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9 Upcoming Xbox One Games That Will Guarantee Microsoft Ends 2020 With A Bang
The console still has some life left in it before we all transition to the Xbox Series X.
I hate to say it, but most of the people I know who haven’t sold their Xbox Ones are only keeping them around to play Sea of Thieves. That may sound like a huge compliment to Rare’s multiplayer pirate game—and sure, it is a seafaring delight—but I really only mention it to make clear the increasing irrelevance of what was once a very promising console from the mammoth industry mainstay, Microsoft.
This generation of console wars is about to come to an end. With the release of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X toward the end of 2020, Sony and Microsoft’s battle for the industry throne will soon start all over again. It’s plain to see that Sony ended up with the lead this time around. But there are 10 months left in the year, and the Xbox One isn’t going down without a fight. Sure, Sony’s got some big releases on the way before the PS5 launched (as does Nintendo for the Switch), but 2020 is still looking like a surprisingly good year for Microsoft.
Hopefully at least one of these games will send off the Xbox One console in style. Here are the titles we’re most excited for.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Release Date: March 11
Nintendo has been steadily crushing it in the indie game department for the past few years. But Microsoft is by no means a stranger to independent developers. In fact, it's so friendly to small outfits that it seems like it'll buy up a new one every day. Inventive franchises like Ori represent the fruits of that labor. After the popular Ori and the Blind Forest in 2015, the colorful little side-scrolling RPG is poised for a big comeback. Side-scrollers, man. They never go out of style.
Marvel's Avengers
Release Date: September 4
You’ve probably read a lot about this game. You might think it’s going to be a big fat flop. That it’s too good to be true. That the idea of a game debuting with the promise of indefinite(?) DLC really seems unbelievable. It may be impossible for Marvel’s Avengers to succeed in the way that Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are pitching. Can a game really last (almost) forever? Whether it works in the long-run or not, this one could really break the mould. From what I’ve played so far, it seems like it actually works. Let’s hope they stick the landing with its release.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: September 17
CODE RED!! THIS GAME HAS KEANU REEVES. Just when you thought the industry could not get any more exciting, Keanu Reeves stepped onstage at the E3 gaming conference in 2019 and surprised everyone. Apparently he’s not just in the game—he’s in it a lot. If that’s not enough to sell you on this technofuturistic open world title, I don’t know you’re expecting. Cyberpunk may not be the only highly anticipated game of 2020, but it’s the only one that stars Keanu Reeves.
Halo Infinite
Release Date: Christmas 2020
How many Halo games have there been at this point? Too many? Not enough? Is Halo even relevant anymore? With shooting games veering in the direction of the all-encompassing battle royale scene of Fortnite, it’s hard to say how much steam old-school FPS games like Halo have left. That being said, Master Chief is very good. He’s always welcome in this house. Maybe it’s time he cut Fortnite down to size.
12 Minutes
Release Date: TBA 2020
Every once in a while, an upcoming indie game sparks the interest of the mainstream. Titles like Untitled Goose Game, Cuphead, Kentucky Route Zero – all of them crossed the threshold, in one way or another. Twelve Minutes seems headed in the same direction. A top-down game that has some serious Groundhog Day vibes, the plot still seems pretty foggy, but it’s hard not to get excited about a game built on the idea of a person reliving the same 12 minutes of their life over and over. I’m in.
Battletoads
Release Date: TBA 2020
Oh man, does this game arrive with some silly memories. Created by Rare, the ‘Toads were a clear ripoff of the mega-popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. In some versions, Battletoads was ultra violent, with blood, spikes, guts, and for some reason, extra cleavage. Most of us remember these games for how annoying and unbeatable they were. For whatever reason, they’re back! This time, the ‘Toads (who are named after skin blemishes like Pimple, Zitz, and Rash) have a cartoony look. I kind of miss the chunky, old-school graphics, but it seems like Microsoft has its head in the right place with this remake.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Release Date: TBA 2020
The ultimate Dad game is about to become a grandfather. Flight Simulator – you know, that series that dads obsessed over all through the Nineties and early 2000s—is getting a current-gen sequel. It’s hard to explain why, but it actually feels right – 2020 would be the year we get a new Flight Simulator. This one looks pretty insane. The visuals are meticulously detailed, and there are rumours stating that all 37,000 airports will appear in the game—so if you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re flying a plane for real, this is the closest you’re probably ever going to get. I can imagine that dads all around the world will be buying Xbox consoles for this one.
Psychonauts 2
Release Date: TBA 2020
You probably remember the first Psychonauts game. It was one of those early-ish 3D platformers that managed to distinguish itself from all the other mascot games with a weird visual style and memorable quirkiness. The game somehow struck cult status, and now it’s finally getting a sequel. There’s been a pretty impressive crowdfunding campaign to get it off the ground—and the title was originally supposed to release in 2018—but it looks like 2020 will finally be the year Psychonauts comes back. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a Smash Bros crossover with this one.
Tunic
Release Date: TBA 2020
Okay, this game looks a lot like Zelda. A lot. The main character is a furry fox in a green tunic, there are treasure chests, dungeons, items, an isometric camera, everything’s covered in greenery and ancient moss – it’s almost as if someone over at Microsoft was like, “Hey, instead of competing with Nintendo, why not just be Nintendo?” Perhaps that’s a bit reductive. But it really looks like this Xbox One exclusive wants us to notice that it’s apeing Zelda. And you know what? Maybe that’s fine! I like Zelda! If I could play Link to the Past on an Xbox, I probably would!
Dom Nero is a Senior Creative Producer at Esquire, where he also writes about film, tv, tech, and video games. Elsewhere, Dom hosts Eye of the Duck, a podcast about essential movie scenes.
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