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Our most anticipated action games of 2021Horaszdóttir hefts her hammer
Horaszdóttir hefts her hammer
Many times we have prayed that Horaszdóttir’s flock of turkeys will run out, but, like her, it is eternal and infinite. Each one disgorges a vision of a game yet to come, as Horaszdóttir the Tall stands and laughs, the sound rolling like thunder through the dark pine forest that is her home. We are so cold.
Today Horaszdóttir augers yet more games, speaking through us. Hear the crack of distant gunfire, the roar of an enraged enemy, and the thump of heavy bass and synth. Today we are called to action! (Please note that Horaszdóttir is not accepting criticism over how we have divided up games between RPG and action.)
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village Maiden demo walkthrough (complete playthrough)Watch on YouTube
Resident Evil Village Maiden demo walkthrough (complete playthrough)
The Binding Of Isaac: Repentance
Narita Boy
Katharine:This was one of the stand-out demos from Steam’s recent Game Festival for me, and cor, talk about committing to a concept. Think Swords and Sworcery, but as an 80s-infused Metroidvania that’s also got big Tron vibes, and you’re half-way there. Most of all, Narita Boy is also a love letter to all things PC. In it, you play as the eponymous hero who’s been tasked with saving the dwindling Digital Kingdom from the corrupted Stallions (a brilliant riff on Trojan viruses) and their mysterious Creator (who also has bigDisco Elysiumcop dad vibes, I might add).
As you work to restore the code of this fading digital realm, you’ll also need to power up the legendary Techno Sword along the way, which is a sword, shotgun and laser beam all in one. It’s a very satisfying bit of video game weaponry, and I can’t wait to unleash its supremely cool powers on the rest of its screen-hogging bosses. It also has the most incredible synthwave soundtrack in the history of games, and everything about it is just one chefkiss after another. More please.
Deathloop
Imogen:I’m hot off the heels of realisingDishonoredis one of my favourite games of all time, and I yearn for more Arkane magic. But what could be better than a stealthy murder game set in a steampunk world of corrupt monarchies and occult assassins? Why, a stealthy murder game with a brilliant 60s aesthetic about assassins caught in a time loop trying to kill each other, of course! I haven’t stopped thinking about it since it was announced at E3 2019, and I can’t decide if it’s more of Arkane’s phenomenal game design I’m drawn to, or the fact that this one has roguelite elements. A bit of both, I suspect.
Deathloop will plonk you in the shoes of Colt, an assassin who needs to deal with eight targets on a big island before the day is out. If he fails, he starts over - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It seems like a similar formula toPrey’s MooncrashDLC (which was amazing) where you learn from each failure. You’re not just racing against time, though - you’re also racing against the rival assassin trying to take you out, Juliana. If you want, Juliana can be AI, or she can be another player in your world hunting you down. I can’t wait to see how Arkane handle this sort of multiplayer. May 21st truly can’t come soon enough.
I also like the idea that Juliana will be there to put me under pressure. I’m guilty of save-scumming in Dishonored, or just taking my sweet time. Having to buckle in and race to assassinate my targets should add a serious thrill to proceedings, with a dash of chaos too. I am very ready to be yanked out of my stealthy comfort zone.
Back 4 Blood
Alice0:While I didn’t play in the recent beta myself, what I saw on Twitch sure looked a lot like Left 4 Dead with some new bells and whistles (and giant bosses). I’m game. Several years of my cybersocial life ran through L4D, hell I think I even had meetings in L4D. And I will do it all over again.
Alice Bee:Here is a secret, reader: I have a L4D tattoo because when I was 19 I would stay up until 3am shooting zombles and whispering,“Flashlights off,“and all that good stuff. I haven’t played the ol' deados for years, but I might be tempted back in for once last job before retirement (here, look at this picture of my wife and adorable children).
Far Cry 6
The pink explosions of Far Cry New Dawn
To be fair, very little is known about Far Cry 6 right now, so I suppose I’m clinging to the hope that Ubisoft aren’t just trying to makeFar Cry 3… again. They’ve been chasing the Vaas buzz ever since they released that one back in 2012 (almost a full decade ago now), with charismatic villains of varying quality. I’d prefer this one to take some inspiration from the oft-forgottenFar Cry New Dawn. A weird sequel toFar Cry 5, it took the supernatural elements that the series had flirted with in the previous couple of entries and put them front and centre. It was still grounded in asort ofreality, but you could also become a bandit-killing superhero that was able to double-jump and punch people into the air. It was terrific.
But, if that’s deemed a little Too Hot For TV’s Giancarlo Esposito, I’ll take a Far Cry that tells an engaging story wherein I get to shoot a load of horrible fascists in the face. It’s all about the simple things in life.
No Place For Bravery
Watch on YouTube
Alice Bee:I had a bit of trouble with the demo for No Place For Bravery, in that I was not very good at the fighting bit of it. I found the controls a little sticky for how unforigiving the combat is. If I have to soulslite my way through the same section every time I die, that weirdy-beardy little fucker better jump and dodge exactly when I say I want him to jump and dodge, godammit.
But the thing is, everything else about it seems well cool. The grim guts spilling everywhere, the enemy design, the towns built around the skeleton of a huge giant. Lovely, horrible stuff. So I’m willing to put it down on paper that I’m still well up for this.
Gotham Knights
Jake:It’s been a long old while since we last got a WB Batman game. The last one wasArkham Knight, released in 2015, and while Gotham Knights looks to be a slightly different type of game, it’s still nice to have some pointy-eared heroes back in our lives. In this setting, though, Batman is dead and it’s up to Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood and Nightwing to keep the city from descending into chaos.
From what little we’ve seen so far, Gotham Knights is clearly doubling down on co-op combat. WB Montreal absolutely nailed the Arkham-style combat in Arkham Origins, so adding a few more players on screen could be a real treat. Each of the four heroes looks like they play differently to the others, too, so if the missions are solid Gotham Knights could really work with a group of friends. The release date is tentatively pencilled in as 2021, though, so I’m at the very leastcautiousabout it coming out any time soon. When it does arrive, though, I’m looking forward to jumping back into the Arkham world, and to beating thugs using batarangs, bins and whatever else I can get my leather-clad mitts on.
The Gunk
Colm:I’m glad the people who madeSteamWorld DigandSteamWorld Heistdidn’t call this SteamWorld Gunk. It would’ve really dulled the impact of what is one of the greatest game names in recent memory.
The central Luigi’s Mansion-like mechanic was enough to make me take notice, but stomping back and forth through the contrast of grim browns and neon lights that were shown off in thereveal trailersounds like the cherry on top of this very mucky cake. Also, again, the name is brilliant.
