It’s been a strange year, but one thing’s for sure – gaming has been a huge help to many of us during lockdown. This post will explore some of the most exciting upcoming games of 2020.
While the outside world has gone somewhat offline, the world of online gaming has seen huge increases in players. It makes sense really, as most of us are stuck indoors. To stay occupied, many people have turned to gaming both as a form of entertainment and also as a way of staying connected on a social level.
One of the most exciting things to happen in gaming this year is the excitement about the new Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles. Both are expected to launch at the end of 2020. With such powerful new hardware just around the corner, it’s no surprise that there’ll be some fantastic upcoming games to look forward to.
Upcoming Games I’m Most Looking Forward To
Even if you’re not planning on buying a next-gen console, there’ll be plenty of titles in the latter half of 2020 to play on your current console or PC. With both Sony and Microsoft recently showcasing some of their upcoming titles, I wanted to share some of the games that I’m most looking forward to.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Launching: October 2020
I’m so excited about this one. I’ve been itching to get my hands on a copy since I saw the launch trailer at last year’s E3 expo. Watch Dogs: Legion is set in the near future, in post-Brexit London. I love a topical title.
Anyway, developed and published by Ubisoft, this game looks incredibly fun, and one of the main selling points for me is that you can recruit any of the in-game characters you encounter to your cause.
In Watch Dogs: Legion post-Brexit London is actually, a total mess (as you’d expect), what with a tech-driven Big Brother state watching your every move. I love the premise behind this game, as it feels very relatable to the current UK climate. The gameplay adapts to the narrative choices you make, even as far down as the characters you choose to play. For me, this is a fascinating gameplay mechanic that I haven’t encountered before, so I’m excited to try it out.
Cyberpunk 2077
Launching: November 2020
It feels like the entire world has been waiting for this game. Cyberpunk 2077 has been eagerly anticipated for a while, but even more so since Keanu Reeves took to the stage to tell everyone how breathtaking we all are at E3 last year.
Developed and published by CD Projekt Red, the team behind The Witcher series, Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure RPG. It takes place in Night City, California and forms part of a dystopian futuristic world. I love the premise of the game and the trailers I’ve seen so far look incredible.
My only concern (and it’s a personal gripe) is that Cyberpunk 2077 is to be played in first-person mode. This is a big change from the third-person gameplay style that I’m used to in The Witcher 3, and one I tend to struggle with in general. However, that’s purely a matter of personal preference. So, if I can get over my dislike of the first-person view, then there’s every reason for me to absolutely love this game.
Tell Me Why
Launching: August 2020 (Episode 1)
I’m really looking forward to this. As a huge fan of the Life Is Strange franchise, the fact that Tell Me Why is developed by Dontnod Entertainment is super exciting. Published by Xbox Game Studios, Tell Me Why is a narrative-based adventure game that focuses on two siblings and their journey to unravelling the secrets from their childhood.
It’ll be released as three episodes and I can already tell I’m going to love it, even if it does look like it’ll be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I wouldn’t expect anything else.
As with Dontnod’s previous games, the choices you make will influence the direction that the game takes you in. For me, this is great, as I’m a huge fan of narrative-driven adventures. Tell Me Why is definitely one of my favourite upcoming games of 2020. Plus, it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass, which is a huge bonus!
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Launching: November 2020
This is a bit of a gamble for me as I have never actually played any of the Assassin’s Creed games before. A shocking fact, but one I’m hoping to remedy this year. In a way, having no frame of reference means that I’ll probably really enjoy this game for what it is! Assassins Creed: Valhalla is the latest game in the AC franchise, and is developed and released by Ubisoft.
It has all the components of my kind of game; open-world, adventure, RPG, set in Britain during the time of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking conflict. The protagonist is a Viking raider, and the storyline involves questing, a secret order and plenty of combat.
The gameplay trailers so far have looked fantastic. Although, there does seem to be some unhappiness in the wider gaming community about this version of Assassins Creed not being, well, Assassins Creedy enough. That said, I have nothing to compare it to, so I’m not concerned at all, more intrigued.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Launching: Anticipated at the end of 2020 (estimated to launch alongside Xbox Series X)
Although I’m currently only halfway through playing Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, it’s been a fantastic surprise to see that Ninja Theory has been working on a sequel to Senua’s story. Announced at The Game Awards in 2019, Hellblade 2 is probably one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice delivers an adventure beset by ongoing themes of psychosis and mental illness. It’s told through the eyes and ears of Senua, a Pict warrior who battles her demons in the most literal sense of the word. It’ll be really interesting to see how Senua’s story continues in the second game.
To be honest, I’ve found the first instalment of Senua’s story really challenging at times. However, it is undoubtedly a modern masterpiece. So I have really high hopes for Hellblade 2, although there’s not a great deal known about it just yet.
Notable Mention – Fable Reboot
Freshly announced at Xbox’s Summer Games Showcase, the ‘new beginning’ for one of gaming’s most beloved franchises has set an incredible level of excitement for fans across the world. I’m so ready for a new Fable story. It’s one of the first console RPGs I ever played, so it’s fair to say I’ve got a soft spot for the franchise.
There’s no news on an exact launch date yet. Nor is there any clue about the game’s premise. One thing is clear though. It’ll be launching on Xbox Game Pass, so that’ll make it instantly accessible to millions of people on Xbox’s subscription service.
Which new games are you most excited about?
As we start the downhill slide towards the end of 2020, gaming is a great way for us to stay connected. It’s exciting to see so many new titles coming up before the end of the year. I’d love to hear from you if you have any other upcoming games in mind that I’ve not covered here so far.
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