The most anticipated games of 2021: Resident Evil 8, God of War 2 and more

There are an eye-popping amount of games coming out in 2021, and it can be a little hard to sort through all of them.

From fun co-op adventures like It Takes Two to blockbuster action titles like Gotham Knights, this is a hard year in gaming to top in terms of sheer variety alone. There’s a huge chance that something you’re really looking forward to is on this list, and you don’t even know it yet. 

What we’ve done is condensed this onslaught of exciting releases into one handy list, for your viewing pleasure. Whether you’re on the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox One, there’s a little something here for everyone! Here are our most anticipated games of 2021:

1. The Medium - Jan 28 (Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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Xbox has a number of exclusives coming out this year, and this spooky tale is one of them. The Medium is a horror game developed by Bloober Team that plays on the concept of multiple realities.

You’ll traverse between our world and a nightmarish ‘reverse’ version of it, the latter of which comes with monsters and unpredictable landscapes. Puzzles will be solved, demons will be evaded and a soundtrack by Silent Hill 2’s Akira Yamaoka will be played.

2. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury - Feb 12 (Nintendo Switch)

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Nintendo’s 2021 slate is incredibly vague at the moment, but this is a clear highlight. On its own, Super Mario 3D World is a re-release of a fun platformer that mixes in the gameplay of the original Super Mario Bros. games with 3D environments and co-op multiplayer.

Pretty standard stuff, especially since you might’ve already played it on the Wii U. Bowser’s Fury however, adds an entirely new adventure. In it, Mario explores Lake Lapcat, an open-world environment in the style of Super Mario Odyssey and takes on a kaiju-sized ‘Fury Bowser’.

It’s no Super Mario Odyssey 2, but you know what? It’ll do.

3. Returnal - March 19 (PlayStation 5)

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Returnal is an interesting one. This third-person sci-fi shooter has you play as a space pilot named Selene, navigating mysterious environments filled with monsters using an impressive arsenal of weapons.

Selene is stuck in a time loop and stranded on an alien planet, and after every death, she gets brought back to life again on this world.

You’ll have to explore as much as you can to figure out the mysteries of this new planet before dying, and hopefully, find a way to break out of this time loop.

4. It Takes Two - March 26 (PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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Hazelight Studios and its eccentric founder Josef Fares is back with another co-op adventure game. This time, you (plus a gaming partner) will play as Cody and May, a married couple on the verge of separating.

Their daughter Rose is devastated about this, and creates two dolls representing her parents that magically come to life in a fantastical world.

This version of Cody and May will have to work together as they’re thrown into heaps of insanely dangerous situations.

Anyone who’s played A Way Out knows that Hazelight Studios is in a league of their own when it comes to co-op games, making this a title to look out for!

5. Monster Hunter Rise - March 26 (Nintendo Switch)

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Capcom’s latest Monster Hunter game is coming to the Switch! Monster Hunter Rise lets you explore the new Frost Islands and interact with their inhabitants, and of course, slay some monsters. This game also introduces something new to the franchise: wyvern riding.

You get to temporarily take control of certain monsters in the wild, either for transportation or to kill other monsters. A demo version of the game is available until February 1!

6. Nier Replicant - April 23 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

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If you’re a fan of Nier: Automata, here’s some good news: the original Nier is getting a remaster! It’s a little complicated, however. Nier has two different versions: Nier Replicant and Nier Gestalt, both of which come with story and gameplay variations.

Nier Replicant is the one getting remastered here, and it looks really pretty! If you’d like to revisit the original with better visuals and redone gameplay, this is your chance.

7. New Pokemon Snap - April 30 (Nintendo Switch)

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It only took 22 years, but we’re finally getting a new Pokemon Snap game! In this safari-style adventure, you’ll explore the Lental region with Professor Mirror and his assistant Rita. Your mission?

Explore beautiful environments and take pictures of Pokemon on an on-rails vehicle called the Neo-One! The original Pokemon Snap game had lots of secrets that you could discover by interacting with Pokemon in the environment, culminating in an encounter with the mythical Pokemon Mew. Who knows what this sequel has in store for us?

8. Deathloop - May 21 (PS5, PC)

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Arkane Studios has quite the record in creating incredible first-person shooters. Their latest title is Deathloop, where you play as an assassin named Colt cursed with reliving the same day on repeat.

To break out of the time loop, he’ll have to kill eight targets in a row within a limited amount of time, while fending off another assassin named Julianna.

On the PS5’s DualSense controller, haptic feedback will even simulate your guns jamming! Kind of cool, until it happens while you’re fighting off Julianna.

9. Back 4 Blood - June 22 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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Left 4 Dead is properly dead, but its original developer Turtle Rock Studios has returned to make a default sequel. Back 4 Blood has you work together with three other players to fight hordes upon hordes of zombies, including special infected types.

It also has a 4v4 PvP multiplayer mode, and decks of ‘cards’ that impact gameplay by modifying elements like player health and damage. If this game lives up to its potential, it’s going to be incredible.

