Stephan’s Most Anticipated Games of 2018

Anthem

Developed by BioWare (@bioware). Releasing Fall 2018 on Win, PS4 & Xbox One.

Recovering from the disastrous development of Mass Effect Andromeda, BioWare is restructuring their teams and shifting all their resources into this next AAA blockbuster. Debuted at E3 last year, Anthem is going after that coveted online multiplayer action RPG genre which Activision has dominated with Destiny. EA and BioWare are going all in, hoping that Anthem is “the start of maybe a 10-year journey” for BioWare in which post-release content, updates and potential sequels will put it in a place to compete with Destiny.

Mega Man 11

Developed by Capcom (@Capcom_Unity). Releasing Fall 2018 on Win, Switch, PS4 &, Xbox One.

The blue bomber is back, 30 years after his debut on the NES. Resident Evil 0 director Koji Oda is directing the first main series Mega Man game since 2010’s positively received Mega Man 10. Seven years later, Capcom has taken a new art direction stepping away from pixel art to 3D polygonal characters and environments for Mega Man 11 which is looking like a promising return to tight platforming action we all know and love.

Untitled Yoshi Game

Developed by Nintendo EPD (@NintendoAmerica). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Switch.

Much like the Kirby games, the Yoshi series has pretty much remained a kids-focused gaming experience. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just that none of the recent Yoshi games have appealed to me. I absolutely adore Yoshi’s Island and loved the visual style of Yoshi’s Wolly World, despite the gameplay being more of the same-old. As Nintendo is shaking up series standards with Mario and Zelda last year I’m hopeful we’ll hear more about this new Yoshi game soon which shows it’s doing something different.

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove

Developed by HumaNature Studios (@HumanatureGames). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac, Lin, Switch, PS4 & Xbox One.

A return to the classic 1991 Sega Genesis series ToeJam & Earl, Adult Swim Games is reviving the long-dormant cult hit which is being developed by the Doki-Doki Universe creators and industry veteran Greg Johnson. This sequel will feature 2D character models on 3D worlds with overhead perspective and will let the dynamic duo be playable in local and online co-op.

Quake Champions

Developed by iD Software (@idSoftware). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win.

The mother of all arena-based FPS games returns this year and hot off the heels of 2016’s helluva good return to DOOM, iD software is poised to revive yet another classic series for modern audiences. Quake Champions will be free to play, allowing all players access to the Ranger character with the other characters available for purchase in a similar model to Killer Instinct. Wolfenstein‘s B.J. Blastowitz will also be a playable character, so that’s cool.

Project Octopath Traveler

Developed by Square Enix (@SquareEnix) & Acquire. Releasing sometime in 2018 on Switch.

This JRPG caught a lot of player’s attention when its unique pixel art, 3D environment mash-up art style had many clamouring for more details. After an incredibly well-received demo on the Switch convinced many fans that this is the next big JRPG to keep on your radar.

Days Gone

Developed by Sony Bend. Releasing sometime in 2018 on PS4.

After going silent for almost 4 years after developing Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Sony Bend emerged at E3 last year to unveil… another zombie game. Now I hate on zombie games, it’s an overdone genre in my humble opinion, but Days Gone stands out from the rest because of the incredible level of polish and attention to detail we’ve seen with just a few demos since its announcement.

Dreams

Developed by Media Molecule (@mediamolecule). Releasing sometime in 2018 on PS4.

Dreams is a bit of an enigma. The developers are pitching it as a game that gives players possibly endless creative power, and while it does feature a campaign of sorts with prebuilt levels the real focus is on the creation tools given to the player. It’s almost like a game engine of sorts, giving players the ability to draw and place anything they can think of, create any sort of logic for object and character behaviours and do all of this collaboratively via online co-op. Whether it will pan out remains to be seen but it’s an incredibly ambitious goal, and with the charm and adorable characters of their previous hits LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway I’m sure it will be delightful in its own right.

Super Meat Boy Forever

Developed by Team Meat (@SuperMeatBoy). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS & Android.

