There's a lot of interesting titles being released this holiday, so here's a list of my top 10 most anticipated games that are coming over the horizon!
10. WarGroove Digital Deluxe Edition
Release Date: 10/29/19 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Wargroove is a turn-based tactics game that came out earlier this year, but it is being re-released with extra goodies this fall. The Deluxe Edition doesn't offer any new content besides a physical strategy guide, a map, and a few stickers, but it might be worth picking up if you haven't played it yet. If you're a fan of the old school Fire Emblem games then you'll definitely love Wargroove.
I've only played the first Fire Emblem game, but I really enjoyed the intense stragey involved in the series. In WarGroove you control a commander of one of the opposing factions and wage war using something called "groove" to combat enemies. At first glance, this seems like a game where music and rhythm play a key role in fighting. However the "groove" in WarGroove is downplayed and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of grooving going on, but the "war" in WarGroove is super emphasized. The combat looks great and intense, which is hard for a turn based game to achieve. This is all due to the incredible sprite animations of the characters!
Not only does the gameplay look awesome, but the game offers a lot of cool and engaging content outside of the campaign. You can challenge friends both on the couch and online to battles controlling different factions, you can design your own maps, placing as many enemies and obstacles that you want and post them online for other people to play. There's also an arcade mode where you can get into some quick action without any expository story dialogue getting in the way or go into puzzle mode and carefully plan out your attack to overcome challenges.
I appreciate a game that offers a lot of outside content that doesn't seem like gimmick, but really add to the overall experience. I can see myself getting lost in it for hours on end and I definitely think it's worth a try if you think it's your cup of tea.
9. Risk of Rain 2
Release Date: 11/15/19 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
So I first heard of his game from a friend of mine on discord who suggested it to me. The first Risk of Rain game was a 2D pixel sidecroller game that made it's way into the 3D realm giving it a complete makeover. I have to say this game looks super fun! Risk of Rain 2 is a roguelike shooter where you or a group of friends must fight off hordes of alien monsters and escape from dangerous and uncharted planets.
The art style alone is worth looking at. The planets are very vibrant hosting a ton of diverse monsters and fighting acttacks. With randomized stages and cool loot to be found there's plenty of chaos to get into and the fun is multiplied with friends.
This game originally came out on Steam earlier this year, but is now making it's way to consoles with the original Risk of Rain included! Not only that, but the developers are regularly rolling out free content to keep the action going. Yes, I said FREE content. The best kind of content there is! I'm looking forward to getting this game for my switch and playing it nonstop with my friends.
8. Luigi's Mansion 3
Release Date: 10/31/19 | Nintendo Switch
Luigi's Mansion has always been a spooky game that has gotten a lot of inspiration from the Ghostbusters franchise. Luigi, one of the most scared characters in the Super Mario universe, has to overcome his fears to save his friends Mario, Peach, and some Toads from the clutches of King Boo in a haunted hotel.
I've never played Luigi's Mansion, but I've always heard that the series was great fun and it really helped put Luigi in the spotlight as a cool and fun character, instead of just being known as Mario's brother who cowers in the background. One of the game's key mechanics is to suck up ghosts with a vacuum cleaner attached to Luigi's back. You suck and slam ghosts around to capture them and solve puzzles as you traverse the hotel one scary floor at a time. This is great game to play by yourself or with a friend. In the game, Luigi can create a gooey, ectoplasm version of himself called Gooigi that you can play as to solve puzzles in the hotel or hand a controller to a buddy and you guys can play with Lugi and Gooigi side-by-side.
There's also a cool mini game included called, Scream Park where you and up to 8 friends can go to town sucking, slamming, and blowing ghosts around to complete different objectives. If you're looking to take a break from intense games like Fortnite or Skyrim and want to play something more casual Luigi's Mansion 3 looks like a great game to pick up! Also, if you're like me and can't really dress and up and go trick or treating anymore because it's apparently "against the law" , Luigi's Mansion comes out on Halloween! Now, I can put on my Spiderman onesie and have fun playing games all on the same day. Thanks Nintendo!
7. Pokemon Sword and Shield
Release Date: 11/15/19 | Nintendo Switch
Every since the Switch first came out, people have been waiting for a core Pokemon game to land on the mobile console. Pokemon has almost always been a mobile title, being super popular on the gameboy and the 3DS. Players, including yours truly, has been long awaiting for a game to hit the Switch that will bridge the Pokemon gap between mobile and console and Pokemon Sword and Shield is here to answer the call!
I'm excited for the newest installment in the Pokemon series, not only because it's on the switch, but for all the new features coming to the consoles that wasn't available in previous titles.
First off, this the first Pokemon game that is open world. No longer are Pokemon players confined to a static overhead view where the camera follows them. The camera is yours to control and you have free reign to go wherever! Ok, so I know that moving the camera around in a game isn't a huge deal. Games have been doing that since the Nintendo64 days, but it is a big deal in this game because the consoles that the series were originally on lacked the technological capabilities of a free ranging camera, since they were mostly on mobile systems. But, now that it's has a free moving camera, it's a different way to experience the series offering a different perspective in catching all those Pokemon.
