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Whereas the AAA video games industry prides itself on its ability to produce reliable and high-quality experiences set mostly in well-established genres and niches, it is not difficult to argue that it’s the indie scene where true innovation lies. Of course, even there, it’s hard to come up with something entirely new, because - as we all know - “originality is dead”. All the same, indie games serve as a fine counterpoint to massive AAA releases, and it’s hard to imagine what we’d be stuck with if these bite-sized wonders weren’t there to balance things out.
Down below, you’re going to find a number of indie games coming out in 2019, each of which is incredibly exciting in its own right. Chances are that you’ve heard about most of them, but it’d do well to reiterate on just what it is, exactly, that makes these games as special as everyone’s making them out to be.
There’s something to be said about the core gameplay loop of the original Spelunky. It’s fast, it’s fluid, and it’s just the right amount of tricky to keep you coming back for more, no matter how stupid and unnecessary and totally your own fault that last death was. Developed by the very same talent that re-made and released the original on Steam back in 2014, Spelunky 2 is promising more of the same, yes, but better.
Spelunky 2’s most interesting addition will definitely be the proper online multiplayer mode that Mossmouth Studios has announced, allowing you to play with pals who might not be there in the room with you, though keep in mind that classic hot-seat is still on the table, too, for the more socially apt among us. Revamped graphics, streamlined gameplay, and an abundance of new content are going to make Spelunky 2 quite a package indeed.
Xenonauts 2 is the logical evolution of the original Xenonauts: an indie XCOM-alike for those people who really didn’t care much for the way Firaxis had been handling the IP since the franchise’s reboot. With TUs (time-units), minimal simplification, and incredibly punishing encounters, Xenonauts created a satisfying niche for itself - one that Xenonauts 2 has every intention of improving upon.
Worth keeping in mind is that Xenonauts 2 is not a chronological continuation of the plot of its predecessor, with the developers focusing on writing something altogether new instead. The game is rendered in full, highly-detailed 3D graphics, featuring destructible terrain, and bringing about a staggering expansion of every single one of Xenonauts’ numerous gameplay systems and mechanics.
Continuing with yet another XCOM-alike, Phoenix Point also stands as a testament to how game-changing those titles were. Whereas Xenonauts 2 wishes to revitalise the genre while staying true to the first entries in the franchise, Phoenix Point is aiming to be way more brutal and in-your-face, with modular, ever-evolving enemies, full-featured boss fights, and a more granular aiming system than anyone expected it to have.
Modern XCOM games have been impressive, yes, but Phoenix Point is looking to be even more so. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the developers will pull together a game that’s as monumental as its promotional materials make it out to be, but things are definitely looking up, and it’s hard not to be excited.
Originally announced back in 2015, the long-awaited Psychonauts 2 is finally supposed to be coming out sometime this year. Having garnered a cult following over the last decade-or-so, the original Psychonauts is often touted as one of the best games ever created, and Double Fine, the developers, have got a high bar to clear this time around.
Psychonauts 2 is going to present a direct continuation of the original game’s plot, with the protagonist, Raz, set to leap yet once more into the minds of various people for various reasons. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and levitation are all set to make a return, with Raz unlocking more powers as he goes along. Expectations are high, yes, but who better to fulfill them than the original developers?
Atomic Heart looks and feels like the very essence of the so-called New Weird - a literary subgenre that prides itself on its tendency to mix and mend the normal with the weird for disturbing effect. This FPS is terrifyingly surreal and yet chirpy and vibrant at the same time, making it a sight to behold.
The game is being developed by a studio situated in Eastern Europe, Mundfish, and it definitely shows, with the atmosphere having a certain feel to it that few others do - STALKER games immediately come to mind, and METRO does too, though to a lesser extent. Unrelenting and unique, it is unlikely that we will get to experience anything similar to Atomic Heart anytime soon, short of actually playing it.
Of course, the games we’ve mentioned above are just the most high-profile releases of 2019, and we simply had to narrow things down due to the sheer volume of exciting indie games coming out this year. For example, Shovel Knight Showdown promises a Smash-esque PvP experience set in the beloved Shovel Knight universe, as well as a single player campaign to boot. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will also finally grace us with its presence; a veritable spiritual successor to the very best side-scrolling Castlevania titles. My Friend Pedro will, on the other hand, deliver an acrobatic gunfighting experience that not even the likes of Warframe would be ashamed of, while the sheer ridiculousness of the Untitled Goose Game will set us up for a stealth game like no other.
In short, 2019 is going to be as amazing a year for indies as they get, and on the off chance that you’ve been disillusioned with triple-A game studios for this or that reason, perhaps it’s time to look more seriously into indie releases by now.
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