2017, you shall be missed. While the year was rife with loot boxes, all your favourite celebrities being sex offenders and Donald Trump even managing to upset people who were disgusted by his breathing habits, it was also a year of some of the finest games of all time. The Nazi-killing action of Wolfenstein II, the sweeping art of Pyre and pure twin-stick action of Nex Machina.
Good times man, good times. 2018 doesn’t look like a slouch either, as the year ahead has plenty of contenders for game of the year lined up. Here’s a look at every confirmed game so far, as well as those titles which are waiting on a date. Just like me when I attended my High School farewell party.
January
Usually the most barren of months, January has managed to blossom into a first quarter party-starter that drops a few gems on players. Once again, Capcom saves the day with the big budget Monster Hunter World, while Bandai Namco goes over 9000 with the most anticipated fighting game of the year. Goku and pals will have some competition in that genre however, as the latest Final Fantasy Dissidia chapter moves from arcades to home consoles:
- The Escapists 2 (Nintendo Switch) – January 11
- Street Fighter V Arcade Edition (PC, PS4) – January 16
- Gintama Rumble (PS4) – January 18
- World To The West (Nintendo Switch) – January 18
- Death Mark (Nintendo Switch, PS4) – January 19
- Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (PS4, PSVita) – January 19
- Kirby Battle Royale (Nintendo 3DS) – January 19
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PC, PS4) – January 19
- Lost Sphear (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4) – January 23
- The Inpatient (PlayStation VR) – January 23
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia (PS4) – January 25
- Celeste (PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC) – January 25
- Dust and Salt (PC) – January 25
- Your Four Knight Princesses Training Story (Nintendo Switch, PS4, PSVita) – January 25
- Dragon Ball FighterZ (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – January 26
- Monster Hunter: World (PS4, Xbox One) – January 26
- Railway Empire (PC) – January 26
- Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (PS4) – January 30
February
Later on in the first quarter, the party continues with a few other high-profile titles. Konami is attempting to prove that the Metal Gear Solid franchise can still continue without its patron saint, while Sony revives one of its classic adventures for a newer, 4Kier generation of fans.
- Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PC) – February 1
- EA Sports UFC 3 (PS4, Xbox One) – February 2
- Shadow of the Colossus (PS4) – February 6
- Civilization VI: Rise and Fall expansion – February 8
- Dragon Quest Builders (Nintendo Switch) – February 9
- Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] (PS4, PS3, PS Vita) – February 9
- Dynasty Warriors 9 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – February 13
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – February 13
- Owlboy (Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One) – February 13
- Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (Nintendo 3DS) – February 13
- Secret of Mana (PC, PS4, PS Vita) – February 15
- Bayonetta (Nintendo Switch) – February 16
- Bayonetta 2 (Nintendo Switch) – February 16
- Age of Empires Definitive Edition (PC) – February 20
- Metal Gear Survive (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – February 20
- Hokuto ga Gotoku (PS4) – February 22
- Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – February 23
- De Blob 2 (PS4, Xbox One) – February 27
- Payday 2 (Nintendo Switch) – February 27
March
March signals the end of the first quarter, with a selection of games that includes plenty of racing action from the West in Ubisoft’s open-world land, sea and air racing game The Crew 2. There’s also the latest chapter in the Yakuza series to look forward to as SEGA’s iconic gangster Kazuma Kiryu is ready to crack some skulls once again in that explosive Japanese sandbox:
- Bravo Team (PSVR) – March 6
- Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 6
- Frantics (PS4) – March 6
- Scribblenauts Showdown (PS4, Xbox One, Switch) – March 6
- Devil May Cry HD Collection (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 13
- Golem (PSVR) – March 13
- The Crew 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 16
- Kirby Star Allies (Switch) -March 16
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue: Remastered (PS4, Xbox One) – March 20
- Attack on Titan 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) – March 20
- Sea of Thieves (Xbox One, PC) – March 20
- Titan Quest (PS4, Xbox One) – March 20
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4) – March 20
- A Way Out (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 23
- Detective Pikachu (3DS) – March 23
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PS4, PC) – March 23
- Pure Farming 2018 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 27
- Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings (PS4, PC, Switch) – March 27
- Far Cry 5 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 27
- MLB The Show 18 (PS4) – March 27
- Agony (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – March 30
April
April may not be stacked in numbers when it comes to games, but it does include two heavy hitters in the form of a returning God of War as well as Nintendo’s delightful new Labo project:
- We Happy Few (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – April 13
- Trails of Cold Steel 2: Kai (PS4) – April 16
- God of War (PS4) – April 20
- Nintendo Labo (Nintendo Switch) – April 20
May
May is also currently as empty as my wallet after I was left unattended in an antique shop, with merely Sunless Skies and Street Fighter amongst a scant few offerings. Expect that to change soon however.
