5 Under-the-Radar Games Still Coming in 2019

For a long time, AAA gaming titles were synonymous with quality – you know, spending your hard-earned money was going to get you a lot of joy and a quality experience. That old adage is kind of out of the window these days, with many massive games riding their luck on hype, but ultimately crashing and burning in a heap of detestable micro-transactions and rushed development. Luckily, there are some ‘smaller’ and less-hyped games on the way too (which can be a good thing), so let’s take a look at a few of the ones worth looking out for in 2019!

The Sinking City

Release date: 27 June 2019 (Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

Fans of suspenseful Lovecraftian horror/thriller narratives will likely be intrigued by this investigative horror set in an alternate 1920s Massachusetts. You’ll play as a PI named Charles, who finds himself in New England as some kind of supernatural phenomenon grips society and a massive flood wreaks havoc on the environment. Strange and terrifying incidents loom around every corner as players will need to try and get to the bottom of whatever is causing the chaos. It evokes cues from a number of successful games of days gone by, with little hints of Alan Wake, BioShock, and Dishonored popping up throughout the trailer. It definitely looks like something fresh and off the beaten path, and like you’re going to be in for quite a number of exciting twists and turns as the story unfolds. 

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Release date: TBC 2019 (Xbox One | PS4 | Switch | PC)

Bloodstained will be a bit of a love-letter to gaming days gone by and will probably capitalise on any nostalgic gamer’s desire to see some good old side-scrolling action on current-gen consoles. It’ll also score serious brownie points with established Castlevania fans, since the project was devised by Castlevania’s original creator and will be something of a spiritual continuation of the franchise. It was funded on Kickstarter back in 2015 and is being slated for a 2019 release, complete with highly saturated colours, RPG-side scroller action, and heavy synth soundtracks ready to give hardcore Symphony of the Night fans a long-awaited fix.

Control

Release date: 27 August 2019 (Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

Control comes from Remedy, the team behind such hits as Max Payne and the shamefully-underrated Quantum Break, and it looks to be one of the most interesting games of the year. This supernatural third-person action-adventure game will challenge you to master a combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts and reactive environments, while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world.

Code Vein

Release date: TBA 2019 (Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

Code Vein was first revealed in April 2017 and clearly draws inspiration from the Dark Souls franchise, which is also published by Bandai Namco. The stylish adventure features vampire-like player characters known as the Vein. Using super powers known as Gifts, players fight an infestation of demonic creatures known as the Lost in a post-apocalyptic, anime-styled world with the help of AI-controlled partners.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Release date: Q4 2019 (Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

There hasn’t been much discussion about Fallen Order, but that might primarily be down to the fact that EA and Respawn Entertainment have been tight-lipped about the nature of this new Star Wars title. All we know is that it will be set between the events of Episode III and IV, whereby players take control of a Jedi on the run. As it stands, the reception for Battlefront II was a bit of a disaster and the SW gaming community has been calling for a great SW game for ages, so there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny on Fallen Order to be a serious improvement over what’s come before.

Which of the games on this list tickle your fancy, and are there other titles releasing in 2019 you think we should’ve mentioned? Let us know by tweeting @MenStuffZA, posting on our Facebook page, or commenting below.