Top 5 Highly Anticipated Games of 2020
It’s somewhat hard to believe that we’re already in the year 2020. Growing up, that number always seemed so far away and romanticized as a spage-age year where things we couldn’t have ever imagined would exist, occur, and be a normal part of life. All of that is probably true too – if I were to take a time machine back to 1994, I think 12-year old me would not know what to do with an iPhone or the knowledge and existence of streaming video services. I certainly would have a tough time wrapping my head around the idea that future me played video games for a living.
With the 2010s having just passed, and a new year quite literally beginning, I figured it appropriate to go through some of the titles that I’m most looking forward to in this most spage-age of years; 2020. This is also a keen follow-up to the previous post I made about top games of the decade, where I tried to outline and give synopsis to my feelings for each year and their respective releases. I have several honorable mentions to bring up, because there are quite a few games I’m looking forward to… but for what it’s worth, these are the top 5 games that I’m quite excited for in the coming year.
#5: Resident Evil 3 remake
I was hesitant to put remakes of old games onto lists like these, but with Capcom’s work on Resident Evil 2‘s remake, I can’t help but be thoroughly excited for the release of Resident Evil 3. I have not played the original, but am a pretty big fan of the rest of the series thus far – I’ve still not played Code: Veronica or Zero, but enjoyed 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. And of course, I’m still hopeful that these remakes will really push the envelope for an old-school survival horror revival, with this style of gameplay serving as a successful example of what other games could do within the genre.
Resident Evil 3‘s remake will, to my understanding, be a true remake of the original game Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, which was released on PlayStation in 1999. The story is set the year before this, before the events that take place in Resident Evil 2, where we’ll rejoin with Jill Valentine from the first game as she attempts to escape Raccoon City during the T-Virus outbreak. This game comes out on April 3rd, which is a pretty busy month for releases in general. However, I’d safely say this is the one I’ll be playing upon release. I don’t normally “day one” releases on my stream, but I will absolutely be playing this when it comes out.
#4: Gods & Monsters
The trailer for this game was initially released at E3 last year, and I entirely got lost in excitement for the release of this game and what they were showing in said trailer. Gods & Monsters is billed as a storybook adventure set on an island full of mythical creatures, where we are tasked to save the Greek gods by taking on various challenges throughout the world. Basically, I think they’re setting this up as Ubisoft’s own version of Breath of the Wild, and I’m not complaining. Releases like Pine have taught me that I’m actually craving these sorts of games, where a new world full of whimsy is carved out but it’s up to me to explore it, and do it at my own pace. Beautiful worlds begging to be explored as an adventure sandbox, just like Breath of the Wild, are right up my alley.
The same team that created Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is behind Gods & Monsters, and while I haven’t played that particular title as of yet, I know it’s received a lot of praise for what it had to offer. Perhaps they took inspiration in creating that world. During the Ubisoft presentation at E3, the senior producer for the company did reveal that the team had been working on Gods & Monsters for the last four years, even going as far as to say that, and I’ll paraphrase, with Assassin’s Creed they felt bound by the “reality of history books,” and with Gods & Monsters, they wanted to focus more on the mythological aspects of that world. The game is, according to the PlayStation store, being released on February 25th, which is roughly a month away. Excited!
#3: Cyberpunk 2077
If you haven’t heard of this one, you’re probably living under a rock. Cyberpunk 2077 has been an unstoppable hype train which, normally is something that turns me off. This game is something that I share in the hype of, though, but I have avoided a lot of said hype so as not to over-inflate my expectations and be met with disappointment. Thus is the problem with “hype” – but I digress.
Cyberpunk 2077 is the highly anticipated RPG from CD Projekt Red. Perhaps you’ve heard of some of their work – they created The Witcher game series, subsequent spinoffs, and they own a game distribution service touting DRM-free capabilities called GOG, or Good Old Games. I don’t know – maybe you’ve heard of their stuff. 🙂
Anyways, Cyberpunk is loosely based on a tabletop RPG with the same name, or at least within the universe that was created in. Taking place in Night City, this dystopian adventure throws you into the role of a customizable mercenary named V. I’m hesitant to really do much more research on the plot and setting beyond this point, because I want to be completely blown away by what the game has to offer and go in blind to the experience. However, if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt‘s development had any influence on how cohesive and expansive this world could be… well, I think we’re in for an absolute treat that will be nothing short of Game of the Year for most.
Cyberpunk 2077 comes out on April 16th. I can’t say I’ll be playing this RIGHT at release… but I probably will play it right at release, or within a short window afterwards.
