The new PC games of 2018

E3 is over, thank god, and with it comes a bevy of games to watch for on the horizon. It's an overwhelming number, but we've rounded up what we expect to be the best new games of 2018 to make it easier to see what's coming - and what's already arrived. Our guide to the new games of 2018 is split up by genre: RPGs, shooters, action games, and more.

They're not all big games, of course: there are the small indie games we're excited about right alongside triple-A blockbusters. Each upcoming PC game is listed with its expected 2018 release date (although plenty are considering themselves early access), and we're keeping this list updated with more upcoming games throughout the year.

Table of contents
Action games and fighting games
RPGs
Shooters
Platformers and Metroidvanias
Adventure games
Strategy games
Survival and exploration games
MMO games
Sims
Puzzle games
Sports and racing games

If you are based in the UK and fancy trying out upcoming games like Biomutant and Warhammer: Vermintide 2 then book tickets now for the PC Gamer Weekender in the London Olympia this February. It should be an exciting year, and we have already lined up a bunch of predictions for PC gaming in 2018. We've also made some PC gaming new year's resolutions that we definitely won't break.
ACTION GAMES OF 2018
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
September 14, 2018 | Crystal Dynamics | Link

Lara ditches the tropical islands and snowy peaks of past adventures for dense jungles and what appears to be Mayan architecture on her third modern adventure. Combat is the same familiar blend of third-person stealth action, although it’s implied that sneakiness will play a larger role this time around, with an ability that lets Lara slink into a wall of moss like John Rambo. The plot revolves around Lara accidentally triggering an apocalyptic cataclysm by removing a sacred Mayan dagger from its resting place, plus all the secret society stuff that’s de rigeur in treasure hunting games. Check out our full preview here.

Just Cause 4
December 4 | Avalanche Studios | Link
Rico Rodriguez is back surprisingly quickly after Just Cause 3. This time, he's battling evil in the South American country of Solis. Expect a lot of the same parachuting and wingsuit gliding action, but joined by extreme weather events like tornadoes, tropical storms, and falling helicopters.
Hitman 2
November 13, 2018 | IO Interactive | Link

For a while there, the future of the Hitman franchise was up in the air, following Square Enix's move to sell developer IO Interactive. After a year of relative silence, recent rumors turned out to be true as Warner Bros. announced Hitman 2 shortly before E3. The game won't be episodic this time around, but will feature six levels at launch, including an F1 racetrack set in Miami seen in the trailer. At least two post-launch DLCs are planned and available through limited edition SKUs. Folks who pre-order the game get immediate access to Hitman: Sniper Assassin mode, not to be confused with Hitman: Sniper for mobile. Just like an assassin to keep you confused. Warner Bros. is hanging out with us to share more details during the PC Gaming Show next week.
Monster Hunter World
Autumn 2018 | Capcom | Link

Monster Hunter is finally coming to PC, complete with overhauled graphics and an actual open world no longer segmented by loading screens. Monster AI looks the best it’s ever been, with creatures coexisting in their own unique, tangible ways that make the world feel like a true ecosystem, among other significant changes, like damage stats popping up during attacks. Our own Steven Messner called it “the bold evolution the series needed.”
Biomutant
2018 | Experiment 101 | Link
This peculiar looking action-RPG mashes up ancient Wushu martial arts, gun-fu, and plenty of anthropomorphic beasts to take down, all in the name of protecting a vast, mystical land. Weapon crafting and the ability to infuse your character with psychic mutations or robotic limbs promise to let you bash heads in your own unique way.
Code Vein
September 27 | Bandai Namco | Link
“Anime Dark Souls” is the Code Vein’s pigeonhole. You fight huge demons with even bigger swords in an crumbling, interconnected world. There’s a vampiric undertone too, and the game invites you to “give into the bloodlust fully and risk becoming one of the Lost, fiendish ghouls devoid of any remaining humanity.” Yes please.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
December 2018 | Piranha Games | Link
In this singleplayer follow-up to Piranha's MechWarrior Online, you take charge of a mercenary operation in the Inner Sphere, the region of space surrounding earth, and melt some robots in the first MechWarrior campaign in 15 years. Developed in Unreal Engine 4, players will have the freedom to choose their house, travel anywhere, and fully customize their mechs for 12 versus 12 battles.

