Marvel’s Spider-Man
There have been plenty of Spider-Man games over the years but Marvel’s Spider-Man stands out from the rest by focusing on a more experienced Peter Parker. The game’s narrative won’t have to spend any time walking through Spider-Man’s origin story or portray Peter Parker as a new hero who is still struggling to make the best use of his new abilities. Instead, trailers have revealed everyone’s favorite web-slinging New Yorker skillfully taking on criminals and finding creative ways to interact with the environment to gain the upper hand in combat.
Ever since the first preview trailer showcased blockbuster action sequences and a sneak peek at the beautiful open world players will get to explore at their own leisure, many gamers have been anxiously waiting for more information. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a ton of new details revealed and an official release date still hasn’t been announced. While the game is slated to release in 2018, it’s very likely that we won’t actually see it hit shelves until the second half of the year.
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III is a bit of a bittersweet addition to this list. There is a lot of new content that players should look forward to, like new Disney worlds and characters that have never been featured in the franchise before. The bitter part, however, is that Kingdom Hearts III has been toying with our hearts for years. Fans of the franchise have been eagerly waiting for Kingdom Hearts III to be announced and confirmed for years but time and time again there would be no new information on the game’s development. Well, D23 2017 finally brought the moment so many had been waiting for. Kingdom Hearts III was confirmed for a 2018 release window and gameplay clips were finally ready to be admired by the public. Now the wait is on for a hard date to be revealed soon as we can only hope we won’t have to wait long for Sora and the gang to come back into our lives again.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
The Dragon Ball Z franchise has already had a great collection of fighting games to boast but Dragon Ball FighterZ could finally give us the traditional 2D fighting experience that we’ve all been waiting for. From what we have seen in the beta tests, Dragon Ball FighterZ is poised to be the first Dragon Ball Z game that really captures the spirit and pacing of the fights we so often see unfold in the anime that inspired the game. Every element you could possibly think of that makes Dragon Ball battles feel so uniquely their own is present in the game. You can rapidly teleport behind enemies, hurl devastating projectiles across the screen, charge up your ki, fly towards your opponent with homing attacks, and even send your foe flying through boulders and mountains on various stages in the game.
There was never a fight in Dragon Ball Z that didn’t involve some sort of environmental destruction, which makes the addition of this in the game feel particularly special for fans of the franchise. This tag-team fighter comes at just the right time as well. For anyone who is sad to see the 3v3 mechanics of Marvel vs. Capcom go away, Dragon Ball FighterZ will fill the new void and allow you to craft a team of three of your favorite Dragon Ball characters. If you’re anxious to get your hands on this title, you won’t have to wait much longer. Dragon Ball FighterZ is slated to hit shelves on Jan. 26.
Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World is allowing Capcom’s cult-like hit to see a meaningful evolution. The Monster Hunter series typically focuses mostly on grind-heavy mechanics that can sometimes steal some of the joy from the adventure overall. While Monster Hunter: World will certainly still have some grinding and armor upgrading involved, it’s also placing even more emphasis on world building and exploration. There are also plenty of new features coming to the franchise thanks to World.
For the first time ever, you’ll be able to join other player’s hunts mid-game and missions will not longer be separated based on solo or online play. What this means is that you will no longer have to repeat quests simply because you need to complete it again with or without other players by your side. In addition to adding beautiful, dynamic environments to explore, Monster Hunter: World is already boasting meaningful gameplay improvements that could make this the best game the series has seen yet.
Anthem
The first gameplay trailer for Anthem may have featured some cringeworthy voice acting to create a simulation of online play, but that wasn’t nearly enough to overshadow the solid product that was put on display. Anthem drops players in the middle of a massive world that is waiting to be explored. Whether you want to use your Javelin’s jetpack to take a more aerial approach to exploration or dive deep underwater to find a more stealthy path to your destination. Gameplay seems to be very similar to what we’ve seen in Destiny and Destiny 2, which means it will be particularly interesting to see how Anthem performs upon release.
Anthem marks a notable departure from BioWare’s usual focus on deep and thoughtful narrative driven experiences as they instead step into Bungie’s domain of online multiplayer FPS. While it’s still too early to guess whether this will be a success for the developer or not, first looks at Anthem are very promising. Unfortunately, we will all have to wait until fall before Anthem is finally scheduled to release.
Code Vein
Code Vein is an upcoming third-person RPG that feels like the anime version of Dark Souls or Bloodborne. This game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and features a dynamic combat system that has received positive marks from early testers. Code Vein’s character design is also impressive so far with a cast that just looks downright cool and interesting. While vampires typically cause things to go in a bit of a cliched direction, Code Vein seems poised to keep things feeling fresh and engaging rather than leaning on overused tropes. There is enough to suggest Code Vein has a lot of potential gameplay wise but just in case that wasn’t enough to pique your interest for this title, it also has a rock n’ roll fueled trailer that highlights the various personalities that are at the heart of this upcoming title. No hard release date has been announced for Code Vein yet.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 was originally scheduled to release in 2017 but Rockstar decided to delay the release for a few months to work on fine tuning the game. In terms of gameplay, there isn’t much to be said just yet but visually Red Dead Redemption 2 is already looking like one of the most beautiful games of 2018. When Rockstar announced the delay, they also shared incredibly detailed screenshots from the game. Rockstar’s Western-themed action adventure game already has a substantial following from the first game that will already be willing to buy into Red Dead Redemption 2, but this game has the potential to capture an entirely new fan base as well. Red Dead Redemption 2 is slated to release this spring.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Anyone who has been looking for the right spiritual successor to Castlevania should be eagerly awaiting the release of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, especially since former Castlevania developer Koji Igarashi is working on it. This game is boasting beautiful 2D gothic environments that will serve as the backdrop for this already record breaking side scroller. The new Metroidvania game was funded through a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. After raising more than $5.5 million on Kickstarter, the game has become the highest funded gaming project to ever hit the crowd funding platform. Early previews of the game at E3 and Tokyo Game Show look very promising, showing off fluid movement and a variety of equitable items that players can utilize throughout the game.
A Way Out
We don’t always get to see a game with A Way Out’s concept very often, which makes it a particularly exciting title for the year. Anyone who is familiar with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons already has a solid feel for this type of game. In Brothers, players were given control of two characters that they controlled at the same time. Both of these characters were able to move independently of one another and interact with their environment separately. This is the same concept that will be used for A Way Out and the game will even have the aid of one of the masterminds behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons director Josef Fares is the writer and director behind A Way Out. The big difference is that A Way Out focuses on a cooperative gaming experience where two players have to work together and communicate to progress through the game in the most efficient way possible.
Far Cry 5
For the first time in the franchise’s history, Far Cry 5 is headed to the States. The upcoming action-adventure FPS will release in March and dive into more serious subject matter than we’ve seen in the past. After Far Cry Primal took the series back in time, Far Cry 5 returns to more modern times where a doomsday cult is ready to wage war in Hope County. Early looks at Far Cry 5 revealed a beautiful world that serves as a lovely contrast to the dark themes at the game’s foundation. In addition to dealing with a violent cult on the rise, Far Cry 5 will also delve into racial tensions in the Deep South.
There isn’t a lot of additional information available just yet but we do know that Far Cry 5 is promising an impressive and diverse collection of weapons to choose from. Everything from your typical assault rifles to dynamite and sledgehammers have already been confirmed. This will give players a lot of freedom in how they want to approach certain situations as they join other residents in Hope County to form the Resistance and fight back against The Project at Eden’s Gate.
