The next generation begins later this year with PS5 and the Xbox Series X. That alone is worth anticipating but there is already a long list of already-announced games that are worth salivating over. Almost all of them seem to be coming out within the first half of the year, meaning there could be more quality titles releasing with the systems that we don’t yet know about. And since we can’t anticipate what we don’t know, here are our top 20 most anticipated games coming out in 2020.
20. Marvel’s Avengers
The Avengers have yet to have a breakout game and while Marvel’s Avengers hasn’t yet proved that it will be that title, it has a chance. A cooperative lifestyle game in the vein of Destiny but with Marvel’s best is an alluring prospect, especially since it has a ton of customizability and slew of free post-launch updates planned. Trailers, gameplay footage, and hands-on impressions haven’t been kind to the game but hopefully these Avengers will assemble in the final few months and live up to their potential.
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19. Dying Light 2
Despite its novel, parkour-heavy take on zombies, Dying Light left room for improvement. Dying Light 2 is positioned to improve upon the first game’s formula by drastically expanding the protagonist’s moveset but also by having a story with many splintering paths that actually affect the world. Techland claims players will about half the game’s content on the first run, which sounds like one hell of a way to sell how meaningful its choices are.
18. Journey to the Savage Planet
No Man’s Sky has blossomed into an incredible exploration game but what if players didn’t have the time to plunder 18 quintillion planets? Journey to the Savage Planet tasks you with roaming around one planet and is promising for its scope as well as its sense of humor. Its systems (especially in co-op) are Far Cry-like in that they are designed to clash and create humorous moments that fit well with the game’s comedic writing. It’s about time someone made a space game with more jokes and less of a serious tone.
17. Nioh 2
Nioh was one of the few non-From games to meaningfully contribute to the Souls formula and stand up there with the titles it so heavily cribbed from. Nioh 2 is worth anticipating for that pedigree in addition to how it’s sharpening the already razor sharp formula with new yokai abilities, weapon classes, and co-op. And while those features are important, there’s also a fat cat that buffs you while rolling around at your feet.
16. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Dragon Ball Fighter Z: Kakarot is set up to do to action RPGs what Dragon Ball FighterZ did to 2D fighting games. Kakarot, in addition to aping some of the combat from the previous 3D Dragon Ball arena fighting games, is more exciting because of its RPG status. Players can take on side missions, explore the open world, and even oddly fish with Goku’s tail. Telling backstories outside of the manga is thrilling, but it probably can’t compete with fishing with your tail.
15. Super Meat Boy Forever
It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for Super Meat Boy Forever but the promising platformer should finally come out in 2020. Hopefully. Its status as an automatic platformer hasn’t degraded the near-flawless core of Meat Boy, as its pre-release demos have shown that it still has tight, satisfying controls that most games can only aspire to.
14. Dreams
Almost every video on this list could probably be made in Dreams and that scope is mesmerizing. There have already been some jaw-dropping creations in the early access period alone, so waiting to see what people make once the floodgates are open is almost as promising as playing the game itself.
13. Vampire: The Masquerade 2 – Bloodlines
It has been over 15 years since the first entry, a cult classic that persisted despite technical issues. Vampire: The Masquerade 2 – Bloodlines looks to be expanding on why that title was so revered with its expansive dialogue options while also upgrading its first-person melee combat. The team is also taking extra time to polish the game and avoid its predecessor’s buggy launch. Let’s just hope it also doesn’t release on the same day as a Half-Life game again.
12. Ghost of Tsushima
Like Guerrilla and Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima is a drastic left turn from Sucker Punch’s earlier games and that alone is exciting. But it also looks good on its own merits, as it appears to combine the typical Assassin’s Creed and Batman Arkham gameplay with its own Feudal Japanese flair. It remains to be seen if the team can create a swordsman as compelling as a thieving raccoon or a mutant, but the early footage makes that not only seem possible, but plausible.
11. Watch Dogs: Legion
The U.K. could use a pick-me-up and Watch Dogs: Legion might be exactly that. Being able to recruit and play as basically any NPC gives the game a true open-ended nature that other Ubisoft games only loosely gesture at. It’s a lot to deal with so hopefully its delay will allow it all to come together and create a truly unique, open-world experience and be not a lateral step for the formula.
10. Half-Life: Alyx
It’s hard to believe that there is another Half-Life game coming sometime soon. And even though it isn’t Half-Life 3, Half-Life: Alyx still looks incredible. The detailed, immersive VR-exclusive interactions mixed with classic Half-Life storytelling show that Valve could possibly be returning to its glory days.
9. Fall Guys
Battle royales have evolved since PUBG’s inception but few probably saw one coming that starred a bunch of beefy blobs jumping over each other in an MXC-style gauntlet. Fall Guys is such a game and rather than a serious, competitive take on the genre, it opts to go for a more playful, hilarious style. If it is half as fun and goofy as it looks, then this could be one of the better multiplayer experiences coming next year.
8. Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal was already one of the best games of E3 2019, so it’s probably going to be even better with an extra six months in the oven. With more demons to shoot and guns to shoot at those demons, Doom Eternal might even top the surprisingly excellent Doom reboot from 2016. And if it somehow doesn’t match or surpass its predecessor, then at least it’ll likely have better multiplayer as it heavily draws from its own campaign and not every other shooter out there.
7. Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite has been under wraps for quite some time and still is, but the promise of ending the Reclaimer Saga is quite appealing. The time 343 Industries has taken to correct the mistakes of Halo 5 is appreciated and hopefully that hiatus will pay off. And much like the first game in the series, Infinite will launch with the Xbox Series X, possibly welcoming in the new generation with a bang.
6. Elden Ring
To be fair, we know next to nothing about Elden Ring aside from George R.R. Martin’s involvement and that it is a FromSoftware-developed game. But, also to be fair, a collaboration between those two parties sounds like a dream that could easily result in a fantastic Soulslike RPG. Given each’s ability to invent deep worlds and From’s knack for creating satisfying gameplay loops, this has the potential to be one of From’s strongest titles to date.
5. Resident Evil 3 Remake
It hasn’t even been a year since the Game of the Year winner Resident Evil 2 remake came out and Capcom is already blessing us with the Resident Evil 3 remake. The RE3 remake looks to have a similar style to its predecessor but instead of translating a classic, it has the potential to give more love to an underappreciated entry in the series. And judging by what we’ve seen, there’s a good chance it’ll do just that.
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo hasn’t released a console Animal Crossing since 2008 and it’s about time that has changed. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is adding some new systems like wind, co-op, and the ability to pick your skin color but the true appeal is finally having the cutesy, freeform sim franchise on a modern platform. It’s been far too long, Animal Crossing.
3. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
If there was one remake to rule all remakes, it would be Final Fantasy 7 Remake. With its faithfulness to the original but ability to push forward and innovate, this anticipated title has a chance to please nostalgic players as well as intrigue newcomers. The latter may have high standards but Square has said almost all the right things to win over even some of the most prudent purists.
2. The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us’ ending didn’t ask for a sequel yet everything we’ve seen about The Last of Us 2’s is making quite a compelling argument for its existence. A combination of exponentially impressive visuals and deeper gameplay systems returning to the depressing yet fascinating world could not only be the best swan song for the PS4, but also for the generation as a whole.
1. Cyberpunk 2077
Following up one of the most well-received RPGs of all time is a tough task, but CD Projekt Red might actually pull that off with Cyberpunk 2077. While Keanu Reeves’ appearance is exciting, the fact that its promising narrative and varied, choice-driven gameplay systems are even more tantalizing. And that’s saying something, given Reeves’ charm.
