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. So with 2019 coming 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.”
Atomic Heart is an adventure first-person shooter, events of which unfolds in an alternate universe during the high noon of the Soviet Union. 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 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.
The Division 2 Releases: March 15, 2019 | Developer: Ubisoft
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
Doom Eternal is an upcoming sequel to Doom. It takes place on Earth, with the forces of Hell having overrun it. It has been stated that it will have "twice as many" 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.trailer above does a fine job of outlining the decisions we'll be making across a level.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is a medieval action role-playing game developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment. The game was announced in 2012, and the game project started in summer of 2011. It is a prequel to the 2010 game Mount & Blade. 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.
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.
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.
Sable wears its influences on its sleeve, including French comic artist Jean “Moebius” Giraud. A sci-fi coming of age tale 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.
