Originally published at: http://statelyplay.com/2018/01/29/our-most-anticipated-games-of-2018-alex-connolly/
[Right around New Year’s, I’d asked all the writers to pen something about games they’re looking forward to in 2018. I had assumed one or two from everyone, which would lead to a single article with everyone’s picks and that would be it. Instead, each writer sent me a bevy of games making me realize that one article probably wouldn’t cut it. Hey, I love 4000 word articles as much as the next guy, but it’s easy for games to get lost in something that vast. So, I decided to split it all up and give each member of the Stately Staff their own day to shine. Today, Alex. -ed.]
Highfleet
[embed]https://youtu.be/czwK7UPo4I4?t=1m55s[/embed]Nothing gets the blood flowing more than the aesthetic of a Cold War interface. Highfleet, a sequel of sorts to elder indie statesman Hammerfight, is this and more. A romantic retro-futurist Lunar Lander with a czarist flair, I only wish my Russian accreditation wasn’t from the Google School of Translate, because I want to know more! Suffice to say, the combat looks phenomenal and the sliver of strategic map action has me powering up my rocket platform and donning a galloon in anticipation.
- PC (further details pending)
Frozen Synapse 2
Everyone’s favourite Tron-flavoured Counterstrike WEGO is back in the not-too-distant future, and caulk my salivary glands if I’m not hungry for Frozen Synapse 2. Promising a sandbox of faction-filled fun, Mode 7 Games are padding the core tactical goodness with all sorts of Chaos Overlords-esque goings-on. While it’ll be great to jump back into that top-shelf asynchronous multiplayer, I’m just as excited to parcel out the violence in single player.
Run, stop, crouch. Wait. Wait. Wait.
- PC/Mac/Linux
Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2
Sacré-Cœur, but with missiles. St. Pauls, but with fighter bays. Notre Dame, but with the crackle of warp as tech-priests communes with the machine spirits. Such remains the appeal of Tindalos’ excellent adaption of Battlefleet Gothic, and it’s exciting to know this dark science-fiction naval game will return in 2018. Publisher Focus Interactive claim it’s going for all twelve factions, deeper systems and an even more expansive campaign. Plus, you know, Necrons. Nothing screams ‘a good time’ more than the collision of ancient Egypt and terminator 800s.
- PC
Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quZDCaHcMy0[/embed]Even with the probability of Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare coming unstuck by the sheer ambition of its ‘Jagged Alliance meets Mount & Blade’ premise, I’m spellbound by the project and will be there Day One for its Early Access launch. The idea of configuring and commanding ever-growing mobs of troops, as well as being there for boots-on-the-ground ops is mouth-watering. Developer KK Game Studio did have a science-fiction version planned, but confining it to an offbrand Alruco in place of Andromeda just might be the right move.
- PC
X4: Foundations
[embed]https://youtu.be/FuIeKMYaIAk[/embed]While X Rebirth was outrageously premature, and certainly never truly recovered after admittedly consistent patching, the new Egosoft spreadsheet sim should provide what we’ve been missing since Terran Conflict. For the uninitiated, the X series is best described as EvE: Offline. You start small in a living, breathing universe; incrementally trading, mining, manufacturing and murdering your way to corporate godhood. It’s not for everyone, but if they crack the X3 formula and splice in all the systems mentioned above, send food to my home address.
- PC
- Battlezone 2: Combat Commander Redux
- Aquanox Deep Descent
- Memory of a Broken Dimension
- Rogue Aces
- Depth of Extinction
- Battletech
- Metrod Exodus
- Industries of Titan
- Outreach