2018 was a great year for video games, featuring some of the most gripping, engaging, and enjoyable titles that have etched their names in the annals of video gaming history. We had an amazing platformer that explored the topic of mental illness in Celeste, the astounding revival of a series that had stayed dormant for far too long in the form of God Of War, and the long-awaited sequel to a game that has single-handedly revived the Western genre in video games with the release of — no points for guessing this title — Red Dead Redemption 2. Of course, there's a major reason why these games became so popular, in the first place — the graphical quality of these are simply amazing, and have become a major topic of discussion in the video gaming world.
However, if you thought that 2018 was the golden year for console game releases, then think again — the fact of the matter is that 2019 might just prove to be even more of a success for the console game industry. There are simply way too many games coming out during this year that warrant a further glance, mainly because of their gorgeous visuals — although of course, it's not like their gameplay, story, or any other element don't warrant a further glance. The sheer lineup of titles that are poised to blow our minds is nothing short of amazing, and we can't wait to get our hands on these 25 beautiful games that are poised to blow our minds as we know it.
The Last Of Us Part II
The Last Of Us was an emotional rollercoaster that brought Naughty Dog's level as a video game developer to a whole new level. So, isn't it obvious that this game would receive a sequel sooner rather than later?
Everyone is waiting for the adventures of Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us Part II with bated breath.
The trailers and gameplay have already been released to widespread critical acclaim, and PlayStation users can't wait to get their hands on this absolute gem of a title this year.
Final Fantasy VII
At this point, it might be incredibly hopeful to assume that the Final Fantasy VII remake will be released in 2019. After all, the teaser for this game was shown for the very first time all the way back in 2015, following which any news surrounding the release of this game has been fairly dormant.
However, there's good news for fans — Square Enix has planned something big for fans in 2019.
It might be too unrealistic of an assumption to think that the company is planning a surprise release of the game... but why not? It's been quite a few years since the game has been announced, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that this anticipated remake might finally hit the shelves in 2019.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
From Software is a studio known for treating its gamers with respect — and by that, we mean that the games churned out by this studio are incredibly soul-crushing, requiring one to focus all their attention on even the most trivial of enemies.
Their latest game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, is proving to be quite a game indeed, featuring an Edo-period setting along with brutal gameplay that will titillate the sense of any hardcore Soulsborne fan.
Ghost Of Tsushima
Speaking of games set in an Edo period, it's time to talk about the much-awaited of a new release by the developers that brought us Infamous. Sucker Punch Studios is known for producing quality games that rank quite high on the fun factor scale, so there's no reason as to why Ghost of Tsushima wouldn't be a smashing romp.
Living out the life of a samurai is something that would engross any fan, especially since quality games in this genre are pretty lacking. Hopefully, games like Ghost of Tsushima and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will alter this warped perception.
Mortal Kombat 11
Whoo boy, how would this list ever be complete without the inclusion of this legendary title from a legendary franchise? The fact that this series led to the rise of the ESRB should be proof enough of just how intense and satisfying — if you're a total psycho — this game actually is.
The trailer of Mortal Kombat 11 at the Game Awards 2018 was met with a lot of fanfare — although the music used was quite divisive. However, if one thing's for sure, it's that this game is bound to be quite an entertaining spectacle indeed.
Anthem
BioWare is a studio that has understandably acquired quite a negative impression over the course of the past few years. While their association with EA certainly didn't help matters in the slightest, the general consensus is that the studio has pretty much dug their own proverbial grave with their subpar releases and questionable design choices.
However, even we find it hard to deny that Anthem looks quite promising. While we're still wary about the game's release, the promise this title holds is definitely palpable.
Code Vein
Games with an anime art style generally tend to be quite beautiful indeed, and Code Vein is no exception to this golden rule. Featuring a combat style that's fairly similar to the Soulsborne games — which we've already discussed at length — the beauty of this game should definitely help it get placed on this list.
Of course, everything we're saying right now is quite speculative, and it's only until this game releases that a definite answer can be provided to the question of whether this game holds up as an anime-esque — and we hate to say this but it holds true nevertheless — Dark Souls.
Days Gone
The PlayStation is littered with a number of interesting exclusives, and it speaks volumes when it comes to the quality of all these games that a beautiful game like Days Gone is not exactly everyone's priority right now. While this might be mainly because of how much the zombie apocalypse setting has been over-utilized, it still needs to be said that Days Gone is a promising title nevertheless.
The mechanics of massive zombie hordes is something that looks quite exciting and horrifying at the same time, and we can't wait to drive the cool-looking Drifter bike in the game.
Devil May Cry 5
The popular Devil May Cry series is back with a fifth installment, and fans can't wait to see how the stories of Dante and Co. will unfold over the course of this game. After all, while Devil May Cry is generally known for its amazing action, the fact of the matter is that their overarching stories are also quite interesting as well.
So, it's only fair to assume that Devil May Cry 5 will also boast a great story along the same lines, allowing us to witness just how far Dante has evolved.
Perhaps it might also help us forget the criminally plain Dante character design that was featured in the Devil May Cry reboot.
