It’s that time of year again. Time to look at the list of upcoming games and pick which one we choose to hand the rose to. Well, actually it is a bundle of cash folded up like a rose that the company’s either eat or throw on their all-consuming money fire, we will just never know. In this piece I get to do the equivalent of putting “FIRST!!!1” in the YouTube comments by being the first article to ring in 2021. Without further stalling and adding words to hit my mandatory minimum, here are 5 games I am looking forward to in the New Year.

5. FarCry 6

So, this may be more nostalgia than anything else as I have loved FarCry since I played Instincts/Predator on the Xbox 360 and only started to tire of the series after 4. I have high hopes for this game and hope that it doesn’t become the Ubisoft Sandbox (for there is only one). FarCry has become another game in a long line of Ubisoft titles that is the same game with new wallpaper. I am interested in the addition of Giancarlo Esposito as a voice actor as he always brings in good performances. I just hope Ubisoft tries to be more adventurous because otherwise… it may not make the next list.

4. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood

What goes better than monster games and ecoterrorism. No, seriously, I want to know because I smell a novel series brewing. I watched a couple of gameplay trailers for this and I am cautiously optimistic about this title. The gameplay looks unique and the story seems like it is interesting if done right. The three forms and multiple combat stances looks to allow for some pretty technical challenge that could make this game a template for monster games. Or it will be like Singularity in most people won’t know what it is and you can pick it up for $2.99 after a couple months.

3. Outriders

This is another one I am cautiously excited for based on the gameplay trailers I have watched. The premise seems interesting and the shooting/RPG elements look well done. I think my major concern is becoming either a “Like Destiny, but” or “Like Borderlands, but” game. The story itself was vague enough in trailers that I can’t draw any assumptions yet. Fingers crossed that the game will match the hype.

2. Horizon: Forbidden West

This makes me happy that I bought my wife a PlayStation 4 because now I get access to playing the original AND this title. The prerendered trailer, while telling me absolutely nothing about the gameplay, intrigued me enough that this game was on my “buy no matter what list” along with number 1 on this list. I am curious to see how they tell us the story of Aloy and develop this world’s lore more.

1. Resident Evil: Village

So… yeah the trailer and appearance of Chris Redfield sold me. The graphics look incredible and the way everything is set up makes me think that they learned a lot from Biohazard and I think this has the potential to be the best Resident Evil yet. Of course, there were times I thought that to be the case and then RE6 happens so…I feel like this could be the best game of the year or the best laughing stalk of the year. I hope it rewards fans with a truly next gen experience.