10. Far Cry 6 - TBA 2021 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia, PC)

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In the latest installment of Ubisoft’s first-person shooter franchise, you’ll play as Dani Rojas - a rebel in a tropical paradise called Yara.

The dictator of Yara is a ruthless man named Anton Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito), bent on restoring his nation back to its former glory at all costs with his son Diego. Your task is to overthrow this dictator and spark a revolution with the help of your allies, including a wiener dog named Chorizo. Chorizo!

11 Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - TBA 2021 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

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BioWare is remastering the Mass Effect trilogy, a legendary series of sci-fi RPGs. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will bundle together all of the DLC from the trilogy, including promo weapons, armours and packs.

These games will be fully remastered and optimised for 4K Ultra HD resolution, with updated textures, shaders, models, effects, framerates and technical features.

12. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - TBA 2021 (PS5)

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Next to Returnal, this is the most we’ve seen of a PlayStation 5 exclusive coming in 2021. Insomniac Games is releasing an all-new Ratchet & Clank game, and it looks incredible!

The power duo will travel through multiple dimensions at blazing speeds thanks to the console’s new SSD drive, using creative weapons to blow stuff up. A new character is being introduced in this game, of the same species as Ratchet - but who is she?

13. Resident Evil Village - TBA 2021 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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According to Capcom’s leaked release plans, the latest Resident Evil game is coming in April! Here’s what we know: Resident Evil 8, titled Village, takes Ethan Winters to a mysterious village in the snowy mountains after tragedy strikes at home.

Chris Redfield is somehow involved in this shocking event, seemingly killing Ethan’s wife Mia and apologising to him after doing so. At least he’s polite. Ethan will have to navigate this dangerous village and its strange populace while evading all manner of monster, including werewolves!

14. Ghostwire: Tokyo - TBA 2021 (PS5, PC)

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According to an accidental reveal, this supernatural first-person game is coming in October - just in time for Halloween. Developed by The Evil Within creators Tango Gameworks, you’ll play as someone who’s begun to manifest supernatural powers in Ghostwire Tokyo. 

Almost all of Tokyo’s citizens have mysteriously vanished, and demonic spirits have invaded in their place. As you unveil the mystery behind this event, you’ll have to fight off demons using a mixture of karate and magic. 

15. God of War 2 - TBA 2021 (PS5)

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Out of all the titles on the list, this is the one we know the least about. As Sony closed out a next-gen gaming showcase, they revealed that a sequel to Santa Monica Studios’ God of War (2018) would arrive in 2021.

An enigmatic teaser warns us that ‘Ragnarok is coming’, which in Nordic mythology, is the end of the world. If an apocalypse is on its way, it’s very likely that Kratos is involved somehow. 

16. Gotham Knights - TBA 2021 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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Here’s the bad news: Batman is dead. The good news? You get to play as the Batfamily in WB Games Montreal’s Gotham Knights! This game is set outside of the Arkhamverse, focusing on Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl and the Red Hood - four vigilantes in Gotham City who have to stop total chaos from erupting in the wake of Batman’s death.

Not only will you have to contend with iconic villains like Mr. Freeze, but the Court of Owls too - a group of criminals who control the city from the shadows. Gotham Knights also lets you team up with other players in co-op multiplayer to take on the city’s villains.

17. Gran Turismo 7 - TBA 2021 (PS5)

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Rejoice, for Gran Turismo is back! We haven’t gotten a numbered sequel in the series since Gran Turismo 6 in 2013, and this new entry is taking full advantage of the PlayStation 5’s advanced hardware. Gran Turismo 7 comes with support for 4K, HDR and smooth 60fps, along with real-time raytracing and 3D spatial audio.

It will also use the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to make driving feel more immersive. Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi plans for this to be ‘a complete form of Gran Turismo’ and a ‘combination of past, present and future’, making this title pretty exciting for fans of the franchise. 

18. Halo Infinite - TBA 2021 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

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The above trailer might be a tad out of date, considering Microsoft delayed the release of Halo Infinite after initial backlash to its visuals. However, Halo is still one of the most iconic gaming franchises of all time, and this sequel has some interesting ambitions.

Developer 343 Industries wants Halo Infinite to somehow last for an entire decade despite being released on two console generations, and all this extra development time can only be good for the game. 

19. Horizon Forbidden West - TBA 2021 (PS4, PS5)

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Horizon Zero Dawn was a gorgeous open-world game with fantastic combat, so of course its upcoming sequel is on this list.

This time around, Aloy has to uncover the mysteries behind a collapsing biosphere that’s killing wildlife and starving humans, all caused by a new red blight. Huge supercell storms are also impacting the environment.

Aloy will have to venture into new areas unexplored in the first game, and meet new tribes and machines. 

20. Lego Star Wars: the Skywalker Saga - TBA 2021 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

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Lego Star Wars: the Skywalker Saga is a big ol’ reboot of the Lego Star Wars games, pulling together all nine movies in one massive game. It’s also reinventing the Lego formula, introducing all-new combat systems, quest mechanics, open-world random events and full voice acting.

The Lego games have always been underrated co-op games, and this looks like the most ambitious one yet. 

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.