Speaking of Pokemon, since this is a next generation Pokemon game you better expect some new creatures roaming about. This new installment has some pretty cool and, quite frankly a little weird, Pokemon for you to catch and train. You have a flying steel type crow looking Pokemon that looks like a black knight and you have other Pokemon that live in tea pots and look like desserts. It's a little weird, but I think that's what makes this game look even more fun.
On top of these new additions, the game takes place in an industrialized setting, players can customize their characters and pokemon, and there's a new key fighting mechanic called Dynamax where your Pokemon can grow to an enormous size and you and a group of friends can battle it out in what's called Max Raid battles.
It looks like this game has a ton to offer for both veteran Pokefans and newcomers alike and I'm very much looking forward to when this game launches in November!
6. Ring Fit Adventure
Release Date: 10/18/19 | Nintendo Switch
Ring Fit Adventure is a game that kinda came out of nowhere. Last week Nintendo released this teaser video for some new accessories that could be used with the Switch. It showed a ring that people could squeeze and move around and a leg strap where you can hook a joycon to yourself to track movements.
It was obvious that this was something for fitness, but it wasn't really clear exactly what it was for or how it could be used. A few days later, Nintendo released a extended video walking through a new adventure game that was launching with the new accessories solely centered on movement and exercises and I got to say, after watching this video, excercise has never looked so much dang fun!
The player uses the accessory, know as a Ring-Con, to play the game by moving around in real life. The player moves the Ring-Con in certain ways to pull off fighting moves in the game and the player even jogs in place to move around the world, all while strengthening your body and keeping track of your health. I know back when the Wii came out out there was a game called WiiFit that was centered around keeping people fit and in shape and it was big hit at the time, but it wasn't so much a game as a fun alternative home gym.
However, I am super impressed in how Nintendo managed to take the same concept of healthy fitness and make it the key mechanic of an adventure game with objectives, XP, and even bosses! Fitness is no longer boring, but the key to saving the world. I'm really excited to get my hands on this game and see what it can really do, but I'm even more excited to how this technology is taken forward in the future.
Will I be able to use the Ring-Con in other games like Mario Kart, by moving by body around? Will this be the next home gym? Can I take it on the go? The possibilities seem endless and I look forward to seeing where Nintendo goes with this.
5. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order
Release Date: 11/15/19 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
In my opinion, Stars Wars has been a disappointment in the games department over the last few years. Battlefront, one of my favorite games growing up that I played all the time on my PS2, was rebooted by EA and turned it into a lifeless shell of it's former self that was fueled by micro-transactions and loot crates. So, when I heard that another Star Wars game was being released by EA I passed it by having zero interest in the project.
But, then when it was announced that Respawn Entertainment was developing the game I gave it a second look. EA may suck, but Respawn has proven they can make awesome quality games with titles like Titanfall and Apex Legends, so I figured the game couldn't be that bad. Jedi Fallen Order follows a Jedi Padawan that escapes the Jedi genocide executed by Order 66 and takes a closer look at the beginning of the Empire's rise to power after the events of the Star Wars Movie Revenge of the the Sith. I saw a gameplay demo that was showcased at E3 this year and it doesn't look bad. But, looks are kinda like a double-edged sword when it comes down to EA and Star Wars.
The Battlefront games all looked good, but they severely lacked in the quality of the gameplay and in-game content. The environment and soundtrack of Fallen Order really speaks to the Star Wars universe and the combat looks intensive and engaging, but unless I've played it for myself I'm still have some doubts.
Don't get me wrong though, despite my hesitations I'm still looking forward to this game when it comes out! The game looks like it has a lot of strong story elements and I'm excited to figure out what it was like before Luke Skywalker took on the role of Jedi. I'm just not going to buy the game the first chance I get. I'm probably going to wait it out and see if the game is truly up to snuff. EA has done a number on me and I just can't put all my faith into this game with their name attached to it. But, who knows? This game promises a lot and with my lowered expectations I might be blown out of the water this title!
4. Death Stranding
Release Date: 11/08/19 | PlayStation 4
Death Stranding has been a complete enigma ever since Kojima Productions first announced the title at E3 2016. It was the birth child of Hideo Kojima getting kicked out of Konami and the cancellation of Kojima's Silent Hill reboot.
I don't think anyone really knows what the hell this game is about. Every new trailer that comes out about this game just leaves me with more questions than answers. As far as I can tell, you play as this guy Sam who I guess is trying to rebuild America and fight off this thing called Death Stranding that kills everything? It's an open world game where you collect...something and you have to watch out for this terrorist group whose goal is to do....something. Oh and whenever it rains these invisible creatures called BT come out and the only way to detect them is through a bridge baby which is a human baby in a mobile incubation device that you hook up to your backpack that shows where these creatures are at.
