With 2017 behind us, it’s time to explore the slate of exciting video games releasing over the next 12 months – some that we’ve waited a very long time for and can’t wait to get hands-on with! There’s a new Spider-Man game, and we're finally getting sequels for Red Dead Redemption, Darksiders, Mega Man, and God of War, in addition to an exciting mix of more high profile sequels and original titles.
Note: This list does not contain remasters, DLC/expansions, and no games entirely unconfirmed for 2017. Every game on Screen Rant's most anticipated games of 2018 list has an official release date or confirmation from the publisher/developer (even if it's been said to shareholders) that said game is releasing in the year. If the studio or publisher didn't give 2018 as the year, it's not included (so, no Age of Empire IV or Death Stranding as examples).
Related: The 30 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018
Keep in mind, some of these games have barely begun marketing or have yet to have had an official unveiling at the time of publication and the starting list began at over 100. This is our own preferences and no doubt yours will be different so before you ask “why is or isn’t _____ on this list?!” you know why. Share your most anticipated games in the comments so we can compare!
Without further ado, here are Screen Rant's most anticipated video games of 2018!
50. Left Alive
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Left Alive is survival shooter that explores the human story from three main characters in war-torn Novo Slava in 2127, and it's coming from the creative minds behind the Armored Core series and the designers behind Metal Gear Solid characters and Ghost in the Shell mechs.
Experience the massive power gap between man and machine in pulse-pounding encounters: face off against powerfully armed troops, armored vehicles and towering mechs.
Choose your playing style: engage in frenetic gun battles or dispatch your enemies with stealth and wit. Set traps, collect and craft consumables to survive while exploring a devastated city ravaged by the atrocities of war.
Uncover the full story behind the war through the eyes of three different characters: as you progress through the game, experience multiple story paths each requiring bold decisions with desperate consequences.
49. Valkyria Chronicles 4
Release Date: March 21, 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Valkyria Chronicles 4, only recently announced, is an upcoming tactical role-playing game developed and published by Sega. It is scheduled to be released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2018.
The continent of Europa is engulfed in the flames of the Second Europan War between the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance. Although the Federation struggles valiantly against the Empire’s forces, the relentless imperial military machine.
48. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Publisher: Warhorse Studios
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an open-world action-adventure game full of quests and RPG elements where player decisions matter. It's not linear, and combat is just as dynamic as the quests and you can play ranged, stealthily, or full-on assault melee. Even the quests you can complete in different ways and there are consequences depending on what you do.
You're Henry, the son of a blacksmith. Thrust into a raging civil war, you watch helplessly as invaders storm your village and slaughter your friends and family. Narrowly escaping the brutal attack, you grab your sword to fight back. Avenge the death of your parents and help repel the invading forces!
47. Metal Gear Survive
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment
Publisher: Konami
The first Metal Gear game post-Hideo Kojima is a weird thing, but certainly and intriguing on to see what the much-maligned Konami can do without the industry icon. Metal Gear Survive is an open-world survival game played as a third-person action game that can be played up to 4-player co-op (AI teammates take their place otherwise).
If the gameplay controls are smooth and fun, and the AI enemies are dynamic and challenging, this could be an unexpected hit.
46. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Developer: ArtPlay, DICO
Publisher: 505 Games
Another Kickstarter game, players take on Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes skin. Battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.
An exploration-focused, side-scrolling platformer featuring RPG and crafting elements. Koji Igarashi, the namesake of "Igavania"-style games, is leading the project, with Michiru Yamane composing the music and Inti Creates leading the development.
45. Dragon Quest XI
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
Developer: Square Enix, ORCA, Toylogic
Publisher: Square Enix
Already released on Japan, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the eleventh main series entry in the Dragon Quest video game series and is confirmed to release in North America in 2018. The beloved RPG is a character and story driven adventure with towns and villains full of lore to unravel. And in this one you can mount some iconic monsters in addition to your horse and boat.
