Our Most Anticipated Video Games of 2019
2019 is full of promise in every respect—and if you love video games, you know this is going to be a huge year.
Whether you like action and adventure in your games, prefer a quiet and contemplative puzzle, or just want to make virtual friends and do chores, this year has something incredible to offer. If you're not even sure where to start with games this year, here are the nine I can't wait to play in 2019.
Untitled Animal Crossing Game
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: TBD
While a lot isn't yet known about this upcoming Animal Crossing title, it might be the game I'm looking forward to most this year. Way back when the first one came out on the GameCube, my family got so obsessed with the game that we'd play on timed shifts, and my dad bought a second GameCube so that two people could enjoy Animal Crossing at once. All these years later, I'm still serious about it because it's one of the friendliest, most chill game franchises out there. We don't have any concrete details yet, but I'm sure it'll have all the neighbor-befriending, house-decorating, museum-filling antics of the past games, with some brand new magic thrown in because it's on the Nintendo Switch.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: June 21
20 years after the release of the classic Crash Team Racing, the game is getting a gorgeous remaster that's going to make a lot of people very happy. It's a pretty traditional cart racing game populated by characters from the Crash Bandicoot series, but with extremely tight controls and power-ups that reward only the most skilled players. Because of the way it handles, I know many who prefer it over the Mario Kart games. I don't know about that, but I'm excited to get behind the wheel again in this fast and frantic racing game.
Kingdom Hearts III
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: Jan. 29
Kingdom Hearts III was originally going to drop last year, but I think the extra wait will be well worth it. Yet again, our hero Sora and his Keyblade will join forces with Donald, Goofy and Mickey to travel across the worlds of your favorite Disney flicks (including Toy Story, Frozen and Winnie the Pooh) to befriend classic characters and fight a dark force of evil. I'd be lying if I told you that I completely followed the narrative of the Kingdom Hearts games, but that doesn't mean I'm any less interested in jumping back in after all these years.
Luigi's Mansion 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: TBD
Playing the Nintendo 3DS remake of the original Luigi's Mansion reminded me just how charming, fun and spooky it was, so I'm all about the fact it's getting another sequel this year. While the second game, Dark Moon, focused on missions that transported you in and out of various haunted houses, it looks like this one will get back to the basics and have Luigi explore one massive, all-new ghostly mansion and I couldn't be happier about it. I think the gameplay, which involves sucking ghosts up into a powerful vacuum, is ingenious and I can't wait to see what new ways they decide to implement it this time around.
Mario Kart Tour
Platform: iOS, Droid
Release Date: TBD
Of all the games on this list, I know the least about Mario Kart Tour—but that might be what intrigues me about it most. All I know so far is that it'll be a free-to-start mobile Mario Kart game, so I'm very curious to see how Nintendo makes that work. Still, if it's as good as Super Mario Run or Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, I don't have anything to worry about.
The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Platforms: Windows, Xbox One
Release Date: TBD
If you've played Ori and the Blind Forest, you're already excited for Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The original had a tear-jerking story about family and taking care of the people you love while still being a nail-bitingly tough platformer, and it looks like this sequel will follow suit. It's somehow even more beautiful than its predecessor, introducing sweet new characters and incredible new abilities that'll make this game utterly unforgettable.
Untitled Pokémon Game
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: TBD
Just because the Pokémon: Let's Go! games only came out in November doesn't mean I can't look forward to the one that's coming out this year. Historically, core Pokémon games have only come out on handheld consoles, rather than primary home consoles. But since the Nintendo Switch is both a handheld and a home console, it'll be the first primary console to get a new Pokémon generation on it, which means it can be bigger and better than anything we've seen before it. The game will include a whole new generation of never-before-seen Pokémon in a brand new region, and it'll probably look incredible. If the Pokémon: Let's Go! is supposed to be the watered-down version, I absolutely can't wait to see what's yet to come with this game.
Psychonauts 2
Platforms: Windows, Max, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: TBD
The original Psychonauts came out in 2005, so it's a pretty big deal that we're finally getting a sequel in 2019. In the first game, a psychic acrobat named Raz ran away from the circus to attend a camp for other kids with similar mind powers and found himself in the middle of a nefarious plot. Only by using his incredible psychic abilities was he able to dive into others' minds to become a hero and save the day. This time around, he's a recently graduated Psychonaut who must again enter people's psyches to prevent the organization he loves from getting steered down the wrong path. The fun of these games is in exploring minds and utilizing your powers to help people deal with their fears and past trauma, and I'm eager to see which interesting mind scenarios the creators came up for this new game.
The Pathless
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: TBD
Just a few seconds into the first trailer for The Pathless and I was completely sold. The game comes from the same studio that made Abzû, a scenic, conflict-free game about exploring the seas, befriending its animals and getting in touch with the secrets of the ocean. That game was hauntingly gorgeous, and it looks like The Pathless will follow suit. It tells the story of an archer and their trusty eagle sidekick, and seems like it'll be much more action-oriented than its predecessor. If I knew when it was coming out, I'd be counting down the days until I could jump into the adventure.
Can't wait for these releases? For games you can play right now, click HERE for the 11 video games I played obsessively in 2018.