For its many miseries, 2020 delivered some extremely memorable video games. And now, with the arrival of the PlayStation 5 (pictured) and Xbox Series X, there’s more reason than usual to get excited for the offerings of the year ahead. Here are the titles we’re most eagerly anticipating. While not all release dates have been confirmed for 2021, we’ve included games that are believed to be coming before Jan. 1, 2022.
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“Hitman 3” (Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia): Recent games in the Hitman franchise have taken a games-as-service approach; they are supported and expanded upon long after their initial release. IO Interactive is continuing that with the release of “Hitman 3.” Coming Jan. 20, players who already own “Hitman 1” and “Hitman 2” can import their maps into the third game to continue from where they left off, and can expect regular updates to the game post-launch. This assassination game puts you in the shoes of Agent 47, a cipher who plans out kills like a series of puzzles in large locations ripe with opportunity. At its best, the Hitman franchise offers plenty of replay value: You can hunt down foes with different methods each time. The polished and at times comedic gameplay offers creative situations like disguising yourself in a flamingo suit at a racetrack or finishing off a target by slapping them with a dead fish. For “Hitman 3,” fans of the series can expect new levels and under-the-hood improvements, like an engine that supports 300 active NPCs at once, making locations feel busy and lived in.
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“Deathloop” (Available on: PlayStation 5, PC): First-person action shooters nowadays need something different — different aesthetics, different gameplay, different gimmicks — to truly stand out in a genre saturated by bland, same-y games. “Deathloop” appears to have all three. It takes place in a deliciously campy world filled with 60s styled music and spy show splash screens. Oh, and gameplay revolves around the titular death loop. You play as Colt, a hired gun tasked with assassinating 8 targets before midnight. The problem? You’re being hunted by Julianna, an agent hired to kill Colt before he hits his 8 targets. If you die, or fail to kill all 8 targets before midnight, the loop repeats. The game is a Groundhog Day-like scenario where you slowly learn things about the loop and are doomed to repeat it until you successfully kill all targets without dying yourself. If the concept itself isn’t enough to get you excited, the competitive aspect of the game should. Other players can assume the role of Julianna, and hunt Colt players down before they kill their 8 targets. Add the fact that Arkane Lyon and Bethesda, the developers of the Dishonoured series, are at the helm, and you’ve got a game that can definitely break the mundane first-person action shooter mold.
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“Halo Infinite” (Available on: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One): The expectations for this title are high. “Halo Infinite” will lift the Xbox again. “Halo Infinite” will change online multiplayer. “Halo Infinite” will rescue the series from its years-long lull. “Halo Infinite” will, at least, be good. The game was sent back into incubation after a chilly, meme-filled reception to a preview this past summer. Now with the addition of Joseph Staten, the original trilogy’s writer, as creative director, “Halo Infinite” is getting all the fixings it can to meet the above expectations, and hopefully surpass them. It’s also expected to boost the already-rich fortunes of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, where it will be offered free.
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“Far Cry 6” (Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia): I guess the question of whether “will Giancarlo Esposito be good” is out the window. He always seems to knock performances out of the park. Really, it’s the legacy of Far Cry that’s at stake here. The first game revolutionised the first-person shooter, while the third cemented what’s know recognised as the Ubisoft formula for open-world games. Will the sixth game finally upend the tower-climbing, bandit-camp-raiding, hunting loop that the last three titles and most Ubisoft games have adhered to? Ubisoft has claimed it would start reinventing some of its series, so there’s some hope that a true next-gen “Far Cry” might finally push the developers into new waters.
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“God of War” sequel (Available on: PlayStation 5 and possibly PlayStation 4; Sony has not confirmed whether it’s a next-gen exclusive): There’s no release date yet (though Google says it’s 2021), nor even a confirmed title, but anticipation swirls given the greatness of the game’s predecessor. The 2018 instalment of the God of War franchise from Santa Monica Studio injected protagonist Kratos into Norse mythology for a rumble with some of the deities lower down the divine pecking order from the better-known Odin and Thor. The beautifully rendered, interdimensional, open-world adventure game explored the relationship between Kratos and his son, Atreus, as the latter realises that he too is a god — one with a different name than the one his father gave him. The final scenes of the 2018 game appeared to set the stage for what the upcoming PlayStation exclusive will chronicle: A mega-scrap with the Thunder deity et al, possibly tied into the events of Ragnarok, the legendary war that doomed Odin and a number of other Norse deities.
