The best video games coming out in 2019: Gears of War 5, Crackdown 3 and more

Video game fans were spoilt for choice in 2018, with some of the biggest games yet arriving on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Red Dead Redemption 2, which launched in October, may go down as one of the greatest games of the decade, while God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man proved once again that the PS4 offers the best exclusive titles.

There were some disappointments, though. Fallout 76 failed to live up to expectations, with critics slamming its sparsely populated open world and numerous graphical glitches.

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So what can we expect from next year’s line-up of titles? Here we look at some of the most eagerly anticipated games arriving in 2019.

Anthem

Players had hoped to get their hands on Anthem in 2018, but developer Bioware announced in January that the release of the futuristic multiplayer adventure game had been delayed by at least a year. Now, fans’ patience is finally set to be rewarded, with Anthem on course to hit shop shelves on 22 February.

The game puts players in control of mechanised combat suit-wearing characters, who are tasked with battling monsters in a sci-fi setting. Players can explore vast open worlds with other players online, or follow the main story by themselves.

Pre-orders have already kicked off on Amazon, with prices starting at £54.99 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Crackdown 3

Another game that was expected to launch in 2018, Crackdown 3 will finally be released on 19 February - more than four years after the title was first announced.

Crackdown 3 was originally due to arrive exclusively on the Xbox One in 2016, but was hit by a series of problems. This summer Xbox chief Phil Spencer told Eurogamer that he had felt that the title “needed more time” in development to make it feel more like the first game, which was an instant hit with fans and critics when it launched in 2007.

The new title can be pre-ordered now on Xbox One for £59.99 on Amazon.

Dead or Alive 6

The 2012 launch of Dead or Alive 5 (DOA5) was met with a flurry of criticism over its sexualised female characters, so developer Team Ninja has toned down the revealing outfits and put arcade-style fighting back at the forefront of the next title in the series, says Trusted Reviews.

Although conventional one-on-one and tag team battles still appear in DOA6, there are also a host of new features including “Break Gauge”, which allows players to unleash special abilities in certain circumstances.

DOA6 arrives on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on 15 February. The PS4 and Xbox One versions can be pre-ordered from Amazon for £49.99 each.

Devil May Cry 5

Fans have waited more than a decade to get their hands on an all-new game in the Devil May Cry (DMC) franchise. That wait will finally end on 8 March, when DMC5 heads to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The Japanese action game will feature familiar faces from the previous games, including Dante and Nero, as well as a new playable simply know as “V”, says Tech Advisor.

The new title’s levels are tipped to be more open, to encourage players to explore, and it has also been rumoured that DMC5 will feature online multiplayer “for two to three players”, the tech site adds.

DMC5 can be pre-ordered for £39.99 on the Xbox One via Amazon. PS4 orders are currently unavailable through the retail giant.

Dirt Rally 2.0

The Birmingham-based studio behind the Formula 1 games, Codemasters, is going off-road in 2019, with a sequel to 2016’s rally simulator Dirt Rally set to launch on 26 February.

The racing game company is pulling out all the stops with Dirt Rally 2.0. According to PCGamesN, the firm has recruited Phil Mills, co-driver to the 2003 World Rally champion Petter Solberg, to provide gamers with directions on stages - a core part of rally driving.

Racing fans can pre-order Dirt Rally 2 on the PS4 and Xbox One for £54.99 on Amazon, while the PC version comes in at £39.99.

Gears of War 5

The next entry into the Gears of War franchise hits the Xbox in 2019 and is expected to mark a significant step forward for the sci-fi shooter series.

Rod Fergusson, studio manager at The Coalition, the game’s developer, told news site Wccftech that gamers can expect “a bunch of innovations” and “changes” in Gears of War 5.

These will include the addition of performance capture, where actors wear body suits covered in markers so programmes can accurately log their movements.

The Coalition has yet to announce an official release date for Gears of War 5.

Metro Exodus

Players who love Fallout 76’s post-apocalyptic setting but aren’t keen on the game’s online features may want to check out Metro Exodus, launching on 22 February.

A follow-up to Metro 2033 and Metro: Lost Light, Exodus is set in a post-apocalyptic Russia where a group of survivors are tasked with heading out of Moscow to find “more hospitable living conditions”, says Metro.

Players use a steam train to move between towns, each of which have their own open worlds, making “the scope of the game much larger than either of its predecessors”, the newspaper reports.

Pre-orders are open now through Amazon, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions costing £49.99.