The holiday season may have come and gone, but there is plenty for gamers to look forward to in the new year. With the introduction of a new console generation, the return of hit series, and the arrival of new original titles, 2021 looks bright! So, what is looking popular this year?
The names of the most popular video games of 2021 include returning favorites and new arrivals. Hit series like Resident Evil, Halo, and The Legend of Zelda return this year. New releases, like the star-studded Twelve Minutes, will make a statement. We will even see reboots like New Pokémon Snap!
Read on to learn more about 2021’s most popular upcoming video game releases.
Persona 5 Strikers (Nintendo Switch, PS4, Steam)
“Wake up, get up, get out there” before you miss out on the exciting North American premiere Persona 5 Strikers! Atlus’s popular JRPG, a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series, is coming back with its signature flair and a ton of action. However, this time around, The Phantom Thieves will hack-and-slash in a Mosou-style experience.
This game, developed by Omega Force and P-Studio, has already been playable in Japan for the past year. However, the title will make its worldwide release on February 23rd. Persona fans and Warriors aficionados alike have much reason to get excited. Even if the hack-and-slash playstyle is not your thing, Persona fans will delight in a new story that takes place six months after the events of Persona 5.
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Protect the streets of Tokyo with Joker and the gang in this flashy trailer:
Guilty Gear -Strive- (PS4, PS5, Steam)
Arc System Works has become well known for its plethora of exquisite fighting titles, including the recently released Granblue Fantasy: Versus, the BlazBlue series, and the smash-hit DragonBall FighterZ. However, its crown-jewel is, arguably, the Guilty Gear franchise. After recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the series debuts on the Playstation 5 with Guilty Gear -Strive-!
Plenty of new features arrive in this iteration. Along with the roman cancels and bursts that fans have grown to love, -Strive- introduces a wall-breaking mechanic for extra drama! Plus, players can look forward to enhanced visuals, reliable rollback netcode, and plenty of modes and features. “Get ready to rock!”
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Speaking of enhanced visual, take a look at -Strive-’s gorgeous 2.5 D art style below:
Gran Turismo 7 (PS5)
The past few iterations have represented an uneven era in the Gran Turismo series. While transitioning from the Playstation 2 to Playstation 3, the last two numbered entries in the franchise struggled to adapt to the console architecture. However, the Playstation 4 generation offered redemption for the series with the online multiplayer-focused Gran Turismo Sport.
In a recent interview, series director Kazunori Yamauchi emphasized that Gran Turismo 7 draws inspiration from earlier titles like Gran Turismo 1-4. Considering GT Sport’s stellar online play and the excellent single-player content of the first GT games, Gran Turismo 7 looks to incorporate the best of both worlds!
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Race on down below for GT7’s trailer:
Halo: Infinite (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Steam)
The Halo franchise is arguably one of the most popular series of the twenty-first century. The first iteration of the Sci-Fi FPS, Halo: Combat Evolved, was released in 2001 and catapulted Microsoft’s Xbox console to success. After twenty years, this series is still going strong. This entry will introduce Halo to the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles.
The sixth entry in the Halo series initially set a release for 2020. However, after fans heavily criticized the gameplay trailer for its poor graphics, developer 343 Industries realized it was time to go back to the drawing board. The delay is likely a good thing considering that this next title looks very ambitious.
Halo: Infinite will offer free-to-play online multiplayer, a more open world, an expanded forge mode, and a platform for the future of the Halo series itself!
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Want more? Get hype with this cinematic trailer below:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (Nintendo Switch)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a dramatic reinvention of the series since its first 3D iteration, Ocarina of Time, departing a linear gameplay format for an open-world experience. This change paid off, resulting in Breath of the Wild becoming one of the most popular games on the Nintendo Switch. There’s no surprise that its sequel’s announcement at E3 2019 resulted in much fanfare.
However, a lot of the game’s details are shrouded in mystery. Rumors indicate a release date sometime this year. In terms of story, series producer Eiji Aonuma has revealed that BotW 2 will take on a darker tone than its predecessor. However, he also made it clear that the game is not related to Majora’s Mask. With the series approaching its 35th anniversary, it looks like Nintendo does not plan to disappoint!
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Do you think that reanimated corpses are the return of Ganondorf? Here is the famous trailer for you to view:
New Pokémon Snap (Nintendo Switch)
Remember the late nineties, in the hey-day of the Nintendo 64 and Poké-mania? If you were a kid back then, you might have had the GameBoy cartridge on hand and a big ‘ole trading card binder to boot. However, Nintendo had one of the craziest genius ideas with Pokémon Snap. In this game, you photographed these intriguing pocket monsters on a colorful animé safari. Well, guess what, shutter-bugs: this gem is coming back on the Nintendo Switch!
New Pokémon Snap invites you to explore the Lental region’s diverse terrain, an archipelago habitable by all types of pokémon. As you build a Photodex of pokémon for the resident Professor Mirror, you will discover the secrets of the Ilumina phenomenon. This occurrence causes Lental’s pokémon and vegetation to glow. New Pokémon Snap looks poised to take this nostalgia trip to the next level with a new story and beautiful visuals!
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Take a trip to the gorgeous Lental region in this trailer below:
Resident Evil Village (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Steam)
Capcom’s signature survival horror series, Resident Evil, made a drastic shift in 2017. After years of third-person gameplay, the series switched to chilling first-person thrills in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. This change of pace brought on much critical acclaim and became an extensive VR experience. Its sequel, Resident Evil: Village, follows Biohazard’s protagonist, Ethan Winters, in a first-person action-horror-thrill ride!
There’s a lot of speculation around this title. For example, series mainstay Chris Redfield plays a significant role in the game. Yet, it appears he may be an antagonist to Winters. Capcom also alluded to the Umbrella Corporation in one of its trailers. However, the breakout villain of this game appears to be Lady Dimitrescu, a statuesque vampiric seductress.
Are you up to discovering the mystery of Lady Dimitrescu, the Dimitrescu Castle, and its village?
Another significant addition is Resident Evil Re:Verse, an online-multiplayer deathmatch game featuring favorite characters from the Resident Evil series. RE: Village includes this game for free in celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary.
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Meet the saucy Lady Dimitrescu in this trailer below:
Twelve Minutes (Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
It may seem odd to include an indie game in a list including some of the biggest publishers in gaming right now, but Twelve Minutes has a lot to boast. First of all, the game features a voice cast of A-list actors James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe. Secondly, the title’s director, Luis Antonio, is a Rockstar Games alum who played a role in developing Thekla Inc.’s critical masterpiece, The Witness.
If you are a fan of narrative-driven games, Twelve Minutes will be right up your alley. The Annapurna Interactive game follows you, the protagonist, in a Groundhog Day-esque thriller as you relive your death in a twelve-minute loop. Your only way to survive is to anticipate the events of this night, preventing your murder and breaking the time loop.
With a stellar cast, an accomplished team, and such a unique premise, Twelve Minutes looks like the next indie hit!
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Take a look at this intense mystery in the trailer below:
Final Thoughts
In short, 2021’s gaming lineup looks extremely promising. A lot of well-known franchises are returning, and some are even making their next-gen debut! Furthermore, there is something for everyone: fighting game fanatics, RPG enthusiasts, FPS sharp-shooters, survival horror masochists, speed racers, and those looking for an entirely new experience. It’s no wonder these games are poised to become the most popular of 2021.