Brayden's Most Anticipated Games 2026
Cutting through the noise.
Another Summer Game Fest has come and gone, and player.gg estimates that over 750 game announcements occurred. That's... too many games. No man is powerful enough to play that many games. So let's take a look at what I thought were the most worthwhile new games on display this year.
Stranger Than Heaven
So, this wasn't really an announcement this June, I know. But any list of mine deserves to have RGG Studios on it. I discovered Yakuza Kiwami in 2023 or so, and since then my partner and I have played through every mainline LaD game, as well as the also-excellent Judgment spinoffs. We've experienced all the emotional highs and lows on Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga. So I'm thrilled that we're going even deeper into this world with an origin story for the Tojo Clan, the Yakuza organization that brought all these characters together in the first place. Combine that with the all star cast (Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Ado!?) and a compelling era-jumping premise surrounding xenophobia against Asians, and I'm confident that RGG Studios has another winner on their hands. Just please fix the broken HDR from Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, please?
God of War Laufey
Ever since I finished Ragnarok, I have been wondering where the God of War series could go from here; the ending felt a little bit final for the story of Kratos and Atreus. What I absolutely did not expect was a game about Faye in the afterlife. Deborah Ann Woll was well cast but underused in the God of War reboots, so I'm thrilled she's getting her chance to lead her own story here. Santa Monica Studios wasted no time differentiating Faye from Kratos in her movement (she can jump!) and faster combat style. I think the setting is compelling, and Bear McCreary always provides a pitch perfect score. Can't wait for this one.
Clutch
A cinematic narrative racing game by ex-Forza devs? Sign me up, brother. The presentation here looks immaculate, and I love a good story, so hopefully the racing mechanics are up to code. With the pedigree of the devs, I think we're in good hands.
Resident Evil Veronica
I actually still need to play Requiem, but that doesn't mean I can't get excited about the long anticipated Code Veronica remake! I missed playing Code Veronica when it was originally released, so I'm glad it's getting a remake to bring it up to the level of the fantastic series of other Resident Evil remakes. Resident Evil 2 has been my favourite remake (and indeed my favourite in the modern Resident Evil series) so far, so maybe this new adventure with Claire Redfield will be the game to one-up it!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
If this list weren't being made in no particular order, this would probably be at the top. This is a game that needs no introduction, but fans do have a ton of burning questions. Is this a 1:1 remake or a Final Fantasy VII style reimagining? Is it being made in house by Nintendo or by Grezzo or another one of their partner studios? Will they include a Master Quest? Will Navi be less or more annoying? The list goes on, but one thing I do know: this is the one game that can go toe to toe with Grand Theft Auto VI vying for the contents of my wallet.
Also, Nintendo, if you're listening: randomizer, please!
Final Fantasy VII Revelation
This list might be starting to be a little bit predictable, but hey, it's that time in the gaming cycle of big tentpole releases for major studios. The Final Fantasy VII trilogy is finally coming to an end with Revelation, and I think I'm actually glad. I love these characters and this world, and even though I'm psyched to go one more round, I actually think that the gameplay in this trilogy is just okay. I actually switched on Streamlined Progression in Rebirth to get through it; I think the game overstayed its welcome.
Not to sound too down on a game I'm ultimately excited for, but recasting Tyler Hoechlin's Sephiroth is a crying shame. I've worked with Tyler and he's a lovely guy, and I'm sad to see he couldn't work it out to reprise his role one last time. All in all though, Revelation is going to provide closure on Nomura's latest convolution, and for that I'm grateful that we can move on to Kingdom Hearts IV.
Persona 4 Revival
Why didn't they call it Rerun?
I'm playing through Persona 3 Reload at the time of writing this, so the Persona 4 remake couldn't have come at a better time. My partner and I are gonna go in blind, and try to get through both 4 and 5 Royal (which I've already played and happily will again) before Persona 6 releases. Ask me how that's going a thousand gameplay hours from now.
Vivarium
In February, I went to Japan and visited both the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park. Everything I see of Vivarium evokes the exact same feelings within me. It's an adorable slice of life game with hand animated visuals that clearly pay homage to the best of Hayao Miyazaki's animation style. I have no idea what it's going to actually be about, but I'm sure it will make me feel some type of way.
Senua
Microsoft would be absolute morons to close Ninja Theory. But if that is how things end up, at least the studio is going out with a bang with Senua. These games are masterclasses in cinematic video game storytelling, and even though they don't reinvent the wheel with their actual gameplay, the player is compelled to see what happens next. I find Senua's story quite moving, and I hope that, if this is the last one, that it gives this tortured character some closure.
Honourable Mentions
Even just narrowing it down is a bit of a gargantuan task, so here's the other game's I'm excited about that I just don't have the bandwidth to give their own moment:
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
The Wolf Among Us 2
TMNT: The Last Ronin
Control Resonant
Sonic Pico Park
Gen Atlas
Cuphead 2
ILL
Marvel's Wolverine
Bancho the Chef
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
Halo: Campaign Evolved
Gears of War E-Day
Spyro: A Realm Beyond
That's... a lot of games. But at least it's not hundreds. And these are just my picks. I bet there's going to be lots of different picks on the lists of my fellow NoGameOvers authors, go check out what they're excited for, and let us know what you're excited about over on the Discord server!