So with New Years Eve finally out of the way and with the Game Hype collective still reeling in from the mother of all hangovers, our sights (and no doubt countless others) are fixed on 2020 to see what it will bring to the world of gaming. From Cyberpunk 2077 and the Final Fantasy VII remake to the dawn of the next console generation; 2020 is set to be record-breaking for the games industry, bringing with it a plethora of releases that have been years in the making. With 2020 now in full swing, the GH collective decided to get out of the festive spirit and discuss what titles we’re looking forward to most over the coming year.
Aaron Moger (@aaronvaanmoger)
Game: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Release Date: 3rd March 2020
I had already anticipated my Game of the Year 2020 before the Final Fantasy VII Remake release date was announced. It was not confirmed that the Last of Us Part II would be out next year but I had a feeling it would be, it was only a month after Final Fantasy VII Remake’s release date trailer that we got a release date for the highly anticipated title. I didn’t think the first part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake would be out so soon and now that we have confirmation, I am beyond excited and my excitement has overshadowed any other release in 2020. The Remake was first announced at E3 2015 and without any real information until this year where Square-Enix has delivered a wealth of updates including trailers, screenshots and character reveal and have pretty much been on the ball since. I have never been more hyped for a game up until now and 2020 is going to be one hell of a year for releases.
Kyle Doherty (@Antigenetic92)
Game: Resident Evil 3
Release Date: April 3rd 2020
From The Last of Us Part II to Cyberpunk 2077, this choice was an easy one, purely down to the recent official announcement of one of my favourite games of all time. The official reveal of the remake for Resident Evil 3 completely sideswiped me, as I wasn’t expecting any news regarding the title till E3 2020 at the earliest. Following on from the leak of the game’s box art and the official trailer, the 6 months or so I spent reading online speculation and leaks from AestheticGamer (I’m a loyal reader at this point) finally felt like they had a purpose all along, dissolving any hype I had for any of the other titles due to release in 2020. April can’t come soon enough, where I’ll be shitting myself all over again like it’s 1999 once the big fellah comes-a-knockin’.
Ryan Perrow (@NBFlying)
Game: Halo Infinite
Release Date: Q4 2020
I’m sure this comes as no surprise. I’ve spent nearly 20 years with this franchise, it’s characters, it’s music and it’s multiplayer defining gameplay. The transition from Bungie to 343 hasn’t exactly been a resounding success with the majority of the Halo fanbase, I’m somewhat more forgiving and don’t despise Spartan Locke, however, it honestly feels like Infinite is Halo’s last great hope. I won’t go into my hopes and fears about the games plot and the issues around Cortana and digging her out of the hole Halo 5 put her in here, I’d been here all night, maybe there’s space for that closer to launch. The return to a more classic looking aesthetic is exciting and I hope it’s reflected in the gameplay, specifically the multiplayer. Modern Halos (meaning anything since Halo 3) have tried to reinvent the wheel, with Infinite I’m hoping Halo becomes the Xbox Live powerhouse it used to be. We don’t know much about it yet, but I’ve kept the faith this long and will happily do so until Halo Infinite drops on us like and ODST come holiday season 2020.
Caleb Moran (@Rad_Sh1ba)
Game: Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: April 16th 2020
Robocop, Batman of the future, trashy electronic music, 80s themes and neon lights. These were some of the things I was brought up with and I’ve waited all my life for a game to mirror these themes and ideas to give me that dystopian retro future feel. When the system ‘glitched out’ at E3 2018 I knew exactly what was going on, and it looked amazing. The city, the cars, the fashion, the music, the weapons, the characters, the body mods and all this created by the same people that made The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (which was my game of the decade) looks to be what could be my dream game. I was adamant it was a next gen title, as no game could looks this polished and intricate for the current gen, but I was wrong. Cyberpunk comes out April and looks to combine my favorite music, fashion and themes into one intense open world, open ended game that I will spend hours delving into the dystopian future that is Night City.
Jo Hughes (@x_jamjar_x)
Game: The Last of Us Part II
Release Date: 29th May 2020 (providing it isn’t delayed again)
The Last of Us Part II was announced what seems like a life time ago, it has been long in the making and has to be my most anticipated game since Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (which anyone who knows me will understand to be a really big deal). The Last of Us was a milestone of it’s time with some of the best graphics and game play yet, released in 2013 it definitely stood out. Since then there have been fantastic aesthetic advances which have brought us games such as Detroit: Becoming Human. This means that the expectations for Part II are extremely high, I suppose this is part of why it has been delayed. I feel I am speaking on behalf of the entire gaming community when I say it’s better that it is late rather than unfinished or rushed. Not only have the trailers revealed fantastic graphics but the character arc seems intreguingly dark – as we see Ellie, now a broken blood soaked version of the teenage girl we once knew. I am incredibly excited to continue my journey with Joel and Ellie and really get my teeth into this one.
John ‘Bettsy’ Betts (@JohnBGameGype)
Game: Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: April 16th 2020
As a big fan of Adam Jensen and his shenanigans in the augmented world of Deus Ex, I instantly knew, upon gazing over the Cyberpunk announcement trailer that this game would be right up my street. From the bustling streets in Night City full of poverty, greed, and corruption; to the detailed character interactions providing game-changing consequences in a world rich in life, character, and retro themes. I’m so pumped for its release. Bring on April!
That just about covers our most anticipated titles for 2020; agree with our list? Feel like we missed something out? Let us know in the comments below.