44. Dynasty Warriors 9
Release Date: February 8, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Dynasty Warriors 9 is the next hack and slash game with stealth elements that revamps the hardcore, fast-paced gameplay of the series with the introduction of the open world environment with day-night cycles and dynamic weather systems set in China that can be explored on foot, horseback or boat, though the game will focus on livable environments such as cities and towns as well as places where large battles take place.
Invade enemy fortifications with the new grappling hook and customize and decorate hideouts with furniture bought from merchants. In this one, you can even buy food for boosting your stats.
43. Shenmue III
Release Date: Confirmed for second half of 2018
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
Developer: Neilo, Ys Net
Publisher: Deep Silver
A heightened sense of realism, an immersive story, and the introduction of Quick Time Events made Shenmue a unique and memorable classic and thanks to Kickstarter, 14 years of planning and ideas from one of the greatest game designers of all time is finally coming to fruition in Shenmue 3.
Shenmue 3 will have familiar elements from its predecessors and new fight mechanics to achieve a new level of interactive storytelling. It aims deliver a Shenmue experience that will draw in newcomers to the series and reward diehard fans with its deep story and rich gameplay.
42. Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega
A new Total War game from Creative Assembly!
The year is 878 AD, the embattled English king Alfred the Great has mounted a heroic defence at the battle of Edington, and blunted the Viking invasion. Chastened – but not yet broken – the Norse warlords have settled across Britain. For the first time in nearly 80 years, the land is in a fragile state of peace.
Throughout this sceptred isle, the kings of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales sense a time of change approaching; a time of opportunity. There will be treaties. There will be war. There will be turns of fortune that become the stuff of legend, in a saga that charts the ascent of one of history’s greatest nations.
Kings will rise. One will rule.
41. Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Clementine is back as the protagonist in the fourth and final season of Telltale's The Walking Dead. Set after the events of New Frontier, Clementine is looking for Alvin Jr. and we know a few familiar faces from the first and best season will appear as well. Even season 1 writer Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is back to round out the story - one that remains mostly a mystery.
With Telltale recently laying off a substantial chunk of its staff and aiming to focus on quality over quantity, we're hopeful this will be their best take on The Walking Dead yet.
40. Dreams
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: Media Molecule
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
From the developer of LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway Unfolded, comes another innovative and unique visual spectacle exclusively coming to PS4. It's a sandbox experience full of puzzles where players can manipulate and create in the environment by controlling customizable imp who can possess other characters featured in the given dream.
Dreams is a space where you go to play and experience the dreams of Media Molecule and our community. It’s also a space in which to create your own dreams, whether they’re games, art, films, music or anything in-between and beyond.
39. Dragon Ball FighterZ
Release Date: January 26, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Dragon Ball FighterZ is the ultimate game for fans and is built on spectacular fights with its all-powerful fighters. Partnering with Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ maximizes high end Anime graphics and brings easy to learn but difficult to master fighting gameplay at 60fps.
There's also a story mode whose creation was supervised by Akira Toriyama himself, and in multiplayer you can jump into 3 vs 3 tag matches with a 6-player party. The game looks and sounds awesome, and if it plays as well as it looks, this is must-see in 2018.
38. The Crew 2
Release Date: June 29, 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Ivory Tower
Publisher: Ubisoft
The Crew fell a little flat and under-delivered on its potential of an open-world, seamless multiplayer adventure with vehicle-based activities but Ubisoft is sticking with it and adding so much with the sequel.
The Crew 2 captures the thrill of the American motorsports spirit in one of the most exhilarating open worlds ever created. Welcome to Motornation, a huge, varied, action-packed, and beautiful playground built for motorsports throughout the entire US of A. Enjoy unrestrained exploration on ground, sea, and sky. From coast to coast, street and pro racers, off-road explorers, and freestylers gather and compete in all kinds of disciplines. Join them in high-octane contests and share every glorious moment with the world.
