The year 2020 is going to be a huge one for gaming with both PlayStation and Xbox releasing brand new consoles.
Gamers are looking forward to long-awaited sequels to beloved titles and remakes of classics, along with a few entirely original beasts.
But what are likely to be the best of the best games coming out this year?
Yes, there's a new Elder Scrolls game coming and even rumours of Grand Theft Auto VI, but we don't know if they'll be out before 2021 or not.
The following is a list of the five most exciting games with current release dates inside the year.
Warning: The embedded videos below contain content that may offend.
The Last of Us Part II
It is simply impossible to have a game more exciting than this, given it's a sequel to what is for me - and many others - the greatest game ever made. It's going to up the ante in terms of the game world's scope, gameplay mechanics, graphical fidelity and sheer brutality. The original elevated the entire medium in terms of what's possible with games as storytelling devices. How they try and up the ante narratively is what makes me truly giddy with excitement for the sequel. Currently set to release on May 29.
Half-Life: Alyx
Virtual reality tech has been on the market for a few years now but hasn't taken off like a lot of people expected it to. That could change with the long-awaited follow-up to Half-Life 2, which publisher/developer Valve describes as its "flagship" VR game. Fingers crossed. Rhys Darby fans will be pleased that he's 'present' in a lot of the game, too. Set to release in March.
Resident Evil 3
Of the remakes coming in 2020, this is the one I'm most keen on, despite how much fan love there is out there for Final Fantasy VII. The Resident Evil franchise is one of my absolute favourites and 2019's remake of Resident Evil 2 was about as good as game remakes get. Plus, RE3 has Nemesis. I'm hoping Resident Evil 8 is announced as a next-gen launch title, but before that, this remake will be a lot of fun. Releasing April 3.
Halo Infinite
Microsoft has been throwing an ungodly amount of money into the gaming arm of its business over the last few years, acquiring studios and developing tech like nobody else. But the number one Xbox-exclusive franchise is undoubtedly Halo and, fittingly, the fifth major title in that franchise is the launch title for the Series X. Infinite will see one of the world's biggest tech companies flexing its muscles as hard as possible. We love to see it! Release date is set for 'Holiday 2020', which likely means November.
Cyberpunk 2077
Seeing Keanu Reeves win E3 2019 elevated my already substantial excitement for this game to pretty wild heights. CD Projekt Red is one of the world's best game studios and every video I've seen of this game just emits the coolest vibe. It's like a first-person Grand Theft Auto meets The Witcher, in a gritty, Blade Runner-style futuristic setting. Like The Last of Us Part II, it's been delayed - but delays are always better than having to download loads of patches to fix an unfinished, premature release. I sincerely hope this delivers on the hype. It's release date is now September 17.
Whatever you play in 2020, have loads of fun - and play nice.