#2: DOOM Eternal
People are probably curious about why this isn’t my number one release. The answer is fairly simple: I love the old DOOM games far too much. Let me explain a bit more: I played so much Doom and Doom II: Hell on Earth as a kid that it became something deeply imprinted in the makeup of who I am to this day. That may be putting far more distinction onto a game then one can justify doing, but I think most people have a game they’re far too attached to, having grown up with it. I loved the 2016 remake of DOOM… but at the same time, something with it didn’t hit the same level of esteem for me that the old games did. Perhaps because I’ve gotten older, and I’ve played so many other games. This does not mean I hated it, it’s more to the point that I couldn’t rank it above the original games because of what those meant to me growing up. DOOM 2016 was and is something I recognized and appreciated as a very faithful adaptation of a beloved series to me that was successfully ushered into a new age – very similarly to Resident Evil’s revival – but, I have other excitements that eclipse this one. We’ll get to those soon, though. The top 3 has been a really close call.
DOOM Eternal is, of course, the sequel to DOOM 2016’s release, and is in some ways a reimagining of Doom II: Hell on Earth – my absolute favorite of the series. This means that in DOOM Eternal, we’ll be following the Doom Slayer back to earth to save humanity from the demonic forces that have overrun it. My excitement is, honestly, off the charts for this, make no mistake. The deep dive they went into with this game, both at E3 and QuakeCon, left me wanting more of the game, and eager to get my hands on it. The release was pushed back, originally from November of 2019, to March 20th of this year. Yet another game I’ll be playing on day one of its release on my stream.
#1: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
I came extremely late to the part on the World of Darkness, and more specifically, Vampire: The Masquerade. Had I learned about this in my early teens, I would have eaten it up… which is sort of a shame for young me, but an absolute delight for old me, who is currently trying to absorb anything and everything possible about this universe. I played Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines on my Twitch stream back in 2015, which was to date one of the funnest times I’ve ever had on stream. That game was incredible, and I can’t wait to replay it soon. BUT ALSO…. I can’t wait for the follow-up release of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
The initial announcement for this game came as a complete blindside to me. First teased around a year ago with an ARG called “Tender,” my interest in what was going on in The World of Darkness was piqued. Bloodlines 2 will take place in Seattle, and will follow a fledgling thinblood vampire who was one of a number of humans turned over during a Mass Embrace. Players will eventually be able to join one of five clans, which I’m sure is something we’ll be researching as the game progresses. I’ve recently been playing a visual novel by Draw Distance called Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York, which takes influence both from the sourcebook New York by Night for setting and context as well as the Telltale Games approach to choice and morality. I’ve been absolutely loving it. I can’t even put into words how excited I am to be returning to the masquerade, and to the World of Darkness universe.
There are a few upcoming titles set in this universe as well – at least one coming this year (Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood) – and as I start doing deeper dives into lore, sourcebooks, and the like, I’m eternally grateful for what, to me, is an experience akin to being a kid again – the excitement of getting lost in a universe that intrigues me at this level is not something I’m able to really find any more. I think the last time I was this excited for a game series was when I laid my eyes on Dark Souls, and spent hours reading the flavor text of every item available. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 may only be a small part of a larger universe, but as an RPG, it’s one I simply can’t wait for. Originally slated for a Q1 2020 release date, the game has been pushed back to an unspecified time in 2020. I hope they’re able to take the time to make this a great experience, and until then I’ll be over here replaying the first game, Redemption, and obsessing over lore books.
Honorable Mentions
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
- Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Little Nightmares 2
- Minecraft Dungeons
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
- The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
- Remothered: Broken Porcelain
- The Last of Us 2
- Carrion
- New World
- Nioh 2
- Spelunky 2
- Crusader Kings III
I don’t necessarily want to do a write-up on all of these titles, but it’s worth bringing up a few things about some of them I suppose.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood shot up to the top of my list of honorable mentions, if only because of the previously stated fascination with the World of Darkness universe. For as little as I still know about Vampire: The Masquerade, I know even less about Werewolf: The Apocalypse… so basically, that’s just a lot of content to get immersed into. Color me hype. I was hoping to also add Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong to the list, but that is slated for 2021. That’s okay too – it gives me something else to look forward to down the road.
Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga also shot up to the top of my list, especially after that bombastic trailer reveal at The Game Awards. I honestly wasn’t expecting a sequel after the end of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and that game was such an incredible journey that… honestly, I welcome this unexpected reveal with open arms. There’s not much known about the game at this point, which is also okay – the dark tonality of the trailer suggests enough for me. It’s entirely possible that this won’t actually get released within the 2020 calendar year, because it is so closely tied to the release of the Xbox Series X, and with a Q4 release date looming in the distance for the hardware, I guess we’ll have to keep waiting on news for when we can rejoin Senua on her journey.
