Rainbow Six Quarantine

Shakespeare famously asked us to consider, “what’s in a name?”

But here’s the thing about Shakespeare, he never tried to name a video game Rainbow Six Quarantine and then release it in the middle of a pandemic.

In addition to the awful name, this title has faced a number of delays. Many players think it won't get released, and if it does, the last time a Rainbow Six game felt innovative or exciting?

At the end of the day, I’m pretty sure players will socially distance themselves way the hell away from this game.

God of War

The hype is real for God of War fans. The 2018 God of War was nothing short of amazing, and the ending hinted at a sequel that we will now be getting in 2021.

But if the game before was so good, why should anyone sweat it about this sequel?

It’s difficult to repeat that kind of success. The 2018 God of War benefited from a development sequel in which it came out half a decade after the console game before it.

With the comparatively little wait time between the 2018 game and its 2021 sequel, we can’t help but worry this will be just a crappy retread.

Far Cry 6

What can we say about Far Cry 6? This will be the latest entry in the long running franchise and and build off the games that came before.

Sadly, that’s exactly why you should be nervous about this one.

Far Cry 5 had some decent gameplay, but the general consensus was that it was good but not great. And most of the news surrounding that title concerned itself with the game’s weird politics and ideas they may have ripped off from Bioshock Infinite.

Basically, Far Cry 6 may be a sequel, but it's not likely to dazzle us if it feels like bad DLC for Far Cry 5.

Balsa Model Flight Simulator

Sometimes you just have to feel bad for game developers. For example, a few years ago, Balsa Model Flight Simulator would have knocked our socks off.

Now, we can’t help but compare this title to Microsoft Flight Simulator, and nobody is unseating Microsoft from that particular throne anytime soon.

No matter how good it is, this upcoming game will pale in comparison.

Deathloop

Deathloop sounds really cool on paper. You play as an assassin stuck in a time loop, and the title promises a blend of immersive campaign and fun multiplayer mode.

So why is the neat-sounding game giving us a bad feeling? Well, Bethesda is involved, which instantly makes us worry about the final game being a buggy mess.

And Microsoft scooping up Bethesda may lead to some delays and changes in talent. Ultimately, we have high hopes but low expectations when it comes to this one.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

There has never been anything quite like the original Vampire: The Masquerade. RPG fans, World of Darkness fans, and weird goth kids everywhere were united in their love for this strange title.

So why is the sequel destined to suck? Like most sequels, there's a big risk of being too much like what came before or straying too far from the proven formula.

So much has changed in the last 17 years for games, gamer culture, and even mainstream fictional vampires that the final product is likely to be a game no one really wants.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

The Lord of the Rings franchise has been surprisingly successful when it comes to video games.

Lord of the Rings: Gollum is exactly what it sounds like: an action/adventure game focusing on the early days of Gollum. While there's room to explore characters and lore in a fun way, there are already some warning signs.

For example, no studio involvement from Warner Bros., and the developer, Daedalic Entertainment, is mostly known for point-and-click games.

So even if it’s a great adventure game, it is likely to disappoint players who want Shadows of Mordor style gameplay. Without studio involvement, the quality of the final product may be questionable.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

If you’re a fan of Warhammer 40k and a gamer, it has been a frustrating few years.

Despite the awesome lore and killer designs in the 40k universe, there are very few good games out there. Attempts to deviate from the classic Dawn of War style of games has been very hit or miss.

In Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, you play with up to three other players in a cooperative adventure that plays like Warhammer: Vermintide 2.

But the best case for this game will simply feel like a derivative of Vermintide 2. So while doing something more original would be welcome, the 40k video games have varied too much in quality for us to get our hopes up.

Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil may be the most meta of all game franchises. Like their famous zombies, this is a franchise that keeps coming back to life, and it’s never quite the same as it was before.

Resident Evil Village is an example of this. From the trailers, this is a gorgeous game that fuses together the run-and-gun gameplay of titles like Resident Evil 4 with the first-person perspective and atmospheric horror of Resident Evil 7.

But while the internet is having fun making memes of the female antagonists, this attempt to mash up different gameplay styles is likely to land with all the fizzle of Resident Evil 6.

Magic: Legends

Magic: The Gathering is the granddaddy of all customizable card games. But Magic: Legends is something different.

Instead of being a card game, this is actually an MMO action RPG featuring the characters (including Planeswalkers) from the card game’s lore.

Why will this one fail? Frankly, most video game adaptations of Magic fall short, with the best one (using this term loosely) being Magic Online.

This new game looks like a fairly generic adventure. In short, it won’t really satisfy anyone looking for a good RPG or action game. And the hardcore Magic players who understand the lore are unlikely to put down Magic Online for this new game.

I Am Jesus Christ

Typically, failed video games either have a great concept and poor execution or a great execution of something nobody wanted. But sometimes you get a bit of both.

The upcoming I Am Jesus Christ game is a perfect example of that.

Conceptually, it’s a bit of a mess. The game announcement instantly pissed off Christians all over the world, and everyone else was left scratching their heads at gameplay promises about God-given “superpowers” and fights with Satan.

It looks like this game will be a hot mess, but maybe I’m wrong. If they get the portrayal of Jesus just right, I’ll be the first to praise developers for really nailing it.

Halo Infinite

Once upon a time, Halo Infinite was going to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X and Series S. The title got pushed back for developers to improve the quality, but there are still plenty of reasons to worry.

For one thing, Halo 5 ended up being a bit of a snooze. It had issues with story, level design, and even the hyped-up Warzone mode ended up being disappointing.

And while Master Chief Collection is awesome now, it was plagued by a legendarily terrible launch and lingering multiplayer problems.

Long story short? Halo has a spotty recent record for such a major franchise. Fans are likely going to want developers to truly finish the fight by never releasing any more of these games.

Boyfriend Dungeon

Some of the best modern games have been unexpected genre mashups. In Boyfriend Dungeon, you must navigate a mix of dungeon-exploring RPG gameplay and a cute dating swim.

The twist? You must romance your weapons in order to bring out their best performance.

We’d love to believe this game will live up to expectations, but most mashups drop the ball when it comes to one genre or another. We may end up with a game that half-asses both the RPG and dating sim elements, ultimately satisfying nobody.

New Pokémon Snap

New Pokémon Snap is just an updated Nintendo Switch version of the original Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64.

Why will the new game suck? If we’re being honest, the original N64 game was a bland, family-friendly title and not much to do.

Considering some of the issues with Sword and Shield, it would be good for Pokémon fans to temper their expectations.

Psychonauts 2

Video games are now a lot like the movie industry. We get a constant stream of sequels, prequels, and spinoffs, so gamers now have a sequel to the legendary Psychonauts to look forward to.

On one hand, this crowdfunded game is doing many things right by bringing back some original voice actors, the original writer, and even bringing in Jack Black.

On the other hand, putting everyone back together doesn't guarantee you’ll get anything as good as last time.

I’d love to be wrong, but I fear this title will remind nostalgic gamers that you really can’t go home again.