5 of the best games announced for 2021

The next generation of consoles is almost upon us, and with it, a whole new generation of games that will push the boundaries of gaming as a whole. 2020 has, so far, been a great year for games, with generation-defining titles such as The Last of Us Part II, Doom Eternal, and Ghost of Tsushima all being released.

This year will surely be a tough act to follow, but things are already beginning to take shape for 2021 to be a massive year. Many of the biggest AAA titles for the upcoming year have already been announced way ahead of time.

Expectations from the next-gen consoles are sky-high, with fans expecting studios to push the boundaries of video-gaming even further.

5 of the best games announced for 2021

Honourable Mentions:

• Halo Infinite
• Gotham Knights
• Monster Hunter Rise (Nintendo Switch)

5) Deathloop

Arkane Studios' next project is a unique first-person action/adventure that puts players in control of a hitman caught in a time loop. The studio continues to experiment with the standard first-person formula to put out innovative titles that push the boundaries of the genre.

The game's approach to how time and the levels work is intriguing to say the least, as players would only have a limited amount of information to work with. Essentially, the game consists of players repeating individual levels in a variety of ways, to figure out the best approach to execute it flawlessly.

While that does sound familiar to other games of similar vein, Deathloop looks to incorporate that game mechanic into the story itself. Therefore, instead of it just being bonus gameplay, the repetitions are what help the story progress. Deathloop is one of the most anticipated titles of the year, and it has succesfully managed to pique the interest of a lot of fans.

4) Far Cry 6

The Far Cry-formula, at this point, is quite well-established. While it perhaps won't be winning over any new fans, existing followers of the franchise know exactly what they're buying into.

Every release in the Far Cry franchise is met with mixed reactions across the board. However, the inclusion of the formidable Giancarlo Esposito, seems to have won over a lot of the cynics as well. The actor, most famous for playing Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, will be joining the Far Cry franchise as the main villain.

Ubisoft will attempt to take their learnings from the previous entries, in order to deliver a home-run and prove the naysayers wrong with Far Cry 6. The expectations going into Far Cry 6, with it's developer being a technical powerhouse, are also quite large.

3) Hogwarts Legacy

The 'Harry Potter' game that has been making rounds of the internet for a while now, was finally confirmed in the PS5 Showcase Event. Development will be headed by Avalance Studios, under the label of WB Interactive Entertainment and Portkey Games.

The game itself is set in the 'Wizarding World' in the 1800s, and will follow the player character's journey through Hogwarts in an open-world structure. While fans of the Harry Potter books and movies will jump at the sight of a new Hogwarts-themed game, this one definitely looks like it has more to offer.

The older Harry Potter games had a certain charm to them, and were actually pretty enjoyable despite being rather rudimentary. Hogwarts Legacy looks to establish the Wizarding World brand as a strong one in gaming, and fans of the series couldn't be more excited.

2) Hitman 3

The concluding chapter of the Hitman: World of Assassinations trilogy, sees 47 tackle a wide variety of new locations. The new Hitman soft-reboot trilogy has already birthed 2 of the best games in the franchise, and arguably some of the best levels in the series' history.

From the sprawling Sapienza to Mumbai's colourful and crowded cityscapes, the Hitman trilogy has been nothing short of brilliant. The third game in the series is already looking like it could be one of the finest Hitman experiences to date, with a couple of locations revealed already.

Fans had little expectation from the 2016 reebot of Hitman after the underwhelming 'Absolution'. Instead, IO managed to surpass any expectations that were placed by leaps and bounds, to make the new trilogy one of the most celebrated titles in modern gaming.

1) God of War: Ragnarok

Fan speculation about a potential God of War sequel titled "Ragnarok" began as players neared the end of the 2018 game. Those fans now seem to have had their faith rewarded, as Santa Monica and Sony dropped a small teaser for the upcoming God of War sequel.

This quick turnaround, although unexpected, is one that fans will surely appreciate, as to many players, 2018's God of War is the game of the generation. Santa Monica will be looking to hit the iron while it is white-hot and become the flag-bearer of the PS5 going into the next generation.

No official date has been announced for the release of the sequel, with the only hint being an ominous indication which read "Ragnarok is Coming: 2021". The gaming community can barely hide their giddyness at the thought of a Kratos and Thor throw-down, and frankly, neither can we.