The best upcoming games of 2020 (and beyond)

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The impending arrival of the next-generation of consoles means the list of upcoming games of 2020 is especially exciting. Whether you want a big studio blockbuster or an intriguing little indie, there are still plenty of titles on their way this year to get your pulse racing. 

Games like The Last of Us 2 have proved that the current generation of consoles can still deliver ground-breaking experiences, and there are still more to come, like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima. If you're more interested in what you might be playing on your new PS5 and Xbox Series X, look no further than Godfall or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You can find them all in the list if the best upcoming games of 2020.

Ghost of Tsushima 

(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: July 17, 2020
Buy: Ghost of Tsushima pre-orders

Sucker Punch hit us with quite the surprise when it first revealed Ghost of Tsushima out of the blue: a samurai-led tale of ancient Japan from the studio that brought you the Infamous and Sly Cooper series. You play a swordsman known as "The Ghost," who's fighting for his life against the invading forces of the Mongol Empire. The story that unfolds is based on real historical events that kicked off in the year 1274. The latest trailer that debuted at the Game Awards 2019 not only gave us a release date, it also showed off some seriously slick combat and a variety of gorgeous vistas in "the biggest game Sucker Punch has ever made by wide margin."  Prepare yourself for plenty of intense melee combat in a large, open-world take on feudal Japan.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Release date: July 17, 2020

A brand new Paper Mario game is en route, much to the surprise of series' fans. Paper Mario: The Origami King is a pun-packed adventure in a papercraft world, where our heroes Mario and Luigi are accompanied by a new companion called Olivia. Together you'll face the Origami King and his various armies, and will team up with plenty of friends along the way. Heck, you'll even gain some magical power too, ranging from things involving Metroid helmets to Arms-style stretchy limbs and more. Cute and deadly. Just watch out for papercuts. 

Tell Me Why

(Image credit: Dontnod)

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One
Release date: Summer 2020

Dontnod's latest narrative adventure follows the story of reunited twins Alyson and Tyler Ronan who have a special bond. Described as an "intimate thriller," the twins use their special bond to uncover the mysterious of a troubled - albeit loving - childhood. The game is set to explore the idea of memory and both twins are playable protagonists, which sounds very intriguing. As with past Dontnod games like Life is Strange, you'll be able to make choices that shape the twins' story.  Interestingly the story will unfold over three chapters that will all release in the summer, so you'll be able to experience the narrative journey from start to finish. 

Wasteland 3 

(Image credit: InXile Entertainment)

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: August 28, 2020

Set in the post-apocalyptic frozen lands of Colorado, Wasteland 3 looks like a fantastic tactical RPG to tuck into with your pals. Available to play entirely solo or in co-op, the third entry in the Wasteland series is a story-driven experience where your choices will matter. Every decision you make can offer you new opportunities or close you off to them, as well as take you to new areas and lead you to different story arcs. This choice and variety makes it sound very replayable, and the setting is set to present you with some difficult moral choices as you decide how to lead in the frozen wastes. This is definitely one to watch, especially since InXhile has been working to evolve the series' turn-based combat, and will also include a new dialogue system and fully voice acted characters to add to the immersive RPG side of the experience.

Marvel's Avengers 

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4
Release date: September 4, 2020
Buy: Marvel's Avengers pre-orders

With the voice acting talents of Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Nolan North, Travis Willingham, and Jeff Schine, Crystal Dynamics has assembled a stellar cast to from the team of Avengers. With a story that's entirely separate to the MCU, we'll be able to play as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Hulk. After being blamed for the disaster in San Francisco, the heroes reassemble when the world comes under a new threat five years later. With four-player co-op, Marvel's Avengers looks to be one heroic adventure. 

Cyberpunk 2077

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: September 17, 2020
Buy: Cyberpunk 2077 pre-orders

CD Projekt Red has given us some absolutely ravishing teases of Cyberpunk 2077 and its futuristic Night City, and until we get to play it for ourselves, we'll be poring over every trailer and screenshot in search of new details. As a customizable protagonist, you'll explore a dense metropolis from the first-person perspective - a departure for the studio that initially sent some Witcher fans in a tizzy. They'll get over it when they dive into Cyberpunk 2077's grungy world of high-tech weaponry and digital espionage.

