State of Decay 2 
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: May 22, 2018
If The Walking Dead has taught us anything, it's that forging bonds between survivors and building up a community is essential to surviving the zombie apocalypse. State of Decay 2 takes those values to heart with co-op for up to four players, provided you all agree to work together instead of backstabbing one another for precious supplies. To build up your customizable encampment, you'll need to scavenge on foot or four wheels, splattering the skulls of countless undead along the way. And if someone's unfortunate enough to get bitten, their allies will have the tough choice between curing them with a limited supply of medicine, or ending their impending suffering with a bullet to the brain.
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human box art
Platform(s): PS4
Release date: May 25, 2018
As is the trend nowadays, Detroit: Become Human is a choice-driven adventure revolving around androids achieving sentience. Remember the Kara tech demo Sony showed off years ago? She's back as one of three playable androids in a futuristic Detroit, along with detective 'bot Connor and the aspiring revolutionary Marcus. It’s a game of staggering ambition: it took David Cage two years to write the script, and hundreds of actors have done mo-cap work for it.
Vampyr 
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: June 5, 2018
The last great vampire-centric game was Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, and that cult classic debuted way back in 2004 - but soon enough, Vampyr should sate our bloodlust and fill that vampiric void. Made the eclectic studio Dontnod, developers of Remember Me and Life is Strange, Vampyr casts you as the recently fanged Jonathan Reid in the Victorian-style streets of 1918 London. You have the option of roleplaying Reid as London's savior, using the doctor's powers of healing to find a cure for a deadly flu epidemic, or a sinner, hunting human prey under cover of night and serving only your eternal thirst. Hopefully, Vampyr will play like a Dishonored game starring Dracula.
The Crew 2 
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: June 29, 2018
Despite strong sales, Ubisoft's open-world racer The Crew didn't seem to make much of an impact in 2015 - but there's a dedicated group of players still roaming its virtual USA roadways to this day. Hopefully The Crew 2 will entice them to make the jump and bring in droves of new racers with its expanded scope: now you can get behind the wheel of boats and planes in addition to the first game's souped-up luxury cars and off-roading rides. You'll be speeding around gigantic slices of world-famous American cities like Las Vegas and New York, taking on plenty of cooperative driving missions as you bond with your crewmates across land, sea, and air.
Octopath Traveler 
Platform(s): Switch
Release date: July 13, 2018
In a rare case of an absurd working title becoming the actual game name, Octopath Traveler is a new JRPG from Square Enix that puts major emphasis on dedicated role-playing. You must choose from one of eight unique heroes when starting your quest, each with their own personality, fighting style, and most importantly, distinct commands when interacting with NPCs. Are you the kind of player who wants to challenge everyone you see to a feat of strength, or someone who wants to charm folks with your provocative dancing? Your experience of the world all comes down to your chosen hero, but no matter who you pick, there's plenty to explore as you take in the lavish, 16-bit-meets-HD sights and engage in nuanced turn-based battles.
Agony 
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBC 2018
There's a pretty easy way to figure out if the first-person horror of Agony is for you: can you stomach the sight of virtual babies being smashed into bloody stumps? If you answered 'yes', then you're just twisted enough to enjoy this harrowing trip through Hell itself. You're a tortured soul seeking out the Red Goddess, the so-called ruler of the underworld, in a desperate bid to escape eternal suffering. To do so, you'll need to fearfully sneak past demons in your meek human form as a feeble Martyr - though later on, you can possess them and use their terrible powers to your own ends.
Hollow Knight
Platform(s): Switch (out now on PC)
Release date: Q1 2018
Hollow Knight is a modern Metroidvania masterpiece - but if you don't game on PC, you might've missed it in 2017. Fortunately, Switch owners will be getting a portable version of this lavishly illustrated, beautifully crafted journey later this year. You play as a diminutive warrior wielding a sharpened nail, exploring the treacherous nooks and crannies of the expansive Hallownest, an insect kingdom that's fallen into ominous ruin. This 2D platformer has it all: gripping combat, phenomenal hand-drawn artwork, enchanting music, rich lore, and a world full of fascinating NPCs and enemy designs. You'll wonder why you didn't do everything in your power to play it sooner.
Wargroove
Platform(s): Switch, Xbox One, PC
Release date: Early 2018
It seems Nintendo isn't about to revive Advance Wars any time soon; thank goodness developer Chucklefish stepped up to the plate to bring back turn-based strategy featuring delightful GBA-style sprites. The overworld map and battle animations perfectly mimic the charming aesthetic of the Advance Wars series, set in a high fantasy world full of knights, dragons, skeleton dogs, and witches. As one of 12 unique commanders, you'll wage war over land, sea, and air to establish dominance over the map, one little square space at a time. With online and local multiplayer for up to four players, custom map creation, and loads of adorable unit types, Wargroove's got everything an Advance Wars fan could ask for.
Crackdown 3 
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: Spring 2018
In Crackdown 3 you’re a super-cop in an open-world city, using your powers to fight crime and smash the whole place up in the process. While there’s still a story campaign to tackle, the online co-op for up to four players is where it's at, letting you and your Agency buddies tear up this futuristic metropolis in chaotic style. You'll be leaping between buildings using your jumpjets in one moment, then raining down high-tech bazooka missiles onto any poor criminals the next. The addition of Terry Crews as a playable character is the perfect cherry atop this city-obliterating sundae.
