That New Game Smell – Most Anticipated Releases

With the year almost half gone and games being released left and right, we sometimes wonder the age-old question. “Am I running out of games to play?” Fret not, here are the most anticipated releases that have yet to come.

Friday the 13th: The Game

Release Date: 26 May
A treat for fans of the Friday the 13th franchise. This is the game where the bonds of friendships are tested. Will you still have friends after you brutally hunt them down as Jason? Perhaps not.
Players load into Camp Crystal Lake as either the masked killer, Jason Voorhees himself or one of the unfortunate seven camp counsellors. It is an online multiplayer with eight players allowed in one game. The goal is to either hunt down all the counsellors or to survive for a measly five minutes. Sound easy? To some, it may be the longest five minutes of their lives as the background music changes and escalates, the closer Jason gets.
The game is unique for its realistic built-in voice chat. The seven counsellor players are connected via voice chat based on their proximity of one another within the game itself. A multiplayer horror survival game worth checking out.

Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2

Release Date: 26 May
If you’ve ever walked into an arcade, you might have come across Guilty Gear, A popular anime fighting game series. GGXRD Rev 2 is the seventeenth instalment, retaining the fighter roster of the preceeding Revelator game. The sequel game includes both a story expansion as well as new combos for the full fighter roster.
Welcoming two new playable character into the roster: Baiken, the Lone Samurai and Answer, the Business Ninja.
Baiken is a returning character from the older instalments, her reappearance is more than just an addition in the cast. She plays a role in the continuation of the main story.
Answer was seen in the first Revelator and GGXrd Sign as a non-playable character but has not been made a fighter until now. His signature magical headset had been carried forward into his character design, and it’s definitely given him more style points. I mean, a ninja wearing a suit? Legendary.
Who doesn’t like beating up people as interesting and colourful characters?

Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind

Release Date: 6 June
A new chapter unfurls in the world of Nirn as the new Morrowind expansion swoops in for an epic release. This means new areas, new NPCs and new quests! And for the first time since the ESO launch in 2014, a new character class is introduced.
Meet the Warden, an adaptable support class whose ability revolves around nature. The class is highly customizable yet not-at-all confusing. According to the lead designer of The Warden, Eric Wrobel, he stated, “with the Warden’s skill lines, we wanted to communicate more clearly what each skill is about and what you’re going to get if you invest in that line.” This makes the new class highly recommendable to new players and veterans alike. The best part? You get to fight alongside a magical bear! The new Morrowind expansion is the perfect place to start your online Elder Scrolls adventure or continue your journey.

Note: You will need the Elder Scrolls Online base game to play the Morrowind expansion.

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

Release Date: 20 June 2017
Warriors of Light, hold on to your seats because the new Final Fantasy XIV expansion is on top of us! Known for their distinctive 3D-anime style graphics and breath-taking scenery design, Square Enix presents the new expansion for their online Final Fantasy MMO, Stormblood. Massive changes headed our way as not one, but two new classes joins the rank.
Find your ancient Japanese swordsman honour in Samurai. If the concept hasn’t sold you, then what if I told you that you start off at level 50? The new class is essentially a melee DPS class unattached to any of the pre-existing jobs, much like the Machinist, Astrologian and Dark Knight classes in the Heavensward expansion.
The next class is a hybrid ranged DPS class: Red Mage. This class, like the name suggests, uses Red Magic as its source of power. The Red Mage alternates between ranged and melee attacks using a rapier and a crystal medium.
New classes aren’t the only thing coming to Eorzea. A fourth housing district will be built, it’s theme revolving around traditional Japanese setting. Of course, new maps, quests, higher furnishing limits, and level caps will be set in place. So, if you’re one of those players with level 60 on every class imaginable, you’re in for a treat. The best part? Swimming will be available, opening up possibilities for underwater maps and more breath-taking scenery. Immerse yourself, literally, in the new world headed your way. 

Note: You will need the FFXIV: A Realm Reborn and Heavensward to play Bloodstorm.

Agents of Mayhem

Release date: 15 August

If you enjoy the character themes in Overwatch, League of Legends and Dota 2. You may find a new favourite in this game.
Agents of Mayhem is a single-player game filled with funky characters set in the infamous Saints Row universe and lots of purple. The game is open-world, much like the previous Saints Row games. Players can choose to play from a range of agents, each equipped with distinctive play-styles and abilities. From what can be seen in the developer’s demo, the gameplay of Agents of Mayhem revolves around doing missions to unlock more of the story and playable agents.
Saints Row fans are already comparing the game to its great predecessor. However, reviewers say that the gameplay is vastly different from Saints Row. More chaotic—more, and I dare say, mayhem? There’s only one way to find out. August cannot arrive soon enough!

