2017 is almost over, our year in games has been fantastic, and our year in content even better. Even for the end-of-the-year release string, we’ve received some of the strongest out there thanks to games such as Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem Warriors, and even that terrifyingly awesome title PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. While these are only a few of 2017’s strongest games, there are plenty more that deserve recognition, but we all know where I’m going.
2017 has been an awesome year, there’s no arguing it, and it’s only going to get better in the upcoming weeks thanks to the Open Beta for PlayStation Plus users with Monster Hunter: World. But what about 2018? Has it already shaped up to be an amazingly good year so far? Why yes, yes it has, and that’s all thanks to both ‘Triple A’ developers and indie developers alike. So lets take a look at a few games we should expect in 2018.
10. The Last of Us Part II | Naughty Dog
The PlayStation 4 is a remarkable console. It has one of the strongest line-up’s in Sony history and doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. To help usher in an even higher rate of success and fame comes a sequel to the highly successful PlayStation 3 title, The Last of Us. While little is known about the games time frame, location, or even the events that have begun to unfold. What we do know is that The Last of Us Part II is seemingly going to have a much bigger world than its predecessor.
A world that is both living, breathing, and filled with all sorts of new threats. While the dramatics are surely there with its newest and most brutal trailer to date, we can only suspect that this game’s going to hit sooner than later, and that we could quite possibly get a release date this December during Sony’s PlayStation Experience.
Editor’s Note: The below trailer is absolutely not suitable for work. If you intend on watching it, please note the following: you have been warned.
9. Agony | Madmind Studios
Agony is without a doubt one of 2018’s most anticipated games. It’s a game that could quite easily put Dante’s Inferno to shame due to its gore, nudity, and visuals that could be considered nightmare fuel. Serving as a cross between horror-survival and action-adventure, Agony will surely be one to toss into your library when it launches sometime in the spring or summer of 2018.
8. Crackdown 3 | Microsoft Studios
If there’s any game that can prove that being a bad ass is possible even in a cell shaded games. Crackdown 3 isn’t one that is slowing down, even with being delayed into 2018, after having been originally announced as a flagship title for the Xbox One X. While the game certainly does have its own well deserved merits, we can only cross our fingers in hopes for an extremely explosive title when it launches next year.
7. Vampyr | Dontnod
Whether it’s giving us a heartbreaking tale like that of Life is Strange or the futuristic cities of Remember Me, Dontnod is a studio that doesn’t mess around. Their games have captivated us, moved us, and even sparked emotional responses from us. Vampyr seeks to do all of the above, but in a time not commonly seen in games. In this upcoming title, players will be put in the shoes of a newly turned vampire named Dr. Jonathon Reid whom must come to terms with what he is and solve the mysteries of the world about him.
6. Shin Megami Tensei V | Atlus
The Nintendo Switch is a smash-hit console that is taking the world by storm. It’s ability to pick-up and go is without a doubt one of its strongest features. While it doesn’t boast high-end graphics, break-neck frame rates, or even the ability to play the games PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can, it does offer portability, something both can’t offer. That’s where Shin Megami Tensei V comes in. If you’re a fan of the Persona franchise, then here’s another game for you, but only if you have a Nintendo Switch.
A platform that series producer Kazuyuki Yamai is actually fond of due to its “charming” nature. Since the Shin Megami franchise is well established on Nintendo’s platforms, there’s no surprise that Shin Megami Tensei V will follow suit, and keep the tradition alive. The reason being? Yamai is fond of the Nintendo Switch and he likes the fact it’s compact, it can play HD quality games, and it’s highly portable. If that doesn’t say enough, what will? Lets just hope that when the game launches next year, it’s as serious as Yamai is, and delivers an experience unlike any SMT game to date.
5. Days Gone | SIE Bend Studio
Sony has done well with post-apocalyptic games. Their stories have tugged at our hearts strings more than once and now, it’s their chance to do it again, and harder than before. Days Gone just happens to be that title. A game set in a world where Freakers (mindless zombie like creatures) are running about, causing a greater threat to humanity, than the infected from The Last of Us.
However, nothings exempt from this outbreak, not even bears, dogs, cats, or any form of wildlife that may lying in wait. While the game certainly seems to be offering quite a bit of an experience unlike any other, we can only wait in wonder of how it will play, and what we can look forward to next year.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rock Star
Red Dead Redemption 2 is already earning its merits by becoming one of the most talked about games of 2018. Serving as a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, we’re finally getting a chance to look inside of Dutch’s gang and what lead up to the events we see unfold in Read Dead Redemption 2 that lead up to what John Marston chasing down Bill Williamson and Dutch van der Linde’s band of not-so-merry gentlemen.
3. State of Decay 2 | Undead Labs
State of Decay was no doubt a hit and miss for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners. It’s a game that was undeniably unique as players struggled to rebuild society after the zombie apocalypse. Choices would be made whether or not to help civilians. This simply meant killing zombies, building a base, maintaining survivors in that base, and making it so that your fort remained clear of the threat around you. Just like before, the next title seeks to do the same, but drive this ideology home through both single player and multiplayer modes. The goal is still the same, however, you won’t be fighting hordes of undead alone while trying to re-stabilize the world you know and love around you.
2. Code Vein | Bandai Namco Studios
If you’re one of those that actually like the Dark Souls/Bloodborne formula, then you already know that Code Vein is the game for you. You already know that it’s shifting away from the Lovecraftian appeal of the former two and taking an entirely new leap, one that will see the formula put into an anime like setting, and an entirely different timeline. A timeline where vampires exist, one where blood magic is a thing, and you could very well be once more taking down enemies with your friends. While we only know a little about Code Vein, it’s already a game getting plenty of attention, and rightfully so due to the franchise it’s finding inspiration from.
1. Anthem | BioWare
When it comes to online cooperative-shooter titles, MMO-esque games haven’t had the best of luck in recent years, and it’s not necessarily the developers fault. We have high expectations as gamers, we want the best, and only the best. This is something BioWare is quite aware of and seems to think they take up the challenge by stepping into the arena with already established franchises such as Destiny and Tom Clancy’s The Division. Unlike the other two, it’s headed by a renowned studio, one that is known for graphics, solid story telling, and having a way to keep gamers around for quite some time. This is where Anthem steps in.
It’s quite easily going to be raising a few fists, throwing a few punches, and offering Destiny 2, The Division, and possibly Borderlands 3 some advice when it launches next year. While the game isn’t locked in first person, we can only assume that it’s gameplay mechanics are going to find inspiration from both Mass Effect 3 and hopefully the Dead Space franchise. Lets just cross our fingers for two things: a long story and a heck of a time hunting down the best loot possible.
Closing Thoughts
Whether you are ready for it or not, 2018 is almost upon us, and it’s already starting to shape up to be a solid year. While these are only ten of the many astonishing games in the works, they are also ten games that currently stand out among the rest, and help highlight some of the most anticipated titles to date for gamers to enjoy. Didn’t see a game on our list? Feel free to comment below, let us know what games you are most anticipating, and help us build a definitive list for your fellow gamers to take a look at.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.