The most anticipated games of the second half of 2017

The first half of 2017 has brought us many fine titles. There were reasons to celebrate for fans of indies, satisfied by games such as Little Nightmares, Rime, or Night in the Woods, as well as enthusiasts of AAA titles, who could choose from among games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, NiOh, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Injustice 2, or Prey.

The coming days certainly aren’t the best in the season when it comes to new releases, once again proving that dog days of summer really are a thing. Luckily, August promises a period of increased activity from the publishers – an offensive of hot new titles lasting until the end of the year and lacking nothing in intensity compared to the first six months of the year.

We’ve prepared for you a list of the most interesting titles that we may play (or not due to various delays) by the end of the year. Based on the selection of editors and collaborators of Gamepressure.com, we’ve created a selection of 27 games that have a good chance of stealing your hearts and make sure you lose your sleep hours.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Release date: August 8

The developers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DMC: Devil May Cry have proudly proclaimed their newest title to be “the first ever indie game of AAA quality”. In fact, having seen the promo materials, you would never say that the game is created without the financial support of one of the industry’s giants. In Hellblade, we play as a female Celtic warrior who suffers from a severe mental condition, battling enemies from hell as well as the disturbing creations of her own suffering mind.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Release Date: August 22

The story of Nathan Drake was concluded with the great fourth installment of the Uncharted series. Luckily, along the way, we’ve met a lot of interesting characters just waiting for their own thrilling spin-off adventure. The Lost Legacy focuses on the big name missing from A Thief’s End: Chloe Frazer, who, together with Nadine Ross, will be very busy doing… mostly the same things Nathan did – exploring ancient ruins, solving puzzles, and making powerful enemies. And all that, as per tradition of a Naughty Dog game, in a visual envelope that squeezes every last bit of juice out of Sony consoles.

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm

Release Date: August 31st

The prequel to the brilliant Life is Strange raises about as much enthusiasm as it raises worries. While the idea to go to the past and tell the story about how the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber came to be has been met with enthusiasm, the concept to give the project to an unrelated developer, Deck Nine, worries many people. Mostly because nobody’s sure whether the new team will be able to recreate the unique atmosphere of the original. Luckily, the promo materials look rather good, and there’s a good chance that our return to Arcadia Bay will be a good one.

Destiny 2

Release Date: September 6 (consoles), October 24 (PC)

The debut of the first Destiny was hardly successful, discouraging many gamers very early on. Those who decided to give the game from Bungie more credit have discovered a really good FPS with MMO elements. With the sequel, the developers’ main focus lies mainly in avoiding the bad start of the first game and making this title engaging from the very first minute. Instead of any radical changes, Destiny 2 will mainly bring improvements to the most widely criticized elements of its predecessor – e.g. it will provide a much better designed story campaign.

Divinity: Original Sin II

Release Date: September 14

While Divinity: Original Sin II still focuses on the conflict between the Source Hunters and the adepts of magical powers offered by the Source, the action is set a thousand years after the events presented in the first part. What’s more, this time the conflict is observed from the other side, and the entire adventure will take on a much darker shade. The fifth installment of the Divinity series will also expand the mechanics, offering much more ways to affect and influence the game world and combat.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Release Date: September 15

This standalone expansion to Dishonored 2 will once again take us to the city of Karnaca, only this time we will visit it as Billie Lurk, the skilled assassin with supernatural powers, known to any fan of the series. As the title reveals, this time our target will be the mysterious being that gifts the games’ protagonists with their powers. Our objective, as per the series’ tradition, can be achieved in a number of ways – we can become either a silent shadow or a bloody harbinger of doom.

Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite

Release Date: September 19

In the upcoming installment of the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting series, the Japanese have decided to bet everything on drawing in new audiences, even at the expense of long-standing fans. That’s why they’ve prioritized the story mode in the vein of Mortal Kombat, significantly simplified the battle mechanics, and limited the roster of Marvel characters to those that have appeared in the movies. The veterans will be anything but pleased with the changes, but for the newcomers it may be the best chance to get into this series.

Project CARS 2

Release Date: September 22

The sequel to Project CARS is designed along a well-proven outline – „just give them more of the same”. And so, once again, we are given a realistic driving simulator, only this time we will be able to race on nearly 150 racing tracks using nearly 200 vehicles – including concept cars. Racing track duels will become even more thrilling thanks to modernized wheel physics, dynamic weather and day and night cycle. Just like in the first installment, the shape of Project CARS 2 is heavily influenced by the online community gathered around the game.