Red Dead Redemption 2

Release date: September – December
Grand Theft Auto is a series that does not go unrecognized by the gaming community. Red Dead Redemption 2 share its publisher, Rockstar Games. Following the not-so-recent success of GTA V, the Red Dead series bounces back from a 7-year slumber in hopes to follow that success.
A trailer released by Rockstar Games revealed absolutely nothing about the gameplay. However, it did show off the breath-taking in-game scenery graphics, mimicking to an eerily realistic extent, the wild west. It seems the publisher does not intend to release anything about the gameplay until the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) happening from 13 to 15 June. Until then, one this is for sure. The game is b-e-a-utiful.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Release Date: 22 August
Talion journey is far from over as from the game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor comes its sequel Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Like the first game, the sequel will be a single-player action-adventure game with an open-world environment.
With its enriched storyline and exciting battling system, Shadow of Mordor has set the bar for its successor. Now, developers reveal that there is going to be an improved open-world environment in this one. But improved graphics and environment are not what all fans are looking for. The plot thickens and we want to know what happens next!

Destiny 2

Release Date: 21 September
If you love the first one then you’ll love the second one because Destiny 2 is said to be the better, cooler version of the first game with a bigger multiplayer option. If you’re not familiar with the series. Destiny is an online multiplayer first-person shooter video game set in a science-fiction environment with magical elements. Players get to choose from three different classes, all of which are customizable with armour and weapons based on the number of levels they earned.
Destiny’s success lay in their weaving of different video game elements that appeal to a more collective community into one game. Combining magic and guns. Much like Warframe, a free MMORPG with a similar concept.
Destiny was exclusive to consoles. Until now. If you much prefer to shoot with a keyboard and mouse then Destiny 2 is the game to look out for. Bungie, the game’s development studio, is partnering up with the one and only Blizzard to bring Destiny 2 to PCs. PC Destiny 2 players will have access to Blizzard’s usual social functions. This also means you will be able to use your Blizzard Balance to purchase Destiny 2!

Note: You do not need Destiny to play Destiny 2; however certain data are transferable from Destiny to Destiny 2. 

Call of Duty: WW2

Release Date: 3 November
Activision has never failed to deliver a new Call of Duty game every year since 2003. Because they release a game every year, the hype is old but ever present. And though a cloud of criticism circulates the franchise, you can’t help but wonder: What will they pull out this year? What’s different? Is this one going to be the next Modern Warfare? And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the engine of the hype train. The curiosity floating around the game while it’s in production until the day it is released. While critiques will argue that this one will never be as good at Call of Duty 4, they are still anxious to confirm it.
Nothing has been released regarding the gameplay; however, it is understood that Sledgehammer Games will be incorporating a new multiplayer system called Headquarters and it allows players to interact with one another and operates like the Tower in Bungie’s Destiny.
Also, Nazi zombies anyone?

Star Wars Battlefront II

Release Date: 17 November 2017
EA returns with a new game for the iconic Star Wars franchise. This time, a sequel to Star Wars Battlefront that came out in November of 2015. It’s been almost two years since the release of the infamous Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens and EA is reigniting the Star Wars hype by bringing in Star Wars Battlefront II. Just in time for the movie too!
This time, there are many more characters you can play as, Yoda, Darth Maul and even the most recent villain, Kylo Ren! Multiplayer battles are made much more intense as Space Battles are introduced. Co-op just got a lot more intense as each battle joins up to 40 players and the tides of battles are as uncertain as the next stormtrooper’s shot.
May the force be with you!

Crackdown 3

Release Date: October – December
A powerhouse game that was first revealed in E3 2014 to be revolutionary to the game development industry. The crackdown series is an open sandbox game played in a third person point-of-view. Players take on the role of a genetically modified clone known only as Agent. The goal of the game is to do mission to build your own arsenal of weapons and armour.
And possibly have a flex competition with other players in the multiplayer server.
The game was deemed revolutionary from the fact that the environments in the multiplayer servers are made 100% destructible. And a demonstration in E3 2015 revealed that it is possible, with enough firepower, to raze a skyscraper to the ground. Guns, actions and collapsible buildings. Sounds like a dream.
And well, you might be right. Sceptics are speculating that the game will not make it out of development simply because of the sheer computing power required to run the servers. Well, that doesn’t stop people from wanting the game!

Super Mario Odyssey

Release Date: October— December
Since the release of Nintendo Switch, the company released a trailer featuring the beloved plumber himself, Mario, walking the streets of ‘New Donk City’ designed after the famous NYC. The world of Mario just got a lot bigger as it has been confirmed to be a sandbox game. Oh, the endless possibilities for adventure!
Mario also has some shiny new moves along with his classic, stomp, sprint and leap. Mario can now climb, double jump, backflip and throw his hat!
So far, not much of actual gameplay footage has been revealed. Nintendo intends to go all out on the Mario theme at their E3 booth this year. So Mario fans, hold yourself together for a few more weeks!