God's Trigger
2018 | One More Level | Link
Harry and Judy, angel and demon, are not the pair you’d expect to find teaming up to stop the four horsemen of the apocalypse but apparently they have their reasons. God’s Trigger is a fast and bloody top-down action game where a quick trigger finger and a bit of communication help you take out hordes of supernatural enemies. You can take on one of the main characters, but God’s Trigger is better experienced alongside another player.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner
September 6 | Konami
It's never too late. Kojima's beautiful mech action game first arrived on the PS2 back in 2003, and the PS3 a decade later with an HD collection, and now that 15 years has passed, it's finally coming to PC. Konami's also throwing VR support into the mix, which sounds extremely cool and extremely nauseating, considering the speed at which Zone of the Enders moves. If the port holds up, The 2nd Runner will immediately enter the ranks of the best mecha games on PC.
Mugsters
July 17 | Reinkout | Link
Earth is enslaved and it’s up to you to beat back its alien invaders in this top-down, physics-based action game. More than 30 vehicle types let you sow chaos and solve explosive puzzles, or bring a buddy in co-op.

Riverbond
2018 | Cococucumber | Link
“Legend of Zelda meets Castle Crashers,” as the developer puts it, Riverbond pits you and up to three other friends in a shimmery voxel world full of enemies to hack-n-slash as you traverse down the River of Light. Between the incredibly destructible environments, each level is full of neat hidden secrets and alternate weapons that can drastically change how you approach a battle.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
2018 | Humanature Studios | Link
From the original creators of ToeJam & Earl, the funky alien duo and friends are back for another rogue-like adventure on Earth. With nine playable characters (and online/couch co-op for up to four players), explore through randomly generated levels to recover parts of your ride, the Rapmaster Rocketship, and jam out to 15 new songs.
Sleep Tight
July 26, 2018 | We Are Fuzzy | Link
In Sleep Tight, monsters are invading your bedroom, but instead of cowering under your sheets, you can construct pillow forts and turrets to push back the nightmares and finally get a good night’s sleep. It’s a twin-stick shooter meets a tower defence game, inspired by the likes of Ratchet & Clank and Pixar movies.

Darksiders 3
2018 | Gunfire Games | Link
Fury, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the Darksiders universe, takes center stage for the third installment in the popular action franchise. You’ll make use of her bladed whip, a revamped combat system, and plenty of magic abilities to take down the Seven Deadly Sins, and collect some solid loot in the process.

The Moon Fields
TBA | lunarsignals | Link
The Moon Fields is a fast-paced sword and sorcery action game that developer lunarsignals intends to turn into a single-player adventure with a large overworld, but right now, in its ‘first access’ phase, it’s a multiplayer versus game for up to eight players. Pick from 18 characters with hundreds of character variations and then go batter your mates.

FIGHTING GAMES AND BEAT 'EM UPS OF 2018

Narita Boy
December | Studio Koba | Link
Fight some street thugs, demons, and maybe even a giant toad made out of monochrome PC monitors in this heavily atmospheric beat-em-up. Channeling some serious Kung Fury-esque vibes (you will at some point hang ten on a floppy disk), you play as Narita Boy, a hero destined to save the Digital Kingdom using the legendary techno sword.

SoulCalibur 6
October 19 | Project Soul | Link
With SoulCalibur 6, the long-running fighting series is finally making its way to PC. SoulCalibur’s fights are 3D duels, with each combatant wielding with a unique weapon with particular quirks, strengths and weaknesses. If you’ve played previous iterations, 6 should feel familiar, though it does introduce some new features, like the Reverse Edge, a move that halts time and makes both players duke it out in a rocker, paper, scissors confrontation.

Fantasy Strike
Late 2018 (currently Early Access) | Sirlin Games | Link
Fighting games can be difficult to get into for anyone without a photographic memory for combo lists and the manual dexterity of a classically trained pianist. For the rest of us, there’s Fantasy Strike, which attempts to lower the skill bar for actually enjoying a fighting game. Every move takes only one button press, not an elaborately timed sequence. Where classic fighting games are hard to learn and hard to master, Fantasy Strike attempts to at least be easy to pick up. It’s currently in early access with a full release planned for later in 2018.

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