Depending on how you look at 2017, it was either a good or a bad year for gaming. On the good side of things, we got The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (among other games). On the bad side of things, corporations have tried harder than ever to enforce microtransactions onto the consumer. Either way, another year has come and gone, and it’s time to look to the future. Here are the top 5 upcoming games of 2018.
Anthem
Known as the “studio killer,” Electronic Arts (EA) has literally closed more studios than it owns original IP. Anthem is what EA hopes to turns things around. The game is an open world online RPG wherein the player takes control of high-tech, superpowered “Javelins.” Think Destiny 2 or open-world Warframe. Despite EA’s bad public image, developer BioWare has a good track record of published games, so hopes are high for Anthem.
Red Dead Redemption 2
The original Red Dead Redemption was a legend of a game, managing to surpass it predecessor Red Dead Revolver. Publisher Rockstar Games hopes to outdo themselves again with Red Dead Redemption 2. The game will follow the story of Arthur Morgan and his life in the Van der Linde gang. While primarily a single player game, Redemption 2 will feature online multiplayer elements.
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human is quite possibly the most ambitious game of the interactive story genre. Developer Quantic Dream delivers a story in the same style as their previous interactive dramas. Expect well-fleshed out characters and heavy emotional investment. Detroit’s trailers sport an incredibly dynamic plot. Events are not just grounded on the immediate choices, but also those made beforehand. Considering the script took over two years to write, you can’t really expect anything less.
God of War
A soft reboot to the franchise, God of War takes a step back from Greek mythology and goes Norse. The story follows Kratos after the events of God of War III. Fans will also glimpse the Slayer of Gods’s softer side as he travels with his son Atreus. God of War III was never clear on whether Kratos survived his sacrifice at the end of the game. Eight years later, the gaming world has its answer.
The Last of Us Part II
Anyone can accomplish something great. It takes genius to do it twice in a row. In 2013, Naughty Dog hit a masterstroke with the emotional tones of The Last of Us. In 2018, it hopes to do so again. The sequel will be set 5 years after the events of the first game and will focus on Ellie. Naughty Dog remains secretive about the plot, but hype continues to build. Creative director Neil Druckmann said this year’s PXS that the game is just about halfway done. We’d ask Naughty Dog to work faster, but would we really want to rush true art?