37. Return of the Obra Dinn
Release Date: Late 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Lucas Pope
Publisher: Lucas Pope
From the creative genius (looking at you, Lucas Pope!) that brought us Papers, Please
In 1802, the merchant ship "Obra Dinn" set out from London for the Orient with over 200 tons of trade goods. Six months later it hadn't met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea.
Early this morning of October 14th, 1807, the Obra Dinn drifted into port with sails damaged and no visible crew. As insurance adjustor for the East India Company's London Office, find means to board the ship and recover the Crew Muster Roll book for assessment.
36. Crackdown 3
Release Date: Summer 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developers: Reagent Games, Sumo Digital, Cloudgine
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Look, Crackdown 2 was garbage, but the first one was a lot of fun and we know the devs know this too. Unfortunately delayed out of the Xbox One X launch window, this Xbox/Windows 10 exclusively - seemingly pushed into existence purely based on fan desire for it - finally releases in 2018. The art style is back and with it, a bigger, crazier, action-packed open-world that can be played solo or with others.
Time to step up your boom and stop crime as a super-powered Agent in Crackdown 3's sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Explore the heights of a futuristic city, race through the streets in a transforming vehicle, and use your powerful abilities to stop a ruthless criminal empire. Crackdown 3 delivers cooperative mayhem and an all-new multiplayer mode where destruction is your ultimate weapon powered by Microsoft Cloud.
35. Jurassic World Evolution
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Frontier Developments
Publisher: Frontier Developments
Jurassic World Evolution puts players in charge of cinema’s greatest tourist destination – where they will have the opportunity to construct and manage their own Jurassic World. Tied in with the release of the film sequel, Fallen Kingdom (usually a red flag), this one looks and sounds awesome with Frontier behind it.
“As long-time fans of the entire Jurassic series we’re thrilled to be putting players in charge of their own Jurassic World,” said Frontier’s Chief Creative Officer, Jonny Watts. “We’re excited to bring over fifteen years of management, simulation, and creature development expertise to a destination and franchise that remains an inspiration to us.”
34. Skull and Bones
Release Date: Delayed to 2019 [Update]
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developers: Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Blue Byte, Ubisoft Chengdu
Publisher: Ubisoft
The only real bad thing we can say about Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is that they called it Assassin's Creed 4. It was a wonderful pirate and ship simulator and less an Assassin's Creed game so Ubisoft picked up on that and is bringing us Skull and Bones, which look gorgeous. Pick a captain, crew, and customize a ship and hit those disputed waters in a bunch of game modes with a focus on multiplayer. Ubisoft is planning this one as a games-as-a-service title (like Rainbow Six: Siege and For Honor) but it may not actually feature a story campaign.
It is the Golden Age of Pirates. Renegade captains command the most powerful weapons on Earth, warships. You are an upstart pirate captain who refused the King’s pardon and sailed from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, an untamed frontier full of lavish riches.
However, these waters are also a battleground where far-reaching colonial empires, powerful trading corporations, and ruthless pirate gangs ferociously clash.
In order to survive, you will have to build a lethal fleet, prey upon lucrative trade routes, and ally with other pirates to join the endless struggle for supremacy.
33. #WarGames
Release Date: March 14, 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Eko
Publisher: Eko
#WarGamesThe is an interactive series created by Sam Barlow (Her Story) loosely based on MGM’s 1983 film of the same name starring Matthew Broderick, but modernized, taking inspiration from Mr. Robot. It's about young hackers taking on government conspiracies and players help make the decisions for the protagonist, Kelly, and it's all done as an interactive live-action adventure.
“With ‘#WarGames’ I was thrilled to take the questions raised by the original movie and ask them again in a world where technology has fundamentally changed our lives. To do that interactively felt like a perfect marriage of form and content.”
32. Monster Hunter: World
Release Date: January 26, 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Battle gigantic monsters in epic locales.
As a hunter, you'll take on quests to hunt monsters in a variety of habitats.
