A brief tour of 2019's most exciting games.
It feels like the year has hardly begun—and there's still a lot to look forward to with the games of 2018—but according to the calendar we're already more than halfway through the year. While it may seem like you have plenty of time to get holiday shopping done, experience tells us that time somehow speeds up at the end of the year and November is basically tomorrow.
So with 2019 creeping up fast, we're looking ahead to the PC games we're most excited to play next year. We'll expand this list in the coming months, but for now, here are a handful of games we expect we'll be talking about a lot next year.
Anthem
Releases: February 22, 2019 | Developer: BioWare |
Enter a world of warriors clad in mech suits protecting the last bastion of humanity, and collect some loot while you’re at it. Similarities to Destiny aside, the multiplayer-focused Anthem promises the chance to soar through the skies (and underwater) with rocket boots, battle giant monsters, and contend with dangerous weather effects like “shaver storms.” There's a lot of skepticism around Anthem, especially as it's not the sort of game we're used to from BioWare, but after our hands-on at E3 we were at least convinced that having jet feet rules.
Atomic Heart
Releases: 2019 | Developer: Mundfish |
This one came out of nowhere, and we managed to eke a little info out of the developers back in May. What we've gathered so far is that it's an open-world shooter (sometimes) set in the Soviet Union with a very cool trailer, which is worth watching above. There are Metro and Fallout vibes to Atomic Heart, though we're told it draws inspiration from the creators' childhoods, which only makes it more interesting.
Control
Releases: 2019 | Developer: Remedy |
Remedy’s Quantum Break was good, but not great, and ran poorly on PC. Control looks like Remedy's attempt to refine the reality-shifting gunplay of Quantum Break, adding in more environmental destruction and a more open-ended quest structure. As Jesse Faden, you discover a labyrinth that serves as the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control, which can only mean good things. After acquiring a transforming gun, Jesse becomes the bureau’s new chief and must stop a destructive force corrupting all the bureau’s employees. Sounds like a tough interview.
The Division 2
Releases: March 15, 2019 | Developer: Ubisoft |
It’s another grim commentary on a post-apocalyptic America, without the commentary? Political impotence aside, The Division 2 takes Ubisoft’s persistent multiplayer shooting to the streets of Washington D.C. You’ll get eight players instead of four in raids now, and following Ubisoft’s solid trend of long-term support, we’ll be getting free DLC every three months for a year. Not too bad for the end of the world.
Doom Eternal
Releases: TBA | Developer: id Software |
They did it. They did the “hell on earth” thing. Doomguy is coming back from his vacation on Mars to rip and tear it up in a new apocalypse that looks a hell of a lot like our own planet, complete with tentacles holding half a skyscraper in mid-air. Is that a Hell Knight with fiery blades mounted on his wrists? Is that a Cacodemon with arms? (No, it's a Pain Elemental. Carry on). Director Hugo Martin says there will be twice as many demons to kill, so sign me up.
Metro Exodus
Releases: February 22, 2019 | Developer: 4A Games|
The latest in the much loved Metro series will have elements of open world exploration, but they'll be mixed with linear sections, too. Even with that increased scale, it's stunning to look at, as we've come to expect from 4A. We don't have reams of info about Exodus just yet (here's what we do know so far), but E3 trailer above does a fine job of outlining the decisions we'll be making across a level.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
Releases: TBA | Developer: TaleWorlds Entertainment|
If not this year, it has to come out in 2019, right? We've been waiting for Mount & Blade 2 long enough that asking when it'll be out has become a meme, but for good reason. The original remains a standout sandbox RPG, and the sequel promises everything it offered with physics-based combat, upgradeable castles, massive sieges, and more than could reasonably fit in this blurb. Check out the official site for weekly blog updates. Maybe one of them will give us a release date sometime soon?
Phoenix Point
Releasing: June 2019 | Developer: Snapshot Games|
Though it's naturally going to be somewhat similar to XCOM, the best bits of X-Com designer Julian Gollop's new tactics game are the bits that set it apart, say Sam and Tom, who played a backer build back in May. The ability to target specific body parts, for instance, adds a layer of decision-making and the flanking system complicates movement. This could be our tactics fix for the whole year if it comes together.
Sable
Releases: 2019 | Developer: Shedworks |
Sable wears its influences on its sleeve, including French comic artist Jean “Moebius” Giraud. A sci-fi coming of age tale (and one of our favorite things at E3), you traverse a beautifully cel-shaded desert full of ancient alien ruins, with no particular objective beyond learning more about the world and maybe solving some simple puzzles. And as in all good coming of ages stories, there’s a (hovering) motorcycle to ride.
Satisfactory
Release: TBA (closed alpha soon) | Developer: Coffee Stain Studios |
It’s a little funny that the team that gave us Goat Simulator is now letting us install a planet’s worth of orderly conveyor belts. Industrial efficiency is the idea in Satisfactory, where you’ll start with a simple workbench that crafts weapons and mining tools, raze a biome or two to make way for your mega-factory, and occasionally fend off giant crab creatures. The developer says it won’t be nearly as survival-focused as similar games, though—it's all about building.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Releases: 2019 | Developer: From Software |
2019 is the year of samurai and smooching, but the only things that'll be kissing in Sekiro are your chained sickle and the neck of a gargantuan horse lord. Dark Souls/Bloodborne purists should expect plenty of changes in From Software's latest. For everything they've taken away (no stats, no changeable armor/weapons, no souls), they've added something new, like a “Shinobi Prosthetic” that houses gadgets, a grappling hook, and a revised combat system that’s less health bar-whacking and more cinematic sword duel. Read more on Sekiro in our E3 preview.