In a rather surprising turn of events, a lot of potential GOTY contenders will be releasing in early 2019. So far, so good, however the second half of the year is still an uncharted territory. A lot can happen on the stormy seas of gaming. Here’s what we hope for.
More AAA titles that aren’t sequels or new takes on old franchises
We love our Elder Scrolls, Battlefields and GTAs, but again, how old are these series? Most of them started years– no, DECADES ago.
Out of 2018’s most universally acclaimed AAA titles, not a single one is a new IP. God of War? Soft reboot of a 2005 game. Red Dead Redemption II? Red Dead Revolver came out in 2004. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey? Offspring of a 2007 game. Spider-Man? Not only has he been with us since the 1960s, but his newest game is a (way) more polished version of the 2012 movie tie-in.
What else is there? Black Ops 4? Battlefield V? Far Cry 5? The few original big-budget titles out there were Vampyr and A Way Out, which we treasure despite their flaws.
Sure, smaller games (not just indies) are still incredibly varied and fresh, but sometimes one simply wants to play something HUGE. While browsing the recent releases, it becomes obvious that everything that triple-A offers nowadays is what we’ve known for a long time.
This is precisely the reason why we’re hyped for Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, Sekiro, Anthem, Skull & Bones, Biomutant and Days Gone. It’s like someone flipped a switch and the attitude of major publishers suddenly changed in 2019. They are willing to take risks again! We hope it’s not just a fad, and that later this year we’ll get even more new AAA IPs.
Remakes and remasters (because yes, we like them)
Sometimes a remake or a remaster can breathe new life into a classic. Sometimes it allows us to play the game as intended by its creators, whose original vision had been hampered by technical limitations. Years ago we loved being able to come back to PlayStation 2 hits on PS3 and see them in HD, widescreen and often running in 60 fps. Remember God of War 1&2 Remastered? The Sly Trilogy? Jak & Daxter? It’s like we really played these games for the first time ever on PS3.
Recently Dark Souls Remastered got our attention by bringing slightly better graphics and some quality of life improvements to the table, but also by reinvigorating the online modes. Wonder Boy: The Dragon Trap, with its beautifully reimagined visuals, was also a blast to play through, as well as the 10/10 experience that was Monstery Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Katamari Damacy REROLL, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy proved the design of some old games is timeless, and the only thing that ages are the visuals.
Now we can’t wait for Warcraft 3: Reforged, and we wouldn’t mind to see such games as Sid Meier’s Pirates making a comeback with an all-new layer of polish.
We very much support the idea re-releases because, contrary to films or books, games are often not the products of their time. The vision is usually greater than the technology that supports it, so whenever there’s a chance for developers to bring an oldie back, and closer to the original concept, we say: ‘Take it’. As a result, we often get much more than a single game. Entire trilogies are beautifully remade and bundled.
The worst case scenario is that the remake somehow fails to deliver, but is this really an issue? We’ll still have the near-perfect original. Keep the remakes coming!
Games we want to see
Cyberpunk 2077 and Death Stranding are among the most-awaited games here out at the office, and we don’t think we need to explain why.
Some people hope that the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R., scheduled for 2021, gets released in 2019. We know it’s impossible, but hey – it’s about hopes and wishes.
How about a new Vampire: The Masquerade adaptation? Preferably made by Paradox, the publisher behind Tyranny and Pillars of Eternity.
Also, we really, really want Metro: Exodus to be as good as its teasers and trailers. And Bayonetta 2 to get ported to PC. And the Star Wars license to be given to a good single player developer. And… Well, how many people, so many opinions – and there’s quite a lot of us, so let’s stop just now..
Your turn. What’s your wishes? Let’s discuss them here or on our Twitter.
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