May Cry 5
Release date: March 8, 2019
A welcome return to the much-loved hack-and-slash adventure.
Gameplay will see you play as both Dante and Nero – along with a new character called V.
As per the last games, the onus will be on stylish action – with a wide array of demonic weapons available to fend off hordes of demons.
Along with traditional weapons, such as Dante’s sword Sparda, DMC 5 introduces radical new additions – such as Devil Arms a pair of buzzsaw-like weapons that combine into a motorcycle called Cavaliere.
The Division 2
Release date: March 15, 2019
Taking place seven months after the original, a civil war has taken place in Washington DC.
You, and your friends (up to eight of them) are tasked with restoring order.
Don’t expect too much to change, gameplay wise – although developers Massive Entertainment have promised to include more content at launch and improve the endgame.
The Division 2 also features raids, which can be tackled by up to eight players – in contrast to the original’s four.
A beta is set to drop a few weeks before launch, which will help paint a clearer picture about what to expect.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Release date: March 22, 2019
If you enjoyed Bloodborne then you’re going to like the look of FromSoftware’s latest hack and slash adventure.
In, Sekiro, you play a shinobi on a revenge mission against samurai who attacked him and kidnapped his lord.Rather than wearing enemies down via health points, in Sekiro it’s about causing a foe to lose balance, then delivering one killer blow.
Remember Bushido Blade? You get the idea.
Days Gone
Release date: April 26, 2019
This PS4 exclusive seems to keep getting delayed – but thankfully, SIE Bend Studio seems to have settled on a date.
In Days Gone, you play as Deacon St. John, as he battles to survive a world infested with Freakers.
It’s powered by Unreal 4, and features hundreds of zombies on screen at once.
There’s also a dynamic say and night cycle, which affects zombie behaviour, while RPG-style dialogue choice means you’ll have to make some very tough decisions.
We can’t wait.
Rage 2
Release date: TBC, 2019
During the first few minutes of a Rage 2 demo, I decapitated three baddies, reduced a handful to a bloody mess and blown off a spiky-haired assailant’s legs.
By the end of the play-through, which lasted around 15 minutes, I’ve killed more people than John Rambo.
Not that Rage 2 is your average corridor first-person shooter. Far from it, in fact.
ID Software, best known for their brilliant FPS Doom, have teamed up with Avalanche – the developer behind the eccentric, open-world Just Cause series.
The result is exactly what you’d expect – a vast world, that’s free to explore, backed up with ID’s tight, frenetic and fast-paced shooting mechanics.
The Last of US: Part II
Release date: TBC, 2019
Arguably the most anticipated game of the year, Naughty Dog’s latest zombie epic looks absolutely spectacular.
Little is know about the story, other than you’ll be playing Ellie for at least some part of the game.
Roll on next year.
Death Stranding
Release date: TBC, 2019
Renowned games director Hideo Kojima returns with an action game – although the trailers raise more questions than asnwers.
Death Stranding has a star-studded cast including the Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
Set in an open-world, it explores the connection between life and death, with the protagonist Sam being hunted by two different villains, whilst avoiding rain that ages everything it touches… ominous.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: TBC, 2019
With an incredible open-world, vast levels of character customisation and a dynamic storyline, CD Projekt Red is pulling out all the stops to deliver one of the most complete gaming experiences we’ve seen.
As an RPG played completely in the first-person you’ll be able to immerse yourself fully in the environment with player choices affecting how the world perceives you.
Choose your gender, weapons, vehicles, AI augmentations, stats, relationships, goals and missions.
Doom Eternal
Release date: TBC, 2019
The highly anticipated sequel to 2016’s DOOM reboot.
Demons, gore and skull crushing are going to be commonplace when you once again play as the Doom Slayer crushing the forces of hell as they begin to invade Earth.
Chainsaws, rockets, plasma rifles and your fists will make the slaughter-field rain with blood.
Doom Eternal is coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox and PC and we can’t wait.