10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2021

Lots of good games coming in 2021

So the year 2020 ended up being a bit of a write-off in more ways than one thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many 2020 gaming releases were delayed until next year and since we're now in the final month of 2020, it's time to take a look at the 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2021 (according to Choicest Games, of course)!

This year, I've again managed to recruit the help of my wife as a judge and I've also decided to use the third judge that I created last year which is based on the popularity of a game, at least according to Google Trends. Ultimately, this resulted in more weight being given to AAA titles (otherwise, the entire list would probably be dominated by indie games - not that there's anything wrong with that but I'm trying to strike a balance here).

The Judges

Mark G

Mark founded the blog Choicest Games in 2008 and has been playing PC games since the 1980s. He has an eclectic taste in games but his favourite genres include point 'n' click adventures, First Person Shooters and almost anything to do with sci-fi. He is also leader of the social guild/clan Gamers of Choice.

Lanna

Lanna is Mark G's wife and being the supportive wife that she is has contributed reviews and her input on the running of the blog. Lanna enjoys puzzle games, FPSs and Civilization. She was also at one stage world champion at Everyday Genius Squarelogic.

Google Trends

A website launched by Google in 2006 that analyses the popularity of top search queries in Google Search. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume of different queries over time.

How the list was made

An arbitrary list of 97 games was compiled (much more than last year's 60) through a combination of me scouring the Internet for exciting PC titles coming out next year as well as any the contributors could find as well. I used the same scoring as previous years where contributors were given a choice of three potential scores:

0 = Not interested in the game at all
1 = Slightly interested. Keeping my eyes on it and/or will buy it if there's nothing better to get
2 = Must-buy. I will buy it on release or I've already pre-ordered it.

Contributors were asked to assign a 0, 1 or 2 to each of the games on the list. I would then count up the total score and then sort the list by score in descending order.

Unlike previous years, there was a clear number one in this year's list with a whopping five points from all judges. 6 games were awarded a score of four points so they clearly made their way into the top 10 and there were 9 games that were awarded a score of three points: I had to discard 6 of them but these ones made the Honourable Mentions list for this year.

Three games on this list have appeared in last year's list and this year, crowdfunded projects are again well represented with 4 games on the list starting life on Kickstarter or Fig.

So I present to you the 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2021 as voted by Choicest Games, but before we go into them, here are the Honourable Mentions.

Honourable Mentions:

Balan Wonderland
Card Shark
Core Decay
Death Loop
Far Cry 6
Roller Champions

10. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Looks like a pleasant place to visit

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a story-driven, stealth, action-adventure being developed by Daedalic Entertainment. The game promises to explore more of Gollum's history including his time as a slave below the Dark Tower as well as his time with the Elves of Mirkwood. You apparently have to use stealth, agility and cunning in order to survive, and Gollum isn't beneath assassinating a person or two. The choices you make in the game will directly influence Gollum's personality and determine whether Gollum or Smeagol dominates when it comes to the battle of the two egos.

The game has a lot going for it as it's already based off the best-selling "Lord of the Rings" IP and one of its most recognisable characters to boot. What's especially interesting is that Daedalic, a developer renowned for their point 'n' click adventures such as the Deponia series, are behind the wheel which means there's a good chance the game will have a strong focus on narrative and puzzle solving, at least that's what I'm hoping.

The game is scheduled for release in 2021.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

[ LINK: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Steam Page ]

9. SpaceVenture

Terminator 2 reference anyone?

SpaceVenture is a sci-fi point 'n' click adventure that is in development by the Guys from Andromeda which consists of Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (the creators of Sierra's Space Quest series) and Chris Pope. The game has been in development for some time now having received funding as part of a Kickstarter campaign back in 2012. 8 years later and the game has now entered the beta testing phase so it's getting pretty close to completion.

I originally backed the Kickstarter project since I'm a fan of Sierra adventures and the Space Quest series in particular (I love sci-fi comedies). The game also has some top notch voice acting talent such as Rob Paulsen, Robert Clotworthy, Ellen McLain and John Patrick Lowrie.

Considering the game has been in beta testing since August, I've a good feeling it'll finally be released next year.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Lanna

Release Date:
Assumed 2021

[ LINK: SpaceVenture Kickstarter Page ]

8. Chorus: An Adventure Musical

Let the staring contest begin!

Chorus: An Adventure Musical was crowdfunded on Fig back in November 2019 after raising $690,079 USD. The game is dubbed an "adventure musical": one part narrative-driven adventure and one part interactive musical. The game is inspired by musicals such as "Buffy: Once More With Feeling", "Dear Evan Hansen", "Hadestown" and "Wicked" and games such as Dragon Age, Life is Strange, and Dream Daddy.

I backed the Fig project since I'm a fan of musicals and visual novels. The game is also being developed by a very experienced team including David Gaider (former lead writer at Bioware), award-winning composer Austin Wintory and starring the prolific voice actor Laura Bailey.

The game is scheduled for release in Q4 2021.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Lanna

Release Date:
Q4 2021

[ LINK: Chorus: An Adventure Musical Fig Page ]

7. Backbone

An example of dialogue trees in Backbone

Backbone is another game on this list that received funding through a crowdfunding platform: $95,280 CAD to be precise in May 2018. You play the role of a raccoon P.I. called Howard Lotor in a film noir, dystopian version of Vancouver. You'll be able to solve cases, interrogate witnesses and sneak around using smell-based stealth mechanics.

