E3 2019 is now officially over, and since it ended we were able to take a step back and look all of the games that were revealed during the week long hype train. The press conferences were for the most part alright, but it all comes down to one major thing, the video games themselves. Their were quite a few titles that stood out, and a lot of them are actually releasing this year, most of them near the end during the holidays. This is largely unprecedented as a majority of games in past E3’s are usually given a release time frame for the next year, and sometimes more than a year.
While some titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Animal Crossing: New Horizon, and Final Fantasy VII Remake are scheduled for a 2020 launch, a good chunk of games that were shown are coming out very soon. But let’s not forget that we already have other games launching in the second half of 2019, and with the additional titles being added just this week, that makes the remainder of the year a very, very crowded one. It took a while to sift through, but here are the games that I believe are the most anticipated for the rest of 2019.
Super Mario Maker 2: June 28, Nintendo Switch
This one comes out very soon, in fact it launches in just a couple of weeks. The original Super Mario Maker on the Wii U is often considered one of the best titles of the ill-fated console, and it was easy to see why. The game gives you complete freedom to utilize all apects of a 2D Mario title and run wild with it. Super Mario Maker 2 looks like it’s going to up the ante big time, and in addition, have its own Story Mode where you have to go through 100 different courses. Oh yeah, and it will have co-op online multiplayer too. It’s very obvious why fans have been clamoring to get their hands on this one, and they won’t have to wait much longer.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses: July 26, Nintendo Switch
Fire Emblem may not be the most popular franchise of all time, but the fanbase has grown rapidly over the years. It’s also the series first home console release in over 12 years, with the last one being Radiant Dawn on the Wii in 2007. When you combine these two things, you get a long awaited title in the making. Three Houses is looking to be the most ambitious game in Fire Emblem history, as it will have multiple protagonists as opposed to a central one. All of the signature features will return, including the dreaded, or beloved, permadeath which makes for a more dramatic situation depending on your play style. What’s really new here though is what takes place outside of the battles, as the developers have brought different types of activities to partake in so you can become closer to whichever party member you want. Either way, you will go through some emotional moments so keep a tissue box nearby just in case.
Borderlands 3: September 13, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The buildup for Borderlands 3 has been an extremely long one. The game has been a major talking point for the past several years, and while Pre-Sequel was a great addition to the series, many were still clamoring for a full fledged sequel to Borderlands 2. Randy and company are looking to make this entry the best one yet, with full space exploration as well as tons of new weapons. They didn’t stop there either, they’ve improved the skill tree mechanics too, and the new Vault Hunters are just total badasses, who we haven’t even played as yet. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds, but everyone, yes even you, will be picking this up.
The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening: September 20, Nintendo Switch
Nintendo really seems to be on a roll with their first party titles, and this one is no exception. Despite having to wait a whole year, we finally got a release date for Links Awakening on the Switch, and fans were overjoyed to see that it launches this September. Thankfully, the game looks amazing, and it just might be the definitive way to play the one time hand held title. Well, technically, it still is a hand held game thanks to the Switch’s hybrid style where you can take it with you anywhere you go. Those who have played the original iteration back in 1993 will want to give this a try, and anyone who hasn’t even heard of this Zelda title will definitely need to play this one. Zelda games have historically done very well over their sales lifetime, and I expect Links Awakening to be no different.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: October 25, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Each and every year one of Activisions studios spit out another entry in this long running series, and some of recent ones have been, well, controversial. The draw power that the Call of Duty name has is without question, and I think Actvision realizes this as the next one to release is none other than a reboot of the beloved Modern Warfare franchise. Not only that, but this also tugs on the nostalgia factor of those who have played the original Modern Warfare trilogy, which are still played to this day. Captain Price and company are back, and with the promise of even more brutal and intense combat coming our way, this has to be a high one on many peoples list of games to get this year.
Death Stranding: November 8, PlayStation 4
Not only is this one of the most anticipated titles of 2019, this is arguably one of the most hyped, talked about, enigmatic, and mysterious games to ever release in the past few years. I’ve said this many times before, but Hideo Kojima is the ultimate master manipulator, and he knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. His pet project has been kept under wraps, until just a couple of weeks ago where we finally received some concrete gameplay and a release date. The timing couldn’t have been better, this is a Sony exclusive title (for now), it was right before E3, and it broke the internet for most of the week. All of Kojima’s trolling, teasing, and non-stop messing with our heads has lead up to this point, and their is no doubt that people want a piece of this.
Pokemon Sword and Shield: November 15, Nintendo Switch
Remember what I said about the Switch having a lot of big titles this year? Check another one onto that list as Pokemon gets it’s next entry, this time on the home console market. Sword and Shield had already dazzled us with the reveal of some cool features, such as a co-op Raid, what is this World of Warcraft? But the moment we finally got a glimpse of the actual Pokemon themselves, the fans collectively agreed that this was something special. With the power of the Switch over the 3DS handheld, we can also expect to see some more animations and better graphics. The only caveat is that the company has confirmed that not all 807 Pokemon will be available for this game, the first time since 2003’s Ruby and Sapphire that you can’t catch em all. Still, it’s freaking Pokemon, and the fans will make this one a priority.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: November 15, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Perhaps not quite as anticipated as some of the others on this list, it’s still Star Wars. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was fully unveiled this past week, and despite some reservations, the gameplay looks solid as it combines varies aspects from other great video game franchises into one smooth and silky presentation. Respawn is behind the wheels for this project, and with such a great track record, they may be the last real video game developer under the EA banner that has a chance to make a great Star Wars title. With a vast array of force powers, excellent lightsaber combat, and Solid Snake like sneaking around, Jedi: Fallen Order will be something for a select group this year, but to every Star Wars fan out their, it’s a must buy.
Doom Eternal: November 22, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
I’ll be honest, the Bethesda press conference was not the greatest. Their were a couple of new IP’s that have great potential, but the event as a whole was a bit of a let down. That all changed when id Software arrived and presented Doom Eternal. We’d already seen a bit during QuakeCon last Summer, but the company really let the cat out of the bag this time as we got a whole lot of gameplay, storyline discussions, a brand new multiplayer co-op mode/PVP mode, and more big, bad, and beautiful weapons for the Doom Slayer to use. I was already looking forward to Doom Eternal since last year, but this just shot it to the top of my personal list for 2019, and I’m guessing it will be the same for gamers around the world. Whether it’s held in the same breadth as it’s 2016 predecessor or not, people will be going out in droves to pick this one up.
What other games are you looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments below!