Take down these monsters and receive materials that you can use to create stronger weapons and armor in order to hunt even more dangerous monsters.
In Monster Hunter: World, the latest installment in the series, you can enjoy the ultimate hunting experience, using everything at your disposal to hunt monsters in a new world teeming with surprises and excitement.
31. Biomutant
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Experiment 101
Publisher: THQ Nordic
A plague is ruining the land and the Tree-of-Life is bleeding death from its roots. The Tribes stand divided, in need of someone strong enough to unite them or bring them all down…
Described as an unusual story with an unusual ending set in an open-world filled with vibrant environments and locations, players can use vehicles, gear, crafting and build out their character through attributes and powerful mutations. Throw in a super dynamic martial arts style combat system (players can learn new combat styles from masters they meet along the way) allows complete freedom of movement and agility while mixing shooting, melee and powers.
30. BattleTech
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Platforms: PC, Mac
Developer: Harebrained Schemes
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
2018 is going to be a wonderful year for old school fans of BattleTech and MechWarrior...
From original BattleTech/MechWarrior creator Jordan Weisman and the developers of the award-winning Shadowrun Returns series comes the next-generation of turn-based tactical ‘Mech combat.
The year is 3025 and the galaxy is trapped in a cycle of perpetual war, fought by noble houses with enormous, mechanized combat vehicles called BattleMechs. Take command of your own mercenary outfit of `Mechs and the MechWarriors that pilot them, struggling to stay afloat as you find yourself drawn into a brutal interstellar civil war. Upgrade your starfaring base of operations, negotiate mercenary contracts with feudal lords, repair and maintain your stable of aging BattleMechs, and execute devastating combat tactics to defeat your enemies on the battlefield.
29. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Release Date: March 23, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Level-5
Publishers: Level-5, Bandai Namco Entertainment
Re-enter the animated world of Ni no Kuni in the sequel to the role-playing masterpiece developed by LEVEL-5.
Explore a beautifully crafted world and experience the gripping story in an all-new RPG adventure. LEVEL-5 reunites with Yoshiyuki Momose on character design and Music created by Joe Hisaishi in the production of the next Ni no Kuni tale.
28. Soulcalibur VI
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Project Soul
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Soulcalibur VI represents the latest entry in the premier weapons-based, head-to-head fighting series and continues the epic struggle of warriors searching for the legendary Soul Swords. Taking place in the 16th century, revisit the events of the original Soulcalibur to uncover hidden truths.
The game utilizes the Unreal Engine for the first time and introduces new mechanics that let players counter attacks and new fighting styles.
27. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Marvelous
Goichi "Suda51" Suda is making an exclusive Nintendo Switch game! For you No More Heroes fans, Travis Strikes Again takes place 7 years after No More Heroes 2 but Suda doesn't want this to be confused as No More Heroes 3. It's not a direct sequel, but a new adventure, a spinoff of sorts made like an indie.
It features similar gameplay to previous games in the franchise and uses buttons and Switch motion controls and sees player stake on Badman who fails to kill Travis and instead both are pulled into the Death Drive Mk-II, a weird demonic game console. Here they must battle through six retro game worlds with different bosses and rules sets, and the winner gets one wish...
26. Far Cry 5
Release Date: March 27, 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Far Cry 3 was the 2012's game of the year when it released, but the franchise has trended down ever since with Primal disappointing greatly. With an even more edgier setting and premise, Far Cry 5 could turn things around. But if it does the same things we've seen in the last few, it's time to give this series a rest.
Far Cry 5 is a massive open world that’s filled with something new around every bend. The enemy AI behavior is more realistic and the exploration is almost endless. Even when you feel like taking a break from the campaign, you can take in some leisurely fishing before diving back into your quest. It’s your mission. With it comes the freedom to take on a world that hits back by any means necessary.
Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden's Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance.
