Top 20 Must-Have Games of 2019 Part 1 (Topic)

2018 turned out to be so full of game releases that more often than not, my head was splitting with just one thought: “where the hell can I find time to complete all the games!”. But, like all good things, it is coming to an end, which means it's time to think about the near future and see what games 2019 will delight us with. Prepare vacations, save up finances and stock up on bags of coffee, because next year is at risk of becoming one of the most generous game hits in the last 10 years. Read more about the potentially best game projects in our selection of 20 top games of 2019.

Resident Evil 2

Release date: January 25

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Abrella Corporation, the scary town of Raccoon City and the "T-Virus" - if after listing the previous three terms pleasant nostalgia swept over you, then Resident Evil 2 can become one of the brightest gaming experiences of the year for you. This is probably the best attempt at reworking a 20-year-old game, when the developers tried so hard to modernize the project that they ended up dropping the nondescript word "Remake" from the title and showing fans essentially a new game in a familiar universe.

Watching the videos with the gameplay of Resident Evil 2, we can confidently conclude that Capcom will be able to sit on two chairs at once: not only play on the feeling of nostalgia among fans of the original game, but also attract a completely new audience with the help of cinematic production and cutting-edge graphics. But the most important thing is that the developers are not trying to run after new players with their tongues out and give us the same chamber, frightening and nauseatingly bloody Resident Evil 2.

Death Stranding

Release date: Presumably Summer 2019

Where to play : Playstation 4

Death Stranding, thanks to its creator Hideo Kojima, has become a real phenomenon. Just one vague photo from the maestro on Instagram is enough, as gaming forums begin to seethe with discussions and a series of videos with headlines in the style of "Now we already know exactly what Death Stranding will be about!" In short, we see 2 reasons for this hysteria: 1) Hideo Kojima is a really talented screenwriter and game designer; 2) No one knows what Death Stranding will be about and how to play it at all.

Hideo Kojima is a true master of intrigue and with each new gameplay video he only makes questions about the game multiply. In the modern age, when AAA games are like two peas in a pod, the unique setting and atmosphere of mystery around Death Stranding makes you, at least, wait with interest for the project and even think about it as a contender for the best game of 2019. It is all the more pleasing that, according to rumors, Death Stranding entered the final stage of development.

Cyberpunk 2077

Release date: presumably fall 2019

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

With each new installment of The Witcher series, the Poles climbed higher and higher on the gaming Olympus, until they burst into the release of The Withcer 3, which collected the most Game of the Year awards in history. Of course, the mere fact of the release of a new game from the famous Poles makes us wait with admiration for the release of Cyberpunk 2077. And what happened after the release of the first trailer and a 50-minute gameplay video ... CD Project has become almost the main Rockstars of the gaming industry.

If we try to summarize all the known details of Cyberpunk 2077, then we have a candidate for the best game of 2019 and the first example of a high-budget role-playing game since The Witcher 3. Full compliance with RPG canons, where weapons are just one of the possible ways to solve the problem, variable pumping, non-linear plot, layout of game locations like in Deus Ex, open world, advanced graphics and, of course, the atmosphere of cyberpunk mired in sins ... We can only hope that the number "2077" is not a spoiler for the release date, and this year the game will go to store shelves.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice

Release date: March 22

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

From Software, after the release of the first game in the Souls series, the glory of the creators of one game lingered. Yes, even if Dark Souls was different from Bloodborne, the gameplay of the games is in many ways similar. Not like twin brothers, but more like companions who spend too much time with each other. Another thing is Sekiro Shadows Die Twice - a new creation from Hidetaka Miyazaki, who decides to completely rework the familiar Dark Souls concept.

First, we get acquainted with the setting of medieval Japan, then pay attention to the main character - the one-armed warrior Sekiro, after which we begin to be surprised by the news that in the game it is impossible to choose a class or customize the appearance of the protagonist, and almost all role-playing elements were mercilessly hacked to death with a katana. So what does the game offer us in the end? A more coherent manner of presenting the plot, vertical gameplay, stealth, the same good old hardcore and gamepads destroyed from anger. And do not expect help from the resurrection system in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, its presence does not mean that the game will become easier, you will just die twice as often.

Metro Exodus

Release date: February 15

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

The next part of the cult Metro series continues our top main games of 2019. Already with the release of the first game in 2010, Ukrainians from 4AGames declared themselves on the world market. The sequel in the face of Metro Exodus can be called the perfect sequel. This is the case when the developers prepare many times more content, surprise in scale, but at the same time do not forget about the tiny details and atmosphere that have gathered around the Metro series a real cult of loyal fans.

The most important changes will affect the game world: a minimum of suffocating metro corridors, and a maximum of open locations filled with secrets, a living ecosystem and crowds of wild survivors. The presentation of the plot will also change and will resemble a kind of post-apocalyptic Road-movie, where we travel around the expanses of USA on the Aurora steam locomotive in search of a new home. We have no doubt that Metro Exodus will be able to become at least the best shooter game in 2019 and a timely reminder that large-scale AAA projects have not yet been forgotten in the CIS.

