From incredible console exclusives to third-party blockbusters, these games are full of promise, and cover a decent range of genres. Whether you own a Nintendo Switch, just upgraded your PC or plan on getting either a PS5 and Xbox Series X when they come back in stock, there will be plenty to play in 2021 – and honestly, we can’t wait.
Resident Evil Village
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
The direct sequel to Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village picks up with that game’s protagonist, Ethan, whose pleasant new life is interrupted by the return of Resi mainstay Chris Redfield. Ethan soon finds himself in a once-peaceful snowy village that’s now infested with supernatural horrors.
Like Resident Evil 7, expect more high-fidelity first-person scares, this time with witches, werewolves and other imagery we’re not used to seeing in Capcom’s long-running survival horror series.
Horizon Forbidden West
Releasing on: PS5, PS4
Set in a new location, the sequel to one of the PS4’s highest-selling exclusives is, strangely, coming to both the PS5 and Sony’s older console. In this instalment, Aloy ventures to what was once America, exploring forests, lost cities and mountains in a storm-ravaged land. Another extinction-level event is coming to ravage the machine-infested world – Aloy’s going to try and stop it.
Expect more gorgeous open world exploration and exciting combat from Guerrilla Games, as well as encountering old characters and new factions that are at war. New enemy types will be prowling the land, and you’ll upgrade Aloy’s armory to stop them. Even if it’s coming to PS4 as well, expect this to be a nice showcase for the PS5’s power.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Releasing on: PS5
Want a game that’s specifically designed to show off the power of the PS5’s super-fast SSD, and looks set to continue Sony’s track record of delivering excellent exclusives? Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart could tick both those boxes.
Jump through rifts into completely brand new worlds, with instant-loading and an astonishing amount of onscreen visual detail to boot. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart takes one step closer to matching the CGI quality of a Pixar film, and we’re crossing our fingers that it will live up to the series’ sterling reputation.
Far Cry 6
Releasing on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
It’s unclear if the latest entry in Ubisoft’s massively popular Far Cry series will release in 2021 – originally set for February, it was bumped back due to the pandemic, which makes sense for a game of this scale, but we’d be surprised if it didn’t land later in the year. Set on a fictional island in the Caribbean, you’re once again toppling a dictator, this time president Antón Castillo (played by Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian’s Giancarlo Esposito).
You’re playing a freedom fighter trying to put the country back together again, in a story that’s borrowing somewhat from the Cuban Revolution. Still, what Far Cry usually amounts to is some gorgeous but chaotic open world action, as you clear out enemy areas and watch animals and people have random fights in the middle of nowhere. We don’t expect that to change too much.
Gran Turismo 7
Releasing on: PS5
Sony’s racing sim is set to arrive early 2021, and is tipped to be a graphical showcase for the system. Ray traced reflections will likely make the game’s selection of eye-wateringly expensive cars appear more realistic than ever before, and it’ll be interesting to see where the series goes after the successful GT Sport on PS4.
To have a Gran Turismo game so early in the PS5’s life cycle is also a rare boon, as the game is notorious for its late releases. Still, it’s usually always worth the wait, with purists often praising the game for its convincing depiction of track racing. We honestly just like to drive cars we could never possibly own.
Gotham Knights
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, Xbox One
The successor to the Arkham series of Batman games doesn’t star the Caped Crusader at all. Instead, it’s a game about the extended Bat Family of characters: the Red Hood, Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, with each having their own fighting styles.
Featuring the Batman villains the Court of Owls, it also features two-player co-op, and looks a little Destiny-ish, with enemies having levels and numbers flying out of them when your characters perform attacks. We’re not sure about that bit – the Batman games were pretty perfect when it came to combat already – but it sure looks gorgeous.
Returnal
Releasing on: PS5
An interesting premise and another PS5 exclusive, Returnal challenges you to break the cycle of chaos on an ever-changing planet. The procedurally-generated world should offer a wealth of replayability, as you’ll need to brush yourself down and try again should you fail.
A third-person bullet hell shooter starring Game of Thrones’ star Gwendoline Christie, and created by the esteemed developer Housemarque, this could be a real sleeper hit for PlayStation fans to look forward to in 2021.
Deathloop
Releasing on: PS5, PC
Made by Arkane Studios, the brains behind the Dishonored series of games, this PS5 and PC-exclusive game lands on May 21, 2021. It’s about two duelling assassins, stuck in a constant struggle on an island called Blackreef. One, Colt, wants to stop the never-ending timeloop the island’s been stuck in, and needs to kill eight targets before the day starts again in order to pull this off. The second, meanwhile, an assassin called Julianna, has the opposite goal: kill Colt, and preserve the time loop.