25. State of Decay 2
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Platforms: Windows, Xbox One
Developer: Undead Labs
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
An important game for Xbox as a rare exclusive in 2018, the State of Decay sequel is a 4-player co-op open-world filled with zombies.
Small-Town America, one year from today. The dead have risen, and civilization has fallen. Even the military couldn’t stop the zombies, and now humanity stands on the brink of extinction. It's up to you to gather survivors and build a community, explore your lasting legacy, and redefine what it means to survive.
In State of Decay 2, your base is more than just a place for your survivors to sleep at night. It's your sanctuary, offering protection against the hungry dead lurking beyond the wall. It's your command post, where you plan the perfect zombie-killing strategies. Most of all, it's a manifestation of your personal long-term survival strategies as you customize it with your ideal facilities and improvements. Will you build a watch tower or plant a garden? An infirmary or a workshop? How will you choose to carve out a small slice of civilization from the chaotic apocalypse?
24. Kirby Star Allies
Release Date: March 16, 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Kirby is back—and he's finally on the Nintendo Switch console in HD! But this time, he's not alone. Recruit enemies by hitting them with hearts and gather helpers for a party of up to four characters. On top of that, you can join with up to three friends for a different kind of team-up action!
23. Darksiders III
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Gunfire Games
Publisher: THQ Nordic
THQ Nordic isn't messing around in 2018 and we couldn't be happier to see the Darksiders series making a return. In this one players play as the most unpredictable and enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, Fury, a mage who must rely on her whip and magic to restore the balance between good and evil. Unleash her various forms to access new weapons, moves and traversal abilities.
Earth is now overrun by the Seven Deadly Sins and the mystical creatures and degenerated beings that serve them. The Charred Council calls upon Fury to battle from the heights of heaven down through the depths of hell in a quest to restore the balance and prove that she is the most powerful of the Horsemen.
22. Code Vein
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
In the not too distant future, a mysterious disaster has brought collapse to the world as we know it. Towering skyscrapers, once symbols of prosperity, are now lifeless graves of humanity’s past pierced by the Thorns of Judgment. At the center of the destruction lies a hidden society of Revenants called Vein. This final stronghold is where the remaining few fight to survive, blessed with Gifts of power in exchange for their memories and a thirst for blood. Give into the bloodlust fully and risk becoming one of the Lost, fiendish ghouls devoid of any remaining humanity. Wandering aimlessly in search of blood, the Lost will stop at nothing to satisfy their hunger. Team up and embark on a journey to the ends of hell to unlock your past and escape your living nightmare in CODE VEIN.
21. Kingdom Hearts III
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Square Enix Business Division 3
Publisher: Square Enix
It's been over a decade since Kingdom Hearts II, shockingly, but the third installment finally arrives in 2018 with a unique art style. Kingdom Hearts 3 is an action role-playing video game that will conclude Dark Seeker saga. Controls will see a bit of an evolution and Sora is back as the main character but this time can have up to five characters in the party, including Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey, Kairi, and Master Eraqus.
As for a setting, it's a whole lot of newness, especially on the Disney side - including locations from Tangled, Big Hero 6, and Toy Story.
20. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Release Date: May 8, 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: PC
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Versus Evil
Obsidian Entertainment presents the sequel to their crowdfunded and critically-acclaimed role-playing game, Pillars of Eternity. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. With Pillars II revisits the rich narrative, beautiful environments, and tactical combat that made Pillars of Eternity one of the highest-rated PC games of all time.
19. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Release Date: October 12, 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Treyarch, Beenox (PC)
Publisher: Activision
Treyarch is arguably the best of the main three developers Activision has on their Call of Duty rotation and no one knows what their 2018 game will be. The last two in the series went into the future and space, and back to WWII with boots on the ground combat so we think this year we may see a new modern-set game, something the franchise has strayed away from for many years.
Could we see a Black Ops 4 set in present day or the start of an all-new Treyarch series? We can only hope with three years of development time and learnings from feedback of the last two games and what's working in the genre that we get something new and bigger.
