Beginning of 2020 is unusually full with big titles and some of them have been expected for many years. Some other games have uncertain release date so, in this list, we've only chosen games with a specific date.
Final Fantasy 7 : Remake
March 3, 2020 - PS4
Expected for many years, the remake of the cult title Final Fantasy 7 will be one of the first blockbusters to open the year. At the time of writing, a demo presenting the beginning of the game should be published on PSN, which will help to keep the millions of 1997's game fans around the world waiting.
Much more than a simple graphical facelift, FF7 Remake should offer many script changes and a completely redesigned gameplay, much more action, but still leaving some tactical options for players, including an active pause that allows players to choose their options directly in combat.
If you're planning on keeping a minimum of surprises for the release of FF7 Remake on March 3rd, it looks like you'll have to take cover now: recent leaks keep unveiling new elements of the game.
Cyberpunk 2077
April 16, 2020 - PC, PS4, Xbox One
Like everyone else, we obviously had Cyberpunk 2077 in mind. After the success of The Witcher 3, expectations are extremely high for CD Projekt Red and their new title. The universe and its atmosphere are rich and seductive for fans of science fiction like Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell. We're promised immense freedom, tons of dialogue, choices, and ways to play as you play as V, a mercenary on the notorious streets of Night City. Will you try to save the city from itself? Or would you rather destroy it with its megacorporations?
Some lucky ones have participated in an event organized by CD Projekt Red in Warsaw. This was an opportunity to have a Q&A session with the developers, who were kind enough to give more information about their little baby: Cyberpunk 2077.
The Last of Us 2
May 29, 2020 - PS4
It was in 2013, on PS3, that we were able to play Joel and Ellie in the post-apocalyptic remains of the United States devoured by a fungal infection. The Last of Us offered a subtle mix between a tragic story, touching characters, and effective third-person shooter gameplay. The story is back a few years later, Ellie has grown up, but in this ruined world in which humans are often more vile than zombies, life is often brutal and short. After another tragedy, she finds herself once again plunged into turmoil in the company of Joel. The formula proposed by the Naughty Dog studio seems to have kept its flavour, and even been improved in this second episode. Expect a story rich in emotion.
Originally expected February 2020, The Last of Us 2 will now be released on May 29, 2020.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
March 11, 2020 - PC, Xbox One
The first Ori game made an impression with its beautiful and dreamlike art direction, accompanied by equally successful music, just before killing your cute little bug in a brutal way, because the difficulty was absolutely no joke. This second episode seems well on its way to be his successor given what the trailers show us. Platforms, enemies, bosses, chases as frenzied as deadly, and metroidvania on the program, all with a charm that alternates between light and darkness.
Moon Studios' new title was shown at the 2019 Game Awards with a new teaser full of poetry.
Doom Eternal
March 20, 2020 - PC, Xbox One, PS4
On March 20, there will be Animal Crossing for those who seek peace and cuddles alongside adorable animals in a world of friendship and sharing. And then there will be the others: those who will dismember the demon by hand in Hell in Doom Eternal. Following the excellent remake of the 2017 series, Eternal seems to play the "more of everything" card, with even crazier weapons, a more varied bestiary and an even more violent universe to let all the Doom Guys of the world express themselves. We can't wait to see what the result will be.
Animal Crossing New Horizon
March 20, 2020 - Switch
The Animal Crossing franchise will be sailing towards new horizons at the end of March, a month particularly busy with big releases. But no matter, many players will surely give in to the sound of Tom Nook and Isabelle's bells, for new adventures in the cute world of AC. With a greater emphasis on crafting and lots of new features that should melt the fans of the franchise, New Horizons is already shaping up to be a small revival of one of Nintendo's (many) cult franchises.
To celebrate the New Year, a Japanese advertisement for Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been posted showing previously unseen images. In addition, the official website has revealed the box art for the game, to be released on Nintendo Switch.
Persona 5 The Royal
PS4
As with Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 The Golden, Atlus offers us here a significantly enriched version of the game, it introduces a new character and extends the adventure that was already consequent. The story, the characters, the gameplay and the music all have something catchy that makes us want to go back to the drawing board. Although Episode 5 was a huge success, the Persona license still lacks something to really break through and move into the mainstream outside of Japan. The fact that P5R is finally localized in new languages, including French is a step in the right direction in this area. Too bad it's only available on PS4 in addition to being sold as a separate game, but we're not going to sulk our pleasure for all that.
As the Tokyo Game Show kicks off, Atlus have unveiled a new intro for the upcoming P5R.
Resident Evil 3: Remake
April 3, 2020 - PC, Xbox One, PS4
Announced recently, this remake available a little more than a year after the second game of the series will be released in the middle of other huge releases of the year such as FF7 Remake, Animal Crossing, Doom Eternal, or Cyberpunk 2077. Our bank accounts are likely to suffer as much as poor Jill Valentine, who will once again have to flee from the clutches of the Nemesis, an almost invincible mutant determined to eat STARS for breakfast. RE3 Remake, powered by RE Engine, will be offered with an asymmetric multiplayer mode called Resistance.
Something to enlighten us after the rather unexplained trailers of the next BR.
Ghost of Tsushima
Summer 2020 - PS4
After an extended period of silence, Sucker Punch's action game has come out the tip of its ghost mask. We haven't seen much recent gameplay, but the principle is appealing. You play as a ronin ready to do anything to defeat the Mongolian invasion of the Tsushima Islands in 1274, you'll have to make your katana and the rest of your arsenal talk to get away with it. Climbing, infiltration and exploration of the open world are also planned. This is obviously reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and it remains to be seen if he will get closer to it, or if he will tend more towards Assassin's Creed for example. There's a lot of uncertainty, and he may crash, but for now, we're intrigued.
As expected, the action game of Sucker Punch Productions made a name for itself during the TGA with a touch of gameplay and a lot of cinematic.
Half Life Alyx
PC VR
A surprise announcement by Valve, HL Alyx plans to shake up the small world of virtual reality with a complete adventure of a dozen hours, with advanced interactions and unprecedented maneuverability thanks to Knuckles, the controllers designed by Gabe Newell's company. For the moment, everything we know about the game is contained in the trailer of a little less than two minutes, which is shown below, while the title will be made available free of charge to the lucky ones who have bought the Valve Index or its "controllers". Half Life Alyx is scheduled to be released on major VR media in March.
Twelve years after Half Life 2: Episode 2, Valve finally unveils the new title of its most prestigious franchise, with Half Life Alyx. Discover the first gameplay video of the first big Steam VR game.
PS5 & Xbox Series X
End of 2020
Yes, the year 2020 will also see the launch of next-generation consoles. For the time being, both manufacturers remain rather silent about the concrete elements that interest everyone, such as the price or the games that will run on these machines. But with releases scheduled for the end of the year, the next few weeks should be particularly rich in details, with the highlight being E3 conferences that are likely to shed light on the many grey areas behind these media.
We don't know yet when the PS5 will be released, or even what its price will be, but persistent rumours seem to reveal what's hidding in the belly of the beast.
