In many ways, people want this year to be over as soon as possible, but 2020 isn’t done with you yet so sit down. But even if it’s tough to look at the world outside with any optimism, the world inside is warm and full of video games. Why not take a load off and rest a while? We asked the WellPlayed team what’s got them looking forward to the rest of the year, and in a time where a little happiness goes a long way.
Oddworld: Soustorm (TBA)
1998’s Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus was one of the first games that I completed 100%, a task that comes almost naturally each time I revisit the series. News of the upcoming remake always gets my jorts in a tightening, as the original game was subject to some deadline bullshit. This time, it’s the original vision – but what’ll really knock my socks off is a release date! It has to come out this year, because if it doesn’t I’ll look silly for putting it on here. Don’t go making me look silly, guys.
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition (TBA)
See, the thing is that I really like Blade Runner. It’s gritty, it’s poignant, and it’s got pleasure-model replicants. Westwood Studios’ 1997 adaptation of the film is one of those games that I heard a lot about, but the stars never aligned to make a (full) playthrough happen. If a complete remaster isn’t forcibly pushing the stars into a crooked line to force my spiritual hand, then I don’t know what else will.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (October 2)
One of my most rewarding moments of the year was playing the first Crash Bandicoot game with friends, and one of them remarking that I was “really good”. That’s a level of platformer prowess that only comes from decades of playing those games bi-annually; Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is one of my comfort games. And now there’s a new game, in that iconic style, coming to consoles I don’t own yet! Please, universe, don’t let this be another The Wrath of Cortex scenario. Please don’t let this game suck.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (TBA 2020)
There were a lot of excellent surprises at PlayStation’s initial showing of some of the future PS5 software lineup, but Kena: Bridge of Spirits is one that truly blew me away. An indie effort from developer Ember Lab, Kena looks absolutely gorgeous and packed with action and exploration. It’s like a Ghibli and Laika dream collaboration in video game form and I absolutely cannot wait.
Cyberpunk 2077 (November 19)
Surprise, surprise. I’m excited for that big, AAA sci-fi RPG from the mob what made the Witcher games. If I’m being honest, I do have reservations about Cyberpunk 2077 in so much as the combat I’ve seen so far looks almost as dated as the game’s humour. Hopefully, if those problems are a factor in the final release, they won’t be enough to take away from the overall experience. It’s a setting ripe for smart, commentative video game writing and I can only hope we get at least some semblance of that. If not though, at least I’ll get to play around with custom pubes.
Yakuza 7 Like a Dragon (TBA 2020)
There is nothing at all that could temper my excitement for Yakuza 7. For starters, it’s a new Yakuza game. Not only that but one that makes a move to a pseudo-turn-based combat system that looks incredibly fun and it’s coming to next-gen consoles when it releases in the West. The series has been going from strength to strength and I will always, always have time for it. Also, Kasuga-san’s hair. No further questions.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (TBA 2020)
With great looking visuals and an interesting premise, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin caught my eye the first time I saw it. You play as Sakuna, a lonely harvest spirit banished to a dangerous island full of monsters. You have to tame the island, using farming weapons to defeat your enemies, as well as farm the land and craft weapons. Sounds like a really great combination to me, I will wait as long as I have to in order to play it.
Eastward (TBA 2020)
I love games with good pixel art, and I would happily throw my money at Chucklefish after I saw this game. Inspired by ‘90s Japanese animation in pixel form, Eastward is an RPG where you guide a digger and a mysterious girl through decaying cities inhabited by monsters. I still can’t get over how amazing the art is, so I’m hoping the story is deep enough to make this an absolute winner. Now just let me play you already!
Bravely Default II (TBA 2020)
Despite the inevitable grind requirement within a JRPG, I loved the original Bravely Default. It had great characters, a cute and interesting art style as well as great music. Bravely Default II should be a return to form as a sequel to the original game as opposed to Bravely Second which I didn’t enjoy as much. Additionally, being on the Switch with its improved processing power has me super excited just from the initial sneak peek we have had at the visuals. I just hope it doesn’t get delayed, but even if it does I will be ready and waiting.
