There’s usually not a lot to get excited for when it comes to video game releases in February. However, this upcoming month will see the arrival of both Crackdown 3 and Anthem, two titles that fans have been waiting years for. It will also see the debut of highly anticipated fighter Jump Force, which may turn out to be just as popular as last year’s Dragon Ball FighterZ. Metro Exodus holds a lot of promise too, as it may maintain the impressive quality of its predecessors. It’s hard to believe that the year has just started, as there’s already so much to play. Check out all the February 2019 games that fans should keep on their radars below.
February 2019 games – Crackdown 3
Crackdown 3 was announced for Xbox One and PC during Microsoft’s 2014 E3 press conference. Originally slated for 2016, it’s been delayed a number of times since its reveal, perhaps due to complications surrounding the game’s cloud computing features. Whatever the case may be, the game promises to offer users fully destructible city environments to wreak havoc in with a friend on two.
This sequel is set 10 years after the events of the series’ last iteration on Xbox 360. It tasks The Agency with putting a stop to a terrorist organization responsible for shutting down power across the entire world. Actor Terry Crews will voice Commander Jaxon, hopefully gifting players with some hilarious lines of dialogue while they’re out destroying pretty much everything in sight. Crackdown 3 will finally release on February 15 and will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost.
February 2019 games – Far Cry New Dawn
Far Cry New Dawn is the narrative sequel to last year’s Far Cry 5 and is set in a re-imagined version of Hope County, Montana. It will retain many elements that made 2018’s entry so great, including customizable characters, specialists, and the Guns/Fangs for Hire systems, but will give players more content in the form of new weapons like the Saw Launcher and a new mode called Expeditions. This latter feature allows players to visit locations across the United States in order to gather supplies and resources to bring back to Montana.
Set 17 years after the events of Far Cry 5, it’ll be interesting to see how important characters like Joseph Seed fare in this new post-apocalyptic world. New Dawn may turn out to be just as good as Blood Dragon if it plays its cards right. The spin-off is set to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15.
February 2019 games – Jump Force
Thirteen famous manga and anime universes will collide when Jump Force launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15. Characters from classic franchises like Dragon Ball and One Piece will join mascots from modern shonen like My Hero Academia and Black Clover in celebration of Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 50th anniversary.
It’s a fitting homage considering how the magazine is largely responsible for skyrocketing each property’s popularity among mainstream audiences (and otaku overseas). Here’s hoping it’s able to deliver on the promise of what may be the greatest entertainment crossover in history outside of Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
February 2019 games – Metro Exodus
If Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light serve any indication, there’s plenty of reason to be excited for Metro Exodus. Also based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels, Exodus will star 23-year-old Artyom as he travels with the Spartan Rangers in order to find a new home for his community out east.
As in previous entries, it’ll include a mix of linear levels and sandbox environments, though additional features like a day-night cycle and a dynamic weather system will help aid in player immersion. Seasons will also change as the story progresses. Metro fans will be able to once again experience what the former Russian Federation’s harsh winter has to offer when Exodus arrives for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15.
February 2019 games – Anthem
BioWare and EA’s newest franchise, Anthem, arrives on February 22 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. This action RPG tasks players with donning exosuits called Javelins in order to explore the environment around Fort Tarsis. The settlement’s NPCs will constantly give missions to take on, some of which require that players experiment with the title’s suits. The Ranger, Colossus, Storm, and Interceptor all play very differently from one another, allowing for a variety of gameplay styles.
While some BioWare fans may be a bit turned off by Anthem‘s emphasis on multiplayer, the game will allow players to take on assignments solo or with just one partner. It remains to be seen whether or not the game will be worthwhile if played alone, as it is designed with teams in mind.
Given EA’s microtransaction fiasco with Star Wars Battlefront II in 2017 and the company’s poor marketing with Battlefield 5, many in the industry are waiting to see what controversy Anthem might stir as it launches. Here’s hoping that this promising mech game is received well by critics and fans, and that EA has learned its lesson by now.
February 2019 games – Left Alive
Set in the Front Mission universe, Square Enix’s upcoming third-person shooter Left Alive will have fans fight for survival when a rival nation launches a surprise attack overnight. As one of three protagonists, players must constantly scavenge for supplies and ammo, being careful to avoid enemy patrols and robbers running amok on the devastated streets. There’ll be tough moral decisions to be made, which may contribute to one of several endings.
Left Alive may work wonders for the Front Mission franchise, similarly to how Nier: Automata improved the Drakengard universe in 2017. It arrives for PlayStation 4 and PC on February 28.
With so much quality software on the market, one of 2019’s greatest challenges for video game fans will be managing budgets wisely. That’s not to mention all the new content arriving for last year’s titles. Though video games will hopefully make the upcoming winter months easy to get through, it’s always important to make sure that one isn’t broke by the time spring comes around again. After all, there’ll be plenty more games to play then.
