We’re already well into 2018 and with game systems like the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and even some great PC Indie releases, I’m super hype for this year in games. We already have games like the Mad Horse historical rpg Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which as far as an independent release goes has stellar work put into it– sure there are a few bugs that are being patched out with the first release– and has done really well for itself within its first launch week. I expect great things from the AAA market as well.
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Far Cry 5 by Ubisoft: This is the only game actually available for play at the time of this article and actually set in the USA this time. I’ve been looking forward to this game for a long time. Unfortunately, I don’t have my gaming PC with me at college or else I would be playing this so much. My favorite things about these games are the main, almost sympathetic antagonists. The general political behavior of Montana is conservative. It’s a red state, and like games of the past, your “Grand Theft Auto”s and other installations of Far Cry to even older games where pushing the envelope in both development strategies and game content were a standard. It’s a nice thematic return while still maintaining the kind of graphics and ridiculously, violent sandbox fun and the comedic realism I’ve been sorely missing among the fantasy and action genres as of late.
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Space Odyssey: The Video Game, by Space Media Ventures: Another sandbox game up on the block, Space Odyssey looks like it’s going to focus more on exploration and Sci-Fi themes than a lot of other entries on this list. There’s even going to be VR compatibility and a cross-platform release meaning both PC and Mac people and the console gamers will be able to enjoy the interstellar adventuring. And you know it’s going to have a scientific basis with Neil deGrasse Tyson involved as a producer. Much like Markiplier and Portal 2’s space core, I love me some outer space. Unfortunately, it looks like we’re waiting for December.
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Call of Cthulhu by Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive: There are very few things I love more than psychological horror. Lovecraft’s writing, while occasionally odd and a little less frightening now that some monsters have become standardized or campy, his insanity prose is still alarming and engaging. Cthulhu is one of his most popular creatures and has prevailed a massive amount of culture and media. I’m especially excited for the survival-horror aspects and the Unreal 4 Engine graphics. From what we’ve already seen, the insanity of the player character is going to be a major feature of the plot and hold loyalty to Lovecraft’s style of writing.
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The Bard’s Tale IV by inXile Entertainment: Something about puzzle games and dungeon crawlers is just so charming. I think it’s the mental engagement that isn’t always present in all versions of games, or maybe it’s the balance between spatial awareness and puzzle solving mechanics. Bard’s Tale is actually a really old game series, having its birth back in the 1980s and the most recent spin-off games were launched around 2004. Like many games in recent years, Bard’s Tale IV is a crowdfunded project. I’m looking forward to a good fantasy dungeon crawler. It’s been a while since I played one I really like that wasn’t Shovel Knight or otherwise an app game. Just like Call of Cthulhu, this one will be running on Unreal 4.
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World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth by Blizzard Entertainment: I know, I know, WoW is cancer. Shut up. Please. I’ve heard it so many times it’s gone from being a joke to being insulting to my intelligence and ability to manage my own time and money. Yes, the game follows a subscription model, yes I know the game is designed to keep the player addicted and play. If you’re going to be cynical about how you spend your money and time then save your time and keep your cancer jokes to yourself. I love the world. I love the characters. I love the gameplay. I love my guild community. And I love the nostalgia hit I get every time I play. So, a version of WoW that returns to the red vs blue player faction contest of the past is highly appealing to me. Having both end-game content like raid and standard pvp to more complex callbacks like the battleground lifted from the Warcraft RTS game really gets me hyped. It also doesn’t hurt I’m a druid main and of the new player races being released in this expansion, there is at least one confirmed set of new druid forms that look amazing.
You can probably tell I have a thing for rgps at this point, and I do. I’ll admit my bias. I love the complex story aspects and all the nuance that’s possible, the occasional commentary on life we can get from fantasy settings and the interactive window into different worlds and times. What are you looking forward to in 2018?