The best upcoming games of 2018: God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 and more
Earliest releases include open-world adventures and a series reboot
The battle between Microsoft and Sony’s superconsoles stole the headlines in 2017, with the newly released Xbox One X taking the PlayStation 4 Pro’s crown for the most powerful games system ever.
Now, however, the limelight is shifting back to the games themselves, with some of the industry’s biggest publishers gearing up to launch new titles in the next few months.
Here are the most eagerly anticipated games due for release in 2018.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Red Dead Redemption 2
The sequel to 2010’s critically acclaimed Wild West adventure is slated for release on 26 October for PS4 and Xbox One. Although little is known about the plot, leaked images of the game’s map reported by Tech Radar suggest the sequel will feature a massive world set around the Rocky Mountains. It also appears the game will share some locations with the last instalment, such as the Great Plains and Blackwater.
All the latest news on Red Dead Redemption 2 can be found here.
Anthem
BioWare, the EA-owned games giant behind the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, is releasing multiplayer sci-fi shooter Anthem to compete with the likes of Bungie’s Destiny 2. Gamers don jetpacks and explore a “presumably open world” that’s “built around activities with teams”, says Forbes. Anthem is expected to launch in late 2018, for the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Crackdown 3
It’s been more than four years in the making, but Crackdown 3 is finally due to hit shops this spring. The open-world game, which is among a handful of exclusive titles for the Xbox One, sees players running through a comic book-like city where they can blow up almost anything in sight, with buildings that “topple and fall” and exploding vehicles, reports Tech Radar.
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
The second instalment in the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Ni No Kuni series is slated for launch on 23 March, for the PS4 and PC. With graphics inspired by legendary anime creator Studio Ghibli, says Polygon, players control a “child king” called Evan and battle monsters in a large open world. While the first game focused on strategy gameplay, the site adds, the new version features “real-time combat” that makes battles feel more fluid.
Far Cry 5
Ubisoft’s new open-world survival game is on course to launch on on the PS4, Xbox One and PC on 27 March - one month after its original scheduled release, Alphr reports. Rather than the tropical island setting of its predecessor tropical island setting, the game takes place in a fictional US state, inviting “a number of political parallels” that “make some interesting comments about Trump’s vision of America”.
God of War
After a two-year hiatus, God of War - one of Sony’s biggest franchises - is getting a reboot. Due to launch on 20 April, the eighth instalment in the series is set shortly after the events of 2010’s God of War III, Engadget reports, and follows the relationship between the protagonist Kratos and his son.
Sony is also launching a limited-edition PS4 Pro console, which comes with a unique silver and gold design. The console launches on 20 April, but a price has yet to be announced.
Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream’s next story-driven game is due for release on 25 May exclusively for PS4 users, says Tech Advisor.
Detroit: Become Human is set in a sci-fi universe, the website says, and players have to explore environments “to find clues” from the perspective of seven characters. Players can make their own decisions throughout the story, which can dramatically change the plot.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The growing list of conditions weight-loss drugs could help with
The Explainer Ozempic and similar drugs have been linked to possibly helping diseases beyond diabetes and obesity. Are they miracle drugs?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Could Trump use impoundment to skate around Congress?
Today's Big Question The incoming president could refuse to spend money allocated by the legislative branch
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Microsoft's Three Mile Island deal: How Big Tech is snatching up nuclear power
In the spotlight The company paid for access to all the power made by the previously defunct nuclear plant
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Video games to play this fall, from 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' to 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'
The Week Recommends 'Assassin's Creed' goes to feudal Japan, and a remaster of horror classic 'Silent Hill 2' drops
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
CrowdStrike: the IT update that wrought global chaos
Talking Point 'Catastrophic' consequences of software outages made apparent by last week's events
By The Week UK Published
-
Why is Microsoft breaking up Teams and Office?
Today's Big Question The company had previously divided the software in Europe, but will now make this change globally
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
2023: the year of the AI boom
the explainer This year, generative artificial intelligence bypassed the metaverse and became the next big thing in tech
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Inside Sam Altman's 'extraordinary firing' from OpenAI
The Explainer AI superstar joins Microsoft after 'philosophical disagreement' with his old board that stunned tech world
By The Week UK Published
-
Netflix's epic quest into gaming
Under the radar The streaming giant's entry into the video game industry has been a slow burn, but that could change soon.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Microsoft, Activision and the battle with competition tsars
Talking Point A giant gaming deal has highlighted the shifting attitudes of global regulators
By The Week Staff Published