Resident Evil 4 Remake (March 24)
Capcom has been on a roll with remakes of their iconic Resident Evil series, and now they’ve reached the entry that most fans consider the best of the survival-horror franchise. Resident Evil 4 sees the return of protagonist Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2, now a U.S. agent tasked with rescuing the President’s daughter from a Spanish village controlled by a parasite-infested cult. Like the previous RE remakes, Resident Evil 4 will retain the same basic story of the original while reimagining some elements, delivering new puzzles, boss battles, and locations. Given the success of the original, this may be Capcom’s best RE game yet.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (May 26)
After years of rumors and false starts, Rocksteady finally returns with another game set within their popular Batman: Arkham franchise. This time around, the developer is expanding beyond the world of Gotham and Batman by introducing the Suicide Squad and dropping them square in the middle of Metropolis. There, they must face off against the Justice League, who have been brainwashed by Brainiac, who has designs on invading Earth. Players will be able to switch between playable characters Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark in single-player or co-op. Set after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight, the game will prioritize open-world exploration and combat, with challenges and side missions related to DC Comics’ extensive comic book lore. The game will also feature the final vocal performance of Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne following his tragic passing in November.
Final Fantasy XVI (June 22)
Square Enix’s 16th installment in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise is set in the world of Valisthea, controlled by six factions whose long-held peace collapses with the arrival of the Blight and the involvement of monsters called Dominants that manifest through humans. Like the previous mainline entries in the Final Fantasy franchise, the latest game stands on its own and will tell its own complete story. In other words, newcomers to the series shouldn’t feel daunted by the those looming Roman numerals. Expect a lore-heavy game like the previous entries. But one significant change will be a refined action combat system instead of the turn-based combat of the previous entries, which will likely give XVI a larger appeal and undoubtedly attract gamers who are looking for the next great fantasy RPG following Elden Ring.
Spider-Man 2
Insomniac’s Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) are two of the best superhero games ever made, perfectly capturing everything fans love about the characters, and offering unique abilities, unlockable costumes, hundreds of Easter eggs, and reimagined antagonists and supporting characters that still retain the element of surprise no matter how big of a Spidey fan you are. There’s little doubt that the upcoming sequel will fall in the same arena. Peter Parker and Miles Morales will both take center stage as Spider-Man in the sequel, presumably with specific story missions and side quests pertaining to each character. The central villains of the game will be Kraven the Hunter, and Venom, voiced by the legendary Tony Todd. While it’s been over a year since the first teaser trailer, Insomniac has assured fans that big things are coming. The anticipation is enough to get anyone’s Spidey sense tingling.
