Looking back through my steam library, 2020 was apparently not a good year for game releases. Second Extinction and Phasmophobia were the only two games I played that released in 2020 (and I didn’t get Phasmophobia until January 2021). This probably stems from my heavy favoring of multiplayer games. Thankfully 2021 looks to be a lot kinder to the multiplayer gaming space. Below are the bigger games I’ll be looking at closely that are releasing in 2021. With one exception, they all have multiplayer options.
If you’re interested in playing with me on stream sometime this year, give these games a look for yourself.
Elite Dangerous Odyssey
I really enjoyed Elite Dangerous. The vastness of the galaxy was, and is, the main draw to the game for me. Being able to fly around doing basically whatever you want from mining, to exploration, to dogfighting, brings an incredible feeling of realism. With the upcoming Elite Dangerous expansion, Odyssey, you’ll be able to do experience the same vastness on your own two feet. Exploring entire planets , living your own Star Trek dream, is the latest experience added to the menu. Being able to do it with friends is just icing on the cake thanks to this game’s unique private server feature.
Release date: May 19 2021
Starship Troopers – Terran Command
Getting the lone solo game out of the way first, when’s the last time we had a Starship Troopers game? It’s a great franchise, and could certainly be expanded upon video game-wise. I particularly like the massive scale: Swarming oceans of bugs versus a small band of desperate but technologically superior humans. I think RTS is a great way to emphasize this theme. Starship Troopers Terran Command is a singleplayer game, but the screenshots just make the game look really fun. It also looks like from the mechs and planes that this game incorporates a little more of the book and the movie. Being able to delve into a little more of the universe is quite appealing.
Release date: June 2021
Back 4 Blood
Why they didn’t just call this Left 4 Dead 3, I don’t know. You can see from the screencap above that it’s most definitely inspired by the classic horde mode shooter series. While I only found Left 4 Dead 2 decent, I enjoyed the clones it’s inspired like Vermintide and Deathwing immensely. It’ll be interesting to see what the original creators can come up with using modern graphics and tech. Hopefully they’ll come up with new mechanics to freshen up the genre and move it forward. Currently these are games I play for a little while, then come back to from time to time. Open Beta begins August 12th, pre-order beta August 7th.
Release date: October 12, 2021
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign
This one is a new franchise for me. Knights of Honor II seems to be an open world medieval RTS. The game seems to be like Stellaris from the description, mentions of diplomacy and province management. Open world games always appeal to me, especially when we’re talking about roaming around with huge armies, sieging castles, and clashing with enemies using spear and shield. Online functionality is an added bonus. I’m hoping for some coop or versus AI options to be added, not just online PvP. More and more I find cooperative gameplay more rewarding.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
One of those aforementioned Left 4 Dead clones, Darktide is a Warhammer 40,000 themed horde mode shooter. From the developers of Vermintide, this game has a lot of potential from gameplay to features like Twitch integration. This game features more of the everyday Imperium soldiers from the universe instead of the Space Marines, which I am the smallest bit disappointed in. Still, multiplayer coop and Warhammer 40k are both something I always look forward to.
Evil West
Another new franchise for me. I’ve never seen a single Evil Dead movie or show, or played any of the games. The American western setting makes Evil West incredibly appealing, gunning down undead and occult type enemies with reckless abandon. Fighting horrific enemies with primitive weaponry is a fascinating concept to me. I’m eager to check into this franchise for the first time also. Might even try and watch some of the movies and shows for “research”. I do enjoy getting into the story of games with interesting settings.
State of Decay 3
I avoided State of Decay because it was singleplayer. When I found out State of Decay 2 was going to be multiplayer, the hype intensified. I was super lucky enough to get a key for SoD 2 and am absolutely in love. I hope State of Decay 3 continues in the footsteps of 2. Looks like they’re going to step up the zombie threat a little from the trailer, not just undead humans chasing your car. This time our 4 footed friends get in on the action. This is probably the game I’m most excited for, assuming it will have multiplayer.