Best upcoming games: The most anticipated titles for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch
Here's our pick of the best upcoming games for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch in 2019 – and beyond
No matter how many amazing games get released, players will always hungry for more. Perhaps more than any other entertainment industry, gamers are often forced to wait years before their most anticipated games are finally released.
And it’s perfectly understandable. Making a game takes a tremendous amount of effort. So much so, that it’s surprising any get made at all. That’s why they usually take so long to release. Knowing why it takes so long, though, doesn’t make the wait any less difficult.
When not actually playing games, many of us spend our time waiting for new ones, trawling reddit and YouTube in search of new gameplay and release date rumours. And if you enjoy building hype for new games as much as we do, then you’ve come to the right place. Read on, where we’ve created a list of some of the most anticipated games of 2019 and beyond.
The Last of Us Part II
Price: £49.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
It’s no surprise that the follow-up to Naughty Dog’s stirringly human apocalyptic tale makes this list. An E3 presentation showing off some seamless action and typically emotional narrative has the gaming community – sorry, the PS4-owner community – buzzing with anticipation.
There’s been no word on the whereabouts of Joel – the grouchy protagonist of the first game – but his adopted daughter Ellie is front and centre throughout the gameplay demo. She’s pretty handy with a bow and arrow, too.
If you want to know more about The Last of Us 2, here’s everything we know so far.
Platforms: PS4; Release Date: TBC
Judgement
Price: £41.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
Despite the arrest of one its main voice actors over cocaine use, the popular action-adventure game Judgement will still be released in the UK and US. Judgement is a spin-off from the original Yakuza series, which has picked up a loyal following in the West due to its high-energy storyline. The original game follows Kazuma Kiryu, a Yakuza enforcer who keeps running into trouble even after he’s left organised crime; Judgement, by the look of things, is set to be a little different.
It’s still based in the same Kamurocho district made famous by the series, but in Judgement you’ll be playing Takayuki Yagami, a private detective who’s determined to track down and punish a serial killer. Featuring hard-hitting combat and intriguing detective elements, this is definitely one to watch, especially if you’re already a fan of Yakuza.
Platforms: PS4; Release date: June 25, 2019
The Sinking City
Price: £49.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
Set in the flooded seaside village of Oakmont, which is inhabited by mutant fish people, by the way, The Sinking City is a horror/noir story inspired by the world of H.P Lovecraft. In a super-weird version of the 1920s, you’ll be playing the role of private investigator Charles Reed. During your journey, you’ll meet the mutated village people, fight the horrific monstrosities that inhabit the area and put your detective skills to the test to try and figure out what on earth is happening.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC; Release date: June 27, 2019
Super Mario Maker 2
Price: £39.99 (Switch) | Preorder from Amazon
Following on from the Wii U’s original Mario creation tool, Mario Maker 2 is set to be even better with the addition of a multiplayer mode, story mode and tonnes more enemies. If it’s anything like its predecessor it’ll be a really fun game, where you can not only build your own levels and share them with the Switch community but try out other players levels too.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch; Release date: June 28, 2019
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Price: £59.99 (Switch) | Preorder on Amazon
A decade after the release of the last Marvel Alliance game, Ultimate Alliance 3 is finally here. It’s a multiplayer action-rpg that’ll see you smashing your way through all kinds of baddies, as you seek to defeat Thanos and The Black Order. The game brings together most of the popular heroes and villains of the Marvel series including Captain American, Antman, Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy. Unusually, the game is a Nintendo Switch exclusive and won’t be coming to PS4, Xbox One or PC – so if you don’t own a Switch, you’re out of luck.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch; Release date: July 19, 2019
Marvel’s Avengers
Price: £54.99 | Preorder from Amazon
If the Marvel cinematic universe has proven anything, it’s that people really love superheroes. That applies to games, too; Marvel’s Avengers is the second Marvel game to appear in our list, after Marvel Ultimate Alliance: 3. With playable characters that include Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk, it makes sense that this game would offer four player online co-op. With an original story and the promise of free post-launch content, this looks to be a completely unique experience that Marvels fans will be playing for months after release.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Stadia and PC; Release date: May 15, 2020
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Price: £29.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
No, Bethesda is not making a video game crossover between Wolfenstein and the 1986 hockey drama Youngblood, starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Wolfenstein: Youngblood will be the 1980-set sequel to Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, one of our favourite games in 2017/18. Instead of playing as Nazi-hunter hero B.J Blaskowicz, however, you will step into the shoes of his two twin daughters, who’ve grown old enough to fight the fascists themselves.
