2018 is almost over (thankfully). We’ve had some highs and lows in gaming this year. God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Marvel’s Spider-Man were all spectacular games that lived up to the hype. But, that isn’t always the case.
Simply put. Sometimes, games just suck. 2018 had its fair share of this with the likes of Fallout 76, Sea of Thieves, and Battlefield V. Blame can be placed on a lot of things. The developing teams for putting out sub-par products that weren’t worth the retail price. The publishers for either pushing out these games or allowing them to hit the market unfinished. And, there has to be a little bit of blame placed on us, the gamers. At times, we hype these games up so much and put them on an unattainable pedestal before we get our hands on them.
So, the logical thing to do would be to take a step back and wait until the games featured below release in 2019. But, that’s not any fun. Here are my Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2019:
(Note: I did not include The Last of Us: Part 2, Jedi: The Fallen Order, Halo: Infinite, or Beyond Good & Evil 2 in this list. That is because I do not believe these games will release in 2019. If I’m wrong, these games would definitely be near the top of this list.)
Honorable Mention: Kingdom Hearts 3
Before the pitchforks come out, there’s a perfectly valid reason behind leaving Kingdom Hearts 3 off of this list. Truth is, I have never played any game in the Kingdom Hearts series. Not out of any hatred towards the franchise, I just never got around to playing them. That being said, Kingdom Hearts 3 looks to be a fantastic game, not just for the long-time fans of the series but also for new-comers like me.
Release Date: January 29th, 2019
Platforms: Xbox One and PlayStation 4
10) Days Gone
Days Gone had to fight with a number of “meh” games in the sad, depressing place that is my mind to garner the tenth spot here. Rage 2 has dropped down significantly on my list due to the recent actions from Bethesda. Crackdown 3 is….wait, did it get delayed again? Okay, just making sure. Maybe I could have put Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 3 in this spot but you got to give the nod to Sony Bend’s Days Gone.
Somewhat like Crackdown 3, Days Gone has had its fair share of troubles. It was slated for a 2018 release but was pushed back in order to “further polish” the game. When it was initially revealed at E3 2016, Days Gone stunned gamers, showing an impressive amount of zombies on screen at one time and displaying breathtaking visuals to-boot.
Unfortunately, Days Gone has dwindled a bit since that time. The game showed up at E3 2017 with a less-than-stellar showing. At E3 2018, it became apparent that Days Gone still had some issues. Its E3 2018 gameplay video gave us a look at the world and the game’s mechanics, along with the problems mentioned above.
There’s something different about the game, based off of what I saw from the 2018 demo. The visuals seem to be slightly downgraded and the gameplay isn’t as refined as I thought it would be.
Despite all of this, Days Gone can still succeed. Over the past few years, Sony has made a name of itself by delivering compelling single-player stories. Maybe the problems I’ve seen from Days Gone are all in my own head and when the game officially releases in 2019, those doubts will dissipate. Although it still looks rough around the edges, Days Gone is still a game to be (cautiously) excited about in 2019.
Release Date: April 26th, 2019
Platforms: PlayStation 4
9) Dying Light 2
Two zombie games back to back in this list? What is wrong with me?
2015’s Dying Light was a great game. Miles ahead from Techland Publishing’s earlier zombie title, Dead Island. To be honest, Dying Light felt like the game Techland actually wanted to make instead of the more cartoony Dead Island. A focus on parkour with some RPG elements sprinkled in made Dying Light stick out in the cluttered zombie genre.
As good as Dying Light was, I think we all can admit it suffered when it came to storytelling and giving us choices to make. Dying Light 2 is set to fix all of that.
With a new story-driven approach, it seems that we will be able to (pretty much) create our own story that will differ with each playthrough. Techland has touched up its already great gameplay for the sequel and it looks like the day/night cycle that changed the types of zombies we encounter is returning as well. If the new additions to how we progress through story work like Techland thinks it will, Dying Light 2 has the potential to be one of the best games of 2019.
Release Date: Sometime in 2019
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC
8) Gears 5
I’m a little biased here. As a huge Xbox guy, I’m a fan of the Gears of War series. Playing this franchise with my friends growing up was some of my favorite memories on the Xbox 360. I had hoped that Gears of War 4 would capture that lightning in the bottle once again.