Total War: Warhammer II

Release Date: September 28

Transferring the Total War series, a franchise based in reality and history as few other are, into the fantasy setting of Warhammer proved to be a good way to refresh the series. Creative Assembly didn’t wait too long before they decided to roll out the follow-up title, adding four new continents in Total War: Warhammer II. This time the war will be waged between high elves, dark elves, lizard men, and Skaven, and the owners of the first game will be able to combine both productions into a single experience of epic proportions.

Cuphead

Release Date: September 29

This unique production from the independent team at Studio MDHR has been tempting the gamers for a few years now, showing off atmospheric visuals that make Cuphead look like a heavily customized edition of an American cartoon from the ‘30s. This year, we will finally learn whether its dueling-based gameplay mechanics are as appealing as its wonderful visuals.

FIFA 18

Release Date: September 29

The digital FIFA is celebrating a nice, round-ish anniversary this year – FIFA 18 will be the 25th installment of the series. Compared with the last year’s edition, FIFA 18 will introduce updated team rosters and gameplay improvements as usual, but also significantly increased number of stadiums, and the second season of the story mode that was introduced in the previous installment. What’s worthy of notice is the planned Nintendo Switch port, developed as a separate piece of software and designed to make full use of this device’s unique capabilities.

Forza Motorsport 7

Release Date: October 7

Gran Turismo fans can be nothing but jealous of Forza’s publishing cycle – this is the year when the younger series surpasses the numbers of its older brother and main competitor. The “lucky” seventh installment will offer us thirty tracks, more than 700 customizable cars and an extensive career mode. The game’s main attraction is to be the visuals, making use of all the extra power it can get from Xbox One X – the upgraded console will enable the game to run in native 4K resolution with stable 60 fps, providing a truly spectacular visual experience.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Release Date: October 10

This sequel to Shadow of Mordor may cause a stroke in some more ardent fans of Tolkien’s lore – suffice to say the main characters forge a new Ring of Power all by themselves, using it to amass powerful armies and throw down the gauntlet to Sauron himself. The one thing that is sure to change is the scale of battles, thanks to the fact that there are whole armies involved now; the famous Nemesis system in turn will be expanded by the option of capturing strongholds. Compared to its predecessor, Shadow of War will also emphasize RPG elements.

Elex

Release Date: October 17

After years of specializing in fantasy settings, the team at Piranha Bytes has decided to try something new and take us into a distant, post-apocalyptic vision of future, in which the remnants of human race are fighting among themselves using technology and magic after a cataclysm that changed the world. The gameplay itself is to be inspired by the first installments of the Gothic series, offering an interesting open-world setting, and the story will be determined by our allegiance to one of the three major factions. One thing that didn’t impress those who have already seen Elex is the technical polish (or rather lack thereof) – but is that really what determines a good RPG?

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Release Date: October 17

Our second visit to the universe of the iconic animated TV series from Trey Parker and Matt Stone was delayed several times already, but we would like to believe that this will be the final release date. After numerous jokes aimed at the fantasy genre, this time the game is determined to take some low jabs at the dumb things we can find in superhero comics and movies. The gameplay premise remains the same – like in The Stick of Truth, we will be able to freely explore the eponymous town, the battles will be turn-based, and the winners will be able to upgrade the skills of their party members.

Gran Turismo Sport

Release Date: October 18

Gran Turismo Sport is not only the first installment of the iconic series to appear on PlayStation 4, but also an experiment designed to gain some gamer feedback about a game focused on online gameplay and putting more weight on the sports aspect. That’s why the developers are closely cooperating with the FIA organization, enabling the players to compete for the digital equivalents of the most prestigious cups and titles from around the racing world.