Look that's all the information I know. This game is so mysterious and weird that I doubt anyone has the slightest idea what this game is or how it plays and yet, that is Death Stranding's greatest selling point. The game looks amazing and everyone wants to see how this whole thing plays out, including me. The game comes out in November and damn it I want some answers to what the hell is going on!
3. Code Vein
Release Date: 09/27/19 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Code Vein is a game that I've been eagerly waiting on for a couple years now. It was originally supposed to come out in September of last year, but got a last minute delay and is now set to launch this upcoming September on the 27th.
The game is set in a dystopian world where people known as revenants roam the earth. They are undying people and feed off of blood to survive and in turn have these special powers, or "gifts". to fight enemies with. However, every time they drink blood they lose memories along the way and if they don't get enough blood or if they breath in this mysterious miasma that is sweeping over the world they turn into the Lost.
The Lost are those who have become some thirsty for bloodlust that they have lost all humanity and are now monsters who roam the post-apocalyptic world feeding off of corpses and stragglers for blood.
It's a game that involves a lot of blood if you didn't catch it so far. It's made by Bandai Namco and adopts a lot of the mechanics from the Dark Souls series. It's basically a Vampire Anime Dark Souls, which is enough for me to want to hop on and play it.
I played the demo the other day and it shows some real promise. There's a strong narrative buried underneath the rigorous gameplay mechanics. While, it plays similar to Dark Souls, there's a lot of depth and strategy that unfolds that makes the game unique and interesting to play. I stumbled around during the first part of the demo, but once you start mastering the mechanics of the game you can start pulling off some awesome moves and I'm excited to see this game launch in just a few more weeks!
2. Outer Worlds
Release Date: 10/25/19 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, (Nintendo Switch: TBD)
Outer Worlds is a game unlike any other and was created by Obsidian Studios, who developed games like Fallout: New Vegas and Stars Wars the Old Repuclic ll. It's based in an alternate reality where President William McKinley wasn't assassinated and through his work mega corporations started taking hold and terraforming different planets to create this diverse and interconnected array of worlds with a wide range of locations, monsters, abilities, and cast of characters.
The way I see it, this game is like a birth child of Fallout and Borderlands. You have a lot of similar mechanics in Fallout, like the combat and the use of choices that changes the overall story, but you also have the humor and diverse characters that you would see in the Borderlands series. It's a light-hearted adventure with plenty to see and explore.
If you read my "I Hate Fallout" post a few weeks back, you'll know that one of biggest frustrations in the Fallout series was the lack of an interesting open world. So, when I found out the same company behind Fallout: New Vegas was making this game, I wasn't all that excited because I thought it was going to be the same boring game just in space.
However, after looking at trailers and gameplay of Outer Worlds, it looks like they took out all the frustrating crap that was in Fallout and put a focus on building up these new and interesting worlds you can travel to. That being said, I have high hopes for this game and I think it will truly be something different that nobody has ever seen before, which will both be fun and refreshing.
1. Link's Awakening
Release Date: 09/18/19 | Nintendo Switch
After the massive success of Breath of the Wild, many people were eagerly awaiting the next title in the Legend of Zelda franchise and, about a year ago, Link's Awakening was announced to the world. This game is probably my most anticipated game coming out this fall! Link's Awakening is actually a complete remaster of an old gameboy game that came out in 1993. It's a fan favorite by many people, but I hadn't even hear about it until Nintendo announced it at one of their Nintendo Direct livestreams.
What I really love about this game is the art style. It's something completely new that Nintendo hasn't done before and it just looks awesome. The best way I can describe it, is like an old Hasbro toy set come to life. Everything looks very cute and has a childlike wonder to it all. I think it's awesome how Nintendo took an old pixel art game and transformed it into this 3D world with vibrant colors and unique characters. I can tell there's a ton of cool characters with unique personalities just by looking at their design and animations and I think that speaks a lot when you're creating an adventure game, or any game really.
Speaking of unique characters, there's also some hidden gem characters you can find in the world that are from other Nintendo games. You can find chain chomps, thwomps, and even a Kirby like monsters that sucks you up! It's an original Legend of Zelda adventure that's interconnected with other Nintendo worlds adding to the mystery and adventure.
The gameplay is reminiscent of mechanics seen in previous Zelda games with a little more polish. It's a nice refresh to the original formula that the Legend of Zelda series is known for. But, of course any good remaster adds some new extras to the original game. A cool new feature that's coming is a dungeon builder. In your adventures, you can find dungeon pieces that you can use to create your own dungeon to complete yourself or challenge friends to compete for speedrun times. It's a small scale Mario Maker for Legend of Zelda which I really want to try out.
The best part of all of this is that this game comes out on Friday, so the wait won't last for much longer. If you are a Legend of Zelda fan, I would highly recommend you pick this title up. It's a nice new take on a classic game and if you're new to it like me then it's a fresh new adventure to hold you over until Breath of the Wild 2 comes out!
What games are you looking forward to this fall and holiday season? Comment below and I'll see you next time!
Dean Willms
~Gamer. Designer. Friend