Gears of War 4 is a prime example of what I was talking about earlier regarding overhyping highly-anticipated games. I wanted Gears of War 4 to be something more. Something special that could act as a catalyst for the, at the time, failing Xbox One. And when the game ended up being just decent, I was disappointed. That’s why I ask that you take these lists with a grain of salt. They are fun but we just never know how a game will turn out.
One thing Gears of War 4 got right, in my opinion, was its story. I loved the time jump and focus on the legacy of the first trilogy. JD Fenix was a stark contrast in character compared to his no-nonsense father and the shocking reveal at the game’s credits opened up the door for this new trilogy to follow its own path.
Gears 5 doesn’t appear to be a tale of “save the world” like other Gears of War games. Instead, the game will follow Kait and her family lineage. Now, I can go ahead and guarantee that Kait is going to be vastly important to the overarching story of this trilogy but Gears 5 isn’t concerned with that yet.
This is all about telling a more simple narrative, akin to 2018’s God of War. I’m not saying it’s going to hit at our heartstrings on the same level or deliver epic action sequences like Kratos’ latest adventure, it’s just a loose comparison. Exploring the Gears world, either solo or co-op, on a more emotional journey is unique for Gears of War and I can easily see this as the real “reboot” for the series.
Release Date: Sometime in 2019
Platforms: Xbox One and Windows PC
7) Mortal Kombat 11
Who doesn’t have Mortal Kombat 11 on their Top 10 Most Anticipated Games list?
After a clever reveal trailer at The Game Awards 2018, Mortal Kombat 11 skyrocketed to the seventh spot on my list. NetherRealm Studios is getting so close to breaking the glass ceiling on the fighting game genre. Mortal Kombat X was a good start. The game featured three different playstyles for each fighter along with character-specific lines to be delivered before each battle.
The developer’s next title, Injustice 2, knocked on the glass a bit harder. The DC fighting game featured RPG elements that kept you playing in hopes of customizing your characters. Mortal Kombat 11 hopes to sharpen those RPG elements that made Injustice 2 a hit with a fully customizable roster. Here’s a quick description for the game:
“The all new Custom Character Variations give you unprecedented control to customize the fighters and make them your own. The new graphics engine showcasing every skull-shattering, eye-popping moment, brings you so close to the fight you can feel it. And featuring a roster of new and returning Klassic Fighters, Mortal Kombat’s best in class cinematic story mode continues the epic saga over 25 years in the making.”
From this description, I’m under the assumption that we will not just be able to fully customize our characters’ appearance, but their fighting variations as well. We won’t have to wait long to see what the series has in store for us as the Community Reveal event for Mortal Kombat 11 is a few short weeks away (January 17th, 2019).
Whether or not Mortal Kombat 11 shatters the glass ceiling is up for debate. Even if the game just feels like a more polished Injustice 2, NetherRealm Studios still have a hit on their hands with Mortal Kombat 11.
Release Date: April 23rd, 2019
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch
6) Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
I did not intend to include three zombie games in my top 10 list. I don’t even like the horror game genre that much (in fact, I’m too scared to play most of them). That just speaks at how great the genre can be in 2019.
We’ve all wanted a Resident Evil 2 remake for years. Capcom finally revealed this remake at E3 2018. I don’t think they had to show anything else. Most gamers’ wallets were already out.
The great thing about this version of Resident Evil 2 is that it won’t be a play-by-play remake of the original game. The fixed camera is gone, replaced with an over-the-shoulder third person view. Puzzles will change with each playthrough. Gameplay wise, the shooting will be much more like its horror predecessors and less like the outlandish action-oriented Resident Evil games over the last few years (with the exception of Resident Evil 7).
If this exceeds expectations, I don’t know where this leaves Capcom regarding future remakes. And honestly, I don’t care. I’m happy with just jumping back into Raccoon City next year.
Release Date: January 25th, 2019
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC
That’s a wrap on part one of my most anticipated games of 2019. As I said, these lists are extremely fun to make and read. Just don’t put too much weight on them. You can see part two here.
Is there any game I missed so far? What are your most anticipated games of 2019? Let us know in the comments below!
