We’re almost at the end of 2020 and fortunately for gamers everywhere, 2021 is looking quite promising. A bunch of new games are being released and some of them look great. Here are our highlights of the biggest games set to come out in 2021.
Outriders
First up on the list is Outriders. Outriders is a third-person looter shooter featuring four different playable classes, all of which have unique abilities. We’ve got the Trickster who can manipulate time, the Pyromancer who handles fire, the Devastator who seems to enjoy seismic attacks, and the Technomancer who is Outriders‘ take on the summoner class.
The game is set in a recently colonized alien planet called Enoch, and it’s the players’ job to survive this hostile planet by shootin’, lootin’, and using the powers they acquired from the Anomaly. The game delivers major Destiny 2 -slash-Remnant: From the Ashes vibes. One final important tidbit: Outriders it will not feature a PvP mode at launch.
Little Nightmares 2
Little Nightmares 2 is an adventure horror game that starts right after Six manages to escape the Maw in the original Little Nightmares. She meets Mono, who she works with in order to walk around the ruined metropolis known as the Pale City, and together they try to free everyone in the city from the TV transmissions that the evil Thin Man uses to brainwash them.
The Ascent
If you’re into cyberpunk, then you might want to check out The Ascent. The whole game takes place in a dystopian world known as Veles, that happens to be controlled by a corporation named The Ascent Group, which suddenly and mysteriously collapses.
The player’s job is to figure out what happened to The Ascent Group, and stop the many hostile factions from taking control.
Hogwarts Legacy
I’ve got great news for Harry Potter fans. You might not have received a Hogwarts letter of acceptance when you were 11, but you have a new chance to be a part of the Harry Potter world. Hogwarts Legacy follows the story of a Hogwarts student.
The player gets to choose their favorite Hogwarts House and even which classes they wish to attend. There is a vast open-world to explore, including iconic places like Hogsmeade Village, the Forbidden Forest, and many others.
Players will learn to cast spells, brew potions, tame magical creatures, and even learn to counter the dark arts.
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a FPS which released on PC back in 2018, it is now being published on other platforms.
This game caught my attention for its realistic gameplay. The weapons work similarly to real life, which is pretty awesome, plus it is difficult to win without good teamwork.
There are a lot of improvements from the first Insurgency, like better visuals, more fire support, night vision, and character personalization.
Praey For The Gods
Praey For The Gods is a survival game where the main character is stranded on a frozen island and has to survive with the resources she comes by. That means looking for food, water, shelter, and weapons, since this frozen island is full of hostile creatures.
Once the basic survival resources are gathered, players then venture out to face off against behemoths, also known as Gods, and defeat them. Each God has a unique fighting skill and unique weak points so, in order to defeat them, the players must study them and search for clues to their vulnerabilities.
One word of advice: don’t underestimate the survival part, as the more hungry or tired the character gets, the weaker she is when fighting Gods.
Far Cry 6
For those of you who played the previous games in the series, there’s no need for explaining. However, if you are unfamiliar with this franchise, you’re in for a lot to discover here, and I’d recommend you start by playing the older games.
Far Cry 6 is a first-person shooter with a deep narrative. It takes place on a fictional Caribbean Island by the name of Yara, where the player controls a guerrilla fighter called Dani Rojas, who has made it his mission to dethrone the island’s dictator, Antón Castillo, and return the island to its former glory.
Halo Infinite
I love the Halo franchise. The whole military sci-fi setting, interstellar wars, fighting off an alliance of aliens called the Covenant, and the fact that I could play the main campaign as a duo – it was all great. And now we’re getting a new chapter in the series: Halo Infinite.
As far as the story goes, the developers are keeping it a secret, so there is not much to be said here. However, we do know that Master Chief is the main character in the game again, and that the story happens after the events of Halo 5.
Halo is for everyone. We can confirm #HaloInfinite multiplayer will be free-to-play and will support 120FPS on Xbox Series X. More details will be shared later! pic.twitter.com/9bIrppFiON
— Halo (@Halo) July 31, 2020
We also know that Forge mode is making a comeback in Halo Infinite. There will also be a Halo ring, and micro-transactions are also to be included in the game. We can also count on new armor designs, weapon skins, and new weapons altogether. My favorite part is that Halo Infinite will have an open world of sorts, meaning we’ll have a lot more to do in the game.
