The Most Anticipated Games of 2021

New year, new games, baybeee! This is going to be an interesting year as we see the Playstation 4 and Xbox One fade into the sunset and, hopefully, the new generation rise in prominence. There aren’t an incredible amount of next-gen (current-gen?) exclusives right now but 2021 looks to fix that with some potential bangers.

Just because I don’t have a PS5 yet doesn’t mean I can’t be hype about games I may or may not get to play, provided console availability!

Halo: Infinite

I should preface this by saying that while I’m anticipating this game, it’s more of the wary, “Boy, I really hope this game doesn’t suck” kind of anticipation. I’ve loved the Halo series ever since I was a kid. It was in a lot of ways the series I grew up with. What Mario and all those 16-bit bangers meant to the generation before me, is how I feel about Halo. It introduced me to first-person shooters, military sci-fi, and online gaming. All of which are things I still love today.

So, you can imagine I was feeling some kind of way when Halo 5: Guardians just straight up didn’t hit. It is the only Halo game I still haven’t played through all the way. I know I wasn’t alone in thinking this as Halo 5 had essentially zero staying power upon its release.

I’m hoping Infinite rights the ship and puts some respect back on the Halo name. Given the game’s protracted development, underwhelming showing at last summer’s Xbox Series X event, and the yearlong delay that resulted from that showing, it’s looking a bit iffy on if the game will do so. You might be asking that given all the issues and caveats, why is it on my list?

Well, I just fucking love Halo, y’all.

The possibility of a good Halo game will always be something I anticipate. Besides, given that this is the franchise’s 20th anniversary, I’m really rooting for the team at 343 Industries to pull through and deliver a good-ass space shooter.

GTA VI…just messing, we know it ain’t ever coming out. You know what game probably will though?

Final Fantasy XVI

If you’ve been reading any of the gaming articles on The Root, then this entry really shouldn’t come as a surprise.

What can I say? I’m anime trash, and I own that shit. Not much has been revealed about what kind of game Final Fantasy XVI actually is, but if I were a betting man, I’d say it looks to be the third Massively Multiplayer Online game in the franchise, following FF XI and FF XIV: A Realm Reborn (If anyone gets in the comments talking about “Well, actually Final Fantasy XIV was technically the second-” on everything holy I will slap the shit out you. We don’t acknowledge that game in this space.)

The trailer released during last summer’s PS5 event promised a large-scale epic, with an art style reminiscent of FF XIV: A Realm Reborn, and the game even sharing the same director. A cursory look at the game’s official site also lends the idea that the game will be an MMO with multiple factions.

While I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played of FF XIV: A Realm Reborn, there was just so much content there that by the time I could actually play it, I felt like I could never keep up. Whether it’s an MMO, or a straightforward action role-playing game, I’m looking forward to diving into the world of Valisthea later this year.

Deathloop

As soon as I saw the trailer for this game, I knew I was in. It basically has everything I ask for in a game. Unique gameplay mechanics? Check. An art style that catches your eye and doesn’t let go? Check. A developer with a track record of making bangers? Check, check, and check. Oh, and it got a Black protagonist? Shietttt, nigga, you ain’t gotta tell me twice.

Deathloop casts you as a hitman who finds he’s stuck in a time loop on a mysterious island. You must kill eight targets over the course of a loop or the loop will be reset. The game also boasts a multiplayer component that places another player in control of an assassin who wishes to protect the loop and is assigned to kill you to stop the player from breaking it.

Developer Arkane Studios has killed it in recent years with Prey and the Dishonored series, so I’m very curious to see where they go next with this title.

While those are only three games, the list can go on. Honorable mentions go out to Horizon: Forbidden West, No More Heroes III, and Shin Megami Tensei 5. Are there any games you’re looking forward to that I may have missed? Drop them below! Provided they aren’t delayed, 2021 looks like it may have some bangers on hand—and I, for one, cannot wait.