The Games We Hope Will be Announced in 2018

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

2018 has come roaring out of the gate, with games like Monster Hunter: World and Dragon Ball FighterZ on the immediate horizon. We know a number of games that are already announced and releasing in 2018, though the back half of the year is rather clear right now. We've already written about our Most Anticipated Games of 2018, those titles that have been announced with release windows this year. Caty also took a look at the indie games you should be on the look out for in 2018.

This list is different. We're outlining the games that we hope will be announced or launched in 2018. Maybe there are rumors, maybe we speculate a bit, maybe we simply pray that these games are being worked on. This is our wish list of games for 2018.

Armored Core

The Souls games and their Bloodborne offshoot might have made From Software popular, but that's not the only game in the company's past. One of From's tentpole titles was the Armored Core series, letting players create their own giants mechs and send them out on the battlefield. From the first release in 1997, From Software was remarkably consistent with Armored Core releases, but the steam ran out in 2008. Armored Core: Verdict Day for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013 was the last entry; it wasn't bad, great either.

The time is ripe and From Software has the resources to deliver an excellent Armored Core on modern platform. The 20th Anniversary was in 2017 and From Software marketing manager Yasunori Ogura told fans on Twitter to wait a while longer for a game announcement. 2018 is a while longer, right?—Mike Williams

Animal Crossing Switch

The likelihood of Animal Crossing coming to Switch this year is pretty low, but when E3 rolls around, I wouldn't be surprised if something new is teased. It's been six years since Animal Crossing: New Leaf first launched on the Nintendo 3DS, and even with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp infiltrating mobile phones everywhere late last year, it feels like it's about the right time for a new and true Animal Crossing experience. Even with the series' recent interest in spin-offs (Pocket Camp, Happy Home Designer, Amiibo Festival), it doesn't nullify fans' desires for a new Animal Crossing game, that like New Leaf, they can take on-the-go as they please. Plus, I wanna see my boy K.K. Slider in HD, baby. —Caty McCarthy

Mega Man X9

2018 is the Year of Mega Man, baby. We're getting the Legacy Collections on Switch, we're getting re-releases of the X games, and we're also getting the small, insignificant bonus of Mega Man 11. I'm happy, of course, but I won't be truly fulfilled until Mega Man X9 becomes a thing. Capcom? Throw me a frickin' mecha-bone this year, won't you? An announcement will be fine, though I'll remain guarded and wary until the game is in my hands. Mega Man Legends 3 took a little piece of my soul with it when it was cancelled. —Nadia Oxford

Devil May Cry 5

I enjoyed DmC: Devil May Cry, but I admit I'm glad to potentially see classic Dante back on the playing field. Devil May Cry 2/3/4 and Dragon's Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno is working on something, but he has yet to reveal what that is. Itsuno even updated fans on Twitter at year's end, letting them know that he's "making a great game". Bayonetta 3 is already coming to Nintendo Switch, can we get some more stylish hard action in 2018? This one feels like it's already a reality, Capcom just needs to announce it. —Mike Williams

Jet Set Radio

I've been longing for a new Jet Set Radio for literally over a decade. The first game is one of my favorites of all-time; its Xbox-exclusive sequel featuring music from the likes of Cibo Matto is a game I've only experienced at friend's houses (I never owned an Xbox). Nonetheless, Jet Set Radio was a formative game for me: it was zany and colorful, with a soundtrack that couldn't be beat. Jet Set Radio was one of the first games that made me really fall in love with video games. And its anarchic spirit of graffitiing the world, saying "eff you" to the police, and doing that all while donning the coolest outfits one could muster has never gone out of style. If anything, it's more timely than ever before. Bring back Jet Set Radio, Sega. —Caty McCarthy

Persona 5: The Crimson

Modern Persona games undergo a birth, then a portable rebirth. It happened with Persona 3, it happened with Persona 4, and I have little doubt it's going to happen with Persona 5. The only questions are "when," "on what system," and "what kind of goofy subtitle can we expect?"

