Your Top 3 anticipated games

T

TheDart

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I think it's been a while since we had a thread like this. If not, I do apologize.

Anyway, of the games you're (almost) certain will be out in a year or two - which are your most anticipated ones?

Personally:

1. Starfield

There's no denying that I'm a gigantic fan of BGS games, even if I think they're full of flaws. But that's not such a big deal, as they're always embraced by a giant modding community - which, so far, has always managed to fix or adjust the most glaring issues I have with their games. Ok, so there's no real way to fix the writing - but I find that it's not bad enough to be a big detriment to my enjoyment.

Their games are always full of exploration, immersion, freedom and character progression - all of which rank as my favorite features in any game.

Beyond that, they never really play it safe in terms of just remaking the same game over and over. They always make rather significant changes to the gameplay and add strong features. Even the technological leaps are big considering the aging engine. Yes, yes, Fallout 76 - I know - but that was another team.

2. X (title unknown) by Ghost Story Games (Ken Levine)

All I know about this game is that it's going to be a sci-fi immersive sim by the lead guy behind some of my favorite immersive sims - and that it's going to have a unique emphasis on a semi-procedurally generated narrative. Based on what I've heard, it sounds impossibly ambitious - and I'm extremely sceptical they can actually pull it off.

However, I also think it's one the most exciting potential leaps forward for gaming - so I'm dying to check it out. Game is supposed to be in the final stages of development, but who really knows.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

I actually think the game is only a year or two from leaving early alpha - and, if that happens, the game - when combined with a serious dose of gameplay mods - will almost certainly be right up my alley. I should probably wait for the supposed meaty DLCs - but that will depend on the timing.
 
  1. ELEX 2
  2. Baldur's Gate 3
  3. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

Honorary mentions
  • Solasta: Crown of the Magister
  • Vagrus: The Riven Realms
  • Rise of the Third Power
  • Colony Ship - A Post-Earth Role Playing Game
 
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  1. ELEX 2
  2. Baldur's Gate 3
  3. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

Honorary mentions
  • Solasta: Crown of the Magister
  • Vagrus: The Riven Realms
  • Rise of the Third Power
  • Colony Ship - A Post-Earth Role Playing Game

I'm with you on most of those, particularly Elex 2.

Most likely BG3 as well, though I'm not entirely convinced Larian was the right choice - but it's definitely up there with my most anticipated ones :)
 
Baldur's Gate 3 will be a good Larian RPG. I like these. If it will be a game in the tradition of the original Baldur's Gate series doesn't matter so much for me personally, but I know a lot of people who care for this brand.
 
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@HiddenX;

Yes, I see your point. That's also kind of my approach to it.

I'm not particularly invested in the BG brand itself, but I do have a certain preference for traditional D&D games - and from the few hours I've played of BG3, it didn't quite pull off that feeling.

But, even if it doesn't end up being quite like that - I'm sure it's a game I'll enjoy playing.
 
Good idea!

Starfield may also be one of them, but I'm just not sure what it'll be like, after seeing the latest games Bethesda has released… for me it has been going down since Oblivion, even without considering '76. So let's say it's one of the anticipated confirmations I'd like to see (see how I'm already cheating?). Many other unknowns that seem exciting, like Colony Ship and Black Geyser, but who knows when?

I was very excited about Cyberpunk. However, when I saw the release and how they'd tried to put so many features in it, and ultimately failed, I decided not to buy it. Maybe in a few years, there are good ideas and it's gorgeous, but it'll have to be more stable and mature first. So not on my list right now.

Anyway, here's the honest answer to your question, the 3 most anticipated games I have little doubts about.

1. Wrath of the Righteous

So many improvements over Kingmaker, which was already very good. Very good and epic story with C&C, awesome ruleset, setting and class/race choices, interesting companions with great voice acting, beautiful graphics and music, helpful UI and tutorial. And a game that begs to be replayed many times to explore all possible combinations.

I just hope they can produce a stable release, they still have the time but it's a complex system to validate.