With the game being set in Nazi occupied Paris, Youngblood will have you searching for B.J, who has suspiciously gone MIA. With the promise of drop-in/drop-out online coop, you’ll also be able to fend off waves of Nazi’s with a friend. A true sign of friendship if ever there was one.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch; Release date: July 26, 2019
Control
Price £49.99 (Xbox One and PS4)| Preorder from Amazon
Control is a thrilling third-person action-adventure from the makers of Max Payne and Alan Wake. The game is sort of a fusion of the two, with powerful gunplay and a super surreal atmosphere. You’ll explore a vast shape-shifting skyscraper known as ‘The Oldest House’ and play the character of Jesse Faden – the director of a secretive agency.
In the story, Jesse seeks to uncover the mysteries of why the agency has been overrun by an otherworldly threat. It’s a pretty zany concept and your main weapon is also supernatural and shape-shifts, so expect theatrics galore and probably a lot of frustrating but interesting scene changes.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC; Release date: August 27, 2019
Shenmue 3
Price: £49.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
Whilst the open-world Shenmue series has never really been a huge commercial success, it does have fiercely loyal following. It’s this following that likely ensured the development of the third chapter, nearly two decades after the first game was released. For a while, it looked like Shenmue 3 was no more than a distant dream but thanks to a kickstarter campaign and donation from Sony, totalling 7 million, we’ll get to see the third, and perhaps final, installment.
If you’re unfamilliar with the first two games, they follow Ryo Hazuki who witnesses his father’s murder and seeks to avenge him. During his adventure through the beautiful mountains of Guilin in China, he meets Ling Shenhua, a mysterious woman who seems tied to him by fate. Newcomers to the game should consider catching up on the previous installments, as the third game follows directly on from the last.
Platforms:PS4, PC; Release date: August 27, 2019
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Price: £49.99 | Preorder from Amazon
Following the reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d gone back in time to 2007. More than a decade on from COD 4, the developers of the original game, Infinity Ward, are returning to what’s arguably the most revered title in the Call of Duty canon.
A reboot rather than a sequel, the new Modern Warfare will bring back fan favourite characters like Captain Price, and aims to portray war through a new, modern lens. With sequences in-game being “ripped from the headlines” of today’s real world conflicts, only time will tell if this new incarnation of Modern Warfare can draw players in like the original did over 10 years ago.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC; Release date: October 25, 2019
MediEvil remake
Price: £24.99 (PS4)| Preorder from Amazon
Sir Daniel Fortesque is back and he’s got a bone to pick.
Yes, it’s been confirmed that MediEvil will finally grace our screens this year after its initial 2018 release date was postponed. If you’re not already familiar with the classic hack n’ slash that is MediEvil, then you’re in for a treat. It follows the story of Sir Dan, a resurrected skeleton knight who is desperately trying to stop the evil sorcerer Zarok’s invasion of the realm, whilst attempting to redeem himself at the same time.
The game is being developed by Other Ocean Interactive, responsible for games like SpiderMan: Edge of Time, Minecraft Nintendo 3DS Edition and Virtual Rick-Ality – a PSVR Rick and Morty game. With an October release date, it’s just enough time for us to get into the spooky spirit of things as we join Sir Dan on his adventures.
Platforms: PS4; Release date: October 25, 2019
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Price: £54.99 (PS4) | Preorder on Amazon
In this first-person shooter, you’ll play the role of Cal Kestis, a young Jedi who must hide his powers from those who seek to kill him. After surviving the initial attacks of Order 66, you’ll follow Cal as he’s hunted by the Second Sister, an imperial inquisitor who, you guessed it, lives to hunt Jedi. The Fallen Order is set after the Revenge of the Sith, so expect plenty of lightsaber battles in this next installment.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC Release date: November 12, 2019
Biomutant
Price: £49.99 (PS4) | Preorder from Amazon
If you haven’t heard of Biomutant, rest assured that by the time release date rolls around, you will have. This imaginative open-world RPG melds Kung-Fu Panda and Mad Max with colourful results.