While I doubt we'll see the Persona 5 remake this year, I do believe it'll be announced. I also believe it'll hit the Switch because … well, duh. Maybe the poor PS Vita will get one final shot of life courtesy of Atlus, too. I'd be OK with that. As for the subtitle, I guess that's up for wild debate. Crimson? The Crimson? Crimson-and-Black? Blood Red with a Burnt Black Cinnamon Swirl? Mmm. Burnt cinnamon. —Nadia Oxford

Burnout

The era of inventive racing games is long-gone. Midnight Club: Los Angeles from 2008 was a superb arcade-style racing game, which hosted the thrill of Pink Slip Races where two players raced one another and the winner was awarded their opponent's car. There was risk and reward to it; it was an intense system. Elsewhere, Burnout was skidding its own path of encouraging mass destruction rather than who could be the fastest.

Consequently, a lot of the racing games of today pale in comparison: they capitalize on looking the best they can, and not much else. It doesn't matter what series you point to—Forza, Gran Turismo, Need for Speed—they're all relatively boring.

A new Burnout would (hopefully) not be boring. While the original series' creators made something similar to Burnout's crash mode last year in Danger Zone, it wasn't great. After seeing Danger Zone in action, I wonder if the ideal answer to a new Burnout would be something of a Sonic Mania situation: giving the series to someone else who loved Burnout who can make it better than it's ever been before. That's what I want in 2018. A refreshing Burnout from a team that loves it, and knows what makes it tick. —Caty McCarthy

Forza Horizon 4

Another game that feels like a foregone conclusion. Microsoft has Forza stewards Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games alternating each year: you get a Forza Motorsport game, and the next year you have a Forza Horizon game. That means 2018 should see the release of a new Forza Horizon. Rumors point to the game being set in Japan this year, but right now those are just rumors. Either way, Forza Horizon stands as the current height of the arcade race genre, as Need for Speed has ceded the competition completely, Midnight Club no longer exists, and every other developer in the genre has closed up shop. So hey, I need that Forza Horizon this year. Hopefully, Playground Games doesn't add loot boxes.—Mike Williams

A 2D Legend of Zelda title for the Switch

At the time of this writing, there are rumors about The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds pooooossibly becoming a thing on the Switch. That'd be great; Link Between Worlds is an incredible follow-up to A Link to the Past, and I'd relish the chance to play it in HD. I'd also gobble up another Link Between Worlds-style remake of another classic Zelda game. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is so overdue for a second chance. —Nadia Oxford

Splinter Cell

Back in 2013, a few months before the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Ubisoft released Splinter Cell: Blacklist. It was frankly a great game that simply got lost in the shuffle of the new console generation. I kept waiting for Ubisoft to offer a version on PS4 and Xbox One, but it never happened. So now I'm left with the vein hope that Ubisoft is currently working on a new Splinter Cell game, using everything they learned from Blacklist to build a new stealth action title.

I would prefer a single-player game with expansive level, not unlike the current Hitman game. Spies vs Mercs would coming along for the ride though. If you want to go open-world, Metal Gear Solid V showed the blueprint; just do that with Sam Fisher. Tom Clancy games like The Division, Ghost Recon, and Rainbow Six may rule the roost at Ubisoft right now, but Splinter Cell remains the king of my heart. Plus, Blacklist creative director Maxime Beland is working on an unannounced project and I want to see him talk more about ghosts and panthers.—Mike Williams

WarioWare Switch

The WarioWare series has been in a pickle. Some WarioWare games are even downright bad. And yet, sometimes I find myself missing it. Whether that's because of its hellish microgames or the adorable art from artist Ko Takeuchi, WarioWare has always been a series that I admired and wished there was more from. With the Switch's touchscreen, there's definitely potential for WarioWare to make a comeback. And heck, maybe even bring back Rhythm Heaven (again) while they're at it. —Caty McCarthy