Top 2021 Video Game Releases: 'Hitman,' 'Halo' And More

While 2020 proved to be a rocky year for game development, 2021 is turning out to be a year stacked with big titles. Don’t let the triple-A releases take all your attention, though: There are plenty of small games to be excited about as well. Here are the year’s top releases, along with some smaller gems to keep an eye out for.

Hitman 3

“Hitman 3” will be the first big title of 2021 when it's released on Jan. 20. This installment concludes the “World of Assassination” trilogy, and also will host the previous two games. Fans will even be able to play their favorite theoretically stealthy title on the Nintendo Switch through cloud gaming.

Monster Hunter: Rise

March 26 will bring us the latest from the “Monster Hunter” series with a renewed focus on traversal and vertical movement. “Monster Hunter: Rise” will have the classic components of over-the-top weapons, slightly stilted voice acting and epic boss fights along with the always-welcome addition of an expanded grappling hook.

Joining it on the Switch will be “Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin” by midyear. Capcom has confirmed some interplay between the two titles, but the extent of it is yet to be detailed.

Far Cry 6

Another entry that brings every element that has served its franchise well, “Far Cry Six” will place players in the shoes of Diego, son of an authoritarian strongman. Fans can anticipate far-flung locations, charismatic antagonists and no small amount of commentary on leadership and authoritarianism.

The leaked release date is May 26, although the game could officially arrive anywhere between April 2021 and March 2022.

Halo Infinite

The ”Halo” franchise’s semi-reboot will be arriving in the fall after a COVID-19 delay. It will be something of a return to form in art direction and gameplay, a relief to those fans still hooked on the original games. Everyone else will have to get hooked on the game's environments using the game's grappling hook.

While its technical demo prompted some concern around textures and animations, the mood in the franchise’s online communities remains one of eager anticipation. Those not wanting to shell out full price can try the free multiplayer first.

Battlefield

Those waiting to hear more about the first “Battlefield” entry since 2018 will have to wait a little longer. While the franchise will be coming back this year, its presence is about all we know until EA decides to tell us exactly what “never-before-seen scale” means.

Further details are expected sometime this spring, with a holiday season release date.

Grand Theft Auto 5

The latest addition to the “Grand Theft Auto” series is apparently still a money-maker for Rockstar, and will arrive on next-gen consoles in the latter half of 2021. Rockstar says it's looking to “take full advantage of the latest hardware."

It will be joined with a separate GTA Online release, free to PS5 gamers for three months.

Horizon Forbidden West

It’s taken four years, but the massively acclaimed “Horizon Zero Dawn” will receive a sequel in late 2021. Not too much is known, but main character Aloy will be returning to explore the Western half of the North American continent.

God Of War: Ragnorak

Another game with maximum anticipation and minimum details, “God Of War: Ragnorak” will surely continue where its predecessor left off, winning obscene amounts of awards with engaging gameplay and a surprising amount of nuance around father-son relationships given the franchise’s hedonistic beat-em-up roots. Beyond that and a 2021 release date, little more is known.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

The original “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl” was a smash hit for a small number of people, translating the novel “A Roadside Picnic” into a stark first-person shooter. Its sequel hopes to build on that according to developer GSC Game World, creating a “unique blend of FPS, immersive sim and horror,” in “one of the biggest seamless open-worlds to date.”

Deathloop

Last but certainly not least, Arkane Studios will be debuting a brand-new IP that places players on an island trapped in time and filled with murderous enemies, with one in particular that wants your head. It’s an ambitious concept, but if anyone could pull it off, it would be the developers behind “PREY 2” and the incredible “Dishonored” series.