If playing as a cybernetically-enhanced brightly-coloured ninja rodent doesn’t appeal to you, then perhaps the frenetic combat and dulcet tones of the British narrator will make up your mind. It’s Devil May Cry, with marsupials.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC; Release Date: Summer 2019
Dying Light 2
Price: £54.99 | Preorder from Game
Expect zombie bashing and parkour a-plenty from the newest installment of Dying Light. Unlike the first game, Dying Light 2 will have a branching storyline, where parts of the city change based entirely on your decisions.
Despite poor reviews by critics, the original game has stood the test of time and is still a firm favourite with zombie-game fanatics. So if you’ve yet to delve into the Dying Light world, now might be a good time to start.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC; Release date: Spring 2020
Dreams
Price: £54.99 | Preorder now from Amazon
Anyone who has played a MediaMolecule game will know that this could be the biggest launch that no-one’s heard of. Responsible for the charmingly creative LittleBigPlanet series, the British team are back with another PS4-exclusive that will allow players the chance to build entire games using the complex creation tools.
Unlike LittleBigPlanet, Dreams is a 3-dimensional adventure – the contents of the story mode are still under wraps, but we’ve already been treated to a glimpse of some frankly astonishing player creations built during the private beta.
Platforms: PS4; Release date: 2019
Doom Eternal
Price: £49.99 (Xbox One) | Preorder now from Amazon
Bethesda’s relaunch of the Doom franchise in 2016 took the world by storm, providing gamers with a single player experience of unparalleled speed and fury. In a world of endless multiplayer modes and microtransactions, there was nothing more satisfying than heading into the underworld for some hardcore solo demon slaying, set to a raging industrial hard rock score.
At QuakeCon and Gamescom, the first gameplay for Doom Eternal was showcased, and it looks like even more hellish fun than the first game, with bigger, badder demons and even more overpowered Doom Slayer abilities. Mick Gordon is back in the recording booth for more epic riffage, too.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Microsoft Windows; Release date: November 22, 2019
Death Stranding
Price: £49.99 (PS4) | Pre-order now from Amazon
Hideo Kojima – the man behind the Metal Gear Solid franchise – is back after a hasty departure from the gaming industry. His latest IP is littered with Hollywood stars such as Mads Mikkelsen and Norman Reedus and so far makes absolutely no sense.
From what we’ve gathered, Norman Reedus is a delivery man who carries a baby in a portable incubator with him at all times. His world – one that looks suspiciously like Iceland – is under constant threat from invisible beasties that walk on their hands and can be deterred by holding your breath and standing stock still. Mads Mikkelsen is, in typical fashion, a foreboding villain.
Here’s our article dedicated to all things Death Stranding-related.
The Gears of War series is known for violent, action-packed gameplay and Gears 5 looks to be no different. They’ve decided to shake things up a little bit though, as the new protagonist is JD’s former sidekick Kait. The story focuses on Kait’s decision to abandon her post as a Gear, now knowing she’s in some way related to Locust Queen Myrrah. It appears to be a self-discovery journey of sorts but with the same hard-hitting gameplay of Gears gone by.
With the game hitting store shelves in just a few months time, you won’t have to wait long before using the iconic chainsaw bayonet once again.
Platforms:Xbox One, PC; Release date: September 10, 2019
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Price: £59.99
With the dastardly Tom Nook returning. New Horizons looks to be transporting players to a deserted island, where you have to start from scratch to build your humble abode. As far as new content goes, we’re hoping for a bunch of new accessories and a wider cast of charming characters.
Platforms: Switch exclusive Release date: March 20, 2020
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Price:£49.99
Originally released on Gameboy in 1993, Link’s Awakening is unusual in that Zelda isn’t featured in the game at any point. It’s also set completely outside of the mythical Kingdom of Hyrule. The story unfolds when Link is washed up on Koholint Island, where Mt. Tamaranch resides. In order to get back home, Link has to travel to the top of the mountain in order to awaken the Wind Fish, which is inside a giant egg. Bonkers, we know.