Oddworld: Soustorm (TBA)
So Oddworld Inhabitants has been slow-burn hyping this game for what feels like forever. Genuinely, there was some teaser stuff done, then an ARG, then concept art and finally we are seeing trailers and gameplay reveals. BUT it has taken so long, I feel like whatever organ in my body is designed to produce HYPE endorphins has withered and died. I can barely muster enthusiasm for the title – I have been excited for it for THAT LONG. But, deep within me, a flicker still burns. The Oddworld games have a long-term lease on a corner of my heart, and deep in that area a candle is still lit for the goofy Abe. Now we are on the tail-end of its development I am intrigued by the changes to the title’s gameplay compared to Abe’s Exoddus, so maybe that hype gland can start pumping some fresh juice.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (September 4)
Look, Tony Hawk HD came out a few years ago – and it was a disaster. It took a toll on me – my spirit was crushed, my hopes were dashed and my desire to collect secret tapes was diminished. So when I saw the trailer for the remastered original and its sequel, I bitterly swore off it. But it is hard to ignore the pedigree of the crew working on it – they have delivered some brilliant re-imaginings of beloved titles (seriously, just look at the Crash Bandicoot re-release), so I am optimistic and ready to get hurt again!
Carrion (July 23)
This spooktacular gore-fest has lurked at the edge of my radar since I first saw its proof of concept on the image-sharing website Imgur. The idea of becoming a hyper-aggressive amorphous blob-like John Carpenter’s THE THING but with a seriously bad attitude – scratches that odd itch where I like to play as ‘the monster’ from the monster movie. It is still simply noted as having a 2020 release, so I am still hopeful I will get to smush up some hapless halfwits sometime before this terrible year ends.
Yakuza 7 Like a Dragon (TBA 2020)
RGG Studio’s upcoming title definitely has me charging up my Heat to the max. With the new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and switch-up to an active turn-based style battle system, it gives me a lot to be excited for the series and the new direction they are taking it. I can’t wait to summon lobsters from the skies to kill my enemies (trust me, even with context, it’s just as crazy sounding).
Dirt 5 (October 2020)
After my personal disappointment with Forza Horizon 4, I’ve been waiting for the next arcade-style racing game to bring me back into the fray. With the same team behind the Motorstorm series, Codemasters Cheshire, I’m hoping for a game that provides a fun variety of ways to race and doesn’t take itself too seriously and just lets me go fast and slide around corners until my tires give out.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (September 4)
Bringing back these PS1 classics in 2020 is a great way to put on the nostalgia cap and 50-50 away all my worries. With Vicarious Visions at the helm of this remake, I have full confidence that when I load into Hangar for the first time in about twenty years, I’ll be greeted with a gameplay experience that will have me happily collecting S-K-A-T-E while head-banging to Guerilla Radio by Rage Against The Machine for hours on end.
Cyberpunk 2077 (November 19)
They don’t call me KierAAAn because I like pixel art walking simulators about feelings; if a game costs less than a gazillion dollars to make and doesn’t require thousands of man-hours of crunch to develop then is it really worth playing? Dystopian sci-fi, transhumanism, sex, drugs and violence are all on the menu in this massive action RPG from universally-loved Polish development outfit CD Projekt Red. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of those games that is basically a guaranteed home run, and I can’t wait to finally get my custom genitals on it in September.
Wasteland 3 (August 28)
Before Todd Howard told us that it just works (and long before it stopped just working), there was a sharp-as-a-tack, turn-based strategy game with brutal difficulty and genuine humour that only the post apocalypse could bring out. That game of course, was Fallout Wasteland. Released way back in the misty before times of 1988, the Wasteland franchise actually predates the original (and excellent) Fallout games, but shares enough DNA with it that fans of both the former or latter are bound to be right at home. It’s also coming to consoles, so I’ll easily be able to get my misshapen peasant hands on it.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (September 8)
I feel like Kingdoms of Amalur got the rough end of the wizard stick when it released. My memory of the time was that reviews were generally favourable, but perhaps that the flashy combat couldn’t quite hide a slightly shallow world. It slipped under my radar and is a game I’ve always wanted to experience for myself, so Re-Reckoning appears a perfect opportunity to reckon for the first time in R.A. Salvatores’ fantasy world.
Star Wars: Squadrons (October 2)
It’s well documented that I’m a big fan of the galaxy far, far away. I’ll defend Battlefront 2 (in its current state) until I’m blue in the face and I loved Fallen Order with a passion. With this in mind, my faith in EA’s handling of the Star Wars license is cautiously growing. That felt wrong to say, but I can’t deny that it’s true. That’s why a game completely dedicated to starfighter dogfighting (star dogfighting?) that has a full single-player campaign and bad-arse looking multiplayer modes is so appealing. Star Wars: Squadrons looks like a perfect mix of old (Rogue Squadron) and new (Battlefront 2). Lately I’ve been spending time with Master Yoda’s force ghost and I’ve looked into the future, and a slapper, this game’s going to be. His words not mine.
