2021 is set to be a great year for video games. It’ll be the first full year of the PS5 and Xbox Series X’s life cycle, and that’s sure to bring plenty of exciting tasters of what’s to come in this new generation of consoles. To highlight just a handful of the most anticipated games to release this year, we’ve picked out 10 games with currently confirmed 2021 release dates that you should most definitely have on your radar.
To clarify, we’ve not included games that have a vague 2021 release window, as these are always a little more liable to getting delayed, especially given the current pandemic backdrop to day-to-day life that is sure to affect the development process of some of the biggest and best AAA titles.
But don’t worry, God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Halo Infinite, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Far Cry 6 and many more haven’t been forgotten. We’re just as eager to play those, as we are those that we included on this list.
Hitman 3 – Jan. 20
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
IO Interactive’s episodic release of Hitman back in 2016 kickstarted the ‘World of Assassination’ reboot that we’ve seen grow over the past four years, and it’s about to come to its grand finale in Hitman 3 later this month.
Having ditched the 2016 title’s staggered, episodic release with Hitman 2, players were given the freedom to take on any of the various locales in any order they saw fit. Hitman 3 will stick with this full-release format, offering up six new missions to bring Agent 47’s adventure to a close.
We’ve already seen some stunning gameplay of the Dubai level, and PlayStation players will even get exclusive access to Hitman VR.
The VR component of the game will allow players to experience all of the trilogy’s levels (if you own the previous two titles already) through the eyes of Agent 47, and oh boy does it look set to dial the immersion right up to 11.
Hitman 3 will release on Xbox, PlayStation, Google Stadia and exclusively on Epic Games Store for PC on Jan. 20.
The Medium – Jan. 28
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Talk about next-gen bringing new, innovative twists to tried-and-tested genres, and chances are you’ll mention The Medium in the same sentence. From the developers of Layers of Fear, Observer, and Blair Witch, The Medium is a psychological horror title that sees you playing in two parallel worlds at the same time. Sound a bit trippy? Well… yeah, it is.
Players assume control of a medium who heads to an abandoned communist resort where they’ll use their unique psychic abilities to uncover its dark and mysterious secrets.
You’ll encounter spooky spirits (as seen in the latest gameplay snippet) and take on The Maw — a creepy kind of monster born from whatever unsettling darkness lurks at the locale.
The main pull of The Medium’s gameplay is the fact you’ll frequently be exploring both the real and spirit worlds at the same time. This mechanic is also required to solve various puzzles.
Can’t get past an obstacle in the real world? Switching over to the spirit world may hide the solution… as well as The Maw waiting to ambush you.
The Medium is set to release on PC and Xbox Series X|S on Jan. 28, and we’ve got very high hopes for this one indeed.
Bravely Default 2 – Feb. 26
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Bravely Default was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed titles to release on the 3DS way back in 2012. Praised for its stellar story, and unique Bravely & Default battle mechanics, the game gathered a loyal following, who after 2016’s sequel Bravely Second: End Layer were still desperate for another adventure in the world of Luxendarc.
Fast forward five years and we’re finally about to get our hands on said sequel. Bravely Default 2 brings an entirely new story to the table, allowing those who enjoyed the original to still appreciate the series’ charm, without locking out newcomers from understanding story beats.
The addition of new jobs and classes like the Pictomancer and Trobadour with their own special moves that impact your entire party look set to breathe new life into the gameplay mechanics, and quality of life improvements like the ability to change the difficulty and make enemies feel less like damage sponges is set to make the game more accessible.
Bravely Default 2 will release exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on Feb. 26.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake – March 18
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
If there’s a Ubisoft series that players have been crying out for a reboot of for years now, it’s the Prince of Persia series. While Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake may not be an entirely new game, it is a promising step in the right direction, likely acting as a gauge of consumer interest before the publisher commits to anything bigger.
The Sands of Time was critically acclaimed in large part due to its time control mechanics. Players could reverse, accelerate, freeze and slow time itself to solve puzzles in between bouts of frenetic combat.
All of this is set to be retained in the remake, with fresh visuals and animations making the action feel more fluid on current-gen systems.
The voice-acting, soundtrack and sound effects of the game have all been given a fresh lick of paint to make Sands of Time feel right at home in 2021 as the original did back in 2003. And yes, all of these improvements includes revamped camera and combat controls.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on March 18, 2021.
Returnal – March 19
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Returnal is the first major PS5 exclusive that players will get their hands on in 2021, and it comes courtesy of Housemarque, the developer behind popular PS4 titles Resogun, Alienation, Nex Machina and Matterfall.
Returnal looks set to give fans of the developer’s past titles a new experience with some familiar features and a few new twists. Its a third-person shooter with roguelike elements, where players will control Selene, a space pilot stranded on an alien planet stuck in a time loop.
What’s got us so hyped at Returnal? The combination of Housemarque’s history of incredibly satisfying, stellar shooting mechanics, and the unique gameplay mechanic that comes into action every time you die.
Upon respawning, the alien world will change, providing you with new challenges to overcome. You’ll also have new items available to you, forcing you to change up your strategy after each death. It sounds like one mighty compelling gameplay loop if you ask us!