More Super Meat Boy! Yay! Originally conceived as a mobile port of the first game, Super Meat Boy Forever has since blossomed into a full-fledged sequel with a campaign starring Meat Boy and Bandage Girl teaming up to rescue their child from Dr Fetus. More tight platforming and countless squishy, splattery deaths are all need to get hyped for the sequel to one of the indie games that started it all.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Developed by Telltale Games (@telltalegames). Releasing sometime in 2018 presumably on every goddamn platform.

I still haven’t played Season 3 of Telltale’s incredible adventure series, but knowing this will be the end of Clem’s story is all I need to know to get excited. Both The Walking Dead Season 1 and Season 2 rank quite high on my Top 100 Games with Season 2 especially hitting me hard. And now that Telltale has switched to an industry standard engine this one might finally run well!

The Wolf Among Us: Season 2

Developed by Telltale Games (@telltalegames). Again, releasing sometime in 2018 presumably on every goddamn platform.

I loved the first season of The Wolf Among Us. The neon-noir aesthetic with the murder mystery that had me questioning everything from the beginning made it an unforgettable experience. But most of all, that mindfuck twist for an ending must be resolved. I NEED TO KNOW!

The Church in the Darkness

Developed by Paranoid Productions. Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac, PS4 & Xbox One.

What if a cult got a hold of a member of your family? What would you do?

Best described on the game’s official site: “The Church in the Darkness combines unique narrative with tight top-down action-infiltration gameplay in an open-ended environment. As Vic, an ex-law enforcement officer, you travel to South America to get into Freedom Town and check on your nephew, Alex. Play how you want – you can avoid detection completely, take on the guards using non-lethal methods, or kill anyone who gets in your way. But you’ll have to live with the consequences of those choices.”

The Last Night

Developed by Odd Tales (@oddtalesgames). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac, Lin & Xbox One.

The Last Night and specifically lead designer Tim Soret were part of a large controversy last June when the game was shown on Xbox’s E3 stage. Past comments Soret made in 2014 were pro-Gamergate, anti-feminism and these tweets were brought up online as a reason not to support The Last Night. Soret responded on PC Gamer’s stage at E3 that those past tweets “don’t in any way represent where I am today or what The Last Night will be about.”

The game itself is set in a future where computers and robot have replaced all menial labour, an “era of leisure.” But the game’s protagonist, Charlie, is a second-class citizen who is disillusioned with the way things are. The game features a gorgeous 2D art style and has an open world to explore and characters to talk to, as well as gunfights and stealth sections. I’m interested in seeing how Soret’s values play out in this dystopic(?) future.

Wattam

Developed by Funomena (@funomena), SIE Santa Monica Studio (@SonySantaMonica). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win & PS4.

As described on Funomena’s site: “Wattam is a delightfully, explosive, exploratory game from the creator of Katamari Damacy – Keita Takahashi.” I’m a big fan of Katamari Damacy and I’m an even bigger fan of experimental indies so this is the Stephan Reilly wombo combo right here. The game’s E3 trailer has all the charm, adorableness and mouth noise music and sound effects of Katamari Damacy with a modern touch of air horns and walking poop emojis. Get hyped.

Tunic

Developed by Andrew Shouldice (@dicey). Releasing sometime 2018 on Win, Mac & Consoles.

I first wrote about Tunic in my most anticipated games of 2017 list last year when it was still called “Secret Legend.” Now with a slightly less obvious name homage to The Legend of Zelda, Maritime developer Andrew Shouldice has been hard at work on this gorgeous, isometric adventure game. Teaming up with publisher Finji Co. (publisher of 2017’s game of the year Night in the Woods) I’m so stoked to play Tunic in lieu of any 2D Zelda game coming anytime soon.

Return of the Obra Dinn

Developed by Lucas Pope (@dukope). Releasing sometime 2018 on Win, Mac & Lin.

