20. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (PS4/XOne/PC)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: When it comes to fantasy, I'm a big fan of grittier versions, where instead of magic and elves, it's mud caked on worn armor. Kingdom Come: Deliverance has been years in the making, and for the longest time, it was far from certain that the game would see the light of day. The title seems like an ambitious take on historical accuracy and realism, with a world that looks to be trying its best to feel like a living one. I'm hopeful that the game is as deep as it has the potential to be, so I can get lost in it for hours.
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Michael Keener: I haven't played any of Dontnod's other titles, but I trust Focus Home Interactive when it comes to the RPG games they get behind. Vampyr is an awesome-looking title with brutal combat, mythical fiction, and a world on the brink of chaos. I'm tired of seeing the release date get pushed back, but if it delivers the gaming experience that I'm hoping it will, then I can't stay mad. For me, Vampyr is one of the most interesting games coming out this year.
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18. System Shock (PS4/XOne/PC)
Rainier Van Autrijve: System Shock is a reboot of the 1994 classic action/RPG, which is considered by many to be one of the best titles ever made. Developer Night Dive Studios released an Enhanced Edition, but I'm not a fan of remastered versions, as they usually disappoint — especially for a 20-year-old title. A reboot using the Unreal Engine 4, on the other hand? You have my interest. Night Dive Studios brought on some people from Obsidian Entertainment and famed designer Chris Avellone, so there are a lot of heavy hitters who are familiar with the ins and outs of action/RPGs. Night Dive Studios is taking some creative liberties to modernize the game layout, but the story remains intact, so what's not to like about a totally rebuilt version of one the industry's legendary titles?
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Chris "Atom" DeAngelus: Fire Emblem 2018 is pure potential. We know almost nothing about it besides the fact that it will be the first console Fire Emblem game since the Wii, but that's also what makes it exciting. The franchise had been slowly dwindling until Fire Emblem Awakening revived it, and since then, it's become one of Nintendo's mainstays. This will be the first time in over a decade that Intelligent Systems and Nintendo have been able to make a Fire Emblem title that is a big-budget release, and it's exciting to see. The game could cement the franchise's future or ensure that it's just a brief revival. Regardless, all Fire Emblem fans are keeping a close eye on it.
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16. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
Thomas Wilde: I appreciate that the Yakuza games continue to exist. I'm disappointed that Akiyama doesn't seem to be playable in this one, but Kiryu's still one of the more entertaining protagonists in modern games. Yes, he will murder eight men at once with a broken bicycle, but yes, he will also appoint a chicken as his personal financial manager.
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15. State of Decay 2 (XOne/PC)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: In between the release of the original State of Decay and present day, the zombie theme has been played out to the point when a game focuses on it, it's a negative factor for me. However, State of Decay was an impressive mix of camp management, combat, gathering, and survival that few other games have tried. With the sequel adding cooperative play, I admit that while I'm jaded as hell with the undead, I'm somehow still eagerly awaiting State of Decay 2. While the first game did well with its real-time gameplay where things happened while players were offline, it'll be interesting to see how the addition of multiplayer will affect the dynamics.
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14. TIE: Biomutant (PS4/XOne/PC) / Detroit Become Human (PS4)
Cody Medellin: A new original IP is always welcome in a sea of sequels and remasters. The fact that Biomutant involves bunches of mutated animals with a postapocalyptic martial arts vibe sounds awesome and distinct. It also helps that the pedigree behind it, a studio comprised of people who worked on Mad Max and Just Cause, ensures that we'll get some solid gameplay for countless hours.
David Silbert: David Cage and Quantic Dream are known for creating emotional, story-driven games. They're also known for putting player choice at the heart of the experience. Detroit: Become Human continues to push these ideals by giving players a startling amount of agency over the overarching narrative. As a trio of characters caught up in the escalating tension between humans and androids, players scour Detroit's detailed scenes in search of vital clues and information. Combine tense life-or-death confrontations with expressive mo-cap and vocal performances, and Detroit: Become Human may just be Quantic Dream's most impressive game to date. Look for it in Spring 2018.
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13. Mega Man 11 (Switch/PS4/XOne/PC)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: Watching the big reveal about Mega Man 11 tripped a level of nostalgia that I didn't realize I held for the franchise. The gameplay looks like an appropriate combination of updated graphics and gameplay while still maintaining the side-scrolling appeal. More importantly, it's a proper Mega Man game after years of nothing, including the letdown that was Capcom's canceling Mega Man Legends 3 after the previous game ended with a cliffhanger. Years have gone by, but fans of the franchise have maintained their vigil, and for the hero's 30th anniversary, the Blue Bomber is finally coming back.
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12. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XOne/PC)
Adam Pavlacka: Ori and the Blind Forest was a surprise hit that came out of nowhere. A visually stunning title from a small indie developer, it easily held its own against AAA releases from much bigger studios with much larger teams. The original release of the game was followed up by a Definitive Edition that polished up some rough edges and added player-requested features. We don't know much about Ori and the Will of the Wisps aside from the E3 launch trailer, but if the sequel incorporates lessons learned during production of the original, it will likely be a must-play, not to mention one of the best-looking games on the Xbox One X. Yeah, that's a lot to live up to, but Moon Studios should be able to do it.
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11. Days Gone (PS4)
Andreas Salmen: I'm intrigued by the dangerous zombie hordes and the fact that Sony exclusives have been pretty darn good in recent years. Days Gone does check all the boxes for an atmospheric and engaging story-driven, single-player game.