Super Mario Odyssey

Release Date: October 27

There’s one thing painfully missing among the games available for Nintendo Switch – a new platformer starring everyone’s favorite plumber. Luckily, this blatant oversight will be corrected before the end of this year. Super Mario Odyssey will be a classic 3D platform game with a certain interesting twist – this time Mario will use his cap to take control over his opponents and/or inanimate objects, enabling him to use a staggeringly wide array of new options.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Release Date: October 27

B.J. Blazkowicz is back to put the Nazis in their place – except this time his task is a tad more difficult, as during the time he spent in a coma, the Germans have managed to conquer the US and organize the entire country their own way. The New Colossus will once again offer bloody, ruthless, sometimes over-the-top fun, focusing mostly on dynamic gameplay and old-school features, such as no automatic health regeneration.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Release Date: October 27

The extended development cycle allowed the creators of the Assassin’s Creed series to think of a new direction for the franchise to keep it fresh. The new quality is to be delivered by a polished open-world setting, a new combat system (rebuilt from the ground up), an RPG-like character progression, and… a remotely controlled eagle. Also the new setting looks like a breath of fresh air – we’re going back in time to ancient Egypt, which seems like a pleasant break from the European cities that dominated the latest installments.

Call of Duty: WWII

Release Date: November 3

The fans have asked and asked until they got what they wanted – the latest Call of Duty returns to the era of World War II. This alone would be enough to make CoD: WWII the most anticipated installment of the franchise in a long time, but the developers have also prepared several attractions other than the new setting. The story campaign will depart from automatic health regeneration in favor of the long-forgotten health pack mechanics, and our brothers in arms will play a bigger role than they used to. The multiplayer will introduce the War mode, enhancing the game with a narrative layer.

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Release Date: November 17

The second Battlefront looks like a homework well done – it seems like the developers at EA DICE have actually decided to hear out the critical voices, equipping Battlefront II with everything its predecessor lacked. We will finally have a decent story campaign for solo players and online gameplay will be enhanced with character classes and battles in space. And a cherry on top is the promise that all future add-ons will be free of charge.

Vampyr

Release Date: November

The dark narrative game from the creators of Life is Strange has won the voting on which this game selection was based. The game will put us in the shoes of a vampire who will have to face not only his own kin and vampire hunters, but also his very own nature and bloodlust. An important aspect of the game will come in the form of moral decisions concerning the choice for our next prey – killing the wrong person may have serious consequences for the entire London, where the game is set.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

Release Date: 2017

While many players completed the third Witcher without sparing a glance to the card mini game, there were also gamers who spent hours playing Gwent and Gwent only. For them, the upcoming Witcher Card Game is almost like a dream come true – a much more complex, online-focused version of good old Gwent, and offered as free-to-play with microtransactions. Those who are interested have most likely already played the game during beta-tests, and they know that this one looks promising.

Frostpunk

Release Date: 2017

After the success of This War of Mine, the team at 11 bit studios remains focused on the theme of difficult moral choices under extreme conditions. This time, however, the realism of desperate living in a city under siege will be replaced by an alternative reality, in which deadly frost covers the land, forcing humanity to reshape their society and rely on steam engines for survival. Extreme life conditions and lack of resources will put the player inches from doom on a daily basis – but in this strategy/survival game hybrid the key to victory lies not in caring about the individual but doing what must be done for the good of the whole community.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Release Date: 2017

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is probably the biggest phenomenon in the entire industry this year – a relatively small title whose Early Access version has won the hearts of gamers and became a flash hit. This battle royale game offers only one big map and several dozen players at the same time. The objective of the game is simple – to be the last gamer standing. Simple rules along with solid execution hit the bull’s eye, and the developers promise that the final version of the game will offer much more content that the current build.

Quake Champions

Release Date: 2017

Fans of the first online shooters who have grown up playing games like Quake III and Unreal Tournament have little to expect from the titles that come out on top these days. Luckily, the veterans from id Software haven’t forgotten about them – they are preparing a game inspired by the classics, entitled Quake Champions. The new title will be borrowing in spades from the legacy of Quake III Arena, aiming to deliver an experience that will require little more than reflexes and knowledge of ways to exploit the mechanics. But the new Quake will also introduce a batch of fresh concepts – each of the available characters is to possess a unique special skill, which, when used correctly, may decide the outcome of the entire round.

Wild West Online

Release Date: 2017

Long gone is the age when new, gigantic MMOs popped up like mushrooms – most of the developers have understood that throwing down the gauntlet to World of Warcraft requires something more than guts. Wild West Online, however, has the advantage of a certain unique asset that may just enable it to steal a slice of Blizzard’s pie – namely the original gameplay. Instead of completing quests and spending hours on dull experience grinding, WWO will focus on a simulation of life in the Wild West. Other than playing the typical roles of cowboys or bandits, we will be able to become e.g. miners, farmers, or gold diggers.