Lucas Pope’s Papers, Please hit me hard. The heavy moral situations I encountered throughout my term as a border officer in an Eastern European-inspired authoritarian state weighed heavy on me for long after I was finished playing. While Pope’s next game is taking a completely different direction visually, I hope the heavy, meaningful storytelling continues in the new setting of a fictional East India Company ship whose crew and passengers have all mysteriously died, with the game’s objective being to discover how.

Ooblets

Developed by Rebecca Cordingley (@nonplayercat) & Ben Wasser (@perplamps). Releasing on Win and Xbox One sometime in 2018.

Probably the most talked about indie game in the mainstream I’ve encountered in a while, Ooblets is pitched as Stardew Valley meets Pokémon. Players manage a farm, meet friends and littler friends called “Ooblets” who join you in your exploration of the various world regions battling other Ooblet trainers. The game has captured the hearts of many (myself included) with its charm and interesting genre mash-up.

Mineko’s Night Market

Developed by husband and wife developers Brandi Kobayashi (@kukubee) & Brent Kobayashi (@meowza). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac & ???.

If you didn’t know I love cats, and I really like indie games, so obviously the marriage of these is clearly the best thing that could happen. In Mineko’s Night Market players are Mineko, a young girl who arrives on a Japanese inspired island overrun with cats. Meowza games say that players will “Discover the mysteries of the island while crafting crafts, friending friends, eating eats, and… catting cats.” I don’t know if I’ve ever catted cats before so I am hyped as hell.

Manifold Garden

Developed by William Chur (@WilliamChyr). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win & PS4.

I’ve been following Manifold Garden since its first fascinating trailer at PSX 2015, and since then solo developer William Chur has been quite open with the game’s development, often streaming it on Twitch. Seeing behind the curtain has been fascinating for an aspiring developer like myself. Manifold Garden is a first-person exploration game featuring Escher-esque worlds through which the player flies like Superman. It’s quite out there, and I’m ready to go there.

Donut County

Developed by Ben Esposito (@torahhorse). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac, iOS and more.

Donut County started as a game called Kachino, a game which Ben Esposito went through a painful but purposeful process where he learned a lot about the cultural appropriation and how he was hurting people with his game. Following this story, it’s been great to see Esposito’s game evolve from a damaging misuse of Native culture to a thoughtful exploration of Esposito’s home, and his stories, not others. On top of all that, Donut County is a charming puzzle game where players control a hole in the ground and using things they make fall in they work their way through different environments with sarcastic racoons and Arizona sunsets.

Burrito Galaxy 65

Developed by @kayfaraday, @online_frog & @mushbuh. Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win.

I don’t really know what the fuck this game is but going off their site alone I was laughing. Based on the short demo trailer on their site, it looks like a first-person adventure game with a colourful and sarcastic cast which now consists of mole and guac, as well as mole’s pet stalagmite Todd (NOT a stalactite)… I’m down for more Burrito Galaxy 65 in my near future.

Ape Out

Developed by Gabe Cuzzillo (@gabecuzzillo). Releasing “Summer 2017” according to Steam although it’s not out… so probably sometime in 2018? On Steam and maybe consoles??

What if instead of a gunman, Hotline Miami starred a rampaging gorilla and an even zanier, seizure-inducing art style? Well, that’d be Ape Out, a heart-pounding, chest-thumping top-down arcade game where a gorilla fights its way through armed guards and beats them to a bloody pulp. I’m ready to go apeshit up in here.

Darksiders 3

Developed by Gunfire Games (@gunfire_games). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, PS4 & Xbox One.

The first Darksiders game since THQ went under, then returned as THQ Nordic, Darksiders 3 is in development from the same studio who made the Darksiders 2 remake for Wii U and current gen consoles. This third game in the series stars a new character Fury, sister of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Players will encounter similar combat and dungeon-puzzle solving from previous Darksiders games, and with a new studio at the helm, I’m excited to see where they take the series.

Concrete Genie

Developed by PixelOpus (@Pixelopus). Releasing sometime in 2018 on PS4.

I wasn’t a big fan of PixelOpus’ first experimental game Entwined, but after reading up on the studio and their approach to design I’m ready to give them another chance. PixelOpus has been given pretty much free rein by PlayStation to try new things. They believe in hiring students and recent grads and pairing them up with industry veterans to work on all the areas of the game: code, art and design. This has led to Concrete Genie, a game about a bullied boy who makes friends with his art. Using a spray can feature similar to inFamous: Second Son players paint the walls of the grungy town with fantastic beasts and vistas.

Code Vein

Developed by Bandai Namco Studios (@BandaiNamcoCA). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, PS4 & Xbox One.

Pitched as anime Dark Souls (two things I’m not fond of separately, much the less together) I’m excited about Code Vein because of the approach director Hiroshi Yoshimura is taking. He’s pairing the deep story of his other series God Eater with the “high-pressure” combat of Dark Souls, which is my favourite part of those games. Building up your souls, knowing one death means losing all that progress, that’s the thrill. But Dark Souls world never really connected with me, so I’m hoping Code Vein can deliver that well-engineered stress with a story and world I’m actually interested in.

Biomutant

Developed by Experiment 101 (@Experiment1O1). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, PS4 & Xbox One.

It’s like if Rocket Racoon was the star of an open-world RPG. Players will use an incredibly complex character creator that has actual effects on their character beyond visuals. For example, if you create a thicker character it will be heavier and therefore slower but will be able to resist more damage than if it was thinner. This all feeds into the character progression throughout the game. Players will be able to change up character abilities and even modify their character by adding bio-mechanical body parts like robotic legs and wings.

Russian Subway Dogs

Developed by Spooky Squid Games Inc. (@spookysquid). Releasing sometime in 2018 Win, Mac, PS4 & PS Vita.

One of my favourite games I got to play at Gamescom 2017, Russian Subway Dogs is an arcade game inspired by the real world dogs of Russia’s metro system. Players pick a doggo (like K.C. Green‘s “This is Fine” dog), and then try to bark at subway riders to get them to drop valuables which add to their score. Steal burritos and avoid vodka, which detonates on impact with the floor. It’s cute and fun as hell, I can’t wait to play!

Children of Morta

Developed by Dead Mage (@DeadMageStudio). Releasing sometime in 2018 on Win, Mac & Linux.

Reminiscent of 2016’s delightful Enter the Gungeon, Children of Morta is a beautiful roguelike hack-and-slash about the Bergson family and the deep, monster-filled caverns under their mansion. Each family member is a playable character with their own abilities and goals, they’re all unique and reminded me of Diablo III‘s roster. I thoroughly enjoyed my demo at Gamescom 2017, and would love to dive into the full game to try all the characters and see how far I can make it into the depths.

Left Alive

Developed by Square-Enix (@SquareEnix). Releasing sometime in 2018 on PS4 & Steam.

Left Alive is a survival action third-person shooter coming from a seasoned team of Japanese developers who’ve worked on hits like Metal Gear Solid, Xenoblade and Armored Core. It’s set in a future where the power gap between man and machines has forced humans underground in order to fight for survival. Encounters can be approached stealthily or from full out assault. The game looks stunning, and with a seriously talented team, I feel like this game has loads of potential.

#WarGames

Developed by Sam Barlow (@mrsambarlow), MGM & Eko. Releasing sometime in 2018 on the Eko website, the Eko presents mobile app, and on “a range of partner platforms” still to be announced (Source).

The next project from Her Story designer Sam Barlow, this is a reboot of the 1983 sci-fi thriller WarGames. Viewers will participate in the story, deciding the fate of key characters and influencing the plot. Barlow states, “#WarGames is really only conceptually based on the original film, and would appear to draw as much inspiration from more recent hacker-culture fare like Sam Esmail’s ‘Mr. Robot.'” As a big fan of Her Story I’m stoked to see what Barlow can do with a significantly bigger budget and team.

♥

That’s all of it! Obviously, there will be games delayed and games that are announced and released this year. And there are absolutely games I’ve missed or just don’t know about. But here’s everything I do know about and can’t wait to play or see play out in the community. Thanks for reading!

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