Wow, so now we are a couple of weeks into 2019 and a whole slew of video games are set to hit the market – so many in fact that I cannot list all the games that I am highly anticipating in just one list. Even more so than films being released in 2019 and my list of forty on there, video games are released more in abundance than films throughout the years. So, for this list, I am splitting it up into quarters throughout the year with ten games per list. By the end of this progressive list there will be forty entrants, just spread out more as more information about the games, especially concrete release dates, are announced. In this entrant in the list, I will be talking about the ten games that are releasing between January 1st and March 31st. So, I hope you enjoy the list and look forward to the others that I will be releasing through 2019.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Release date: January 18
Developed by: Bandai Namco Studios
Published by: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Combat Flight Simulator
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Does anyone else remember that this series started off with the title Air Combat when it was released for the original PlayStation back in 1995? No? I’m one of the only ones, huh? Anyway, I have been a fan of this series since then and have played a good majority of the games in the series since then. I think the only games I didn’t play in the Ace Combat series have been all those released for mobile platforms. Still, I am a huge fan of the series, so it should come as no surprise that I am looking forward to the release of the latest game in the series in mid-January, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
Resident Evil 2
Release date: January 25
Developed by: Capcom R&D Division 1
Published by: Capcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
When Resident Evil 2 was originally released on the PlayStation back in 1998, it easily went on to become one of my top five favorite games of the original PlayStation generation. Flash forward some twenty-one years and the game is getting a horrifyingly beautiful remake with updated visuals, a new control and aiming system, and revamped areas in the story for veterans of the original game to explore. I expected to lose a lot of sleep hours staying up late playing the new Resident Evil 2 when it releases in late January.
Kingdom Hearts III
Release date: January 29
Developed by: Square Enix Business Division 3
Published by: Square Enix
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
It will be nearly thirteen years since the release of Kingdom Hearts II when Kingdom Hearts III finally drops in stores at the end of January, and the wait for the game has been killing me the entire time. The Kingdom Hearts series is one of the favorite video game series here at the gXp household, and we are all eagerly anticipating the game. To see the story of Sora, Kairi, Riku, Goofy, Donald, Mickey, and all of their friends continue in this new release has us sweating with anticipation. Even more so, we are looking forward to getting the Limited-Edition Kingdom Hearts III PlayStation 4 Pro bundle. That system design looks freaking sweet, and I want it.
Far Cry New Dawn
Release date: February 15
Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal
Published by: Ubisoft
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Far Cry 5 was one of my favorite games of 2018 and maybe even surpasses Far Cry 3 as my favorite game in the series so far. That’s why when I heard that Far Cry New Dawn was releasing in mid-February and will continue the story that started off in Montana and looks at the world during the post-apocalypse that game set up, I knew that I had to have this game. And then when I saw that the trailer for the game teased the return of Joseph Seed… oh yeah, that had me completely hooked.
Jump Force
Release date: February 15
Developed by: Spike Chunsoft
Published by: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
As a fan of Japanese manga and anime, I was extremely excited to hear about Jump Force when it was announced. And seeing that we will be able to play as thirty-three different characters from thirteen different series, including Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Saint Seiya, and Bleach, just to name a few, this is the kind of crossover fighting game that I am highly interested in playing. I so want to play as Goku and wipe the floor with Ichigo, Izuku, Monkey, Pegasus, Asta, and others, just for the fun of it – and I am expecting to have a lot of fun with this game when it releases mid-February.
Metro Exodus
Release date: February 15
Developed by: 4A Games
Published by: Deep Silver
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Bloody hell! Mid-February, specifically February 15, is going to be a busy day for video gaming. But the two games that I have talked about before, plus the release of this game, Metro Exodus, has me really looking forward to this day… even if my wallet is going to take a huge hit because of it. But with the release of Metro Exodus, the Metro series continues and one of my favorite FPS series returns for me to enjoy. Hopefully the game will be just as memorable and entertaining as the previous two games in the series, but given how much I enjoyed the previous game, Metro: Last Light, I highly expect it to be.
Anthem
Release date: February 22
Developed by: BioWare Edmonton
Published by: Electronic Arts
Genre: Online Multiplayer Action Role-Playing
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
I’m not going to lie here, out of all the games that I am anticipating playing in early 2019, Anthem has me the most worried. I have a lot of reservations about this game, mainly because of the recent track records of BioWare and EA in recent months (years). But that doesn’t mean that I will absolutely turn away from a game releases. I believe in always giving a game a chance, even if it may bite me in the ass. Still, from what I have seen of the game, company reputation aside, it does look like an interesting concept and the allure of an online multiplayer action RPG from BioWare does sound greatly intriguing. So, we’ll just have to wait and see when Anthem releases in late February to see if this gamble pays off or not.
Dead or Alive 6
Release date: March 1
Developed by: Team Ninja
Published by: Koei Tecmo
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
I’ve been a fan of the Dead or Alive series since I first played the game on the original PlayStation back in 1998. I’ll admit that I first was allured to the game for very juvenile reasons, but I have since become a fan of the combat system the game employs and the characters it has introduced since its inception. I’ve played every game in the series (yes, even the games in the Dead or Alive Extreme series) and have enjoyed each entry, so it’s easy to see why I am looking forward to the release of Dead or Alive 6 in early March. I just hope that Koei Tecmo will ease up on the practice of releasing so many and charging so much for each new costume for every damned character. Yeah, like that’s likely to happen. Luckily, I, as a consumer, don’t have to buy every piece of DLC they release for the game.
Left Alive
Release date: March 5
Developed by: Square Enix
Published by: Square Enix
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
Because Left Alive is set in the world of the Front Mission series, I have been eagerly anticipating this game since it was announced back at Tokyo Game Show 2017. And while I don’t know much about this game aside from its genre and the world it is set in, that hasn’t diluted my anticipation for this game. I wish I knew more, but from what I do and from what I have seen of the game, I think I will be enjoying Left Alive for quite some time after it releases in early March.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Release date: March 15
Developed by: Massive Entertainment
Published by: Ubisoft
Genre: Action Role-Playing Survival Third-Person Shooter
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2016’s Tom Clancy’s The Division was met with both critical acclaim and some criticisms, but I personally felt that it was a fun and engaging shooter with elements that made the game much more than what other shooters usually strive for. It had some Destiny-esque qualities that I really enjoyed and I was hoping that the world would continue to be explored when I finally finished the game. Thankfully, I only have to wait until mid-March for the sequel, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, to hit stores and continue playing in this world set several months after the outbreak of “The Dollar Flu” where players will have to decide to co-operate with each other or go it alone to traverse through a ravaged Washington D.C.
