The 17 most anticipated video games of 2019

Hideo Kojima is the David Lynch of video games and there is no way this isn't a masterpiece. 

The latest trailer absolutely blew us away. 

If you think "you're the President of jack shit" is bad writing then get out. Get all the way out.

Release date: November 8

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest. A beautifully made Metroidvania of sorts, the original Ori blew everyone away upon its release. This sequel has been a long time coming. 

Expect greatness.

Release date: Nothing official yet

It's a game about being a goose.

And not just any goose, a horrible goose. An asshole goose that makes life extremely difficult for everyone around him. This one, developed by Australian studio House House, is coming out late 2019.  

Release date: Late 2019

The remake of Link's Awakening, the Zelda handheld game originally released on the Game Boy, looks glorious.

If you're a fan of the Zelda series, you know how big a deal this is. Link's Awakening might be the best one. It's so far so good with this remake. The art style is gorgeous, and it makes perfect sense to release it on the Switch which is, like the original Game Boy, a portable device. 

Release date: September 20

Look, there are a lot of Pokemon games in the works -- but the one we're excited about? The next proper RPG Pokemon that Nintendo has confirmed. 

Pokemon Let's Go will be very cool and we're excited. But the next RPG game? That's the big kahuna. And it'll be on the Switch, a console that's perfect for it.

Release date: November 15

Luigi's Mansion 2 (or Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon in some territories) was a flat-out underrated masterpiece. For this reason I cannot wait to check out Luigi's Mansion 3 on the Nintendo Switch. 

Its predecessor was perfect for 20-minute bursts of play, which makes it perfect for the Nintendo Switch, which is portable and a mainstay in my daily commute. 

Again, I cannot wait for this.

Release date: 

This is the latest game from the creators of Firewatch, and it's looking good so far. 

The interesting thing about Firewatch: It felt less like the type of story you might see in a game, and more like an interesting tale spun that just happened to be a game. You weren't shooting or punching anything. You were just exploring, and having conversations featuring well-written dialogue. 

I'm hoping for more of the same with In the Valley of the Gods. I'm also hoping to be surprised!

Release date: Nothing official yet

One of the best parts of Assassin's Creed over the last few years has been sailing. 

So Ubisoft finally did what it should have done a long time ago -- make a game purely about being a pirate and sailing big-ass pirate ships into battle. 

Hook it to my veins.

Release date: Nothing official yet

The Last of Us was a real high point for video game storytelling, and all signs point to the sequel hitting the same bar. 

All signs also point to a different kind of video game violence. A kind that's less glorified and more confronting, coupled with the kind of performances and performance capture that developer Naughty Dog is renowned for. Potential game of the year stuff right here.

Release date: Nothing official yet

Remedy Entertainment's last game, Quantum Break, was a rare mistep for a development team that's delivered hit after hit. Looks like they've come blasting out of the traps with Control. This time-bending third-person shooter looked spectacular at E3. Best of all: It's multiplatform. It'll be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Release date: August 27

Star Wars and video games feel like a bit of a cursed duo right now. Star Wars 1313: canceled. Star Wars as reimagined by Uncharted co-creator Amy Hennig: currently in the process of being "reimagined." 

Star Wars Battlefront? Weighed down by micro-transaction and lootbox controversies. 

Does Respawn Entertainment have what it takes to bring Star Wars video games back to their former glory?

I suspect yes. Its last game, Titanfall 2, is low-key one of the best games of this generation. Expect something special here.

Release date: November 15

Much like Halo, the Gears of War series feels like it's losing a bit of relevance. 

But that doesn't mean that a brand new game isn't an event. Gears 5 will almost certainly be a spectacular showcase for the Xbox One and, in particular, the souped-up Xbox One X.

Release date: September 10

Yes, we're all desperately waiting for EA to resurrect the Skate franchise. Surely that'll happen in due course.

But while we wait, Session looks extremely promising and may even fill that void. A crowd-sourced skateboarding sim, Session looks tasty and seems to take its cues from Skate. That's a good sign. 

Release date: Nothing official yet

This has been a long time coming. 

The original Spelunky is an insanely challenging, randomly generated platformer. It's genius and has developed quite the cult following. Spelunky 2 adds an online co-op alongside a suite of new features. This might be the game you spend the most time with in 2019. 

Sign me up.

Release date: Nothing official yet

Hollow Knight is one of the best games released in the last two or three years and it came out of nowhere. Silksong, the expansion, has now outgrown its scope and become a full blown sequel. This is good news, particularly if you're a fan of Metroidvanias. And if you're not, maybe this game will change your mind. Hollow Knight is just that good.

Release date: Nothing official yet

We were lucky enough to spend an hour with Doom Eternal at E3 and good lord it was good. Probably the best game we got to actually play at the show. Considering its predecessor is still one of the best shooters of this generation, we're expecting greatness from this video game.

Release date: November 22

In a lot of ways Borderlands created the template that world beating "10 year games" like Destiny and The Division follow. But Borderlands 3 is back to claim the throne. 

Can Gearbox match its previous high standards? Here's hoping.

Release date: September 13