Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Anthem
BioWare’s first foray into the shared-world shooter genre is fast approaching. Anthem promises to deliver both an entertaining gameplay experience and a compelling narrative, which is a combination that has so far alluded developers trying to blend shooting and MMORPG design.
From what we’ve seen in extensive gameplay demonstrations, Anthem’s combat, traversal, and graphics look absolutely top notch. The production quality really is astonishing. But we’re less convinced that BioWare is actually going to be able to incorporate a decent story void of the branching narrative that its reputation has been built on.
What we can say is that Anthem’s open world looks absolutely stunning. Flying through the air in a Javelin suit, diving underwater, and then traversing dense jungles reminds us sci-fi settings like Avatar. The visual appeal is undeniable.
Let’s hope Anthem is the total package right from the off and BioWare is back to its best when the game launches Feb. 22.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Days Gone
Sony Bend’s Days Gone has been a long time in the making. The developer hasn’t released a game in seven years, and Days Gone has already been delayed twice. The gaming community is skeptical, it seems; unconvinced that Days Gone will maintain the PS4’s golden run of exclusives.
But honestly, Days Gone looks as though its got some interesting qualities that look anything but the generic open world experience many are calling it.
Hordes of zombies like something out of World War Z, combat that encourages experimentation, a focus on motorcycle traversal, and a dynamic weather system that totally changes the experience: this isn’t just another cookie-cutter sandbox.
At least, that’s the hope. We’ll have to wait until April 26 before we know for sure whether Days Gone is worth your time, but don’t write this one off just yet.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Dying Light 2
Dying Light set the bar very high for the series. It managed to impose itself on a saturated zombie genre, standing apart with its unique blend of first-person melee combat and parkour, and an open world that shifted and changed depending with day/night cycle.
It certainly proved popular. Techland’s original Dying Light has been played by over 13 million people since its launch back in 2015.
So how does the developer improve on things this time around?
From what we saw at E3 2018, Dying Light 2 is bigger and more ambitious in virtually every aspect of its design. Most notably, RPG elements have now been weaved into the experience, putting a much greater emphasis on story and decision-making.
The map is huge —four times the size of the original– and its split into different zones controlled by various different factions. Every decision and action that players make throughout the narrative totally shifts and changes the strength and influence of these controlling factions.
To make room for this new dynamic, zombies only come out a night where before they’d still roam to some extent. So there’s an even greater contrast between the gameplay during the day and night this time around.
All of this in combination with sharper, more brutal combat and even more intuitive parkour and Dying Light 2 is one impressive package. So much so, in fact, that we gave it one of our Game of the Show awards at E3 2018.
Dying Light 2’s release date is set for 2019, with no specific date confirmed.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
GreedFall
French developer Spiders’ upcoming open world RPG is very intriguing, and there’s not nearly the sort of buzz for it as there perhaps should be.
Set on a mythical island, the premise is fantasy meets colonial history, with a story that touches on themes like disease, loss, diplomacy, and politics. The gameplay experience, meanwhile, is comprised of discovery, exploration, and combat that involves a blend of melee and gunplay.
There are two aspects to Greedfall that have us most interested: first, that it’s aesthetic and design is inspired by period Flemish painters of the era, which gives it a really distinct style. Second, the story promises a choice-led depth similar to acclaimed RPGs like the Mass Effect series.
Spiders last game, The Technomancer, was a bit of a mixed bag, but despite middling review scores, it showed plenty of potential. Armed with what we presume is a greater pool of funding and more experience, there’s every chance GreedFall could be a standout open world RPG in 2019.
GreedFall is set for a 2019 release; no specific date is yet listed.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Generation Zero
With Just Cause 4 done and dusted, Avalanche Studios is turning its full attention to its next project: Generation Zero. This time, the whimsical tones and chaos of the Just Causes series are being swapped for something more subtle.
Generation Zero is a story-driven open world cooperative experience, in which players explore a world filled with hostile DIY-looking machines. Their designs have a distinctly 80s flavor, a cobbled together appearance that’s a far cry from the futuristic robots we’ve seen in games like Horizon Zero Dawn.
While the action isn’t quite as frenetic as Just Cause, the game has been designed to allow players to experiment tactically. You’ll be able to lure machines into well-laid traps and rely on tactics and strategy to overcome your enemies.
