As the video game industry rolls quickly towards another generation of consoles, the quality of games doesn't seem to be dropping. 2019 included some incredible video games, such as the impressive Death Stranding, proving that there's still innovation to be found. What's more, 2020 looks to be possibly an even more exciting year.
Some releases in the year ahead are already well known. With some titles confirmed for launch in 2020 following delays, gamers will finally be able to get their hands on titles they had been expecting to play in the years gone by. Included in these are some much-wanted sequels, extending stories and worlds that fans have wanted to revisit for what's felt like ages.
Between new gaming IPs, long-awaited sequels, and the return of some of the biggest names in video games, 2020 is shaping up extremely well - and there are still so many unannounced titles expected to launch alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this holiday. Without further ado, here are Screen Rant's picks for the most anticipated games of 2020.
Wasteland 3
Wasteland 2 still stands as one of best uses of crowdfunding. A sequel to the 1988 original, Wasteland 2 scratched the itch of those after a dose of classic isometric RPG action, which proved vital as the Fallout franchise moved further and further from its roots. Wasteland 3 looks to make things even bigger and better.
Once again inXile Entertainment turned to crowdfunding to make this sequel a reality, but after a buyout from Microsoft the studio received some additional clout. With Wasteland 3 releasing on May 19, 2020, expect a bizarre trip back into the post apocalypse to provide fun and challenges aplenty.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Although the first Watch Dogs may not have set the world alight as Ubisoft expected, follow-up Watch Dogs 2 picked things up considerably in 2016. The third game in the series, Watch Dogs: Legion, looks set to continue what worked about the previous games, but shifting it not just to another continent but also to a different time.
Watch Dogs: Legion is set in a near-future dystopian London, taking a look at a post-Brexit Britain through the franchise's trademark lens of tech observation and state governance. If it all comes off, it could be an explosive entry in the series with a lot to say. Watch Dogs: Legion has seen a delay into the next fiscal year, but this will hopefully give Ubisoft Toronto further time to polish the game.
Dreams
Although PlayStation owners have had plenty to keep them occupied with on the PS4, it's fair to say that some might have missed the presence of LittleBigPlanet in the latter half of the console's life. With no games since 2014, the Sumo Digital-developed LittleBigPlanet 3, that pocket of creativity on the console has felt like a loss. Thankfully, series creator Media Molecule has been hard at work with Dreams.
Dreams looks set to provide a whole new level of creativity and crafting to users, far beyond what LittleBigPlanet has been able to provide. Early beta testing has shown such ingenuity as player-made FPS games and even a new X-Wing game. With the full game releasing on February 14, this will ideally lead to some incredible work to be shared across the PS4 user base.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
2019 was an extremely strong year for Nintendo, with the company seeing even more Switch sales. With Nintendo aiming for 50 million units sold by March 2020, the platform will need even more top tier releases to keep that momentum going. Enter Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the much desired new game in the beloved franchise.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new Animal Crossing is that Nintendo has listened to fans when it comes to multiplayer functionality, with four player local co-op and eight player online multiplayer. Nintendo delayed the game to 2020 to ensure a good work-life balance for its developers, but this will no doubt lead to a better end product, and add a bit of relaxation for Switch players around the world.
No More Heroes 3
Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn't the only Nintendo Switch exclusive coming out in 2020. No More Heroes 3 is also coming to the console next year, with Travis Touchdown making a welcome return.
The No More Heroes series has been one of the most unique voices in gaming, with the original game and No More Heroes 2 both finding plenty of love from fans after the acerbic tone that Grasshopper Manufacture is known for. No More Heroes 3 as a Switch exclusive is a serious coup for Nintendo, adding to the already impressive roster of games available for the console. With Nintendo still working on its 2020 plans, No More Heroes 3 could play a major part in this.
Dying Light 2
Some might think the zombie horror genre is a little played out by now, but Dying Light 2 will have something to say about that. The original's blend of parkour movement and tense combat proved a winner, while its day and night cycle added a fearsome mechanic that lived long in the memory of its players.
Dying Light 2 will be aiming to amp up these elements in a larger environment, with a map four times larger than the original. As well as this, players will need to balance different factions which will in turn close off areas of this map, which will add a level of replayability to the overall experience. Techland's survival horror still doesn't have a confirmed release date, but look out for it in Spring 2020.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
If ever a game deserved a sequel, it was Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. The 2004 action RPG from Troika Games, based on the tabletop RPG of the same name, told a memorable story with unique mechanics that was unfortunately held back by a rushed release and many technical issues. A diamond in the rough, its devoted fans have maintained the game in the years since launch.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will need to avoid those problems, and if it does so then it could provide users with a surprise smash in 2020. Previews suggest that it's everything the original couldn't be, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Marvel's Avengers
Between Spider-Man PS4 and Rocksteady's Batman Arkham games, superheroes have had some fairly impressive adaptations. Whether Marvel's Avengers joins the club remains to be seen, but this Square Enix venture is definitely pushing to join those ranks.