Last but not least, the multiplayer mode will be 100% free-to-play.
Resident Evil: Village
Resident Evil is getting a 10th game in the series, and if you’re a fan you might want to check it out. The game is a sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and follows the story of Ethan, who together with Chris Redfield finds a mysterious village in Europe and… everything else about the story is being kept a secret. Our own Andrew Gonzalez has some strong opinions about Resident Evil: Village already.
Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
Everyone who knows me, knows I love games where your actions change the course of the story, and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 is a perfect example of that idea done right. Every action you make affects the narrative, and the discipline and abilities you choose will set you on a certain path.
The game gives off a Vampyr or perhaps even The Dark Pictures Anthology vibe, and I love it. The story is set in a version of Seattle seemingly run by vampires. The city has different factions, and the player can choose their own path.
The game begins with the player as a human who is attacked and converted by a vampire. The player must learn to control their new urges, and survive the hostile world while managing complex vampire politics.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Speaking of The Dark Pictures Anthology, it’s is getting a new game, House of Ashes, and I am quite excited about it. The game will take place right after Little Hope, and it will lead players in a new exciting and scary story, where all their actions will lead to the group’s survival or death.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide
Warhammer 40K: Darktide is a 4-player cooperative first-person shooter set in the dark sci-fi Warhammer universe, and a spiritual success to Vermintide 2.
There is not much we know about the story, but we do know that it will be focused on a squadron of Imperial Guard soldiers who set out to investigate a cult deep in the bowels of the Atome Prime hive city. We also know that one of the playable classes will be an Ogryn, which is just excellent.
Overwatch 2
Last but not least, the sequel to Blizzard’s iconic hero shooter Overwatch seems to be headed for a Q1 2021 release.
We had our own wrong predictions about this once or twice, but now it seems Overwatch 2 might be slated for a February launch, sometime during or immediately after the now-virtual BlizzCon 2021.
I think it is 100% safe to add gta6 to the 2021 upcoming titles.
Why, some will ask ?
Because gta6 is a game made to sell at least 20-25 million copies on consoles alone.
Many, if not most ps4 owners will probably only get a ps5 by 2022 and later. Many millions will buy a ps4, now that it will probably get a $100 off. It’s not a coincidence many AAA titles released for the ps5 will also release on the ps4. The ps4 should keep selling just fine, past dec 2021 and beyond.
If sony manages to sell 15 million ps5 by dec 2021, it will be cool.
What about gta6, in all this ?
Well, if rockstar release gta6 after 2022-23 and beyond, more people will have bought a ps5… maybe 30-40 millions, but it will be too late to make those great sales on the 130 millions ps4 market . The game could be released on next next gen only, and skip the ps4.
But if rockstar want to tap into the gigantic 120-130 million ps4 market, while still selling a few million copies on the ps5/xsx, they will need to release gta6 much faster and sooner, before the ps4 no longer is sold.
So, the best timeframe for a gta6 release would be 2021. They will still be able to tap into the 130 million ps4 and 60+ million x1, sell 20 million units on those platforms, and still sell 5 million ps5/xsx copies.
Also, releasing gta6 during Christmas 2021 would be stupid, because tons of other titles are released the same months.. a September 2021 release, would be just great. Otherwise, if they wait too long, like 2022 or 2023, the ps5/xsx market will still be quite small, and it will be too late to sell it on a ps4 or x1…
So mark my words: gta6 announcement by march/April 2021, for a august/septembre 2021 release.
Hey there Dave!
I’m loving the enthusiasm and you’re well informed expectations, and as much as I agree with those stats, I’m also aware that Rockstar pretty much never sticks to the estimated schedules and release dates.
Just take a look at Red Dead Redemption 2, the game was postponed TWICE. We were supposed to get a release in 2017 and it was only released late 2018. (Reason why I didn’t add GTA 6 to this list).
But fingers crossed 🤞, as I’d love to get my hands on GTA 6 sooner rather than later.