Avalanche is calling it “guerilla action” –not quite as sneaky as stealth, but more measured and tactical than running and gunning. It sounds rather like Metal Gear Solid V, which we don’t mind at all.
The game uses an hub-style area where players can take main missions and side-quests, and players are given free rein to approach the world as they please.
Generation Zero is set to release some time in 2019, though an official release date hasn’t been set.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Rage 2
Rage 2 marks the coming together of two exciting developers that could turn out to be a match made in heaven. Id Software and Avalanche Studios have very different expertise, one a master of smooth gunplay, the other leveraging its know-how of chaotic open world game design.
It has resulted in one of the most vibrant and outlandish-looking games of 2019: a mad sandbox peppered with neon colors and outrageous personalities, in which players engage in furious gunfights where anything goes, and traverse across the desert in vehicular combat that looks like something out of Mad Max.
There’s more to combat than just shooting, though. Nanotrite abilities take things a step further, allowing players to create devastating combos of firepower that looks oh-so-fun. Everything we’ve seen in trailers and gameplay demonstrations looks fluid and entertaining, constantly reminding players of this epic fusion between Id and Avalanche.
Rage 2 is set to release May 14.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Far Cry New Dawn
The Far Cry series has a history of great standalone spin-offs, and developer Ubisoft will be hoping that streak continues with New Dawn.
In typical fashion, the spin-off dials-up the crazy even more than its mainline relation. Like Blood Dragon before it, New Dawn takes the open world action of a Far Cry game and places it in a fantasy setting.
Although this time, it’s perhaps more closely related the mainline entry, with the return of Joseph “The Father” Seed as the main villain. Yep, it turns out The Father’s ranting about the end of the world wasn’t as far off the mark as we thought.
So this is really the true ending of Far Cry 5? We don’t have too long to wait and find out, as Far Cry New Dawn launches Feb. 15.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Ghosts of Tsushima
If it does end up releasing this year, it’s safe to say that Ghosts of Tsushima is already in the runnings for the most graphically beautiful game of 2019. The tall grasslands, forests, and striking architecture of Feudal Japan appear as a gorgeous backdrop for this samurai experience, all very reminiscent of an Akira Kurosawa film.
The story is equally compelling. Based loosely on historical events of the period, Ghosts of Tsushima is set during the Mongol invasion of Japan. Tsushima is the small island between the Korean Peninsula and mainland Japan; the first line of resistance. We’re to play Jin, a one-man army intent on stopping the Mongol menace and reclaiming his island.
The third piece of the puzzle is the promise of stunning gameplay, which is a hallmark of Sucker Punch games. If Ghosts of Tsushima plays as well as the excellent Infamous series that put the developer on the map, this really could be one of the best games of the year.
But whether Ghosts of Tsushima actually launches this year remains to be seen. We’ve opted to place it on the list over other titles like Death Stranding simply because we’re more inclined to believe its further along in development.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Mount and Blade: Banner Lord
Mount and Blade: Bannerlord has been in development for a long time. Like, a really long time. The ear seven-year wait has led to big controversy among fans who are tired of anxiously waiting for the next installment in a series.
First announced in 2012, Bannerlord’s developer’s TaleWorld Entertainment, have already drifted past a promised release date once before, and we’re not even all that confident it’s coming in 2019, either. But when it does, the game promises a medieval fantasy of epic scale and ambition.
Mount and Blade: Warband, its 2010 predecessor, still commands a substantial, passionate multiplayer community. The series’ combat still holds up against the best of them; in fact, it’s arguably a lot better than other melee combat games like Ubisoft’s For Honor.
The strike and block-style combat demands skill and tactics to master, which has kept the competitive scene alive. Bannerlord promises a deeper, more streamlined iteration of that same system. But it’s the scope of its open world that makes this next title so exciting.
Bannerlord’s campaign is set in a sprawling, dense open world, packed with different towns and kingdoms to explore. You’ll start with nothing, and you’re left entirely to your own devices to establish a dynasty, either by deviousness or chivalry.
You can choose to focus your efforts exploiting trade and diplomacy, or ride off to war and engage in massive battles with thousands of NPCs on the screen at once.
