It is a big year for games. I mean, both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are about to make their debut in 2020. Which means the 2020 holiday season will be packed with Xbox Series X and PS5 launch games. Difficult decisions will have to be made. However, we already know some of the titles we can’t wait to play.
Listen, if you told me a Yakuza game would end up being a launch title for a console in the west, I’d have called you crazy. Hell, if people had told me years ago that we’d consistently see localizations of Yakuza games and have people like George Takei would be involved, my eyes would roll back so far into my head that they’d get stuck. (Just like my mom claimed they would!) But here we are in 2020, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon as an Xbox Series X launch game. It’s pretty cool, and I would love to meet Ichiban while using a whole new system. – Jenni
Launch games tend to fall into three categories. The first: rushed AAA-style games and ports meant to show off the tech of the system that may or not have forgotten to include the fun part. The second: tech demos for new system features that are slightly expanded to justify selling them. The third, though? I like the third: quirky games that do nothing special with the new hardware but use the opportunity to find an audience. Like Snipperclips! There are some very nice toasters out there that can probably run Bugsnax, but that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy playing it. – Graham
It has to be Bugsnax. The theme is catchy, the wildlife quirky, and I’ll get to live my dream of having curly fries for arms. But I’m also into that Control Ultimate Edition with all the bells and whistles. Seems like a good time to finally pick it up. I’ve been dying for more Alan Wake related gaming experiences so why not break in my PS5 with this one? – Annette
Of all the next-gen titles that have been announced so far, Gran Turismo 7 is the one I’m the most excited to play right now. The simulation mode with a city map brought me back to my childhood when I used to play the same mode in Gran Turismo 2 and 4 a lot. I can’t wait to experience that life of virtual racing once again! But if Gran Turismo 7 doesn’t show up around the launch window (and neither does Scarlet Nexus), I’d rather wait to see if there will be more new Japanese games for PS5 revealed by next month’s Tokyo Game Show Online. – Kite
I’ve been intrigued by Ghostwire: Tokyo ever since developer Ikumi Nakamura revealed it back at E3 2019, and I only grew more interested when we got a better look at gameplay during the PlayStation 5 event. I’m pretty interested in seeing how they adapt yokai and other Japanese mythical horrors into the FPS genre, especially it seems to be taking on a more pop-like aesthetic rather than a spooky one. Hopefully it pans out to be as good as it seems! – Alistair
It’s unsurprisingly on-brand for me that the game I’m most excited for on next gen consoles is one from 2009. Demon’s Souls is promising to take me back to the land of delightful punishments, allowing me to experience its cruel depths and ruined castles with some pals for the first time in a verrrry long time. I am beyond pumped to die horribly a few thousand times from stupid mistakes while my online allies just shake their heads at me. – Joel
Anyone who knows me at all will know my pick for PS5 launch games without batting an eye. I’m an unapologetic fan of the Assassin’s Creed series. I like the older games, and I love how the games have shifted to the RPG-format. We’ve tackled both the Egyptian and Greek mythologies, and I’m beyond excited to delve into the Norse mythology with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I’m not sure how a Viking is going to be Sneaky Sneakerson, but I can’t wait to find out. – Keri
I gotta say that this is a pretty strange generation to be excited specifically about games appearing in the launch window, especially when so many of the titles we know about so far are either confirmed for the other platform or even for the previous generation. When it comes to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it feels less like making a generational leap than timing a hardware upgrade, which, to an extent, is what both of the competitors are intending. In any case, aside from what my fellow editors have mentioned, I am looking forward to seeing more of JETT: The Far Shore. I didn’t even think that Superbrothers were still making games, making it especially exciting to see that they planned one for this year, and that it had spaceships to boot. Better yet, it looks to be a stylish saga of space exploration, as players control what look to be a group of fantasy astronauts on a quest to “carve out a future for a people haunted by oblivion and propelled by dreams”. – Josh Tolentino
