2019 will be a blockbuster year for gaming fans. With Google Stadia and Apple Arcade set to launch later this year, the competition between the major console players is hotting up. With more choice on offer, gamers are promised some advances that may change the course of the industry.
That’s only the machines. The games that are landing this year promise to captivate players worldwide on console, PC and mobile. With some of the main developers dropping titles that players will love across the world, there’s plenty to look forward to.
Join us as we wade through the oceans of titles on offer and look at the best games to watch out for in 2019.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 – Massive Entertainment
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tom Clancy’s The Division sold well on its release in 2016. Its sequel has the potential to outshine the illustrious prequel. The Division 2 thrusts players into a Washington DC that has devastated by a mysterious virus and are tasked with rebuilding the city and bringing order back to society.
While the storyline and the theme don’t break new ground, the one stand-out is the sheer amount of content available to players. The addictive loot system in the game adds an extra element that can keep players engaged beyond the main storyline.
The stunning setting of The Division 2 is replicated with incredible graphics. Massive Entertainment has paid intense attention to detail when mapping out their vision of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC.
This game does for Washington DC what Assassin’s Creed did for Paris, London, or other lovely places in time and space. You won’t be able to visit the Lincoln Memorial without evoking images of using it as cover in a firefight after playing The Division 2.
The Game of Life: Career Day
Available on: Online casinos
Traditionally, slot machines have used the most basic game development techniques available, focusing heavily on the gameplay. However, with thousands of amazing titles being released every month on this platform, a ton of effort going into developing them. Here are just some of the top new slot games released so far this year. Try your hand at any of them and they’re bound to shift your expectations of just how good slots are these days.
The Game of Life: Career Day is a testament to this new focus on visuals. It’s the sequel to Scientific Games’ original Game of Life release and provides a colorful backdrop to the thrilling play within this online title. Many of the icons found on the reels represent images from the original board game, as well as the backgrounds.
Looking for a superior casino? That’s not to say the gameplay has been neglected, either. With this release, the developer has demonstrated their commitment to gameplay in the production of Game of Life: Career Day as well. Players can hark back to the classic game by playing the Game of Life Bonus round, where they’re assigned a career – while attempting to win the jackpot and other prizes.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades – Bethesda
Available on: iOS, Android
With their much-vaunted Apple Arcade console due to launch later this year, tech giants Apple have renewed their promise to deliver AAA games to their users. The Elder Scrolls: Blades, developed by Bethesda, was released last month and has rocked the mobile game market.
This first-person, action role-playing title is scheduled to hit app stores mid-2019. Its strong point promises to be its graphics. While mobile games often find it hard to maintain a graphical integrity, Bethesda has not used this as an excuse with their latest release. Players will be greeted by incredible graphics during gameplay, setting a new benchmark for similar titles.
The story arc is pretty simple. As a warrior, you return to your village and find it in ruins. You then must strive to rebuild it and help return it to its former glory. This quest is a real joy to experience and a pleasure to play. We can’t think of one game on the mobile market that has the same attention to detail as The Elder Scrolls: Blades – and that alone makes it well worth a download.
Apex Legends – Respawn
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Fortnite revolutionized the gaming world when it was first released. The free Battle Royale game quickly became the most popular video game in the world and its success has clearly inspired Apex Legends – Respawn.
Best played on PC, this is probably the best Battle Royale game available anywhere on the market right now. What makes it stand out is its unparalleled graphics. Whereas Fortnite’s visuals were a little basic, Apex Legends are cutting-edge and likely to change the way that many view free-to-play mobile titles.
The map is huge, incredibly detailed and provides players with plenty of places to hide-out and camp. The ping communication system in Apex Legends, which alerts players to nearby enemies, locations and objects of interest, is something that every game of its kind should be providing too.
Incredibly addictive, surprisingly detailed and easy to pick up, this title has become a darling of the critics, and one you absolutely have to play this year.
Days Gone – SIE Bend Studio
Available on: PlayStation 4
Due for release at the end of April, Days Gone is an action-adventure survival horror game that arguably could be the best release of 2019. Reviews from early release plays have been overwhelmingly positive suggest this might be the case.
SIE Bend Studios are the brains behind PlayStation classics such as Uncharted and The Last of Us. As you’d expect from such an illustrious developer, Days Gone is incredibly well-produced. The open world setting, explorable on motorcycle, is graphically superior to most games currently available.
The early reviews have praised the storyline for its uniqueness and its engaging content. As you’re riding about on your motorcycle slaying zombies and enemies, you’ll also find yourself in the middle of a love story. If that’s not your thing, you can always just enjoy the action of the game.
Summary
2019 will be a landmark year in the industry, with title and console releases in abundance – and the potential for new console announcements too. If these games are anything to go by, there’s perhaps never been a better time to be an avid gamer.
Photo credit: The feature image has been taken by Rawpixels.
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