Resident Evil Village

This is by far one of the games I’m most hyped for. I’m a huge fan of the Resident Evil franchise and have been ever since the first game, with its blocky graphics and cheesy dialogue. To be honest, I didn’t realize this trailer was for a Resident Evil game until it reached the end — it looks totally different to anything they’ve done before, with a much more supernatural feel. Resident Evil Village will be the eighth entry in the series, set years after the events of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. The story follows Ethan Winters, who has started a new life with his wife, Mia, when Chris Redfield (who fans will remember from previous games) shows up.

Resident Evil Village features graphics powered by the RE engine and is due for release on the PS5 in 2021.

Project Athia

Dragons, wolves, magic, mystery, and a mysterious girl in a cape with magical powers. What’s not to love about Project Athia? The latest game by Square Enix and Luminous Productions had viewers of the “Future of Gaming” event wowed, including me! There’s no release date yet, but hopefully it will land on PS5 next year.

Returnal

Housemarque’s mind-bending sci-fi shooter Returnal is their most ambitious game yet. From the developers who brought us Resogun, you play as a woman caught in a time loop on a mysterious alien planet, forced to relive her death over and over again. In Returnal, the planet looks a little bit different every time you come back — and so does your character — not to mention it looks scary as hell! Hopefully Returnal will be one of the titles we’ll see released for the PS5 next year.

Stray

By far the most mysterious trailer was for Stray from BlueTwelve and Annapurna Interactive. This cat adventure game (formerly known as HK_Project) is set in Kowloon Walled City. You play as a cute, playful cat exploring the mysterious city and meeting the strange robots that dwell there. Stray is coming to PS5 in 2021, and I can’t wait!

Which games are you most excited for after the “Future of Gaming” showcase?

Fans of the series have known about Valhalla for some time after many spotted the Easter Egg in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 last year (a character is shown holding a poster with “Valhalla” on it and holding the Apple of Eden from the series). For those who have only just heard the news, the story trailer is definitely worth checking out.

This is the 12th game in Ubisoft’s series, and some say it’s going to be their best yet, with the biggest map of the series to date. The game is open world, with action taking place across a number of European cities, from Kiev to Paris and London. Some gamers have questioned whether it will be too much like Odyssey, but this is a different, darker take and fans of the series won’t be left disappointed with the Norse setting.

What’s it All About?

You play the role of Eivor, a Viking raider, during the Viking invasions of England at the end of the 8th century. You can customize your character to be male or female — in fact, there’s a whole host of customizations available and not just when it comes to clothing, hair, and tattoos. Valhalla lets you choose from a huge variety of weapons, from the usual bows and sword to dual-wield axes and more. Because the game is open world, there’s always something to do even if you get tired of combat. Give flyting a go if you fancy engaging in dastardly poetry battles, or try your hand at fishing and hunting in a beautifully rendered environment.

You’ll build a settlement for your home base and spend much of your time upgrading it for protection, and forming alliances as your reach expands. As lead producer Julien Laferrière explains:

“It’s your own Viking village you’ll see prosper and grow, and which your clan mates will live in. It’s at the centre of our quests and the centre of the decisions you make. We want players to see the consequences of their actions.”

Unlike other games in the series (barring Assassin’s Creed III, where players created a homestead), the decision for players to return to their settlement after each adventure has changed the shape of the game:

“Instead of exploring one territory, then moving on to another and having no real opportunity or reason to return, the settlement changes the structure. So you’ll go on an adventure and then be encouraged to come back to your settlement. It changes the way we’re playing the game we’re making — at least, that’s the bet we’re making.”

Play with Friends in Co-Op Mode

The series has offered us multiplayer before, but Valhalla takes it to a whole new and exciting level. Team up with your friends in co-op mode and create custom raiders to raid with friends, sending your team into battle to help others or recruiting them to assist you.

When’s it Out?

Valhalla will be one of the first games released on next-gen consoles, launching during this year’s holiday season on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia.

#1. The Last of Us Part 2

It’s no coincidence this tops my list of games I’m looking forward to in 2020. It feels like we’ve been waiting forever for a Last of Us sequel (and we have, really)! This has been in my Amazon pre-order list for an age, and I was originally looking forward to its February release. However, it’s now been confirmed for the 29th of May, a date for the diary if you were a huge fan of the original Last of Us. Sadly, the opportunity to play an exclusive demo of the game at PAX East in Boston later this month is no more, as Sony’s presence at the event has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Still, it’s not long until the end of May, right? I’ll be replaying the remastered version before number 2 drops.

#2. Final Fantasy VII Remake

Another game it feels like we’ve been waiting for forever is the FFVII remake. Square Enix announced their plans to release the game in an episodic format, with the first episode set to drop on April 10th this year. As a huge fan of the original game back on the original PlayStation (and somebody who’s played the original recently on the Raspberry Pi), I can’t wait for this!

#3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

I must admit to being a latecomer to Ori and the Blind Forest. Although the original was released back in 2015, I didn’t play it until this year, after getting an Xbox One for Christmas. The game’s hand-drawn graphics and touching story about Ori, a little guardian spirit, left me eager for a sequel and thankfully I’ve not had as long to wait as fans who played the first game back when it was released! Ori and the Will of the Wisps is out on the 11th of March on Xbox One.

#4. Half-Life: Alyx

If like many of us, you haven’t yet dropped some serious cash on a VR setup, this may be the game to make you rush out and get one. I’ve always loved the Half-Life games, and Alyx is set before Gordon Freeman’s return in Half-Life 2 (my favorite installment). The trailer looks amazing, and I can’t wait to have a go on my friend’s VR when the game is released in March.

#5. Watch Dogs: Legion

Although the original Watch Dogs wasn’t as much of a success as anticipated, I’m one of the few who really loved the game, from the graphics to the hacking aspect. I have to admit to being rather disappointed by the second game, so I’m pretty hyped for the third installment, set in dystopian London, following the activities of surveillance state organization Albion. Watch Dogs: Legion drops on the 3rd of March, so we don’t have long to wait!

Which games are you most excited to play this year? Are there any I’ve missed off my list?