Coronavrius or not, 2020 was a huge year for games. There were blockbuster titles, such as The Last of Us 2 and the long-awaited Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and two new platforms:PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S.. So what now?
While 2021 doesn’t have any flashy new hardware to look forward to – other than maybe a 4K switch – there’s plenty of promising software to come. Unfortunately, this no longer includes Hogwarts Legacy, which will now be released next year.
Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World is the latest WiiU game ported to Switch. That’s not a bad thing, considering the WiiU was home to several excellent games that didn’t get their time in the sun. That includes Mario Kart 8, the best-selling Switch game to date.
Super Mario 3D World received universal acclaim after its original release, so it’s totally worth playing if you’ve missed it before.
Capcom
After the well-received Monster Hunter World, which launched on PS4 and Xbox One in 2018, and the porting of 3DS game Monster Hunter Generations to the Switch, Nintendo’s console is finally getting its own brand new Monster Hunter game. Like other games in the franchise, it promises to kill a massive world and hundreds of hours of beasts.
The Pokemon Company / Screenshot by CNET
New Pokemon Snap is a much sought after sequel to N64’s favorite 1999 Pokemon Snap. The game, announced last summer, will feature over 200 Pokemon species from the eight-generation series, and Professor Mirror will assess your photography skills as you travel around the region.
It should totally rock, take a gaming idea from the N64 and adapt it to the Switch, which feels like a perfect console for Poketography. It will be launched on April 30.
Capcom
Don’t let the name fool you: Resident Evil Village is really Resident Evil 8. It is a direct sequel to the story of Resident Evil 7, but the developers called it “Village” to describe the village where the game takes place is a key element. Not that subtle – but definitely scary. It looks big too, as the developers have promised a bigger game than Resident Evil 7.
Resident Evil Village will be released on May 7 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X | S and PC.
Bethesda
After focusing primarily on Dishonored for years, developers Arkane Studios are moving to a new IP in Deathloop. And it looks sick.
Here’s the idea: you’re a hit man stuck in a timeloop that resets after every day. To get out, you have to kill eight “visionaries” scattered around an island. The caveat is that you have to do it within one time frame. The second caveat is that while you are on the hunt for the eight visionaries, a rival hitman is engaged in hunt- you.
Deathloop will release on the PlayStation 5 and PC on May 21, with an Xbox version likely next year (it has a timed console exclusivity for a year).
Games are coming ‘TBA’ 2021
The following titles will be released this year. We will update this page as soon as games get an official release date.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
Release date: 2021.
Ubisoft
Remasters are cool, but remakes can be really magical. After Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, three fantastic remakes, 2021 will bring Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Originally released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Ubisoft is giving the platformer a full 2021 do-over. Hopefully.
The game was originally scheduled for January 2021, but was then postponed to March. It’s been postponed again, but Ubsisoft hasn’t given it a new date yet.
Price of Persia: The Sands of Time is slated to launch on PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Coming: 2021.
sleepless
The latest Ratchet and Clank game was intended to hit the PlayStation 5 during that console’s “launch window”. I don’t know what that should mean, but I think we can say at this point that it missed that deadline. But don’t worry, this action platformer will be released sometime in 2021 – hopefully sooner than later.
Warner Bros.
Lego Star Wars is back after five years. The last time we saw the franchise was with 2016’s The Force Awakens. This game seems a lot more ambitious: The Skywalker Saga lego-ize all nine Star Wars movies.
The Skywalker Saga has no definite release date yet, but is expected in the first or second quarter. When released, it will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Switch and PC.
Far Cry 6
Release date: 2021
Ubisoft
Originally scheduled for February, Far Cry 6 has been delayed to an unknown date in 2021. But it will be the largest, most complete Far Cry to date, set in the tropical region of Yara – loosely based on Cuba.
The game is not only launching on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X | S, PC and Google Stadia, but is also coming to Amazon’s Luna platform.
Last year’s Game Awards headlining trailer was a new Mass Effect. That is probably still a long way off. The advantage? More time for remastered Mass Effect goodness. Mass Effect Legendary Edition consists of updated (but not remade) versions of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 and launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Gran Turismo 7
Release date: 2021
Sony Interactive
Gran Turismo has been a staple of PlayStation consoles since the original GT was released on the original PS in 1997. Gran Turismo 7 was announced for the PlayStation 5 in June, and we know little about it, other than that it is linked with a 2021 release.
Microsoft
Halo Infinite was supposed to be the big thing next to the Xbox Series X | S was launched, but after a bad response from fans to a preview last year, it was delayed until fall 2021. The name Halo alone makes this a must-play for most Xbox owners and developers 343 Industries are trying something new by making the multiplayer free to play.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Release date: 2021
After the two Middle-Earth games show that Lord of the Rings games can still rock, 2021 will bring another serving in the form of Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It won’t be the action RPG that the Middle-Earth games were, focusing instead on Gollum’s stealth and cunning, but it looks intriguing.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X | S, Switch and PC.
Horizon Forbidden West
Release date: 2021
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best games on PlayStation 4, with its sequel coming in 2021. Horizon Forbidden West follows Aloy’s journey to 30th-century Utah, Nevada and California as she traces the origins of a deadly virus. Truly a game for our time.
Horizon Forbidden West will be released on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 this year.
God of War: Ragnarok
Release date: 2021
Sony Interactive
Speaking of excellent PS4 games and their sequels, God of War: Ragnarok is also coming to PlayStation 4 and 5 this year.
That’s basically all we know about the game so far as the teaser for the game only featured half a logo and the 2021 release window.