2. Encased

I've said enough on this game lately, including a preview article, so I'll spare you my ramblings ;)

3. Solasta

No surprise either since I also wrote a preview. This one is the most modest of the three, but there's something about the ruleset and the mechanics, the way the UI is organized, that pleases me a lot, those guys know what they're doing.

I've also good hopes for Baldur's Gate 3 but it seems further down the road. Indeed I don't care if they have another style than the other Baldur's Gate, each developer has the right to have their own interpretation. I wish they respected 5E and cleaned their messy UI though.
 
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1. Elden Ring
My recent infatuation with FromSoft games has really got me excited for what they come up with next.

2. Diablo 4
I like the return to the more gritty D2 style. Other than that, I'm always excited for a new Diablo game. Even though I have nothing close to the amount of time I always imagine I'd like to play

3. Last of Us Part 3
I think I added this one since, I'm just curios as to where they'd take the story next.

I was surprised I had such a hard time coming up with 3 games. There are other I'm curious about, but almost none as excited as I'd used to get in the past.

Runner ups:
God of War: Ragnarok
ELEX 2 (even though I never got anything deep into ELEX, I'm always curious as to what PB is doing)
 
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Early this year (Jan/2021) my votes were (Most Anticipated for 2021):

1) Solasta
2) Baldur's Gate III
3) ELEX 2

But now that Solasta is only few days of its actual release, I will take it out of the equation :)

So my top 3 anticipated games are:

1) Baldur's Gate III
2) ELEX 2
3) King Arthur: Knight's Tale

Yes, I am fully aware that goo' ol' Dartagnan is not particularly asking about our "Most Anticipated Games For 2021", but "Most Anticipated Games Regardless of When They'll Get Released" (note: see EDIT Section below) :) Yet, I am hard to anticipate other possible great games (Gothic 1 Remake, TES VI, Starfield, among others) when I know almost nothing of them.

EDIT: my bad here. Somehow I skipped the 2nd paragraph ("games you're (almost) certain will be out in a year or two") in the OP. Anyway, my three votes above still stand :)
 
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- Cold Steel Four (I know it's out, but I need a reasonable price!)
- Whatever game Spiderweb does next
-Solasta

And of course, a few others, those being the top of the tops!
 
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1. Elden Ring
My recent infatuation with FromSoft games has really got me excited for what they come up with next.

2. Diablo 4
I like the return to the more gritty D2 style. Other than that, I'm always excited for a new Diablo game. Even though I have nothing close to the amount of time I always imagine I'd like to play

3. Last of Us Part 3
I think I added this one since, I'm just curios as to where they'd take the story next.

I was surprised I had such a hard time coming up with 3 games. There are other I'm curious about, but almost none as excited as I'd used to get in the past.

Runner ups:
God of War: Ragnarok
ELEX 2 (even though I never got anything deep into ELEX, I'm always curious as to what PB is doing)

I don't mean to be a Negative Nancy, but I very much doubt we'll be seeing LoU3 for several years. That said, at least there's a decent chance of getting a PS5 before then ;)

I actually also considered Diablo 4 - as I found the early cinematic they released just about perfect. In fact, it's probably the best cinematic trailer for a game I've ever seen.

With that said, Blizzard isn't anything like they used to be. If D4 ends up being great, I think it'll be more about luck than anything else.

But it would be great to see something living up to the legacy of the franchise.
 
I don't mean to be a Negative Nancy, but I very much doubt we'll be seeing LoU3 for several years. That said, at least there's a decent chance of getting a PS5 before then ;)

6-7 years at least, is what I expect. If it gets greenlit at all. But considering the amount of money and press, both positive and negative, I think it's more than likely they'll at least try it. Each Last of Us game came out in the very last year of its respective console generation. So, I think it's likely it'll be the same with Part 3. One thing I wonder is if Naughty Dog has anything else they'd like to do, besides that. I'm not sure if its the type of studio that can work full force on more than one project. Plus there was the rumour that a part of the studio would be handling the remake of Last of Us 1. Personally, I'd love that, using the amazing tech that Part 2 had. But without any creative changes. Just graphical and gameplay. There's too much of a leap between the two.
With that said, Blizzard isn't anything like they used to be. If D4 ends up being great, I think it'll be more about luck than anything else.