18. Vampyr
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
London, 1918. You are newly-turned vampire Dr. Jonathan Reid. As a doctor, you must find a cure to save the city's flu-ravaged citizens. As a vampire, you are cursed to feed on those you vowed to heal. Will you embrace the monster within? Survive and fight against Vampire hunters, undead Skal, and other monstrosities.
Use your unholy powers to manipulate and delve into the lives of those around you to decide who will be your next victim. Struggle to live with your decisions... your actions will save or doom London.
Update: Here's Screen Rant's Vampyr review.
17. Days Gone
Release Date: Delayed to 2019 [Updated]
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: SIE Bend Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Days Gone is an open-world action game set in the high-desert of the Pacific Northwest two years after a mysterious global pandemic has decimated the world, killing most but transforming millions into mindless, feral creatures.
At its core, Days Gone is about survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love – and hope. It’s about how even when confronted with such enormous tragedy they find a reason to live. Hope never dies.
16. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Developer: Moon Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
From the creators of the multi award winning Ori and the Blind Forest comes the highly-anticipated sequel: Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Embark on an all new adventure to discover the mysteries beyond the forest of Nibel, uncover the hidden truths of those lost, and unravel Ori’s true destiny.
15. Metro: Exodus
Release Date: Delayed to 2019 [Updated]
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Metro Exodus - the third game in the gorgeous first-person shooter series - is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.
The year is 2036.
A quarter-century after nuclear war devastated the earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro.
They have struggled against the poisoned elements, fought mutated beasts and paranormal horrors, and suffered the flames of civil war.
But now, as Artyom, you must flee the Metro and lead a band of Spartan Rangers on an incredible, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in search of a new life in the East.
Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.
Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter.
14. System Shock
Release Date: On Hiatus [Updated]
Platforms: Mac, Linux, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Night Dive Studios
Publisher: Night Dive Studios
Not a remaster, but a complete remake of the cyberpunk shooter funded on Kickstarter that honors the original in the best way possible with the help of some of the original team, two decades later.
You're a renowned hacker, the most notorious cyberspace thief in the corporate world. Caught during a risky break-in, you become indentured to a greedy TriOptimum executive. After six months in a healing coma, you awaken to the twisted aftermath of a terrible disaster. Where are the surgeons? Why is the station in such disrepair? Slowly, the chilling realization that something is very wrong creeps over you. Once a prime corporate research facility, Citadel Station now teems with mindless cyborgs, robots and terribly mutated beings, all programmed to serve SHODAN, a ruthless A.I. There's scarcely time to think before it unleashes the first terror...
System Shock was something special when it released, and so was its sequel, so to see fans bringing it back, powered by fans, is amazing.
Update: Nightdive put this Kickstarter project on "hiatus"
13. Overkill’s The Walking Dead
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Overkill Software
Publisher: Starbreeze Studios
OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead is a four player co-op action FPS from the creates of the awesome Payday games, where you and your friends fight the dead as well as the living. Set in The Walking Dead Universe, you and your group tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C.
Each character has their own Special Abilities, Skill Trees, Squad Roles, Play Styles and Story Arcs, but teamwork is paramount. The action is close-up and intense: take out enemies carefully with silent melee attack or go in guns blazing with your choice of each class firearms. You need to be able to improvise as nothing is certain and a horde of walkers is always right around the corner.
12. Yoshi
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Good-Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Lead Yoshi on a brand new adventure that will turn everything you've come to expect from side-scrolling games upside down! Explore a great, big world decorated like a miniature diorama in a new art style for the franchise, where each side-scrolling stage has the traditional front side as well as a flip side with different views and surprises. Look for items throughout the stage as Yoshi makes his way to the goal. You can even join up with a friend!
