8 Games You’ll Love in 2020
Love is in the Air
And not just because today is Valentine’s Day; 2020 is going to be a big year for gaming. With the upcoming releases of next-gen consoles, developers are pushing their best games out for the last year of current-gen titles.
I can hardly wait for these titles to come out and am looking forward to seeing how people rate them (there’s a lot of winners on this list).
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Release Date: March 20, 2020
Long-time fans of the friendship and currency based series (thanks, Tom Nook) are finally getting a new update on consoles after a 7-year hiatus from the last release of New Leaf. While I’ve only played the mobile version, Pocket Camp, it was a simple, relaxing game unlike which I’ve ever played before. There was something nice about doing favors for people in the surrounding area and building your campsite that felt just right, like all of the camping section of Pinterest wrapped up in a digital game form.
Doom Eternal
Release Date: March 20, 2020
On the complete opposite side of the gaming spectrum, Doom Eternal will release on the same day as New Horizons. The last iteration to the franchise, simply titled “Doom,” was a hit on consoles and PC when it came out in 2015. There’s a unique kind of carnal satisfaction I get playing Doom — there’s something about tearing demons in half with your bare hands, using a chainsaw to tear enemies into pieces, and annihilating ever-growing swarms of hellspawn to the tune of metal music that hits just right. Originally scheduled for a Holiday 2019 release date, it was delayed, but for Doom fans like myself, it’s certainly worth the wait.
Skull & Bones
Release Date: March 2020
A new title from Ubisoft debuts sometime in March this year. Fans of the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag pirate ship combat will likely enjoy this iteration catered to diving deeper into the mechanics of what made Black Flag a fantastic game. Pictures indicate some of the animations and mechanics from Black Flag are being reused, and I’m curious to see what the developers improved upon. Needless to say, this will have an interesting launch.
The Last of Us Part II
Release Date: May 29, 2020
The Last of Us was undoubtedly extremely influential to video games since its release in 2013. Emotional, intense, solid character development and survival-based gameplay took the original game to another level, and fans have been dying (pun intended) for another game. Their hunger will be satisfied with Part 2 coming out almost halfway through 2020.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: Sept 17, 2020
I’ve been excited for this game ever since I saw the 40-minute gameplay video. CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher 3, announced the game in 2013 and has been developing it since 2015. Originally set for an April 16th release date, it was delayed until September of this year. The Witcher 3 followed a similar launch cycle — it was delayed for 3 months and the result was worth the wait. If CD Projekt Red’s track record shows anything, it’s that this delay will help fully realize the game everyone’s been waiting for.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Release Date: 2020–2021
The third installment of the Watch Dogs series wants to push the boundaries of what it means to play as a character in a game. The primary mechanic teased is the ability to recruit any NPC in the game with their unique strengths and weaknesses, and be able to play as each person you recruit. Stakes are higher with unique NPC turned PC; permadeath is a constant threat. A great part of this new mechanic is the ability to recruit an army of grandmas; it’ll be fun to see players post their gameplay sessions and teams online. Originally slated for a March 6th release, it was delayed to Ubisoft’s 2020–2021 fiscal year, which begins in April.
Vampire: the Masquerade — Bloodlines 2
Release Date: 2020
The original title released back in November of 2004 was an action role-playing game unlike any other at the time. You played as a vampire, could choose which vampire class you were a part of, and balanced feeding with seduction while maintaining secrecy above ground. Bloodlines 2 seeks to revamp (2nd pun intended) the series with more dialogue options, seduction mechanics, and more advanced vampire powers.
The developer’s official website gives users some background on players new to the game — “Sired in an act of vampire terrorism, your existence ignites the war for Seattle’s blood trade. Enter uneasy alliances with the creatures who control the city and uncover the sprawling conspiracy which plunged Seattle into a bloody civil war between powerful vampire factions.”
Untitled Batman Arkham Game
Release Date: Unknown
The Batman Arkham series has been known for a ballerina-like, easy to maneuver combat system and great storylines in the Batman universe (despite Batman having the personality of an armchair with a frowny face taped onto it.) Warner Brothers have teased hints about Arkham and The Court of Owls, the Batman equivalent of the Illuminati, in social media posts. A release date or even game title has been confirmed yet, but fans of the Arkham series believe an announcement will be coming soon, most likely at E3 this coming June.