Gears Of War 5
The Gears of War series has constantly served as a testosterone-fuelled ride through alien worlds and invasions, while also simultaneously serving as the sole argument as to why people should go for an Xbox over the PlayStation (since the Halo series has pretty much crapped itself at this point).
So, it's only fair to say that Gears of War 5 is bound to be a fun romp as well, featuring beautiful visuals and tense gameplay that will surely be a welcome addition to the esteemed series.
Psychonauts 2
It's honestly quite hard to even imagine that a criminally underappreciated game like Psychonauts is finally getting the sequel it rightfully deserves. The mind of Tim Schafer is an odd one indeed, and we're glad that his creativity is getting the leeway it rightfully deserves with the advent of Psychonauts 2.
One can only hope that this game does justice to the amazing nature of its prequel, if not exceed it in all departments as it rightfully should. No matter what the case might be, only time will tell whether this game will meet — or exceed — people's expectations.
Rage 2
Talk all the bad you want about Bethesda Softworks — some of which they definitely deserve, don't get us wrong — but the one good thing this publisher-developer has done is rekindled the flames of old-school first-person shooter games in a AAA-title format.
Just take a look at the promise that Rage 2 has to understand what we're talking about. While this game is being developed by Avalanche Studios, their working closely with id Software, who brought the amazing DOOM reboot in 2016 that we all know and love to this day.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Whoo, boy. Another sequel, and this time you might understandably be letting out a sigh of equal parts exasperation and frustration — especially after reading the name of the title. After all, it's not like The Division was a stellar game, and most fans were disappointed once this title was released to the general public.
However, the fact of the matter is that — no matter which way you might look at it — Ubisoft games are quite gorgeous, and Tom Clancy's The Division 2 aims to do justice to this sentiment with beautiful visuals and engrossing gameplay.
Dead Or Alive 6
While we're still not out of the sequels yet, the one good thing that we can say is that — at the very least — the number "6" is present in this title. While the Dead Or Alive franchise might not exactly have the greatest reputation among gamers, one can't deny that their main fighting series has some amazing visuals.
This is exactly what Dead Or Alive 6 plans to provide us gamers with, and longtime fans of the series can't wait to get their hands on the controller as they bash some heads in with Kasumi.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
We've already mentioned id Software in some capacity, breathing a wave of fresh air into once-stale FPS titles like Wolfenstein and DOOM. It seems that the studio shows no signs of stopping with a whole host of entertaining titles that are bound to break into the gaming scene as we know it.
One such title is Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which focuses on B.J. Blazkowicz's daughters as they rip through Germans in what is poised to be an entertaining spectacle indeed.
Speaking of ripping through...
DOOM Eternal
Rip, tear, strafe, and repeat. DOOM is a game that pioneered the rise of FPS games as we know it. After all, for the longest time, games that replicated the format that DOOM popularized were called "Doom clones," which speaks volumes when it comes to just how impactful this series actually is.
So, it can be easily stated that DOOM Eternal is bound to be an entertaining fest of sheer action and players delve into the depths of the Netherworld and lay waste to any and all demons that stand in their way.
Shenmue 3
It's honestly hard to believe that Ryu's story will finally attain the ending it rightfully deserves. After all, Shenmue 1 & 2 were incredible titles that popularized the system of quick-time events that we all know — and love or hate, depending on your viewpoint — to this day.
Shenmue 3 is definitely one of the most anticipated video game releases of 2019.
One can only wonder how this game will keep up with the times. Its fighting mechanics were woefully undercooked back in the day as well, so there are many hurdles that this game needs to overcome before anything substantial can be delivered.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
Out of all the games that one might've thought would get a well-deserved sequel, the last thing anyone expected was for Beyond Good & Evil to get this treatment — that too from a studio like Ubisoft that doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation.
However, Beyond Good & Evil 2 is a reality that everyone is anticipating like how.
The scale of the open world is already something that is making fans salivate, and while it might be hopeful to assume that this game is receiving a 2019 release, anything is possible at this point.
Death Stranding
The sendoff that Konami gave to Hideo Kojima was nothing short of disrespectful, with the age-old Metal Gear Solid veteran being fed to the wolves as Konami butchered a series that was, at one point, one of the best video game franchises of all time.
However, Kojima bounced back with Sony and is currently heading the development of Death Stranding.
Do we really need to say more about this title? After all, the reveal of this bizarre game has taken over the video gaming world by storm, and fans can't wait to play it. A 2019 release is expected, but there's a fairly high chance that its release might be shelved to 2020, if not beyond.
Cyberpunk 2077
It seems that everything is going right for CD Projekt Red at this point. The release of Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt pretty much propelled their stature as one of the best studios around, and that's not even getting to the major crux of this particular entry.
Cyberpunk 2077 is probably the most anticipated video game release right now.
The few fragments of gameplay that we've already witnessed are nothing short of staggering, and the visuals itself are incredibly beautiful in every sense of the word. Is it too hopeful to assume that this piece of brilliance will release in 2019?
Probably yes, but hey — a man can dream, can't he?