11. Anthem
Release Date: Late 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: BioWare
If you just watch the Anthem reveal trailer, it's hard not to be drawn in by the gorgeous visuals and fun, dynamic co-op action. But then you realize it's a BioWare game from EA, who together killed Mass Effect in 2017. EA also almost ruined Need For Speed and Star Wars: Battlefront 2 with loot boxes and given that Anthem is a looter, we're so scared they're going to have microtransactions and loot boxes. If they do, strike this off the list.
If they don't, bring it on! It could dethrone Destiny.
In this shared-world action-RPG, you and your friends are Freelancers—the bold few with the courage to leave civilization behind, explore a landscape of primeval beauty, and confront the dangers you find. Up to four players band together to take on whatever perils you discover as a heroic team. As your friends support you in your journey, so do your victories and rewards benefit your friends. Wield an arsenal of Javelin exosuits, each equipped with unique weapons and abilities. Customize them with gear you earn and craft, then use them to fly, leap, and climb through a contiguous open world. Experience massive, world-altering occurrences like Shaper Storms. Fight savage beasts and ruthless marauders. Delve forgotten ruins as you seek to defeat the forces plotting to conquer humanity. Your power grows with every step into the unknown. Whether plunder, revenge, or glory lures you onward, your choices will irrevocably change you—and the world around you.
10. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: PC
Developer: Piranha Games
Publisher: Piranha Games
The makers of the wonderfully deep and complex MechWarrior Online are expanding their franchise and bringing new and long-time fans a true sequel to the core franchise in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, a story-based single-player game that can be played cooperatively. They already proved they understand the lore, mechs, and have built countless of assets over the years that launching a full campaign-based game only seems natural and fitting. We're curious and excited to see if the devs can deliver non-mech vehicle types, strong AI, and a story worth diving into.
The year is 3015. The Great Houses of the Inner Sphere have been waging bitter war for over a century. While the battlefields burn with an array of devastating weaponry, none is more formidable than the BattleMech. Skilled Mercenaries have never been in greater demand, and you aim to make your mark.
9. Mega Man 11
Release Date: Confirmed for 2018
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Not much is known about Mega Man 11 which was just announced as part of the franchise's 30th anniversary, but we don't need to know more. It'll be eight years since the last core game in the series.
Mega Man 11 will feature 3D polygonal models, an upgrade and major difference over the pixel art of the prior games. Can it relaunch the brand in a big way with its new style?
8. Detroit: Become Human
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Some of the best storytellers in gaming, Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) are bringing a near-future story about multiple playable androids to the PS4 in 2017. The key to Detroit: Become Human is player choice as the narrative explores the themes of what it means to be alive. Characters can die and the story continues around them just like in Heavy Rain and the main plot follow Kara, an android who escapes a factory where she was constructed as she explores her own evolving sentience, and Connor, an android police officer of sorts who’s tasked with hunting “deviant” androids like Kara.
Gorgeous visuals and interesting gameplay aside, the script for this game took Quantic Dream founder David Cage a whole two years to write. That alone makes Detroit: Become Human one of our most anticipated games of 2018 (and 2017 before delays).
7. Battlefield V
Release Date: October 29, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: DICE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Battlefield 1 didn't quite live up to the hype and didn't keep players like BF3 and BF4, so it's time to return to the present with Battlefield 5 - a game EA already confirmed without details to shareholders. Recent rumors however offer an exciting potential tease that this fall's DICE shooter may actually be the overdue sequel, Battlefield: Bad Company 3.
This makes sense given that the Bad Company sub-series is the only of the franchise to offer a noteworthy story campaign. What we need to see this time around, is an expansion to the multiplayer. Bring back bots, expand the player counts, and maybe even embrace a battle royale mode. Don't hold us back like you did with the Star Wars games, DICE!
6. Sea of Thieves
Release Date: March 20, 2018
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
The most fun we had at E3 2016 and the most memorable experience was when playing the cartoonish multiplayer pirate simulator, Sea of Thieves. With your mates you can command a vessel and man its weapons, repairing damage along the way, against other ships full of real people too. What we played was a tiny slice of the game but there’s treasure to be had and islands to be explored in this strangely brilliant Xbox One exclusive. If this lives up to its potential and avoids repetition, it could be the sleeper hit of the year.
