ultimate-gamer

[ultimate-gamer]

Little Known Secrets

We are gearing up to the big release season of the year, and by the looks of these upcoming games of 2020 and beyond we are in for a treat. From big AAA games to interesting indie titles, there really is no shortage of reasons to get excited about the months ahead. After all, it's a big year with the next-gen consoles due to arrive later in the year.

Games like The Last of Us 2 have proved that the current generation of consoles can still deliver ground-breaking experiences, and there are still more to come, like Cyberpunk 2077. If you're more interested in what you might be playing on your new PS5 and Xbox Series X, look no further than Godfall or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You can find them all in the list if the best upcoming games of 2020.

Can you believe it? We’re getting a new Battletoads game in 2020, and it looks like it’s bringing us classic beat ’em up action with new visuals. It will serve as a reboot of the series, with developer Dlala Studios (under supervision of Rare) at the helm. You can expect three-player couch co-op play and lots of different gameplay styles, such as traditional 2D platforming, action, and some shooting elements. Let’s hope its keeps the essence of what makes Battletoads challenging while being fair to newcomers.

[ultimate-gamer]

The most anticipated games of 2020

If you have a stack of leftover games from 2019, you better start finishing them soon, because 2020 is bringing several enormous new releases, despite all eyes being on the holiday season when the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will launch. New entries in long-running franchises will launch, including some that we haven’t seen in over a decade, and completely original games will also release from major studios. We suggest you start saving your money because your wallet is in for some pain. These are our most anticipated games of 2020.

August

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PC, PS4 — August 4)

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout could very well be the next big thing, giving you insane 60-player online multiplayer action that throws you through challenging obstacle courses. Interestingly, this game is launching as a PS Plus game this month, similar to Rocket League in 2015, so Fall Guys will have a large audience right from the start. And with a game focusing on multiplayer, having people available to play it is essential. Based on its previews and our time with it at E3 2019, Fall Guys is shaping up to be a blast.

Battletoads (Xbox One, PC — August 20)

Can you believe it? We’re getting a new Battletoads game in 2020, and it looks like it’s bringing us classic beat ’em up action with new visuals. It will serve as a reboot of the series, with developer Dlala Studios (under supervision of Rare) at the helm. You can expect three-player couch co-op play and lots of different gameplay styles, such as traditional 2D platforming, action, and some shooting elements. Let’s hope its keeps the essence of what makes Battletoads challenging while being fair to newcomers.

Madden NFL 21 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Stadia — August 28)

Each year, we get a new Madden NFL game, and each year, it becomes one the bestselling games. Madden NFL 21 will be coming soon, boasting its Skill Stick control scheme to allow players to use the right stick to have more control when evading other players while on offense. Defense will be getting a boost as well, giving us new ways to tackle while making the gameplay feel more balanced. It will also be getting a next-generation version, though it’s unclear when. What we do know is that players will be able to upgrade to the Xbox Series X and PS5 versions for free.

September

Marvel’s Avengers (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia — September 4)

An action-adventure game starring the Avengers, including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and more, Marvel’s Avengers is set after a tragic event led to the organization being disbanded, but a new threat necessitates its revival. It will focus on linear, narrative-driven gameplay as part of the single-player component. Alongside traditional campaign content, there will also be a live service element that supports cooperative play.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC — September 4)

Reliving games from our childhoods is a new trend with video games, and the next one is a collection many are excited for. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will contain remakes of the two original games from the PS1 era, in one complete package. Somehow, Activision managed to secure most of the songs from the beloved games, as well as a full roster of skaters for us to enjoy. Don’t forget to pre-order to gain access to the nostalgic Warehouse Demo — available on August 14th.

[ultimate-gamer]

Future Gaming

[ultimate-gamer]

Gaming Fatigue

I've been a huge gamer for the vast majority of my life, some of my oldest and fondest memories are when my older sister got a Sega Mega Drive and we played Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, The Lion King and many other games constantly when we were children. I'm 23 now, however lately I've been feeling very distant from gaming, and I can't explain why. When I was younger I used to be able to play games for ridiculous numbers of hours at a time, and I wouldn't put a game down until I'd completed it, to do so would practically be blasphemy to my younger self, but over the past couple of years this has deteriorated dramatically, to the point where I can't seem to play a game from start to finish any more.

The odd game comes along that I do finish, but they're few and far between. For example, the last game I played the entire way through was Batman: Arkham City in February, and before that was Dark Souls on release last year. Every time I pick up a game, I seem to only play about a 3rd of it, or just put it down after the first hour or 2 session and never pick it up, I've done this to so many games I can't even count them anymore.

I find myself just staring at my Steam list, trying to choose a game I might actually play through, and even when I do get the surge that says 'Yes, I'm in the mood to play that!', I put it on, and 10 or 20 minutes later I've lost all enthusiasm and end up back at square one, either looking down my Steam list again, or simply browsing the internet to take my mind off the whole debacle.

I don't want to be one of those people that says 'Oh well, I guess I'm just growing out of gaming!'. I know that can't be it, I adore this hobby too much and like many others out there, especially here on Kotaku, gaming is a part of me, and something I couldn't simply grow out of, it means too much to me on a personal level.

Anyway, I've went on long enough, I just wanted to ask if any other gamers have ever went through a stage of 'gaming fatigue' like what I've described, and what your own personal experiences were during that time, and I thought what better place to ask than Kotaku!