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch) – May 4
- Conan Exiles (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – May 8
- Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (3DS) – May 15
- Dark Souls Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) -May 25
June
- BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
TBA
As for everything else? A 2018 release date is likely, although the bulk of the games below will most likely only be in the latter half of the year once the dust of E3 has settled down. I’ll keep this list updated throughout 2018, unless that prophecy of me dying after being dared to eat a plate of hair actually does come true. Ctrl+D this page for a handy guide of what to expect throughout the year:
- A Way Out
- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- Anno 1800
- Anthem
- Artifact
- Armored Warfare
- BattleTech
- Biomutant
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Call of Cthulhu
- Chuchel
- Code Vein
- Conan Exiles
- Crackdown 3
- Darksiders III
- Dauntless
- Detroit: Become Human
- Dragon Quest Builders 2
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
- Extinction
- Fe
- Fear Effect Reinvented
- Final Fantasy XV
- Fortnite
- Freedom Planet 2
- Frostpunk
- Granblue Fantasy Project Re: Link
- Greedfall
- Griftlands
- Jurassic World Evolution
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Kirby Star Allies
- Laser League
- Left Alive
- MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
- Metro Exodus
- Monster Hunter: World (PC)
- Next Up Hero
- Onrush
- Overkill’s The Walking Dead
- Phoenix Point
- Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
- Project Octopath Traveler
- Project Phoenix
- Psychonauts 2
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Robotics;Notes DaSH
- Runner3
- Shenmue III
- Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
- Skull & Bones
- Spider-Man
- Starlink: Battle for Atlas
- State of Decay 2
- Steins;Gate Elite[A]
- Super Meat Boy Forever
- Super Mega Baseball 2
- Surviving Mars
- Syberia 3
- System Shock
- The Alliance Alive
- The Bard’s Tale IV
- The Guild 3
- The Last Night
- The Walking Dead: The Final Season
- The Wolf Among Us: Season 2
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
- Tropico 6
- Underworld Ascendant
- Untitled Fire Emblem game
- Untitled Yoshi game
- Valkyria Chronicles 4
- Vampyr
- Wargroove
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Last Updated: January 24, 2018
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 30, 2017 at 14:16
Well that’s annoying. None of the games I’m really interested in have a confirmed launch date.
Admiral Chief Silver Dragon
November 30, 2017 at 14:20
VAMPYR, looking forward to that one
Admiral Chief Silver Dragon
November 30, 2017 at 14:20
MW5 MERCENARIES?????????
SQUEEEEEEEEEEE
Admiral Chief Silver Dragon
November 30, 2017 at 14:21
BattleTech too?????
Ottokie
November 30, 2017 at 14:24
All make way for the first cannon Pokemon game on a console hybrid o/
Lord Chaos
November 30, 2017 at 14:25
Hideo Kojima leaves and zombies come out the woodwork.
Jacques Van Zyl
November 30, 2017 at 14:27
Every year when new games are announced I am disappointed. Not because the games announced are bad or anything such thing… just that I’ve been waiting forever forever for a new Tenchu game and it’s presence is as unseen as the ninjas that make up its cast.
Original Heretic
November 30, 2017 at 14:56
So many games, so little money…
For the Emperor!
November 30, 2017 at 15:09
Looking forward to BattleTech (backer here!) and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.
Darksiders III – Will need to finish the first two before I get it.
Hope Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr also gets a full release
Kromas Ryder
November 30, 2017 at 15:10
No Half Life 3 on that list …
Kromas Ryder
November 30, 2017 at 15:11
Also DayZ Also Fortnite Also (hahahaha yeah … no) Star Citizen.
Viper_ZA
November 30, 2017 at 15:13
Is it even possible to catch up with an ever growing backlog? Don’t think so…
Knapsekerel
November 30, 2017 at 15:14
The last of us 2?
Viper_ZA
November 30, 2017 at 15:16
Looks pretty awesome, can’t wait!
Caveshen Rajman
November 30, 2017 at 15:20
You had me at 2018.