A release window of 2019 hasn’t been confirmed in an official capacity, but there was an extensive gameplay demonstration at Gamescom last year and we know a large portion of the singleplayer campaign is playable.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Biotmutant
Biomutant has captivated us since our first glimpse of the game at Gamescom 2017. Its vibrant world pops from the screen, and not just because of its colorful aesthetic; we love the whimsical overtones and the look of its over-the-top combat.
The debut title from Swedish game developer Experiment 101 certainly has our attention, and Biomutant an open world game that really should be on your radar as we move closer to its summer 2019 launch window.
Biomutant is offering much more than just a unique premise and a stylish design, though. This is a full-scale, comprehensive role-playing experience in which players have full control over their avatars design, abilities, and the direction of the story arc.
There’s even a karma system and the opportunity to recruit companion NPCs to join your adventure along the way. Tasked with saving the Tree of Life, which is being destroyed by poisonous oils that are bubbling up from beneath the earth, players can ally themselves with different tribes across the open world, shifting the balance of power as they do so.
Biomutant looks like a breath of fresh air in a crowded open world genre, and we’re counting down the days to its launch this year.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
The Sinking City
Certainly not your average open world experience, The Sinking City is a part detective game, part Lovecraftian horror.
Set in the fictional Massachusettes town of Oakmont, the towns’ inhabitants are losing their minds amid a huge flood, and it’s your job as a private investigator to traverse its expanse –often by boat– piecing together the cause of the disaster and the strange goings-on.
The game’s main protagonist is soon caught up in a web of conspiracies, but what he actually sees through his own eyes is often a deception of the mind.
Like all of the townsfolk, your character is to descend slowly into despair and confusion throughout the story. There’s even said to be an insanity mechanic that influences his clarity of thought.
While the open world appears to be mostly deserted of NPCs, that should complement the tension and atmosphere to the sandbox. From the gameplay demonstrations we’ve seen so far, The Sinking City is somewhat reminiscent of Dontnod’s Vampyr.
But without combat and progression systems, it will be interesting to see how entertaining the gameplay experience proves.
The Sinking City is due to release March 21.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
The Division 2
Ubisoft’s The Division broke Ubisoft records when it released back in 2016 as the company’s most successful launch ever. All that despite a dicey critical reception and all sorts of controversy over graphical downgrades.
Ultimately, though, like so many games-as-a-service titles, The Division struggled to hold on to its player count. Problems with its end-game prompted constant tweaking and rebalancing upset the community in a big way, and the number faded rather quickly.
The Division 2 is aiming to improve on the shared-world co-operative shooter formula this time around, though. There’s a new setting, Changes include a new Washing D.C setting, streamlined looting mechanics, no more bullet sponge enemies, and eight-player raids.
We played the game back at E3 2018 and were impressed with how it was shaping up, although the Washing sandbox didn’t quite have the same atmosphere of snow-covered New York.
There’s little doubt that The Division 2 is going to be hugely popular when it launches March 15, but how it fares in the longterm will be the big decider as to whether it’s a true success.
Best Upcoming Open World Games in 2019
Crackdown 3
We’ll close out this list with yet another open world game that’s endured a torrid development cycle. Crackdown 3 has been revealed, gone back into hiding, and then re-revealed in the four years since its initial 2015 Gamescom announcement.
By the time its single-player had been showcased in any great detail, Crackdown 3’s original promise of destructible environments powered by cloud technology, stylish graphics, and pulsing action just didn’t come together in a way that looked engaging.
True, the destructible environments and cloud technology were only ever billed for multiplayer, but the point was that Crackdown 3 did not look all that impressive. At a time when Sony’s PS4 was benefitting from critically acclaimed first-party exclusives, Crackdown 3 looked a little… AA.
But as we finally move closer to its launch, the new and improved Crackdown 3 looks much better. There have been big changes to its gameplay and content, and the graphics are sharper. The team at SumoDigital have had the campaign finished for a while and their hard at work making sure the core gameplay loop is as polished as possible.
Perhaps the pressure of criticism has been a good thing in this case. Microsoft wants a game to cheer about; the publisher needs a win, and they apparently aren’t prepared to let Crackdown 3 launch as a half-baked experience.
There are only four weeks until its Feb. 19 launch.
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