2018 was one of the PlayStation 4’s best years in terms of the big name games released. God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Red Dead Redemption 2 were all some of the best games of their generation and all provided terrific singe player experiences. While the end of the console is in sight, the PS4 still has many exciting games yet to be released. Here are the most anticipated:
2019 Known Releases
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Release date: March 22nd
A more fast-paced action game with a a grappling hook for easy traversal, Sekiro : Shadows Die Twice looks to separate itself from the Dark Souls formula as it has no RPG elements. You play as a ninja, sporting a new prosthetic arm looking for revenge during the 1500s. Its core gameplay may be similar, but this is a different game than previous entries from developer From Software.
Days Gone
Release date: April 26th
In development from Sony Bend for what seems like an entirety now, Days Gone attempts a new take on zombies, called ‘tweakers” here. An open world game where supplies and taking care of your motorcycle in addition to surviving rival gangs and wildlife are an important aspect of gameplay, not much is known about the story.
Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled
Release date: June 21st
An update to one of the best kart racers of its time, featuring on of the only true single players story modes in a racer, yes. Crash has seen a nice revival with the trilogy getting remastered, so why not the kart racer that proved, with a great cast of characters and some of the best track design, that it is still relevant and as much of a blast to play today.
No Known Release Date
Biomutant
It’s not entirely clear why Biomutant is exciting, but the thought of a third person action-platformer-RPG that stars a raccoon looking protagonist has me intrigued. Early gameplay videos show a vibrant world full of enemies, but the actual combat, which consists of both projectiles and and melee still looks a little rough. If the combat can get smoothed out, Biomutant could be a surprise hit in 2019.
Ghost of Tsushima
Created by Sucker Punch, the team behind the Infamous and Sly Cooper series, Ghost of Tsushima is a historically based samurai epic that looks absolutely breath taking. Very little information, other than the gameplay trailer has been made available, but that trailer was enough to make it a game to look forward too. It’s difficult not to make comparisons to Akira Kurosawa films, but that’s about as good a compliment you could pay to anything samurai related.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red has been working on Cyberpunk 2077 since finishing The Witcher III and its DLC and despite some backlash about a first person perspective (as opposed to The Witcher III’s third person view) the RPG elements, the neon-lit world seems to have endless possibilities. If it was simply The Witcher III cyberpunk edition, that’d be fine, but the meticulous details and options already separate Cyberpunk 2077 from anything this generation.
Death Stranding
I honestly have no idea what Death Stranding is going to be about, or even what the core gameplay consists of, but Hideo Kojima has a great track record with the Metal Gear franchise. Early gameplay doesn’t show much outside of a barren, Icelandic-like world and some sort of Lost-like smoke monsters. Featuring the star power of Norman Reedus, Mads MIkkelsen and Guillermo Del Toro.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us is widely considered the best game of the last generation, and with good reason, it tells a heartfelt and complicated story and has simple, yet deep gameplay. The Last of Us 2 will no doubt improve on the gameplay aspect, and the first demoed gameplay shows as much, but it’s the continued story of Joel and Ellie that is shrouded in mystery, with only small hints as of yet. Regardless, PS4 owners might get to end their console’s life with another generation best.