 

Dirt 5 

(Image credit: Codemasters)

Platform(s): Xbox Series X, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Google Stadia
Release date: From October 2020, Google Stadia version in 2021

DiRT 5 is the latest off-road driving experience from Codemasters, and this time we're going more extreme than ever. Along with tracks set across a global stage, including New York City, Rio de Janiero, and remote areas of China and Greece, the game will also offer more ways to play than ever before: four-player split-screen modes are returning, and there's a new game mode specifically designed for co-op play ranging from your couch to global online battles. Plus, there's even a narrative-driven career mode to explore, which will feature voice acting talents like Nolan North and Troy Baker. All of this can be played in a non-linear format too, so you get to play more of what you want. 

Halo Infinite

(Image credit: Microsoft Xbox)

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Release date: Holiday 2020

Bearing a curious new sub-header and running on a brand new game engine known as Slipspace, the first Halo Infinite trailer almost seems to suggest that Master Chief's next adventure will have MMO qualities to it, or at least be more open-ended and sandbox-like in flavour. That instantly familiar shot of his armour also teases a potential technological downgrade for everyone's favourite Spartan, though plot details remain threadbare for now. MMO or otherwise, Halo: Infinite could just be the Halo comeback we've all been waiting for. 

Godfall

(Image credit: Gearbox / Counterplay)

Platform(s): PS5, PC (Epic Games Store)
Release date: Holiday 2020 

As one of the first games to be announced for Sony's next-gen console, Godfall is set to land on the PS5 at the tail end of the year. Developer Counterplay Games describes it as a loot-driven action RPG, with a focus on real-time melee combat. The new IP is set in a fantasy universe with "heroic knights, arcane magic, and forbidden realms." The game can also be played in its entirety in co-op or solo as you so desire. We don't yet know much more about this looter-slasher, but the shiny action-packed trailer and the game's high fantasy setting is certainly attention-grabbing.

Outriders

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X
Release date: Holiday 2020 

A brand new shooter IP from People Can Fly, and published by Square Enix, is Outriders. You play as a member of humanity who has had to flee Earth, and has landed on a planet called Enoch. But, an immense storm called The Anomaly forces them back into cryostasis. And yet, when they awake, they all find themselves imbued with ridiculous powers. It's Mass Effect meets Doom and we are so in.

Deathloop

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Platform(s):  PS5 (timed exclusive), PC
Release date: Holiday 2020

Imagine Groundhog Day, but you're two assassins who end up killing each other every day, and then repeat ad nauseam. Well, that's Deathloop. The game takes place in the mysterious Black Reef, in what's described as a "time of madness". In development at Arkane Lyon, it's clear that our two assassins have very different ideas of their current situation. Juliana wants to protect it, while Cole hopes to break free of their never-ending cycle, but what they always do is kill each other. Over and over again.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X
Release date: Holiday 2020 

It's time to make a leap of faith into the Viking era with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the latest entry in Ubisoft's long-running series. You'll play as Eivor (male or female), a Viking raider who must lead their clan from the icy plains of Norway into a new home in England. This is the Dark Ages though, so England is a nation lead by a collection of petty lords and warring kingdoms. Will you conquer this land? You'll find out soon enough.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales

(Image credit: Insomniac Games)

Platform(s): PS5
Release date: Holiday 2020

Insomniac is bringing another web-slinging adventure towards the end of the year, and it will feature Miles Morales as Spider-Man. Set to come to the PS5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a standalone game where we'll follow the story of Miles as he masters his new spidey-senses. Set to expand and build on the 2018 PS4 release, this latest Spider-Man game is said to take full advantage of the PS5's SSD, making fast-travel across New York City near-instantaneous. 

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

(Image credit: Sega)

Platform(s): Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: Holiday 2020

Having already been released in Japan, Yakuza fans have been desperate to see a Western release for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and now it's en route. Developer Sega is calling the game an "explosive entry point" to the series, as it's the first to feature turn-based combat instead of the traditional beat 'em up style - a contentious decision for some fans too. It's an attempt to make this entry more of an action RPG than other series' entries. But otherwise, it's a fresh slice of Yakuza action, with a new protagonist in the form of Ichiban Kasuga, a low-level Yakuza from a smaller family. The story picks up after Ichiban leaves prison after serving 18 years for a crime he didn't commit, and discovers everything's changed, including the family he left behind. 

Turn to the next page for more of the best upcoming games for 2020 and beyond...

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