I haven’t written too much on videogames recently compared
to a few years ago (my Civ VI first impressions aside), but the release calendar
for the first half of 2020 is one to delight the soul and wound the wallet.
Dates are correct at the time of writing (UK), obviously
delays can and do happen. Information revealed through trailers is mentioned
but no spoilers beyond that. I’ve listed the titles and dates immediately below
if that’s all you’re after, with more detail underneath.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake –
3 March [PS4 Exclusive]
- Cyberpunk 2077 – 16 April [PS4,
Xbox One, PC]
- The Last of Us Part II – 29 May [PS4 Exclusive]
Final Fantasy VII Remake – 3 March [PS4 Exclusive]
When I first got my original Playstation back in the late ’90s,
the games I got with it were Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy VII. And I
really liked them, especially FFVII. The materia system was simple to grasp and
brilliant to use throughout the game, interacting with weapons and armour to
create interesting combinations. The characters were fun, the world huge, and
the villain has gone on to become an icon of videogames. Plus the music,
especially the reactor theme and One Winged Angel, are great. Bit tricky for Square
Enix to decide what to update and what to keep the same, but the combat system
has been modernized (mingling real-time action and strategic commands, apparently).
Will it live up to the hype? No idea. But I reckon it might just sell by the
bucketload.
Cyberpunk 2077 – 16 April [PS4, Xbox One, PC]
The Witcher 3 was the game that made CD Projekt Red’s
reputation for a lot of people. It combined an open world and meaningful choices
with a pre-determined character who already had relationships with most of the
major characters. On top of the fantastic writing, storylines, music and
graphics, CDPR also handled the DLC brilliantly, giving away 16 items for free
(from quests to costume changes) and then charging reasonable sums for
substantial expansions. Cyberpunk 2077, featuring the breath-taking Keanu
Reeves, is a long way from Novigrad. It’s the near future, where corporates
hold sway in crime-ridden Night City. Cybernetics are routinely used to enhance
humans, and the player-character V is after one that might just grant immortality.
The Last of Us Part II – 29 May [PS4 Exclusive]
The first game has a strong claim to be one of the best ever
made, combining visceral combat and nerve-shredding tension with an enthralling
story and engaging characters. The surrogate father-daughter relationship of
Joel and Ellie worked fantastically well, and a lot of people have mixed
feelings about a sequel given that living up to the first game is a pretty tall
order. From what we’ve seen so far, Ellie appears to be the primary (possibly
sole) protagonist. She’s a young adult now, and Joel’s grown a little greyer.
Although they do seem to have found a semblance of civilization there’s still a
very grim and violent world. We’ll have to see if Naughty Dog can live up to
the very high expectations they’ve created for themselves.
Whilst this is a PS4-heavy list, that’s just the way the
calendar’s worked out. If you’re more of an Xbox player then there is good news
down the line, with Halo Infinite anticipated as a launch title for Microsoft’s
new console (set to come out at the end of 2020).
Thaddeus
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