2017 vs 2018 vs 2019 vs 2020 [Early Game Release Analysis]

[DigitalOp]

This is for early year releases, I missed the title designation Jan- May (I even say it in the first sentence if you read OP T_T)

The past few years started a trend where Publishers noticed they could launch bigger games early in the year and find wide success. Each consecutive year has found that even more titles have been added following the next and we recently received dates for 2020 that seem to show that the trend is not ending anytime soon. Take a look below:


2017

RE7
Yakuza 0
Gravity Rush 2
Nioh
Zelda: Breath of The Wild
Horizon Zero Dawn
Nier Automata
Persona 5
Prey
Injustice 2

2018

DBFZ
Shadow of the Colossus
Kirby Star Allies
Sea of Theives
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Far Cry 5
Yakuza 6
God of War
State of Decay 2
Detroit Become Human

2019

Travis Strikes Again
RE 2
Kingdom Hearts 3
Apex Legends
Crackdown 3
Sekiro
Metro Exodus
Anthem
Devil May Cry 5
Mortal Combat 11
Days Gone
Rage 2


2020

God & Monsters
FF7 Remake
Watch Dogs Legion
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Vampire: The Masquerade
Trials of Mana
Controversy 2077 lol
Marvels Avengers


Listed are games that had decent press around them and were anticipated releases for each respective year. Of course there were many more no listed due to not make it super exhaustive, I also chose not to have ports for obvious reasons. I went till about May for each year since that covered most of the big names.

What do you think? Which year had a stronger list of titles? Actual critical reception aside, what looks better on paper excitement wise?


For me, it looks like 2017 is still the year with the highest critical average. Almost every game listed was highly praised and well received. The later years def have a lot more titles but that ends up bringing the critical average down.

2018 turned out to be a bit mum with a great high of God of War, and decent staples like DBZF and Kirby.

2019 has a lot of highly anticipated titles and excitement but also a lot of low to average titles that complete balance the scale. Interesting.

2020 is a little biased in this analysis since its still pending and its currently anticipated and has a lot of exciting titles. How do you think it ends up?

Like 2018? Pretty mum with a few great winners?
or 2019? Where half are great and the other half woefully average?

Leave your thoughts

 

[Holundrian]

Just for the fun of it:
2017 cause it's the actual year that already happened an can be fully assessed. But 2020 looks on paper better(at least if you include all the Japanese games that aren't mentioned here). But you never know given all those games haven't come out yet and potential delays haven't settled so it's a weird option to include despite the anticipation bias disclaimer.

 

[7thFloor]

2020 is going to be bigger than 2017 without a shred of doubt.

 

[Betty]

2020 is going to be too big.

 

[Raijinto]

You forgot Smash & Pokemon for 2018 but remembered Kirby lol.

But really 2017 was something else. And again there's a handful of other great games that are not included above. What a year. Way, way better than any other this gen.

 

[Sekiro]

DigitalOp Don't forget RDR2 and Spiderman in 2018

 

[Tagg]

Your list is pretty whack and missing a ton of great titles. I voted 2017 because of Horizon, BotW, Mario Odyssey, Cuphead and Persona 5.

 

[swimming]

u forgot mario odyssey..

 

[DigitalOp]

You forgot Smash & Pokemon for 2018 but remembered Kirby lol.

But really 2017 was something else. And again there's a handful of other great games that are not included above. What a year. Way, way better than any other this gen.

Click to shrink...

This is really for Early Year releases, Jan - May but I forgot to put Early in the thread title T__T

 

[kaiush]

The fact that 2017 was so dope that you forgot to include Mario Odyssey is rather telling.

Also, Splatoon 2.

Wait, you also forgot RDR 2 and Smash. These lists are highly questionable.

 

[herminihildo]

isn't spiderman and RDR2 included in 2018?

i think 2018 is an insane year.

 

[John Frost]

Where is Spidey for 2018?

 

[Antoo]

Persona 5

 

[Raijinto]

This is really for Early Year releases, Jan - May but I forgot to put Early in the thread title T__T

Click to shrink...

Yeah I see it makes sense now.

Still 2017 for me then based on Persona 5, BotW & RE7.

 

[DigitalOp]

Jesus, y'all really don't read OP lol.... Messing up a thread titles does wonders

 

[Yasuke]

2020 could be one for the ages, but we said the same shit about the first quarter of this year. Then the shit dropped and was largely whelming. So I'll reserve judgement for now.

So I'm going with 2017 and it's volume of great games, though 2018's God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Spider-Man drag the whole year into a respectable contest with the former.

 

[Digital-Kill3r-7]

Hot takes coming in.

2017 was overrated as fuck, and 2016 shits on it from great heights. 2018 was also better. 2019's only good game thus far was RE2, but Doom Eternal could pick up the slack. Also, daily reminder that 2014 was a low key amazing year and you're all drinking crazy juice. 2015 was also dope.

 

[John Frost]

Ok

 

[Philippo]

2020>2017>2018>2019

Edit: although only rumored, TLOU2 added to Q1 2020 makes that year too unbeatable

 

[etta]

Cyberpunk alone wipes the floor with all the previous years combined.

 

[Seahawk64]

you're forgetting monster hunter in one of those years.

 

[modiz]

2020 is going to be madness.

 

[NediarPT88]

Where is Sekiro?

Also 2020 shouldn't be included.

 

[Fatmanp]

2020 has the potential to be the best year since 2017.

 

[DigitalOp]

This thread is now about who reads OPs and who comes running in on thread title only lol

 

[John Frost]

Cyberpunk alone wipes the floor with all the previous years combined.

Click to shrink...

TLoU2 and FF7, it's gonna be a fun year.

