We are back for another year of Player 2 and what better way to start 2018 than to look ahead at what will be gracing our consoles and PC’s in the coming 12 months. With this in mind Player 2 Editor, Matt Hewson has put together a list of anticipated titles for each major genre of game, sticking with games that are likely to get released this year. It is now time to get booted and suited for Action/Adventure titles.
The Most Anticipated Action/Adventure Games of 2018
The Last of Us Part 2
I don’t think I really need to explain myself here. The Last of Us is considered by many to be the greatest game ever made and with good reason. It was master class of tension and storytelling from a developer at the peak of their powers. Now we have the second part coming and to expect anything less than excellence would be folly. The only problem I have is that the first game ended on the perfect note and I would hate for a sequel to lessen my enjoyment of the first. I have to trust Naughty Dog though because they haven’t let me down yet. The Last of Us Part 2 will be Sony’s big end of year game, barring a delay into 2019.
God of War
The angriest man in gaming is back and by the looks of thing he has mellowed in his old age. He has brought his son along for the ride giving the gameplay something of a Last of Us appearance, with Kratos Jnr providing assistance from the sidelines. Frankly, I didn’t expect to be excited for a new God of War, I was happy with how the series finished, but from what I have seen so far the devs have done a wonderful job of updating things to avoid simply rehashing old games. I think this one will hit April this year, though that is not a lock.
Anthem
Bioware has struggled recently, there is no doubt. Mass Effect Andromeda was nothing short of a disaster for their reputation so they need a big hit and need it bad. In comes Anthem, something of a Destiny/Division styled sci/fi shooter with an open world, RPG elements and a heavy focus on co-op. Action games are not exactly Bioware’s wheelhouse but I am keen to see what they come up with here. I am also keen to see if they can avoid EA’s overwhelming urge to stuff every game with loot boxes. Anthem will be a late 2018 release but a delay into 2019 is also on the cards.
Spider-man
Insomniac games, those crazy cats behind Sunset Overdrive and Ratchet and Clank somehow got their mitts on the Spider-man licence and boy am I excited. It has been a long time since we have had a truly great Spider-man but this one is looking great. Taking cues from the Arkham games as well as adding their own flair, Insomniac are not locked into making the game fit a movie or existing storyline so they a free to create the Spidey that they want and that Spidey looks great. I think this one will probably hit around September/October.
Darksiders 3
Many (including myself) thought the Darksiders franchise was dead. With THQ biting the dust and the games being picked up by (then) little-known publisher Nordic Games I thought we might get some HD remakes (which we did) but not much else. But boy am I glad I was wrong. Nordic Games has since become THQ Nordic and they have managed to get much of the original Darksiders team back together to create a third entry, this time focusing on Fury’s exploits. Another game that isn’t likely until late in the year but from the early alpha footage it looks like the wait will be worth it.
