Forget 2019 and New Year’s celebrations: there are new games on the horizon! It’s all about the upcoming games to look forward to in the new year – from RPGs, to hellish shooters, and even fantastical life-simulators, where humanoid animals demand payments of heavy debts… While we’re also hoping to see a few announcements and confirmations for titles we’ve not heard much about, including Metroid, Beyonetta, and of course Shin Megami Tensei V (what patient fanbases we have), between shiny hunting in Pokémon, learning to control the Force in Fallen Order, and settling household disputes in Smash, there’s no question we’re still eager to get our hands on some new 2020 releases…!
1 – Final Fantasy VII: Remake
In 1997, Square released Final Fantasy VII on Sony’s first Playstation, marking a controversial shift for the franchise from Nintendo to the newest games system on the market. Utilising 3D polygonal graphics, with a story that spanned three discs, Final Fantasy VII revitalised love for Square’s most beloved RPG franchise and truly brought the series to mainstream fandom!
Yet however much we love Cloud and his fellow miscreants and their mission against the evil Shinra, it’s fair to say the original polygonal PS1 graphics and it’s deformed Lego-esque overworld character models haven’t aged quite as well. Suffice to say, the HD remake, which has given Cloud and co. a well deserved face lift, has been highly anticipated since it’s announcement. While there are plenty of modern aesthetic updates to ogle at, the gameplay itself promises some interesting options, catering to fans of modern freeform combat, as well as those who wish to dive back into the nostalgic turn-based systems of old. Like it’s PS1 predecessor, however, the story will also be split across multiple chapters, meaning you may have to wait between each story…
2 – The Last of Us: Part II
The Last of Us came out during a time where zombies and worlds of the post-apocalyptic kind were all the rage. Sitting somewhere between Uncharted, I Am Legend, and The Walking Dead – albeit with a raging fungi plague, aka The Girl With All The Gifts – we were introduced to Joel and Ellie. While the gameplay leant more toward stealth and exploration, trying to avoid both Clickers and humans where possible while scavenging for materials, ammo, weapons, and collectibles (the latter of which was probably the weakest part of the experience), The Last of Us is renowned for its story telling and characters, accompanied by a beautiful score by Gustavo Santaolalla.
Set years after the events of the first game, Part II will reunite us once again with Ellie, now 19, and Joel, in his mid-fifties. The story will send Ellie on a path of vengeance against a twisted cult while fending off the infected, featuring similar gameplay to Part I.
3 – Metroid Prime 4 and Beyonetta 3…?
The likelihood either of these appearing on our Swich’s next year seems a faint possibility, though really any kind of update whatsoever would satisfy! It’s been ten years since Metroid Prime Trilogy launched on the Wii and two since Samus Returns hit the 3DS: to say Metroid fans have been hungering for more, a little like the titular parasitic jellies, would be an understatement. And as for Beyonetta 3… at least we can replay the first two in the meantime, or dive into Smash with Samus and Beyonetta herself…!
If anything, we’ll likely have to settle for an update and – if we’re lucky – an announcement for an HD port of the Prime Trilogy for Switch.
4 – Animal Crossing: New Horizon
A strangely captivating series in which you live life in a village full of anthropomorphic animals, pay debts off to a sly Tanooki, while spending your time leisurely fishing, digging for fossils, planting flowers, and insulting your neighbours. Or if you’re playing New Leaf, imposing new laws as Mayor to transform your role as an “elected official” into a full blown dictatorship…
Meanwhile in New Horizon, you’ll find yourself on a desert island with the task of founding a new settlement to survive! Of course collecting resources will be a must – how else will you survive being trapped on an island without a collection of seashells and fossils? Curiously, there are no indications that the animal inhabitants of your new town constitute as “food” though if Angus the bull or the curiously named Goose the chicken happen to “disappear”… it’ll be for the greater good.
5 – Zelda Breath of the Wild 2…?