Yeah, it's very much a crap-shoot if it comes out ok, or not. But I like most of what they regularly reveal in the quarterly reports. So I'm excited.
 
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My Time at Sandrock
Tale of Immortal (waiting for english localization)
Xuan Yuan Sword 7

Of course I'm (half)trolling, we had goty vote and I specified my "most anticipated" picks there.
You not being here when it was a thing does not mean I'm gonna dance happily in a new thread on the same topic.
 
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1. Elden Ring

I think there's true genius at work in their games

2. BGS' next game (Starfield/Elder Scrolls)

I've been souring on them but I'd be lying if I didn't include this. BGS games have been central to my gaming for years; I've bought two consoles expressly to play their games. If the next one disappoints, that may cause a divorce. But until then, I'll be butterflies in the stomach excited when it nears.

3. Baldur's Gate III

Honorary mentions:

Wrath of the Righteous - kind of a new one for me, which then took a hit when Owlcat broke Kingmaker this week

Vagrus: The Riven Realms - I hope they can pull it off because this looks so right up my alley

Total War: Warhammer III - more of a very large DLC than a game in its own right, but I love these games and I love continously adding more shit to them

Horizon: Forbidden West

Dart, I'm also very intrigued by what Ken Levine and his studio come up with but "procedurally generated narrative" sends shivers down my spine. We'll see. The Bioshock games, Thief and System Shock 2 all rank very highly for me, though, so I'm hopeful.

Last bit: I wish I could include Vampire: Bloodlines 2 on this list. :( I'd love to be surprised by it eventually coming out and being great, but I have no optimism about that happening.
 
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Surprisingly the same as HiddenX:

Baldurs Gate 3 (already have 111.2 hours in EA)
Wrath of the Righteous (139.2 hours played for EA and rising steadily)
ELEX 2

On my wish list of possible games depending on how I feel after I get more information on them:

Solasta
Gamedec
Alaoth: Champions of the Lost Kingdoms
EDIT: Forgot to add Black Geyser
 
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Starfield
BG3
Dragon Age 4
 
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Dart, I'm also very intrigued by what Ken Levine and his studio come up with but "procedurally generated narrative" sends shivers down my spine. We'll see. The Bioshock games, Thief and System Shock 2 all rank very highly for me, though, so I'm hopeful.

I understand your reaction, but it's not really procedurally generated in the traditional sense. It's "semi" generated using what Levine referred to as "narrative legos".

Essentially, it's supposed to feel like a traditional engaging narrative that's replayable in a way where no playthrough will have the same story - but each retain the strength of the narrative.

Which is why I'm so sceptical - as I have no idea how they'd pull that off. I've tried coming up with ways to do such a thing in my head - and there's just no way I can think of that would make a playthrough feel fresh in terms of narrative, even after only a single time. At least not with the way I experience stories.

About the only way I could see it happening would be with an extremely sophisticated AI capable of generating actual story content - but that's obviously not going to happen for a number of years. Well, I'd be shocked if it did.

But who knows. I've loved so much of Levine's work - especially in terms of story beats.

He's one of the few developers I'll support - sight unseen.
 
Elex 2
Horizon: Forbidden West (but only, when it comes out for PC, which might take a few years...)

Games I don't know of but would wish for: Dishonored 3, Prey 2.
 
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I understand your reaction, but it's not really procedurally generated in the traditional sense. It's "semi" generated using what Levine referred to as "narrative legos".

He gave an interesting talk on it a few years ago. It does sound interesting, and I'm glad someone like him is trying something ambitious. I do agree with folks, though, in that I'm skeptical about how it would actually work.
 
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Elex 2
Baldur's Gate III
Horizon: Forbidden West

I'm tempted to say Starfield as well, but I have a hard time including a game that I know so little about and still might be several years from release.
 
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Easy:

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Colony Ship
Baldur's Gate 3

No particular order.
 
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