Marvel's Avengers was an exciting prospect for many years, although E3 2019's cinematic trailer received a bit of backlash from fans due to the character designs of the different Marvel heroes. The joint development team at Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal has apparently tweaked some aspects based on this feedback, but the proof will undoubtedly be in how the game plays once it's released on May 15.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima may be the most anticipated new intellectual property of 2020. While many exciting to-be released games are coming up in 2020, many of them are either based on existing stories outside of the world of video games, or are sequels to pre-existing franchises in gaming. Ghost of Tsushima, though, is something new altogether.
Set during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, Ghost of Tsushima is developed by Infamous creators Sucker Punch Productions. The game is certainly aiming for a strong level of authenticity, with Sucker Punch working with real samurai and including a Japanese language option on all discs. The title is set for a Summer 2020 release date.
DOOM Eternal
Few games pack the same direct feeling of power as 2016's DOOM. A bloody, loud, and thrilling addition to the longstanding FPS franchise, its barbaric action and punchy soundtrack were seen by many as a near-perfect fast-paced shooter. Sequel DOOM Eternal has the potential to reach even greater heights for the series.
Much like the original 1994 sequel, DOOM Eternal takes the action from Mars to Earth. From the gameplay footage seen so far, DOOM Eternal looks even more beastly than its predecessor, if such a thing is even possible. The game was subject to a brief delay to March 20, 2020, but nonetheless DOOM Eternal should give us all a jolt of energy for early next year.
Half-Life: Alyx
Some suspected that a new Half-Life game was never going to appear, given the silence over Half-Life 2: Episode 3 from Valve. Thankfully that wasn't the case, with the beloved FPS series confirmed to make a return via Half-Life: Alyx.
This isn't exactly the Half-Life game that fans were expecting, since Half-Life: Alyx is a VR-focused experience. Even so, the opportunity to return to the world of Half-Life is an enticing one, as is the chance to play as side character Alyx Vance. Gamers seem to agree, too, given that some regions have sold out of Valve's Index VR headset ahead of the game's launch in March 2020.
Halo Infinite
2020 needs to be a good year for Microsoft. The company gained momentum for both PC and Xbox gaming after a slow start to the current console generation, but even so work needs to be done to get back to previous heights for Xbox gaming in particular. Already plans are afoot to make 2020 a year to remember for Xbox, and Halo Infinite could play a major part in this.
The latest Halo game can help bring in the new console generation, with the Xbox Series X console set for release in holiday season 2020. Halo Infinite will bridge this gap between generations, reportedly launching for both the Series X and the Xbox One, to help give the Series X as strong a position out of the gate as possible. It's not all been rosy behind the scenes, with the loss of some key developers, but even so Halo fans will be counting down for this one.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Rumors of a remake of Final Fantasy 7 have been doing the rounds for nearly fifteen years, following a tech demo for the PS3. Fans have been long waiting for Square Enix to return to perhaps the most well-loved of the Final Fantasy games, with each new year bringing with it further technological advancements to help paint an even more vivid picture of Midgar.
Finally, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is seeing release. With the option to play with a new, more free-flowing gameplay mode or classic turn-based play, the remake should offer up a look back at the original game with a new take. The first episode of this release arrives on March 3, at which point fans will see exactly how this new iteration looks.
The Last of Us Part II
Given that The Last of Us released in the twilight of the PS3, it seems only fitting that The Last of Us Part II arrives at the tail end of the PS4's life cycle. Dark and brooding, Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic drama still stands out as the developer's magnum opus, which is no small feat given the scope of the Uncharted games.
The Last of Us Part II already looks to add a level of depth to the first game, with Naughty Dog suggesting that Ellie will be the most complex character in gaming. With themes including the impact of violence, The Last of Us Part II will hopefully provide a level of mature storytelling that players can sink their teeth into when it launches in May 2020.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt RED knows its way around a RPG. The developer's Witcher adaptations, in particular The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, have become institutions within the gaming world. The studio's next game, Cyberpunk 2077, may well have a similar impact based on previews and fan excitement.
Based on the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 looks to have something for everyone; nuanced character-building, thrilling action, a deep game world, and a double helping of Keanu Reeves. Launching on April 16, 2020, this ambitious title could be the answer to many a gamer's prayers. Hopefully, it will live up to expectations.