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“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” (Available on: PC, Xbox Series X/S): Announced at The Game Awards 2019, this sequel to 2017s “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” astounded the audience with an evocative trailer centring on protagonist Senua. The first game followed her harrowing descent into hell, where she aimed to save the soul of her dead lover. The journey was captivating even in its most uncomfortable moments, and profound in how it tackled mental illness and psychosis, a condition rarely portrayed in video games. Far more than a simple hack-and-slash action game, “Hellblade” was praised by critics as a work of art. We don’t know much about the sequel, “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II,” but we hope developer Ninja Theory will go to the same lengths and take the same care as they did in its predecessor.
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“Resident Evil Village” (Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S): Capcom has been on a creative roll that started with the inspired, first-person reinvention of “Resident Evil VII.” The revamped RE Engine has powered some of best games of recent years, including “Devil May Cry 5,” “Resident Evil 2 Remake,” and “Monster Hunter World.” And at least with the “Resident Evil” series, Capcom has remembered that the survival horror genre it helped to invent has an eager audience that isn’t done with frights and zombies and inventory management. The “Resident Evil” series has a weird history of becoming really good, and then flubbing a subsequent game by leaning a little too hard into successful ideas. “Resident Evil 4” made way for a goofier, more action-packed series, while “VII” returns the series to its roots. “Village” signals the return of series staple hero Chris Redfield, so it seems Capcom is interested in returning to the old lore of the games. That could be good or bad news, considering how nonsensical the entire story has been. Still, Capcom has shown a lot of growth in how it designs its horror setpieces. Both remakes of the second and third sequel were practically new titles altogether, ones that recontextualized the old games in fresh, exciting ways. “Village” may yet discover new ways to needle our anxiety.
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“Horizon Forbidden West” (Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4): The Horizon series is a new and exciting RPG IP that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is forced to live in tribes to survive in a world overrun by advanced machines (large robots in animal form). You play as Aloy, a critically-adored hunter voiced by Ashly Burch who sets out on a journey to discover more about her and humanity’s past. Despite the original game releasing right when “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” came out, “Horizon Zero Dawn” more than held its own, in encouraging players to explore its rich, unique world. “Horizon Forbidden West” continues Aloy’s story, and while we’ve only seen one trailer so far, we know that it involves exploring a new frontier known as the Forbidden West in an attempt to locate the source of a deadly infectious disease. Coincidental timing aside, “Forbidden West” looks to repeat the same magic that captivated audiences the first time around.
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“Mass Effect: Legendary Edition” (Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One): For a long time, a remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy felt more like rumour than reality. Reports suggested the project was delayed from its targeted May 2020 release, though the game hadn’t even been announced yet. Finally, BioWare confirmed late this year that the studio is working on the project. Modernised versions of the three games will come in the spring, returning fans to the Normandy starship where they can travel to different galaxies, fight off the Reapers and Collectors, and find love among the stars. Aside from its release window, little is known about “Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.” The collection will include all of the games’ downloadable content, faster frame rates, 4K compatibility and visual enhancements. Exactly what tweaks are being made beyond that are unknown.
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“Psychonauts 2” (Available on: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS and Linux): 2005’s “Psychonauts” is a delightfully weird game, where you play as a young boy named Raz with psychic abilities, who attends a summer camp with other children who wield similar powers. The platformer became a cult hit, and more than 15 years later, we’re seeing the continuation of its story. In “Psychonauts 2,” you once again play as Raz, and the story takes place shortly after the events of the first game. Instead of returning to summer camp, Raz will join the “psychonauts,” agents with full-fledged psychic powers, at their headquarters, where he must prove himself as an intern. In 2015, a successful crowdfunded campaign on Fig to kick-start the game’s development raised $3.3 million, but the release window continued to shift with every passing year. In 2019, Microsoft acquired the developer of the game, Double Fine. We’re hoping 2021 will be the year “Psychonauts 2” gets out the door. It’s been a long time coming.
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