Making cuts for this list was tough, but I've managed to get it down to ten games.
1. Persona 5: 4th times the charm. What is there to say really. Persona 4 is one of my favorite games of all time largely because of the characters, and Persona 5 seems to keep that game's spirit while also going in a new direction. Add to that the much improved dungeons and the positive impressions from Japan, and I don't think I've ever been more confident in a game's quality
2. NieR: Automata: I've never played the original Nier, but everything about this sequel has drawn me in. The Platinum action, the bullet-hell, the art style, and the bizarre world all have so much promise, and I hope they can come together to create a truly special game.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: This entry is me being excited for the Switch just as much as it's me being excited for Zelda. I almost picked up a Wii U multiple times, but I'll be grabbing the Switch on day one. But that doesn't mean the game itself doesn't look great. A fantastic art style and a sense of exploration are exciting, but I'm honestly most excited to see how Nintendo decides to make an open-world game.
4. Gravity Rush 2: I played Gravity Rush Remastered when it came out earlier this year and had a lot of fun with it. The world is cool, Kat is a fun character, and the game is fun to play too. The added combat options and more fully realized environments to fly around in are all I really need from a sequel.
5. Nex Machina: Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis is a dream combination. I knew from the second the collaboration was announced that whatever they made would be a home run from a gameplay perspective. Seeing the reveal trailer and the cool style it had was just a nice bonus.
6. Pyre: I love the work that Supergiant did with Bastion and Transistor. Pyre seems to retain the strong art and musical style of those games without looking like a retread. Them referring to it as a party-based RPG also gives me hope that it might be a bit more substantial than those games were. I'm not sure I understand the sport/combat part of the game yet, but it sounds unique and these guys have earned the benefit of the doubt.
7. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom: I've always wanted to play the first Ni No Kuni, but for one reason or another I've never gotten around to it. I hope to rectify that some time this year, but even if I don't I'm super excited for this sequel. The art design is obviously there, and the game just has a general warmth to it. We haven't seen a ton of gameplay yet, but it looks promising so far.
8. Horizon: Zero Dawn: This game was #2 on my list last year, so it's fallen quite a bit. That might just be because of the delay, but there are also things like the potential for it to just be a Ubisoftesque open-world game that concern me. That being said, even if it is that it can still be a great game. The world in conceptually awesome, and the gameplay looks like a lot of fun.
9. Cosmic Star Heroine: The only thing left that I need to know about this game is when it's coming out. The influences for this game are clear, but it doesn't look derivative of any of them. It almost reminds me of Shovel Knight in that way. I like the game's style, and I hope it comes together well.
10. Yakuza 0: I've never played a Yakuza, but this looks like a great place to jump in. An over-the-top, absolutely absurd J-Drama meets open-world brawler sounds like exactly what i need in my life, and I want to thank all of the Gaffers who have been advocating for this series that have brought it to my attention.