Cyberpunk 2077 (November 19)
I won’t sit here and tell you that I’ve been on the hype train from day one for Cyberpunk 2077. The setting has always looked top-notch and the overall concept appeals to me in a big way, but it just didn’t click with me for a good long while. That was until the last round of gameplay footage dropped, showing off some fun-looking combat and driving mixed in with the intriguing world. Then there’s the fact that I’ve just finished The Witcher 3. The way The Witcher deals with side quests, making you care about the people in the game world and taking pride in your actions has ruined most other RPGs for me. If CD Projekt Red can replicate this magic with Cyberpunk I’ll personally kick myself in the arse for not believing sooner.
Outriders (December 2020)
In full honesty, Carrion was originally in this spot, but then Devolver went and announced that it’s releasing in a few weeks. Don’t feel bad for me though, it’s hard to believe how many games I am keen for in 2020, so finding another wasn’t hard. Outriders comes from pretty solid stock. People Can Fly are behind Gear of War: Judgement and, most importantly, Bulletstorm, so they immediately had my attention when announcing their new project. Then I learned that it was a gritty sci-fi shooter dripping with RPG elements, so it’s safe to say that I’m sold. The Outriders Broadcasts have been drip-feeding us more info and my excitement has been growing with each one. Will it reinvent the wheel? Probably not, but it will be pretty and kick arse in the gameplay department and that’s enough to satisfy me.
Watch Dogs Legion (October 29)
I’ve always been a fan of the Watch Dogs series – Watch Dogs 2 was one of my favourite games this generation. So when Watch Dogs Legion was announced at E3 last year with an April 2020 release date I was excited to step back into the shoes of a Dedsec hacker…until it was indefinitely delayed in December last year. Thankfully, the game has a new release date of October 29, and I can’t wait to hack London to pieces with a bad arse granny and a fresh Foster’s. Seriously the recruit anyone feature looks great and I hope they can execute it in style.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (TBA 2020)
If you know me then you know that AA games with a touch of sophisticated jank are my go-to. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a game that embodies everything I love in AA games – namely punching above their weight when it comes to the ambition/resources continuum but offering some of the most unique experiences going around. While I’ve never played a VTM game, Bloodlines 2 looks like a tasty mix of Dishonored and Vampyr from the gameplay titbits we’ve seen, and if it’s anything like the former then we could be in for a real treat.
Twin Mirror (TBA 2020)
It was tough to decide between Biomutant and Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 for the final spot on my list, but Twin Mirror’s intriguing concept and the fact DONTNOD are behind the wheel got it over the line. I mean, who doesn’t love a good mystery game? DONTNOD has always been good at weaving multiple storylines and endings into their games, so hopefully after all this time in the oven Twin Mirror is another tick for the AA darlings.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (October 2)
Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation is the first video game I ever recall playing, so the series sits fondly in my heart. While I’m firmly of the belief that Spyro the Dragon is the superior mascot platformer franchise of the PlayStation era, I’m still amped to see the mainline Crash series get a sequel two decades later. If it takes the foundations of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and builds upon it with new interesting levels, I can’t see why it won’t succeed.
Cyberpunk 2077 (November 19)
I can’t help but be intrigued by Cyberpunk 2077. I will be buying it day one, not because I’m overflowing with excitement like seemingly every other gamer on the planet, but because I’m interested to see if the game lives up to the enormous amount of hype that has surrounded the game since it was announced way back in 2012. The aesthetic has me gripped and the gunplay shown off in the latest trailer seems like it’ll be fun to tinker with, however I still remain cautious of the fact that it may not be the ultimate game that CD Projekt Red fans want it to be. Regardless, I will be there on release day to finally find out.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
The PlayStation 4 console generation solidified in my mind the belief that Sony finally has a first-party lineup that is arguably better than that of Nintendo (more on that in the future…). Marvel’s Spider-Man was one of the great PS4 titles with its engaging narrative and solid gameplay leaving me hoping for more Spider-Man games in the future. Spider-Man: Miles Morales may be a smaller standalone release similar to that of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, but I’m sure it will provide plenty more hours of fun, hopefully alongside a great Miles Morales story.
What games are you keen for in the back half of the year? Any glaring omissions we’ve made? Let us know in the comments or on social media. If you want to listen to the team talk more about the games still to come that they’re keen for, you can check out Episode 54 of the WellPlayed DLC Podcast below:
