I cannot believe it is already October of 2021. It is not okay for time to fly by this quickly! But with the end of another year comes a massive slate of exciting games! There are numerous exciting games this year, and I have whittled that list down to my top five most anticipated! What made the list?!
Let’s find out!
Honorable Mention: Far Cry 6
I have never played a Far Cry game, but Giancarlo Esposito has convinced me to give this one a try! I love a good villain, and he plays the absolute best. Just by looking at the premise of Far Cry on wikipedia, these games sound right up my alley:
- “Lawless frontier” where “values and laws are non-functional?” Check
- Wilderness settings, hunting, and crafting? Check
- Working as a freedom fighter to overthrow regions? CHECK!
I started Game Over Gimmicks to explore the best stories and characters in gaming, and having Giancarlo Esposito in your game signifies to me there’s a good chance at a memorable story. The story should be, at least, acceptable in terms of having a good villain. His name on a game ignites my desire to try out my first Far Cry game.
Far Cry 6 releases on October 7th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 4/5, Google Stadia, and PC
5. Back 4 Blood
I absolutely LOVE the Left 4 Dead series, and Turtle Rock studios is finally back at it again. Back 4 Blood looks to be the spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead, and I couldn’t be more excited for it. Cooperative shooters are inherently fun, but working together to defeat hordes of zombies ramps the intensity beyond nine thousand. Think of it as an entire game based around the zombies mode of Call of Duty. In fact, the Left 4 Dead series is probably the reason why that zombies mode became so popular. We were clamoring for more Left 4 Dead!
If it’s anything like the Left 4 Dead series, the story will be simple: survive. I never played the Left 4 Dead series for story, but for the stories that multiple friends shared. My friends and I spent hours laughing at who was trapped or hilariously mauled by the incessant horde. I look forward to similar experiences here!
Back 4 Blood releases on October 12th on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 4/5, and PC. It’s also released on Game Pass on release day. Game Pass continues to be the best value in gaming.
4. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
It’s Pokemon in all of its adorable glory. I’ve been one to shy away from Pokemon over the past 5-10 years because the games tend to be the same: collect adorable friends, battle your way through gyms, and defeat the Elite Four. However, Nintendo has done a good job of creating new Pokemon games with new mechanics and recreating old games with a new style. I absolutely loved going back to the first generation games in Pokemon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee. Seeing those worlds in three dimensions brought new life to the original games, and I expect the same for Brilliant Diamond and Pearl.
I have never played Diamond and Pearl because they were on the Nintendo DS, which I did not have. The DS era was smack dab in a five year break of not playing many video games. Most of the games I played in the 2000s were sports games or nothing at all. Gaming was not as cool as it is today, and keeping appearances in High school was unfortunately important to me. I’m excited to see Diamond and Pearl in a three dimensional light and discover Pokemon I’ve never met before!
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release on November 19th on the Nintendo Switch.
3. Battlefield 2042
Everything about Battlefield 2042 looks wild. The quintessential ‘real-life’ war combat looks crazier than ever, 128 person matches, and….sand tornadoes?! I want to try the game specifically to see sand tornadoes!
In the realistic multiplayer shooter market, a lot of people choices are one of two: Call of Duty or Battlefield. Both games are fun, but are very different. Call of Duty is fast paced, close quarters, and full of action. Battlefield, on the other hand, is much larger and realistic. It truly feels like a battlefield when you play a match with vehicles, constant explosions, and sprawling maps with countless environments. The one downside to massive maps is the occasional downtime of traversing said maps, and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Lobbies with 128 people in them will absolutely help with the downtime, and I cannot wait to try this game.
The one drawback of Battlefield is the lack of a single player campaign. Regardless of quality, I generally dip my toes into every Call of Duty campaign because they’re usually fun. Battlefield missing a campaign in favor of only multiplayer is disappointing, but hopefully the multiplayer is crazy enough to warrant countless hours of fun.
The last Battlefield game I really sunk my teeth into was Battlefield 4 back in 2014. Getting to see how the game has evolved in seven years will be fun!
Battlefield 2042 will release on November 19th on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 4/5, and PC.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
As a Guardians of the Galaxy fanboy, I must try this game. Thankfully everything I’ve seen from trailers and first impressions gives me the confidence to make this a day one purchase. It looks great, fun, and the dialogue feels right out of the movies and comics. It feels like the Guardians I’ve grown to love. I’m a sucker for a hilarious cast of characters, and one attached to a fun Marvel game is absolutely a must play.
I also absolutely love how much it feels more comic centered than movie centered. Gamora and Drax look much more like their comic counterparts, and Peter Quill is much more of the sarcastic schmuck that loves hooking up with aliens.
Eidos Montreal and Square Enix look to have a hit on their hands, and hopefully the game sells well and we get a series of Guardians games. More Guardians of the Galaxy is never a bad thing!
Guardians of the Galaxy releases on October 26th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
1. Halo Infinite
It’s Halo. What more could be said?! Halo is one of the most legendary game series of all time, and this new installment looks to be a phenomenal return to the classic series. Halo 5 wasn’t the most well received entry into the franchise, and Infinite is looking to improve upon its predecessor. 343 studios has confirmed that Halo Infinite will be “much more human” and focus more on Master Chief.
Not having a Halo game focused on Master Chief sure was an interesting choice.
While I cannot wait to experience the sprawling and iconic Halo story, my anticipation grows exponentially every day for the multiplayer. Literally everything I’ve seen from the trailers in the multiplayer look to be awesome. The weapons, gear, armor, and gadgets look to provide us with that perfect Halo multiplayer experience. The grapple jack on the Banshee was amazing and I cannot wait to have that happen to me a thousand times.
Absolutely my number one most anticipated game of 2021. Especially after I’ve seen the improvements 343 studios has made over the last year.
Xbox Infinite releases on December 8th on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. It also releases on Game Pass on launch day.
I brought this list down to six games, but there are definitely others I want to play. Metroid Dread looks like a game I would love to try. I have never tried Disco Elysium, and having that game come to consoles is the perfect opportunity for me. Game Pass gives me access to Forza Horizon 5, so why not give it a shot?!
The one obvious omission on this list is Call of Duty: Vanguard. I didn’t include it because it’s not an anticipated game for me. I’m going to play it, it’s going to be good, and it will be more Call of Duty. I know what I’m expecting and I expect it to be fun. I wanted this list to be focused on series I haven’t played in awhile or games I cannot wait to try.
My list is very similar to a lot of other people’s lists, but that’s okay! I’m excited for what I’m excited for, and I cannot wait to experience these games. I’m going to be busy!