 

[DigitalOp]

TLoU2 and FF7, it's gonna be a fun year.

Click to shrink...

TLoU2 would def be on there if we got a hard date, but all signs point to early 2020 so yeah, that would be a big one

 

[Kneefoil]

2020 I'm not going to judge until we've lived it. 2019 had a strong beginning, but it's mostly been just whatever. 2018 wasn't great with my taste in games. 2017 was legit amazing.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

So far, easily 2017. It was the first year where it felt like all of the major current systems were firing on all cylinders and, of course, you have BotW. That being said, 2019 is ending pretty strong and has several games I'm looking forward to so I'll see how it compares by the end. 2018 had some real good stuff but it didn't do anywhere near as much for me as 2017 did. 2020 I can't judge until we know more but it's looking it'll be solid so far, at least

EDIT: My bad, you meant solely for the first half of the year. In that case, yeah, it's 2017 and it's not even close

 

[ASaiyan]

2017 was arguably the greatest year for games ever. Topping a year with BotW, Odyssey, Persona, and a dozen other greats is gonna take a long time.

 

[Renna Hazel]

I have to go with the year that has BotW. No other game listed comes close to it (among the ones I've played) and I doubt anything from early 2020 will beat it.

 

[Deleted member 437]

For me, 2019 is ok to decent.

It won't be an especially amazing year.

2020 looks fucking nuts though.

Then again Death Stranding could be a 10/10. We'll see.

 

[Heropon_]

Where are indie games ? So many great indie games in the beginning of the last years. Hollow Knight for 2017 (February), Celeste for 2018 (January), Slay the Spire for 2019 (January). These three got a lot of press coverage.

Persona 5 for 2017 and Sekiro for 2019 should be in OP list too.

I would say 2017>2020>2019>2018.

 

[Pyro]

2017 for sure but you also forgot Persona 5.

 

[SP.]

2015.

Bloodborne
Phantom Pain
Witcher 3
Halo 5
Dying Light
Mario Maker
Siege
Life is Strange
Until Dawn

 

[janusff]

2020 gonna be an all timer

 

[jerfdr]

Cyberpunk alone is enough to put 2020 ahead of these other years if it lives up to even half of the expectations. Which is quite probable given CDPR's outstanding track record and everything we've already seen so far.

 

[DigitalOp]

2015.

Bloodborne
Phantom Pain
Witcher 3
Halo 5
Dying Light
Mario Maker
Siege
Life is Strange
Until Dawn

Click to shrink...

Hmmm you make a compelling argument

 

[Dominic Decoco]

This thread is now about who reads OPs and who comes running in on thread title only lol

Click to shrink...

It's a pretty big problem in general. People just react to headlines.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

The one that had BOTW and RE7.

 

[ApeEscaper]

That 2017 list is strong. Just remove the out of place Prey out of that quality list of games.

 

[FTF]

If it ends up being TLOU2, FFVII Remake and Cyberpunk, then 2020 wins. If all three aren't there then it's 2017.

 

[Deleted member 4037]

Where is persona 5 at? That was early release for 2017

 

[BlueStarEXSF]

To me it looks like:

2020 > 2019 = 2017 > 2018

This is what I played/am planning to play from the 6 months of those years:

2017

Gravity Rush 2
Persona 5
Nier Automata
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Danganronpa V3
Zelda : Breath of the Wild (Still need to play this)

2018

Shadow of the Colossus
God of War

2019

Resident Evil 2 Remake
Kingdom Hearts 3
Ace Combat 7 (Next on my list)
Sekiro
Team Sonic Racing
Devil May Cry 5 (Still need to play this)

2020

Elden Ring (Jason said it was coming early 2020)
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Avengers
Cyberpunk 2077
God & Monsters
ORI 2

Early 2020 is super stacked and I put it ahead on the assumption that Elden Ring will deliver. 2019 was really good but it did have lesser titles releasing as well. For me, early 2018 wasn't much to write home about but I might be forgetting something. 2017 was also had a very strong early year but I still need to play BOTW and DMC5 to make my choice on the better year.

The poster who mentioned 2015 makes a very compelling argument. The combo of Bloodborne, The Witcher 3 and Batman Arkham Knight is legendary.

 

[Mathieran]

If all the big games of 2020 deliver, it will probably have the largest quantity of amazing games. It is shocking how many fantastic looking games are planned for release early next year. I wouldn't be surprised if some slipped out though.

OP, you should add Dying Light 2 to your early 2020 list, that's what they had on their trailer. And I thoroughly believe that game will deliver in spades.

 

[DigitalOp]

I forgot Persona 5 and Sekiro.

P5 makes 2017 even more solid, Sekiro in 2019 ever so slightly edges the balance closer to good than mediocre

Where are indie games ? So many great indie games in the beginning of the last years. Hollow Knight for 2017 (February), Celeste for 2018 (January), Slay the Spire for 2019 (January). These three got a lot of press coverage.

Persona 5 for 2017 and Sekiro for 2019 should be in OP list too.

I would say 2017>2020>2019>2018.

Click to shrink...

I was debating about adding indie games, but i didn't know how many really were available early in the year. I knew Celeste was in 2018

 

[Heropon_]

I forgot Persona 5 and Sekiro.

P5 makes 2017 even more solid, Sekiro in 2019 ever so slightly edges the balance closer to good than mediocre



I was debating about adding indie games, but i didn't know how many really were available early in the year. I knew Celeste was in 2018

Click to shrink...

Why indie games would be excluded ?
Hollow Knight, Celeste and Slay the Spire got lot of press coverage, amazing sales and amazing reviews, they easily deserve to be in your list. Other indie games would also deserve a spot like Into the Breach but that's more debeatable.