Games We Can’t Wait to Play – 2019 Edition Part 1

Happy New Year, and what a year it could shape up to be. You can’t help but feel 2019 will be the year that this console generation begins to tone down, with the excitement and rumours of the future Xbox and PlayStation consoles starting to kick in. If 2019 really does turn out to be the last full year for the current generation, then it’s certainly going out on a bang (possibly if these games make 2019 release). Here’s a selection of some of the games coming out this year that we’re hyped to play.

Resident Evil 2

Release Date: January 25th
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Announced way back in 2015, Resident Evil 2 Remake has been one that gamer’s had been clamouring to see and get news on. The silence was broken at E3 2018 during the PlayStation conference when we got our first look at the new remake of RE2. Gone are the tank controls, now replaced with the over the shoulder view that fit so comfortably with Resident Evil 4. Visually it look’s spectacular and you wouldn’t write this off as an early game of the year contender already.

Days Gone

Release Date: April 26th
Platforms: PlayStation 4

Back in 2016 during another of PlayStation’s stellar E3 shows, We were introduced to our first look at Bend Studios next franchise for PS4. Days Gone initially got a lot of comparisons to The Last of Us. It seemed a theme during the first party showcase where many of PlayStation’s offerings were compared to one another and dubbed rather similar. After the success that was Horizon & God of War, I think we can rest any doubts that Days Gone despite it’s tone and theme being somewhat similar to Last of Us won’t end up being another huge game for PlayStation in 2019. The first party bus keeps on rolling.

Devil May Cry V

Release Date: March 8th
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Perhaps one of the worst kept secrets in 2018, the only surprising thing about the reveal of Devil May Cry V was that it was announced on the Microsoft stage at E3 2018, where many had thought Sony might have had a hand in funding the game akin to the Street Fighter V exclusivity. But that matters not, as Devil May Cry has sort of un-re-booted itself (Yeah) with a return of Dante to the franchise. The game-play appears to stay with the traditional style of the series with fast paced and stylish action. Running on the engine that was created for Resident Evil 7, you can expect this game to look staggering.

Crash Team Racing

Release Date: June 21st
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

What do we want? More remasters, when do we want them? For the rest of this console generation. Hot off the heels of the immensely successful and popular trilogy remakes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro comes Activision’s next sure fire money make from old. A remake from the ground up of Crash Team Racing. I’ll be honest, I genuinely thought this would be too much of a stretch to happen. For years PlayStation fans had hoped Crash would return to them, and he did in 2017 with N.Sane Trilogy, but no sooner had that released message boards were on fire about remaking Crash Team Racing. I didn’t expect the message to actually be received, but here we are after an announcement at the Game Awards in December 2018. Crash Team Racing is back and will be a sure fire summer holiday hit.

Shenmue III

Release Date: August 26th (Supposedly)
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC

Be still my beating heart. Could 2019 be the year that part 2 of the E3 of Dreams becomes a reality. Shenmue 3 was announced during the E3 of Dreams in 2015 in a conference gamer’s will never forget. I was honestly stood fist pumping and muting my screams at 2am during the live conference when this happened. After yearly updates from Yu Suzuki and sadly delay after delay, 2019 could be the year we venture on with the next step of Ryu Hazuki’s fantastic journey to avenge his father and take on Lan Di. I really hope that the game can make it 2019, and also hope that it can deliver the same magic that Shenmue 1 and 2 captured in 1999. This should be special.

The Last of Us Part 2

Release Date: 2019? Maybe? Please?
Platforms: PlayStation 4

Video-games are great. They grab your attention and take you on incredible journey’s. They tell stories that can last a lifetime with you. Some of them are more special then others, some of them get you so roped you feel an attachment to the characters you are playing as. The Last of Us was one of the games that I wish I could replay again not knowing what happens. It is stunning. Joel and Ellie and their journey together is something that I’ll never forget. The relationship between them growing as you play as them. The connection you get for them. Staggering and powerful. And there’s a slim chance the next instalment in this superb series comes to PS4 this year. I really hope it makes it this year. No doubt a Game of the Year contender should it see a 2019 release.

Dreams

Release Date: 2019
Platforms: PlayStation 4

A game that feels like it’s been coming out for the entire lifespan of the PlayStation 4. One of the most unique and stunning games announced for the PlayStation 4 and honestly we still don’t really know what the purpose of Dreams is. Every trailer or reveal has shown us something completely new and bizarre. Essentially a sandbox game which allows the player to create their own worlds, characters and manipulate objects. One ambitious looking project from the ever brilliant Media Molecule. The game finally went into BETA in 2018 after delays from 2016. We’re told Dreams will finally release in 2019. Here’s hoping.

Pokemon 2019

Release Date: 2019
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Pokemon fans are fickle aren’t they? You beg for a console version of the beloved series to arrive, and when it does arrive, complain it’s not what you want or expect so hope another game arrives. Fortunately the die hard Pokemon fans who wrote Pokemon Let’s Go for the Switch off can rest easy as in 2019 a return to the more traditional Pokemon series is arriving for Nintendo Switch. Personally I had no problems with Let’s Go and have thoroughly enjoyed the return to Kanto and the new mechanics the game introduced. Sure waving the joycon at Pokemon is a tad annoying and the lack of battling Pokemon to weaken them is disappointing, but I’d much rather see the Pokemon scurrying along grassy areas and roaming around forests then random battles with unknown Pokemon.

So Gamefreak have listened apparently. 2019 will see a return to the Pokemon of old. We don’t know if any of the new mechanics will be carried over to 2019’s game. But based on the attitude of some die-hard Pokemaniacs, sadly I think some of the better ideas will be reverted back to formula.

What else?

There are an astounding number of awesome games due to hit in 2019 and some without confirmed release dates but hopes such as Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima. I’ve missed plenty of huge games, but for me, these are some of the ones I’m particularly hyped for. Any of these on your radar for 2019? What else are you keen to play?

– Murr