The Outer Worlds

Release date: 2019

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Several projects were announced at The Game Awards 2018 at the game ceremony, but we want to pay special attention to the role-playing game The Outer Worlds. It's easiest to describe it as a fantastic analogue of Fallout New Vegas: a first-person view, a world free to explore, and a huge scope for playing a variety of roles. Let's immediately note about the open world: in structure it will more likely resemble several huge locations from the The Witcher series than large-scale planets from Beyond Good and Evil 2.

But why do we need additional words, if this new major game from the creators of the original Fallout? Concerns can only be caused by the abundance of bugs that are teeming with Obsidian games at the start. However, recently, journalists were shown 60 minutes of live gameplay of The Outer Worlds, after which the media announced the minimum number of technical problems and the overall polish of the game, which allows them to believe in the imminent release of The Outer Worlds.

Devil May Cry 5

Release date: March 8

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

The Japanese from Camcom decided to celebrate International Women's Day with an unprecedented scale - the release of a new part of the cult series of slashers Devil May Cry. At the center of Devil May Cry 5 is an acquaintance from the previous part of Nero, who stopped looking like kawaii anime heroes and organized his own agency to destroy demons. Of course, Nero alone is not enough to stop the next invasion of the forces of universal evil and Dante comes to the rescue with a newcomer named V.

The developers silently buried the restart under the name DMC, but did not forget to take a dark style from it, complementing it with exquisite Gothic architecture - this is in terms of overall design and graphics. The concept of the gameplay has not changed: before us is the same slasher, where the process of destroying demonic carcasses is radically different for each of the characters. Dante successfully uses a motorcycle as a melee weapon, Nero, like Sekiro from the game From Software, changes attachments on his prosthesis, and V prefers to deal with enemies sitting astride the local counterparts of Godzilla. Best Game of 2019? Doubt, but certainly the best slasher.

Days Gone

Release date: April 26

Play: Playstation 4

Exclusives for Playstation 4 are customary to expect, if not breakthroughs, then at least excellent and significant games for the genre. The same cannot be said about the post-apocalyptic game Days Gone, which at the moment looks like a black horse in the line of Sony exclusives, but also in the entire list of the main games of 2019. Additional firewood was thrown into the fire by journalists who called Days Gone a "middle class" game after watching a closed demo version.

Why did we add the SIE Bend Studio project to our top games? After a couple of gameplay trailers and a bunch of details, we're sure the game has a lot of potential. That there are only colossal crowds of the living dead and as a pleasant bonus - a zombie bear, it’s hard to resist at least minimal attention to the game. Another point is the elements of survival, an open and full of dangers world and a faithful bike as a local analogue of Roach. It is possible that Days Gone will be the main gaming surprise of this year. We hope you have a pleasant surprise.

Anthem

Release date: Feb 22

Where to play: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Anthem may not be the main release in our top major games next year, but certainly the most important line in Bioware history. After the fantastic fiasco of Mass Effect Andromeda, the reputation of the once-leading RPG studio began to fade with the sound of a toilet flush. And so, when it would be necessary to cover up the shameful tracks of "Andromeda", the developers continue a series of experiments and prepare a multiplayer action game with RPG elements.

A risky step, but since Bioware are well aware of their responsibility to a multi-million dollar audience, we expect at least a good game. The concept of the game will in many ways resemble Destiny, when we take tasks in a common hub, and then, alone or with friends, we go to clear the locations from adversaries, collecting a mountain of multi-colored loot along the way. Anthem will stand out from the competition with its jetpack flight mechanics and non-linear history.

The Last of Us Part 2

Release date: presumably fall 2019

Play: Playstation 4

Naughty Dog has a massive burden to develop not just another great Playstation 4 exclusive, but “just” create a worthy sequel to one of the best games in history. And, as we saw in the first gameplay trailer, the developers are trying to justify the fans' trust. If, while watching the gameplay of The Last of Us Part 2, you have thoughts that the picture shown, the intelligence of opponents and the level of animation are impossible at the present stage of the development of the gaming industry, then Neil Druckman and Co. are on the right track.

Another point is the plot and the indulgence of the SJV audience. We will not talk about attempts to please sexual minorities yet, it is not known how exactly this theme will be embodied in the game and whether it will not be limited to one innocent kissing scene. We are much more concerned about the fate of Joel and, as it were, the words of Neil Druckman that the main theme of the game will be "Hatred" did not lead to the fact that the central plot engine will be Ellie's revenge for Joel's death. Such a move, though without any problems squeeze a few tears from the player's eyes, is too trivial.

This concludes the first part of the top of the main games of 2019. But these are all plans for the future, and it is possible that several projects from the selection may be transferred. Therefore, in anticipation of the main hits of next year, we suggest reading the top main games of December.

The Topic of Article: Top 20 Must-Have Games of 2019 Part 1.
Author: Jake Pinkman