2020 has been a banner year for gaming, especially for consoles. Yet there’s still tons more to come, much more than I can cover here. That’s why I’ve picked the 10 most anticipated and interesting looking games that are going to be released over the next year.
I should put down one disclaimer though, which is that these games aren’t necessarily Xbox/Windows exclusive (but feel free to check out our guide on some of the most amazing Xbox One exclusives), and there are some games that are also coming out on the PS4 as well. I know, I know, please try and hold back your dinner at the thought of a PlayStation. Also, feel free to check out our guide on some outstanding games on Xbox Pass.
#1 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Release date: November 15, 2019
Easily one of my personally most anticipated games, Fallen order is a story-driven Star Wars game that looks to be shaping up into something pretty awesome. It’s actually made by Respawn, the same studio that made Apex and Titanfal, so it’s going to be interesting to see how they deal with a more single-player focus.
As you can imagine, you play as a Jedi with the gamut of force powers you’ve seen in other Jedi games, as well as a couple of new ones (such as a slow-motion sort of thing).
Story-wise, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is tucked nicely between episode 3 and episode 4, as the Jedi are being hunted by the empire. Cal Kestis, the main character you play with, must do his best to avoid getting caught, although ultimately, it seems like he’s going to have to call on his Jedi training. But you know what, don’t take my word for it, check out EAs official gameplay demo for some awesome Jedi fun times:
#2 Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
Release Date: December, 2019
This one is a slightly weird one but still rather interesting. The game puts you in control of a clan of apes, which you can evolve and change over the course of several million years. Skills that you ‘learn’ can include things like moving items from hand to hand, being able to drop items as you walk, and a bunch of other things that we pretty much take for granted.
I’d love to tell you more about it but the information is pretty scant, and whether you end up managing to reach a human-like point in your evolution is unknown (although I certainly hope you can).
It’s also a survival game, as you need to manage your needs and the clans need as time moves forward, so that’s an interesting concept. When you die as the ‘elder’ of the clan, you move forward through both time and bloodlines, since this game spans 8million years, you’re not going to spend that whole time as just one ape. This definitely isn’t your typical console game, so check it out below.
#3 Battletoads
Release Date: TBD 2019
This is another game that I’m super looking forward to, as I played the original Battletoads and I absolutely hated it, I died so many times, ughahghuahg! I still haven’t managed to finish the game until this day although I got super close before I moved on to later consoles and later games. Actually, maybe I should boot up an emulator and give it another shot…
Anyway, unfortunately, we don’t know much about the new Battletoads other than it exists and that it’s coming out in 2020. Check out the gameplay trailer below.
#4 Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Release Date: August 6th, 2019
If you’ve ever played any of the Age of Wonders games, then you’re probably familiar with Planetfall. What you might not be familiar with is the new setting, which takes it from a medieval fantasy world into a space-aged future. This even applies to the units, and if you’ve seen any of the trailers, you’ll have seen the motorcycles and other advanced technology.
There’s really not much to say other than you should really check out the trailer above!
#5 Controls
Release Date: August 27, 2019
If you’ve played Quantum Break then you probably know what to expect from their next game: Controls. Taking the place of a newly minted Director of . . . somewhere strange, you’re given supernatural powers and have to deal with an exceedingly strange situation. Floating employees, a building that changes as you move through it, and just all manner of weird and mysterious stuff is going on.
While doing so, you have to figure out what exactly is going on, as your character is as much of a blank slate as you can get them. Thankfully, there’s no parallel TV show like with Quantum Break, so it should be a much more linear and engaging experience.
#6 Borderlands 3
Release Date: September 13, 2019
This is probably another game that doesn’t really need an introduction, especially one that’s been so incredibly anticipated since Borderlands 2.
Gearbox has geared it back up again with an outstanding sequel with the same amount of zany, fun, over-the-top combat and world that you’ve come to expect and love from the Borderlands series. There’s more guns, more loot and really just more everything than you’ll ever need. But hey, don’t take my word for it, just check out the trailer.
#7 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Release Date: October 25, 2019
Ok I know what you’re thinking: “Wait a second, didn’t Modern Warfare release like ages ago? What are you trying to pull? You think I’m an idiot?!”
Well, putting aside what I think about you, let me tell you that I’m actually not pulling the wool over your eyes and in-fact there is a new Modern Warfare coming out. It’s not even a remaster either, but a reimagining of the classic FPS game and fitting it into the contemporary narrative. It’s also going to do away with season passes and all the garbage we’ve come to expect from modern games, and in a sense, it really does seem to be old-school Modern Warfare.
It’s also going to be supporting cross-platform play with the PS4 and PC, so that has the potential to be rather interesting. So really, I for one am super excited to see what they have in store.
#8 Code Vein
Release Date: September 27, 2019
It wouldn’t be much of an understatement to say that souls-style games are pretty weird and strange overall. In fact, I remember the first time I saw Bloodborne I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t in a nightmare. Code Vein is no exception to that rule, with a collapsed humanity and some form of revenant threat, as well as a mysterious reliance on blood for survival.
The story is complex enough that I really don’t have a grasp on it based on the few trailers I’ve seen, but it certainly looks interesting. It also really stands out from most games in the genre due to its graphical style, which is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese anime. Honestly, check it out, it’s too weird to not.
#9 Gears 5
Release date: September 10, 2019
Another huge franchise in the Microsoft lineup, this new entry into the franchise mixes things up and adds a few deviations from the traditional Gears of Wars we’ve come to expect. Taking place right after Gears of War 4, instead of playing with a big hulking guy wearing power armor, you instead take control of Kait Diaz, a supporting character in Gears 4 . . . who also happens to be wearing power armor.
There also seems to be some new underlying mechanics in terms of speak and melee options, although we’re not exactly sure what form that’s going to take. Other than that, we don’t know anything except that it looks like it’s going to be pretty awesome all around.
#10 Ori And The Will Of The Wisps
Release Date: February 11, 2020
Granted this one is coming out in 2020, but it’s so close to the end of 2020 and just a few months away, that it certainly deserves a place on this list as one of the most anticipated upcoming video games out there.
While we don’t know much about the game itself at this point, from what we’ve seen we can expect a lush and beautiful environment, with some strange and scary boss fights that are sure to get your heart racing. There’s going to be new upgrades, new special abilities and just a slew of other new things to whet your appetite. Oh, and of course there’s Ori.
Conclusion
Well there you have it, some of the most anticipated games coming up for the Xbox One, that are certainly going to be awesome. I myself am very likely to end the year broke from all the games I’m looking to buy, so . . . . yeah, I need to go do more work now.
Oh, and if you’re anything like me and prefer a mouse and keyboard, we have a handy guide on how to use a mouse and keyboard on the Xbox One. Also, since you’re almost certainly going to run out of space for all those awesome games you’re going to buy, you might want to check out the best external hard drives for the Xbox one.