Breath of the Wild stands as a staple of open world gaming, with a vast land full to the brim with things to do, enemies to hunt, side-quests, and (those damn blasted) Korok Seeds. With the choice to pursue the Divine Beasts in any order, participate in Shrine challenges, or skip them entirely and head straight to Ganon’s lair, Breath of the Wild gave players an immense feeling of freedom that turned towards the series NES originator for influence with modern updates and challenges! Fans have been eagerly awaiting more story updates regarding Breath of the Wild 2 since the first announcement trailer dropped, which opened to a dark cave before a gooey Princess Mononoke-esque corruption spread out, and we were introduced to a mummified Ganondorf corpse! As exciting as it is to see how this ties into Breath of the Wild and the rest of the series, the darker, foreboding Majora’s Mask sequel vibes make the wait for anything from a story update to release date information that much more exciting…
6 – Doom: Eternal
Whatever your preferred system of choice, Doom 2016 was a blast, taking on hordes of demonic entities from the hellish backdrop of Mars as the Doomguy in one of the best entries in the series to date, running impressively well even on Switch! Doom: Eternal might be one of the most anticipated shooters for the new year, bringing the bloody mayhem and chaos back to Earth with new enemies to slay, weapons to use, and a hell of a lot more attitude.
7 – Persona 5 Royal & Scramble
As disappointing as it is that there are no plans for a true Persona 5 port for Switch owners, Playstation gamers will be able to enjoy Persona 5 Royal, which will feature updates to the story with brand new characters in the vein of Persona 4: Golden. That means more waifu’s, more content, and more reasons to replay what many consider to be one of the best in the series as well as one of the best recent JRPG releases. Though personally P3 still gets my vote…
And for those downhearted Switch fans, Scramble will bring Joker back from Smash Bros. to a Dynasty Warriors-style action beat ‘em up set to the stylish background of Persona 5. Not quite the same, but… it’s likely the closest Nintendo fans will get.
8 – Shin Megami Tensei V…?
Speaking of Atlus and their beloved RPG franchises: where is Shin Megami Tensei V? True enough they did say it’s still in active development – meaning they announced it a little too early – but even so. It’s been too long since we dived into a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, overrun with demons, with only our own twisted moral compasses to decide the ending…
Let’s hope this year we get to at least find out when we can expect to fuse demons and follow the paths of Neutral, Chaos, or Law.
9 – Trials of Mana
While Secret of Mana is considered an action RPG classic through and through, the much anticipated Seiken Densetsu 3 never made its way to the West until the Collection of Mana earlier in the year. Now known as Trials of Mana, this previously Japan only title will release with a full blown 3D remake in 2020!
10 – Resident Evil 3 REmake
While Resident Evil VII brought the series back to its creepy, claustrophobic roots, it was the Resident Evil 2 REmake that truly hit players in the nostalgia sweet spot! Returning to Racoon city after so many years as Leon and Claire, exploring the Police Station was somewhat bittersweet – on the one hand nostalgic, on the other terrifying as the relentless hordes of the undead crept about in darkened corners, to say nothing of the hulking mass that is Mr. X…!
Since the remake released, fans of the exploits of the Umbrella Corporation have clamoured to see the same treatment given to Jill Valentine’s 1999 outing, Resident Evil 3. Seems we’ll get our chance around April! Seeing Nemesis smash down walls, calling out “S.T.A.R.s” in a full HD remake will rectify the mishaps of the more recent Resi titles pre-7 in the eyes of many fans…
11 – Ghost of Tsushima
An open world Samurai game exploring the story of Jin Sakai – the last Samurai on Tsushima Island – set in 1274 during the Mongol invasions of Japan. On this journey to master the way of the Ghost, freeing Japan from the invading Mongols, Sucker Punch Productions have curated a gorgeous set piece with fluid and engaging sword combat and open world exploration. It’s strange to think how few open world Samurai games we see now, since the Way of the Samurai series dwindled somewhat into obscurity. Hopefully this will be the first of many, but what are the chances it releases on the new PS5 as well…?
