2020 is upon us and with it, possibly one of the greatest years for gaming we’ve ever experienced. With the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and a wealth of major titles on the way, wallets will certainly be taking a major hit.
Today we’re going to share our most anticipated titles of 2020 ranging from sought after indies all the way through games that could define generations to come. There’s certainly no shortage so in no particular order, let’s dive in. Note, these are all titles with confirmed or firmly known 2020 release dates as of this writing.
Cyberpunk 2077
Arguably our unanimous choice for our overall most anticipated, is the next title from CD Projekt Red. Given our love for our Game of the Decade, The Witcher 3, it’s really no surprise that we are chomping at the bit to visit Night City.
With deep player customization and decision making, a dense city to explore, and many different story-lines/endings, Cyberpunk 2077 will likely be a game we play for years.
Halo Infinite
When Halo Infinite releases in Fall of 2020, it will have been over five years since the last mainline entry in the historic franchise. 343 Industries created a very memorable campaign with Halo 4 and an incredible multiplayer suite in Halo 5. But they’ve yet to hit the mark for some hardcore fans across the board.
Given the development time and budget, the new Slipspace engine, 343 Industries’ focus on returning Master Chief to the forefront, and of course, the power of the Xbox Series X, we have little doubt Halo Infinite will be an extraordinary title. Somebody get us a weapon.
The Last of Us 2
Whenever we get together to discuss the most meaningful games of all-time, The Last of Us is always near the top of the list. In our opinion, it set a new standard for video game storytelling and character development, and has left a lasting mark on us since. So much so in fact, that we dedicated our first Examining the Classics to the title.
The Last of Us 2 looks to take that emotion to even greater heights with a campaign based around a more mature and violent Ellie. Naughty Dog is one of the premier developers in the world and we’re sure they’re going to demonstrate why yet again with The Last of Us 2.
Doom Eternal
Doom. The mere title alone invokes memories of how it revolutionized the FPS and since then, has become a permanent fixture in video game culture. When Bethesda released the Doom reboot in 2016, many were nervous about what it would bring to the table. It turns out we had nothing to worry about because it took everything we loved about Doom and brought it into modern day (it also happened to win our Game of the Year honors in 2016).
Eternal looks to build upon the foundation the reboot made with even more over the top action, new abilities, and of course…lots and lots of demon guts. Rip and Tear!
Cuphead : The Delicious Last Course
Cuphead has been an indie darling since the day it was first shown as part of Xbox’s Indie sizzle reel in 2015. With stunning hand-drawn graphics, a fantastic jazz soundtrack, and controls polished to perfection, it has gone on to become a notable title in the industry having sold over 5 million total copies.
While The Delicious Last Course is technically an expansion, it will contain new levels, bosses, and a new playable character which in indie terms, constitutes more of a sequel. No matter what it’s called in the end, all we know is that we cannot wait to play it.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima blew fans away with a beautiful reveal at E3 2017. Developer Sucker Punch (inFAMOUS Second Son) then put their heads down and continued to focus on development. We finally got to see more of the title at The Game Awards and it looks as beautiful as ever.
With Sucker Punch having nearly five years of development and the shared experience of Sony’s first party studios over the course of that time, we expect big things from the PlayStation 4’s swan song.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Blind Forest is considered one of the best 2D titles to come out of the generation and for good reason. It is a gorgeous, touching, and polished title from Moon Studios that is one of the best examples of a modern Metroidvania.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps was already a stunning game when we last played it in 2018. So given Moon Studios pedigree and time to polish the title, expect this sequel to once again be one of the most revered 2D games in the industry.
Assassin’s Creed Ragnorok
One of the worst kept secrets in gaming is the next entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Origins and particularly Odyssey brought the Assassin’s Creed series back into the spotlight with Odyssey being one of our favorite titles of 2018.
With Ragnorok (rumored title), the series takes on viking culture and we can think of few settings more exciting for the series to take on next.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
One of the most beloved RPGs of all-time is getting the royal remake treatment and it seems fans couldn’t be more excited. Though it’s releasing in installments, that hasn’t stopped Final Fantasy 7 remake episode one from being one of the most anticipated titles in the industry. It certainly is for us.
Forza Motorsport 8
While a working title, the next installment in the Motorsport series will launch alongside the Xbox in 2020 and given what we know of the title, racing fans should be excited.
Turn 10 took an extra year of development time for this entry and is said to be introducing several new physics systems including weather and tire modeling. Given the already stunning 4K/60fps performance of Forza Motorsport 7 on the Xbox One X, we can only imagine what Turn 10 has in store for us with the Series X.
Watch Dogs : Legion
Legion hit the ground running with a fantastic debut earlier this year and while we felt it needed some more polish when we saw it at E3, we could see the potential.
Fortunately, Ubisoft recently gave their development teams more time to polish their upcoming titles and so while Legion will no longer be releasing in the Spring, it will almost definitely be better off for it. It’s very likely Legion could be the most fun sandbox title since GTA5.
Dying Light 2
Developer Techland created an incredible follow up to Dead Island with Dying Light. Since releasing in 2015, Dying Light has continued to grow its fanbase and Techland has continued to support the title with new content for that fanbase.
This has given Techland more than ample time to create a truly stunning sequel in Dying Light 2. One of the most awarded games at E3 2019, Dying Light 2 looks to take the open world zombie experience to the next level with a massive world, player choice with world changing results, deep customization, and a whole lot more.
Minecraft Dungeons
The biggest game in the world is now 10 years old and in that time, has become one of the most celebrated and played games of all-time. Minecraft is the definition of game turned into a cultural phenomenon and is still reportedly played by nearly 400 million players per month worldwide (across all versions).
Dungeons takes the Minecraft universe and throws an ARPG wrapper on it with 4 player, isometric co-op, player classes, loot, and more. Everything we’ve seen of the title looks charming and early reports are hugely promising. We can’t wait to team up and take down some creepers together.
Skull & Bones
Since debuting over two years ago, Skull & Bones has largely gone into hiding. While the title was originally scheduled to release in 2019 according to Ubisoft, the team(s) were given more time to work on it.
However, what we saw at E3 last year was promising and given the success of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, pirate setting, and extended development time, we have little reason to doubt Skull & Bones being a blast to play when it releases in 2020.
The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild 2
Ok…so this one is not guaranteed for 2020. But we couldn’t help but add it to the list given how celebrated Breath of the Wild is and knowing that Nintendo will likely have something big planned for Holiday 2020. Here’s to hoping!
Gaming has been in decline for 10 years with 0 sign of getting back on track. Nice sounding titles are not some magical cure, software actually has to sell. Which it hasn’t for a while. Most titles, anyways. If this is all 2020 has to offer, tiny list. Remake crap. Uninspired sequels. Series that just won’t die or take a break. Not to mention, very few of these games have yet to push a major feature that changes the genre, which is why the current generation barely accomplished anything. History won’t be kind to it, it’ll be remembered as one of the most stale generations in gaming. AAA tripe came out in force while the middle market died and indie went full AAA pretentious instead of trying something new. Next Gen has a lot to prove, no custom achritecture is going to date these machines all of a year after launch. I’d rather we not need mid Gen upgrades again just so something can function, let alone run at a decent frame rate. Don’t sell people this BS. These games have a lot to prove. More of the same with mildly prettier textures will not bring in the sales required to keep this industry afloat. Or do we want another few dozen publishers and developers to go out of business in the next 10 years? I don’t. I want those people to have jobs.