January is always a quiet time for most of us as game releases are few and far between, and even if there was something out, we wouldn’t have the money for it anyway given the long slog of a month that is January. So what better time to fantasize and look ahead to all the games that are currently scheduled for release in 2020. Though chances are we won’t be able to afford half of these either, it’s nice to dream. Let’s get started!
It’s worth noting before I get going that this is my personal list so don’t @ me when Final Fantasy VII doesn’t make an appearance in this list. You can also watch the video version of this list below.
WAIT, WHAT IS HAPPENING?! PLOT TWIST! That’s right, in a surprise to everyone including myself, Final Fantasy VII just about makes my list. For those who don’t know me, I’m known for being the guy here at Respawning who doesn’t really do RPG’s (especially JRPG’s), or at least hasn’t for a long ass time. (See my Witcher 3 video for more.) But lately something strange has happened, I started The Witcher 3 on the advice of PS Pod co-host Javier and pretty much every other person on this planet and I’m absolutely loving it! On top of that I recently bought a Nintendo Switch whIch came bundled with Breath of the Wild and just like that, I’m playing RPG’s again. So then, having never even played more than an hour or so of a Final Fantasy game, could this beautiful looking remaster be my ideal starting point. There’s no guarantees but watch this space!
I hate seeing Hellblade so far down on this list given how much I adored the first game. Honestly if circumstances were different then this would be top 3 without a shadow of a doubt, so why is this the case I hear you cry? Well it simply comes down to that issue of money once again, I for one cannot afford all three major consoles so unfortunately for Microsoft, the Xbox One and upcoming Xbox Series X misses out. This means though that I also miss out on Hellblade 2 given developer Ninja Theory was bought out by Microsoft in 2018, making this sequel an Xbox exclusive. I’m still excited to see its release though and just pray I find a way to get my hands on it in some way shape or form.
Time to cheer myself up with an exclusive I will get to play! Truth be told there’s not a ton of information on Ghost of Tsushima other than it’s a third person stealth game set in an open world during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. One thing we do know is that it looks bad ass! This is also the first game for Developer Sucker Punch since they wrapped up their Infamous series back in 2014, so that is more than enough to get me and most others excited. Hell, nothing I can say will do it justice so just watch this trailer to get hyped…
I may be alone in thinking that Supermassive Games’ Man of Medan from last year was a great little horror experience. In my review for the game, I praised the developers for going down the road of telling short stories for a lower price. For this to succeed though, they need to keep the flow of games coming and that starts with the second entry to The Dark Pictures Anthology – Little Hope. The trailer for this upcoming title first shown up in Man of Medan once you completed the main story. In that trailer it confirmed a 2020 release but we’re still waiting on an exact date. I have my fingers crossed that Supermassive Games can hit their target of 2020 as I need my Dark Pictures horror fix asap and waiting until 2021 may cool down my excitement a fair bit.
Okay so this one isn’t confirmed as Nintendo seem to like keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to upcoming releases. (This is the reason you wont see many switch games in this list). But given that a whole new engine was built for Breath of the Wild and 2020 will mark three years since the first game was released, an upcoming sequel which every Switch owner is craving must be close! The reason I believe we’ll get Breath of the Wild 2 in 2020 also comes down to the upcoming console war between PlayStation and Xbox. Nintendo won’t have any hardware out like their other two competitors come holiday 2020, so what better way to stay in the conversation than to release a game so massive that it has the potential to overshadow the launch titles put out by the big boys? C’mon Nintendo, y’know it makes sense…
I think I can faintly here Luke shouting in the background that this should be number 1… Anyway its number 5 for me. The remake of Resident Evil 2 took the gaming world by storm last year, earning rave reviews from publications across the globe and rightfully so. The fact Capcom are able to take advantage of this hype and are already good to go with their remake of Resident Evil 3 is an accomplishment that shouldn’t go unnoticed. There’s really not a lot else to be said here, its Resi 3 remade to the standard of last years game, of course this is going to be brilliant!
Here’s another one that would have been higher on this list given different circumstances. Avengers has had quite a roller coaster journey when it comes to peoples expectations and it’s hard to get a feel for where that expectation now lies. When the superhero co-op game was first announced by Square Enix a few years back, people (myself included) lost their collective minds at the idea of what it could be. Then came the first trailer at E3 last year and to say people weren’t impressed with this pound shop equivalent of the Avengers would be an understatement. Square Enix quickly put peoples fears to bed with some fun looking gameplay demos which got most of us back on board. Though in general, people still seem mixed. I for one though am still hopeful and excited for this upcoming release.
What a cop out huh?! Well I had to think up something to take Hellblade’s spot and the more I think about it, the more I believe one of my most hyped games hasn’t even been announced yet. There’s so many potential games which could still be released this year, especially given that we have next gen consoles on the way. Surely with PlayStation being the master of exclusives (sorry Nintendo), they must have something up their sleeve for their big PS5 launch. Maybe Horizon Zero Dawn 2? Maybe the teased Batman game by WB Montreal will be a launch title for next gen systems? Or maybe we’re in for a gigantic release announcement for something the size of GTA… Either way I’m sure one of these can easily fire their way into my top 3 without an issue.
I can’t actually believe there’s people out there who doesn’t think this will be outstanding. Yes the recent delay hasn’t helped matters but as a lot of people have pointed out, CD Projekt Red’s other major title – The Witcher 3 also had its fair share of delays and that game is now viewed my many as the best of its generation. The guys over at CD Projekt Red are clearly very passionate about providing undeniable masterpieces and this sci-fi RPG looks to be no different. Fear not people, Cyberpunk 2077 will live up to it’s huge expectations and then some.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, The Last of Us Part 2 takes top spot here. I am so excited for this sequel that trying to find words to sum it up is genuinely difficult right now. I recently played The Last of Us Part 1 again and was surprised with how well it stands up for what was originally a PS3 game. It looks, plays and captures me better than most PS4 titles could ever dream of doing. Naughty Dog are the masters when it comes to third person action adventure games and much like how the first Last of Us acted as the PS3’s swan song, I fully expect the same from The Last of Us Part 2 on the PS4. Everything we’ve seen so far (which admittedly isn’t a lot) is enough to make me believe that this could be a sure fire contender for my favourite game of all time. The fact its had a delay actually fills me with more hope as it just goes to show that Naughty Dog (much like CD Projekt Red) are perfectionists who won’t be releasing a half baked game any time soon. If I could only play one game in 2020, it would undoubtedly be this upcoming masterpiece.
Fancy getting your hands on any of the games mentioned in this list? Then make sure to check out the Amazon links below for preorder links, it won’t cost you anything extra and gives us a nice little kickback to enable more content just like this.
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