Expect a mix of stealth, action and magic powers, just like we saw in Dishonored. A unique multiplayer mode will let players take on the role of Julianna and kill another player’s Colt while they’re trying to play the campaign – which sounds really cool, though the multiplayer side is entirely optional.
Halo Infinite
Releasing on: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
It’s been a tumultuous ride for Halo Infinite. A subpar showing at Microsoft’s Xbox Series X games reveal event resulted in a painful last minute delay, and the flagship title failed launch alongside the company’s new next-gen consoles. Still, it’s one of the most anticipated games on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S by some margin.
The delay will hopefully prove fortuitous for Master Chief’s next adventure, too. Developer 343 Industries has assured worried fans that great strides have been made in improving the game’s level of visual fidelity, which came under fire during its initial reveal, and that the overall experience will be worthy of Microsoft’s faceless super soldier. The game is set to arrive in Fall 2021, right around Halo’s 25th anniversary.
Hogwarts Legacy
Releasing on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
It’s about time that someone made a good non-Lego game out of the Harry Potter universe. Hogwarts Legacy takes the approach of setting the story 100 years before the books, so you’re not simply having adventures in the other characters’ shadow. You’ll get to create a character, pick which house you’re sorted into at Hogwarts and enjoy exploring familiar locations in this world.
It should give fans a real kick – and we’d expect to see it release in late 2021.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Releasing on: Nintendo Switch
Link’s sprawling open-world adventure is still arguably the highlight of the Nintendo Switch’s impressive game library, which means expectations for its sequel have already reached fever pitch. But will Nintendo be able to top it?
After teasing the game at E3 2019, the Kyoto-based company has been awfully quiet about Breath of the Wild 2. We know both Link and Zelda return, and that a powerful new threat will need to be vanquished. It’s also likely that the gorgeous plains of Hyrule will return for players to explore, though how it will vary from the first game remains to be seen. We’re expecting Breath of the Wild 2 to arrive in 2021, with the Holiday season (Sep-Dec) the most likely release window.
Hitman 3
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia
Agent 47 returns on January 20, with more contracts to fulfil and more assassinations to accomplish. Typically, you’ll have to take out your targets in a variety of inventive ways, or you can always rely on the good old-fashioned garrotte to get the job done.
Hitman 3 will also be entirely playable in VR on PS4, so you can step into the perfectly polished shoes of the bald-headed hitman for the very first time. You’ll need to own a PSVR headset of course, but the prospect of seeing the game’s locales through the eyes of Agent 47 is certainly exciting.
Back 4 Blood
Releasing on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
If you’ve been desperately craving a sequel to Life 4 Dead 2, it’s probably time to let that dream go. However, Back 4 Blood might be the next best thing, as it’s shaping up to be a sequel to Valve’s classic zombie survival shooter in everything but name.
Developed by many of the great minds who created the timeless Life 4 Dead series, Back 4 Blood takes the same first-person, co-op survival aspects that resonated well with players, and adds more grotesque zombies to deal along with fun, frenetic combat. The game is set to add PvP multiplayer into the mix too, pitting four human players against each other.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Releasing on: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Fans have been harping on about remaking the Mass Effect trilogy for some time now, and thankfully, EA has finally their cries. All three games will benefit from updated textures, shaders, models, effects and technical features that will modernize the experience as opposed to remaking or reimagining them. Expect 4K visuals and hopefully a silky-smooth frame rate of 60fps when it arrives in the first half of 2021.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition will also include all the single-player base content and DLC, so you’re getting the full Mass Effect experience here. If you’re new to the trilogy, this will be the best way to experience three beloved games.
Everwild
Releasing on: Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Rare’s revival with Sea of Thieves has put the developer back into the upper echelons of game designers. While it may have gotten off to a slow start, Rare’s pirate adventure has restored a lot of faith in the once-floundering developer, and its next game Everwild has unsurprisingly caught the eye of many players.
With an arresting, magical art style, and the promise of more emergent, multiplayer experiences to enjoy, Everwild sounds extremely promising – even at this early stage. We just hope it releases in a more complete state than Sea of Thieves did, as the game disappointed some players due to its lackluster launch, before later winning acclaim.