Although I never ended up backing the game, it sounds like an interesting premise and I do love retro pixelart adventure games.

The game is scheduled for release in Q2 2021.

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
Q2 2021

[ LINK: Backbone Official Website ]

6. Psychonauts 2

Raz looking cool as usual

This game has featured several times on this list because in typical Double Fine fashion, the game has been delayed numerous times. I'm hoping 2021 is the year we finally get to see the sequel to Double Fine's critically acclaimed platformer Psychonauts where you get to play the role of psychic spy-in-training, Raz.

Like many workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, Double Fine transitioned to Work-from-Home arrangements in early 2020. They also created a new trailer that premiered at the Xbox Games Showcase event in July which confirmed that the new release date for Psychonauts 2 would be 2021. The most recent update posted in August reported they were currently working on boss fights before tweaking and polishing what they already have available.

The game is anticipated to release in 2021.

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

[ LINK: Psychonauts 2 Fig Website ]

5. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

That's some sweet looking artwork

Okay, this isn't technically a new game but a remaster of the entire Mass Effect Commander Shepard trilogy and being a huge fan of the series, there's no surprise that this collection has made it on the list. There have been hints throughout the year that something like this was on the horizon but on N7 Day (7th November 2020) it was finally revealed.

Bioware has stated the goal is not to remake the old games but to modernise the experience by doing things such as updating the textures, shaders, models and effects. You will also be able to run the games at faster framerates and at 4K resolution. The game will include Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 as well as all DLC. It'll be the perfect opportunity to run through the entire series and finally experience Mass Effect 3's Citadel DLC.

The game is set for release in Q2 2021

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

[ LINK: Mass Effect Legendary Edition Website ]

4. Hogwarts Legacy

Wheeeeeee

Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action RPG set in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World during the 1800s. You get to play the role of a student at Hogwarts and will have the ability to customise your character, choose your house, craft potions, learn magic spells and visit familiar locations. There's even going to be a morality system in the game suggesting this isn't your average “Harry Potter" game.

Despite there being a whole lot of Harry Potter fans that are keen to play this game (over 500 million “Harry Potter" books have been sold - that's a lot of fans) the game has also attracted some controversy, mainly thanks to its link to J.K. Rowling who some perceive to be transphobic.

The game is set for release in 2021

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

[ LINK: Hogwarts Legacy Website ]

3. Humankind

A whole new woooooorld

Humankind is a 4X historical strategy game developed by Amplitude Studios (the developers responsible for the Endless Space series) where you'll be able to combine over 60 historical cultures to create your own. Unlike Civ there appears to be only one victory condition which is called "fame" which is calculated based on every great deed you accomplish, every moral choice you make and every battle won (so it sounds similar to a Civ Score Victory). In Humankind battles are mini-games of their own spanning several turns and you'll also be able to customise your avatar which evolves visually over the course of the game (which sounds a bit like your council in the original Civilization).

All judges seemed to be interested in this game, and why wouldn't they be? This could be a potential contender to knock Sid Meier's Civilization off its perch. And even if it isn't, you can never have enough 4X games I reckon… although there's probably only ever time to play one 4X game at a time…. Just…. One… more… turn...

Humankind is currently available to test on Steam provided you've pre-purchased the game. The game is set for full release on 22nd April 2021

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
22 Apr 2021

[ LINK: Humankind Official Website ]

2. Battlefield 2021

There are currently no screenshots of the next Battlefield so here's one of BFV

There actually isn't much to go on with respect to the next iteration of the Battlefield series but we do know that it's in development and expected to release in 2021. We also know, according to this Polygon article, that the game will be available on next-gen consoles, be driven by live service offerings (which sounds similar to what they tried to implement in Battlefield V) and will do things in multiplayer, social and competition that are new to the franchise.

This is another game that all judges seemed to be interested in, but that's because two of the judges are Battlefield fans and they are surely not the only ones either, considering this is a AAA series. The only question is, will the new things they are doing with the franchise in terms of multiplayer, social and competition be enough to satisfy the Battlefield veterans? And will it entice newcomers to the series?

The next Battlefield game is scheduled for release in 2021

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

(No trailer available)
[ LINK: Battlefield Official Website ]

1. Halo Infinite

YOU FOIGHT LIKE A NORWEGIAN

Halo Infinite's release date was pushed back to 2021 which is why it features again on this list. It is the sixth game in the main Halo series and you once again return to play the role of Master Chief. In this iteration of Halo you'll get to explore the enormity of the ring-shaped artificial worlds.

This is the highest scoring game on the list thanks to interest from both human judges and a considerable interest in the game online… guess there are a lot of Halo fans out there, but we are talking about a series that started back on the original Xbox console that came out in 2001, almost two decades ago… nostalgia is a powerful force, especially for a critically acclaimed series like Halo.

Halo Infinite is scheduled for release in 2021

Score:
5 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Google Trends

Release Date:
2021

[ LINK: Halo Infinite Official Website ]

So what did you think of the list? What are you looking most forward to in 2021 in terms of PC games?