The remake was an unexpected but nice surprise for fans, and will see the enchanting, technicolour world lovingly remastered for the Switch in a new art style. This classic top-down adventure game looks set to be packed full of nostalgia and will be as silly and unconventional as ever.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch; Release date: August 20, 2019
The Outer Worlds
Price: TBC
The Outer Worlds is a new RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, the minds behind Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas. The game starts with your character awakening from a 70 year cryosleep, after the ship you’re on gets lost in space. After finding out that a scientist has managed to awaken you, you’ll either have to choose to help him save the other frozen passengers onboard or turn him in to the authorities for a cash reward.
What’s nice about Outer Worlds, is that your decisions will change how the game eventually ends – meaning it has plenty of replayability.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC; Release date: October 25, 2019
Final Fantasy VII remake
Price: £59.99 | Preorder from Amazon
It’s been a rocky road for the FF7 remake, with the first announcement about the game being made all the way back in 2015. However, with a slew of shiny new trailers and information pouring in, everyone’s feeling pretty positive about a 2020 release date.
Fans shouldn’t be too disheartened about how long it’s taking though. Square Enix are clearly desperate to get it right, especially after many fans voiced their concerns about how unfinished FFVX felt. Plus, FFVII is a fan favourite, so there will be serious trouble if it doesn’t live up to the hype.
Square Enix has confirmed the remake will be released in installments, each of which will apparently feel like its own game, rather than an ‘episode’. If that’s the case, then old and new fans alike will have a lot to look forward to.
Platforms: PS4 at first but may be available for Xbox One later; Release date: March 3, 2020
Watch Dogs Legion
Price: £54.99 | Preorder from Amazon
For those of you who play games to escape, Watch Dogs Legion would like a word. Set in a post-Brexit London that is now controlled by private military companies after a collapse of government, the latest game in this hacking-centric series doesn’t seem to be shying away from the political strifes of today.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for fun, though, and it seems everyone in London is keen to join the party – because every NPC in the game will be playable. Yes, you read right. As well as having the same, enjoyable gameplay from the previous games, every single NPC in Watch Dogs Legion can be turned into a playable character, from secret agents to drone experts and gun-wielding nannies. While this all sounds promising, Watch Dogs does have a history of showing great footage at E3, only for the game itself to disappoint many.
Even though the original Watch Dogs may not have been the game many were expecting based on previously shown trailers, the sequel managed to garner back some goodwill, so here’s hoping Watch Dogs Legion manages to continue that trend.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Stadia and PC; Release date: March 6, 2020
Cyberpunk 2077
Price: £49.99 | Preorder from Amazon
Cyberpunk 2077 is the next game from CD Projekt Red, the developers responsible for The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. So, no pressure for them, right? Based on the boardgame of the same name, Cyberpunk 2077 transports players to the futuristic metropolis of Night City.
Using the original board game’s rules as the basis for its character development, you’ll be able to customise your character with body modifications to gain new sci-fi themed powers and abilities. Of course, it wouldn’t be a CD Projekt Red game without a deep, sprawling narrative and engaging characters, and Cyberpunk 2077 promises plenty of both. Oh, and it has Keanu Reeves in it.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC; Release date: April 16 2020
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Price: Both games at £49.99 | Preorder both games from Amazon
If you’re still looking to be the very best, like no one ever was, then Pokémon Sword and Shield will have you very excited. Pokémon Sword and Shield will take players to the Galar Region (based on Great Britain), where all-new Pokémon undoubtedly await. While players can expect to the game to play similarly to previous entries, there are some new features that seem very promising.
One such feature that’s making its way from Pokémon GO is the inclusion of multiplayer raid encounters. There’s also a new ability called “dynamaxing”, which allows your Pokémon to temporarily grow to a humongous scale. Now, your small, adorable Pickachu can tower over the likes of Charizard and Gyrados. You don’t have to wait too long to play the game, either, with Pokémon Sword and Shield releasing later this year.
Platform: Nintendo Switch; Release date: November 15, 2019
Grand Theft Auto VI
Price: TBA
This is all speculation, but who doesn’t enjoy a bit of that? The most prevalent theory is that we won’t see a new GTA until at least 2020; it is more than likely that the series will return to the knock-off Miami of GTA: Vice City (2002), given that the past 2 entries (GTA IV and V) reimagined the series’ other locations.
If you’d like to find out more about GTA VI, why not visit our page dedicated to keeping on top of all the latest rumours?
Platforms: PS5? Xbox Two? Who can say?; Release Date: Anyone’s guess.
