It will be a big year for video game releases and we are particularly looking forward to how Microsoft navigates the release schedule after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It’s impossible to list all the games we are going to play this year but here are 10 titles that are surely on our radar.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Release date: February 29
Platform: PS5
It’s the second chapter of the re-imagining of the classic role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. It retells the story of the iconic fantasy game that redefined the RPG genre in three distinct games. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth picks up with iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII after they escape from the dystopian city Midgar and sees them embark on a journey in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Release date: January 18
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Lost Crown is shaping up to be a winner of a 2D platformer with varied combat, a trove of optional content, and a massive world to explore. The opening of the game introduces the player to Sargon and the band of Immortals that are bound to protect the Prince of Persia and the rest of the royal family. Use your Time Powers, combat and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Release date: January 26
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
In the background is Yakuza protagonist Kazama Kiryu battling cancer, so expect an emotional story to match turn-based combat. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama dubbed Infinite Wealth a “monster-class game longer than anything we’ve made so far”, and something that can’t be completed in just one or two all-nighters. In the game, you will encounter new faces, create new bonds, and enjoy minigames in immense and vibrant environments.
Tekken 8
Release date: January 26
Platforms: PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
The game unfolds six months after Tekken 7, focusing on Jin Kazama’s goal of killing his father, Kazuya Mishima, to end their disastrous lineage. There will be an aggressive gameplay and a new “Heat” mechanic to boot. The game comes with 32 characters, with four more currently set to release as DLC. You can battle your opponents into submission as you fight across a variety of dynamic environments.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Release date: April 23
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/ S, PS5
Embark on a poignant single-player story shaped by actor Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief, discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after a loss. As Zau, you must face your own emotions to become a worthy Nganga: a spiritual healer. Zau receives a Bantu tale written by his late father and becomes inspired to journey through mystical 2.5-D realms.
Star Wars Outlaws
Release date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S
It’s a new adventure from Ubisoft set in a galaxy far, far away. As the “first ever” open-world Star Wars game, prepare to visit the Outer Rim as professional scoundrel Kay Vess. You will discover the underbelly of the galaxy and with your companion Nix, you’ll set out to gain your freedom and start your life over. If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Release date: February 2
Platforms: PS5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S
Players take control of Task Force X, including King Shark, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Boomerang as they attempt to kill The Justice League. The Suicide Squad must be mindful of the lethal explosives implanted in their heads that could go off at the first sign of defiance. You can go in for single-player mode or team up with friends in multiplayer co-op.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Release date: TBA
Platforms: PS4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S and PS5
Coming from the creative team that gave us Persona 3, 4, and 5, the gameplay trailers show a sweeping fantasy story filled with the same stylistic touches. An anguished kingdom stands on a precipice. You must embark on a journey fraught with unsettling mystery, while overcoming obstacles and forging bonds with friends, and transforming those bonds into strength. The game still remains a mystery. Its latest trailer includes a host of oddball images, from a walking ship to a battle against an egg with legs.
Rise of the Ronin
Release date: March 22
Platforms: PS5
It’s Japan of 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s oppressive rule, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil. A nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands.
Black Myth: Wukong
Release date: August 20
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Windows
Players take on the Destined One, a monkey-like person named Sun Wukong, as they fight their way through powerful enemies in soulslike gameplay. The story is based on Journey to the West, one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.