Plus, there’s a grapple hook, and we’re pretty sure that makes it an insta-buy. Who doesn’t love grapple hooks?
Monster Hunter: Rise – March 26
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Monster Hunter: Rise is the latest entry in the critically-acclaimed series, seeing players this time visit the ninja-inspired Kamura Village coming exclusive to Nintendo Switch in March.
Set half a century after the events of the last calamity, players will pick up their chosen weapon to slay a plethora of formidable beasts, either solo or together with friends.
Not content with just bringing more of the usual Monster Hunter action, Rise also introduces a few new mechanics, namely the Wirebug that allows you to grapple your way around the world and ride Wyverns through the skies, and the Palamute, which is an adorable dog companion that’ll accompany you on your adventures.
In typical Monster Hunter grind fashion, players will grind out materials to upgrade their weapons and gear to take on even more powerful monsters.
The whole thing is set to be another excellent entry in the series, and with the portability of the Switch, you’ll always be able to take your monster hunter affairs with you wherever you go.
Outriders – April 1
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
If you’re looking for a good ol’ looter shooter to tide you over through these slightly quieter opening months of 2021, then Outriders is the game for you. This drop-in-drop-out co-op looter shooter sees players stepping foot on Enoch, a hostile planet in pursuit of a mysterious signal.
While the game certainly has a Destiny look about its aesthetic and gameplay, Outriders isn’t a game-as-a-service. It has no microtransactions and the whole thing can be played in single-player, or in three-player co-op as a complete story experience.
You’ll be able to upgrade your character with deep RPG mechanics, modify your guns and equipment, and take on a variety of side missions that’ll have you exploring dense forest regions, towering mountains, and sprawling deserts.
Last week, developer People Can Fly made the difficult decision to delay the game from its initial February release date to April 1, but in its place, there’ll be a demo of the first few hours of the game that players can check out for free coming at the end of next month.
At least this way you can try before you buy, and decide whether this adventure’s the right one for you.
Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139 – April 23
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Following the critical acclaim that Nier: Automata received upon its initial release on PS4 back in 2017, fans have been clamoring for more entries in the Drakengard spin-off series. Their prayers were finally answered in March of last year, when Nier Replicant Ver… actually we’re not reeling all that off again, but yeah that game was announced in celebration of the series’ 10th anniversary celebrations.
Due to release on PS4, PC and Xbox One, Nier Replicant is an HD remaster of the Japan-exclusive title that released on the PS3 back in 2010. This version featured a younger version of Nier, while the Xbox 360 version of the game would feature the adult version. This was exclusive to Japan, but as you might expect, holds many a tidbit of lore.
This remaster will bring younger Nier to our screen once more, complete with new Japanese voicework, new and remastered original music from the original composer, and of course, a freshen up of the visuals.
The combat has also been given a complete overhaul to feel similar to that seen in Automata. New animations for each attack have been created, making the game feel smoother in combat, in-keeping with the higher framerates now possible.
Deathloop – May 21
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Transporting players to the island of Blackreef, Deathloop is all about dying, dying… and then dying again. Players have a single day to take down eight targets across Blackreef before time resets and they must do it all over again. By defeating all the targets, they’ll finally break the loop. Sounds simple, right?
Each death brings its own wealth of knowledge. Your target’s schedules, a relationship you can exploit, or another hint that’ll help you pick out the perfect approach to each target. Stealth assassination or all-guns-blazing, the approach you take is entirely up to you.
This is also where Deathloop’s most intriguing mechanic comes into play, as players can either take on the single-player story as Colt, or choose to assume control of Julianna in another player’s campaign to hunt them down and completely screw up their mission.
Then there’s rival assassin Julianna, who’s there to throw a spanner in the works. Their mission? To stop you from succeeding in eliminating all eight targets, causing the loop to go on forever and ever. Hence dying, dying… and dying again.
If you’d rather not have someone griefing your single-player experience all the time, you can choose to turn this off and instead have the AI control Julianna to stop you in your tracks. Either way, this won’t be as simple a mission as it first seems.
Deathloop will come exclusively to PS5 and PC on May 21.
Back 4 Blood – June 22
Best Games With Confirmed 2021 Release Dates
Ever play Valve’s Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2? Did you have an absolute blast dismembering zombies with your pals? Then Back 4 Blood should be right at the top of your list of 2021 games you need to pick up.
From a team of veteran Left 4 Dead developers, Back 4 Blood brings you more of the four-player co-op action that made Valve’s series so popular. You’ll be able to play with up to three friends in co-op as the Cleaners, as a team of veteran zombie killers who decide to take on the Ridden (the game’s name for the undead) themselves.
As you might have guessed, yes, there are specialist zombie types, and yes there’s a plethora of different weapons at your disposal.
To shake things up a bit from its blatant inspiration, Back 4 Blood introduces a card system that effect how a mission in the campaign will play out. These various cards can give your team boons, or put you at a disadvantage, and you’ll randomly draw one at the beginning of each mission.
It’s a fascinating way to freshen up the gameplay, and ensure the game remains as replayable as Valve’s zombie shooter from 2008.
Back 4 Blood will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 22, 2021.
Published: Jan 12, 2021 08:00 am