If you enjoy game narratives then you should be pleased to note that there is plenty of upcoming titles that will showcase a storyline likely to keep you intrigued from start to finish. 2020 is shaping up to be a big year and with it comes a slew of video game titles that are both available for current generation consoles and preparing for the next generation. In this list, we’re going to showcase our most anticipated narrative titles slated to release in 2020 but you’ll want to bookmark this page. We’re going to continue this list with more video game titles as they are announced.
#5 12 Minutes
- Developer: Luis Antonio
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Platforms: PC, XBO
- Release: 2020
- Co-op: N/A
- Competitive Multiplayer: N/A
Announced during E3 2019 comes 12 Minutes, an adventure game coming from a former artist that worked at Rockstar Games and Ubisoft. The game is rather simplistic to understand, it mimics concepts such as the film Groundhog Day or the video game The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask in that gamers have a time loop aspect. In order to progress, players will be replaying a 12-minute cycle until they complete the tasks at hand. From what we know so far, the game follows a man who learns that his wife is pregnant but the celebration is cut short as a cop bursts into the room and accuses the wife of murder. The scuffle ends up with the wife dead but then the game restarts and it’s up to you in navigating the day in hopes in finding a peaceful resolution.
#4 Marvel’s Avengers
- Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Platforms: Google Stadia, PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: May 15, 2020
- Co-op: Online
- Competitive Multiplayer: TBA
After the success with Marvel’s Spider-man, a new Marvel video game IP is in the works. The video game is known as Marvel’s Avengers and it will toss players into various hero roles. With characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Black Widow, there are plenty of fan-favorite characters being represented from the Marvel franchise. We’re not going to get the game until May of 2020, but we do know the overall premise of the in-game narrative.
Marvel’s Avengers will take place during the event known as A-Day. What was supposed to be a celebratory day where the Avengers gather to unveil their new headquarters, it was instead marked down for a catastrophic accident. During the reveal, an accident caused most of the San Francisco area to be destroyed leaving the world to ban all heroes. Five years have passed since the Avengers disbanded but are now left to reform to save humanity from annihilation. While this game is available for players to go through alone, there is a cooperative option attached to allow up to four players.
#3 Watch Dogs: Legion
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO, Google Stadia
- Release: March 6, 2020
- Co-op: TBA
- Competitive Multiplayer: TBA
A new installment to the Watch Dogs franchise is heading to the marketplace in 2020. Watch Dogs: Legion will mark as the third mainline installment to the franchise where Ubisoft is taking players to London. A new authoritarian regime has taken over and it’s up to Dedsec to free civilians from the overcoming power. With that said, Ubisoft is making a pretty big change to the video game, which is players will not follow a single protagonist character, but instead, a constantly rotating through a cast of Dedsec recruits. Displayed during E3 2019, Ubisoft showcased some gameplay footage in regards to recruiting players.
For starters, in the game demo footage, we watch the protagonist seek out an expert who deals with drones. After successfully finding an expert drones hacker, the protagonist had to intervene a guard from arresting the individual. It was during this scuffle that our protagonist died, but instead of getting game over, the game swaps to another recruited member to track down the individual in hopes of convincing him to join Dedsec. It’s important to note that there is no game over screens, when someone dies in the game then they are dead for good in your game which means that you’ll constantly have to find new recruits to join your cause and play as.
#2 Twin Mirror
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: 2020
- Co-op: N/A
- Competitive Multiplayer: N/A
Dontnod Entertainment has a new episodic adventure title for players to enjoy. The development studio may be best known for their Life is Strange series but the next episodic journey coming this year that’s not attached to the Life is Strange franchise is Twin Mirror. This is an upcoming psychological thriller which follows a protagonist named Sam who returns back to his old hometown to attend the funeral service of his best friend. Things take a turn for the worse when he awakens with no memories of the previous day while covered in blood.
One thing that Dontnod Entertainment takes care of when it comes to their video games is the narrative journey players will be embarking. Life is Strange was a critical hit and it sparked a huge following. Their follow-up title, Vampyr was also enjoyed from its narrative thanks to the various choices that came up in conversations along with the atmosphere. Both IPs have been considered for television series adaptations and as a result, a story-driven journey is something that we fully expect from their line of video games. Twin Mirror already has an enticing story from the little information we have received so far and knowing that Twin Mirror is another episodic game then it’s a safe bet that players will be left with cliffhanger endings.
#1 Cyberpunk 2077
- Developer: CD Projekt Red
- Publisher: CD Projekt
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: TBA
- Co-op: N/A
- Competitive Multiplayer: Post-Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 is one video game title that fans of CD Projekt have been waiting to hear more about since its initial announcement in 2012. This is an RPG that can be played in either a first-person or third-person mode. Set in 2077, the world has become drastically different, at least within the United States of America.
Civilians thrive if they are part of the elite social class structure where big corporations taking control of the nation. Now the lower class struggle to survive in the harsh environments that have become flooded with gangs leaving a barren shell of what used to be lovely cities.
Players take the role of a mercenary which are broken up into various classes as they explore and take on various quests. This is supposedly a video game set in a massive world as well, leaving plenty of areas to explore. Likewise, there also seems to be an emphasis on upgrades and augmentations.
CD Projekt became a household name for their epic adventures in The Witcher series and we’re hoping that their success bleeds over into the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 release.
Bonus
Tell Me Why
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Platforms: PC, XBO
- Release: 2020
- Co-op: N/A
- Competitive Multiplayer: N/A
You may be familiar with Dontnod Entertainment. It’s a development studio that really hit its strides with the launch of their episodic adventure, Life is Strange. Since then, the studio has received plenty of fame and attention for their word on mature adventure titles. Currently, the studio is wrapping up the second season of Life is Strange and they have another adventure title slated to launch in 2020 called Twin Mirror, a game we make mention to in this post as well.
However, during XO19 we got the announcement of Tell Me Why, a new adventure title that will feature three episodes. From what we know so far, this game will tell a story revolving around twins, one of which had altered their gender. As a result, the story will have the twins going back to their child home in hopes of getting some clues and answers to their troubled childhood. We expect this story to be deep and aimed at a mature audience when it launches sometime next year.