After a few delays and more reveals, we're still amped to sail the high seas with friends and against strangers!
5. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
The modernized Tomb Raider series is officially a trilogy (at least) with the third game, still untitled (but reportedly titled Shadow of the Tomb Raider), confirmed for release in 2018. And what perfect timing with the Tomb Raider movie on the way!
More: New Tomb Raider Game Officially Coming in 2018
Rise of the Tomb Raider, the sequel to the 2013 reboot, was our favorite game of the year when it launched first as a timed exclusive on Xbox One so we can't wait for the third installment. This franchise delivers amazing environments, puzzles, gameplay and characters and we hope it keeps on keeping on.
4. God of War
Release Date: April 20, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
A mindblowingly epic presentation at E3 2016 instantly made the new Norse take on God of War something to behold as its devs push the power of the PS4 to its limits and soft reboot one of their flagship PlayStation franchises. The series has always had the best third-person animations, and the new God of War looks to take that to the next level in a story that involves and older Kratos working with his son.
Many years have passed since Kratos took his vengeance against the Olympian Gods. With that behind him, Kratos now lives with his son in the world of the Norse gods and monsters. He must fight to survive and teach his son to do the same. A mentor and protector of his son who seeks his father’s respect, Kratos must master the rage that has driven him for many years. He hopes to teach his son and make amends for his past. In this new setting, Kratos will face a new pantheon of creatures, monsters, and gods.
God of War was on our most anticipated games of 2017 list before delayed into 2018.
Update: Screen Rant's God of War review.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man Game
Release Date: September 7, 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: Insomniac
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Starring one of the world’s most iconic Super Heroes, Marvel's Spider-Man features the acrobatic abilities, improvisation and web-slinging that the wall-crawler is famous for, while also introducing elements never-before-seen in a Spider-Man game. From traversing with parkour and unique environmental interactions, to new combat and blockbuster action, it’s Spider-Man unlike any you’ve played before.
Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Marvel have teamed up to create a brand-new and authentic Spider-Man adventure. This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met or ever seen before. This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in New York City. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of millions of New Yorkers rest upon his shoulders.
2. The Last of Us Part II
Release Date: 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
As if the Uncharted series wasn't impressing us enough, Naughty Dog somehow squeezed in the incredible 5/5 game The Last of Us and now we're finally getting a sequel. Of all the games on this list, The Last of Us Part II is the most likely to not actually release in 2018 despite Naughty Dog saying it will.
From Neil Druckmann, Director of The Last of Us Part II:
"At its core, The Last of Us is still very much about Ellie and Joel, but for this reveal, we wanted to showcase several new characters that are integral to their next journey. We’re sure you have many questions after watching this scene. We’re also pretty sure that we’re going to see all sorts of theories about whom these characters are, where and when this scene takes place, and how all of this fits into Ellie and Joel’s next story. For now we’re keeping mum, but we’re excited to see what y’all make of this piece of the puzzle."
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Release Date: October 26, 2018 [Updated]
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Rockstar Studios
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Red Dead Redemption 1 shockingly didn’t make its way to PC but it did just find itself available as a backwards compatible title on Xbox 360, just in time to help fuel the hype train for Red Dead Redemption 2 (yes, that’s the title so deal with it). A massive, gorgeous, living and breathing world potentially set as a prequel to John Marston’s adventures in the previous game, this is unquestionably the ‘event’ game of the year.
The game is a massive open-world action game that will have a more fleshed out multiplayer system not unlike Grand Theft Auto V, which has proved to be a consistent money maker for Rockstar. Redemption 1 didn’t do enough with its multiplayer so if they can expand on that substantially and keep players playing (and support PC, please), this game might be the top seller of the year.
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What are your own most anticipated games of 2018? Share your thoughts and rankings in the comments!