Ghost of Tsushima was announced in 2017, and I would imagine wasn’t brought up again until recently because of the release and success of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Although I don’t believe the games will be similar, they could have been billed as such due to the setting, and thus it’s possible that Sucker Punch Productions and Sony did not want the game to be overshadowed by competition. Or, perhaps development time was also a factor, as well as ties to the new Sony PS5 hardware – I don’t know. Regardless, Ghost of Tsushima was brought up at The Game Awards in 2019, and excitement for the title is palpable once again.
I would love to write up a post in the near future about horror games – favorites, worst ones, ones to look out for – Little Nightmares 2 would be on that list, if I were making it today. The follow-up to the insanely good puzzle-platformer from 2017 follows the continued adventure of Six after she escapes from the Maw. Other horror titles that would be in this theoretical future post would include The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, which looked a few steps ahead of Man of Medan, Carrion – a unique “reverse” horror game where you play as the creature, and Remothered: Broken Porcelain. Set for summer of 2020, Broken Porcelain is an addition to the series of Remothered that was started by Tormented Fathers. I loved the setting of Tormented Fathers, but hated some of the gameplay aspects – I’m somewhat hopeful that Stormind Games have learned from the release of the first game and fine-tuned some of the mechanics for the sequel.
The Last of Us 2 was announced a couple of years ago, and is coming out in May 0f this year. I’ve mixed feelings about whether or not I really wanted this game, but in all honesty… it’s going to be good. Naughty Dog are masters of their craft, and the continued story of Ellie is going to be worth the experience.
Minecraft Dungeons makes the list, if only because I am all for Diablo style games, and this fits the bill. I’ll be picking this one up on the Switch most likely, for those relaxing Sunday couch sessions I cherish so deeply. Spelunky 2 will also be one of those titles I’d love to pick up, although less relaxing… still worthy. Fans of the original release – that is to say, the remake that originally debuted on the Xbox Live Arcade, although if you liked the original one I suppose that’s still valid – will be eager to jump back into the adventurous underground world. I know I am! Again, my Switch is begging for an experience like this.
New World is yet another game making this list. I first heard of New World back in 2016, when I was invited to Amazon Game Studios to test a very early build of the game. I’m very excited to see how far the game has come since I heard about the ambitious project first-hand from its developers back at that meeting. Billed as an MMORPG, New World follows players who are tasked with colonizing a… well, new world – gathering resources, crafting items, and fighting for their land. I’ve plenty of experiencing playing these kinds of sandbox-style games, like Ark, Dark & Light, and Conan Exiles. I hope that New World brings an exciting landscape to traverse with friends, as exploration is such a huge thing that I personally relish in games like this. The ability they give to write your own stories is nearly unmatched, and provides countless hours of entertainment.
I never finished the first Nioh, and it’s on my list of to-do, although not before the release of Nioh 2. Coming out in May, Nioh 2 is actually a prequel to its predecessor, following the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a historical warlord the game fictionalizes as two separate people. Gameplay is fairly similar to the original Nioh with a few slight changes, most notable of those being in the yokai character mechanics. It’ll also offer 3-player co-op, and an enormous skill tree. The original Nioh was great, but it also made me run back through the entirety of Dark Souls – I’ll need to personally swing back around and play Nioh again before I touch this title. Regardless, I am looking forward to more content that expands upon that universe.
Crusader Kings III isn’t the kind of game that I play on my stream, but it is the kind of game that I enjoy playing. I’m awful at strategy games, but they’re strangely relaxing to play. Perhaps it lies in the overall sentiment of playing God – calling shots and letting the chips fall where they may from an extremely expanded perspective. Something about it can be extremely satisfying to experience. Admittedly, I’m still learning the ropes in Crusader Kings II, and I’ve been tinkering around with it for years. I’m eager to learn the ropes with a brand new game, however, from the ground up. Crusader Kings III doesn’t have a specific release date nailed down, so I guess I have time to keep learning the ropes in the previous title.
And finally, the long-awaited Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. First announced several years ago at E3, Bannerlord has been the subject of much heavy breathing within our community. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a slightly more accessible strategy game then Crusader Kings III, and rather then taking place from the grandiose perspective of political strategy that title does, Bannerlord will follow in the footsteps of previous games and focus more on battle strategy. It just looks so good – I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on this game. Slated for a March 2020 release date, none of us will have to wait too much longer, hopefully.
It’s very well possible I’ve missed some titles in the honorable mentions list (WHAT ABOUT ANIMAL CROSSING??), but for what it’s worth, 2020 really is looking to be an incredible year for games.