As we near one of the busiest fall seasons for video games in recent memory, I haven’t been able to stop dwelling on the games that we aren’t going to be playing for a while. Like, a long while. In the fallout of E3 2018, I’m more excited than ever before for the games that we will be getting not only over the next 6 months like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Red Dead Redemption 2, but those arriving over the coming years as well.

Today, I want to take a bit of a deep look into the future to talk about seven upcoming games that I’m thrilled to play, despite not having any idea when I’ll actually get to play them.

Halo Infinite

All right, look: Halo 5 had its fair share of issues, yes. It was a letdown on many fronts, especially the story, but come on: did you see that new teaser for Halo Infinite? All I can think about after seeing that trailer is the excitement of the blasting orchestral music while riding in a Warthog and shooting up aliens: Halo’s hooked me again.

I can’t not be excited about the next installment in arguably the best shooter franchise ever. For nearly twenty years now, I’ve been a massive Halo fan and that’s not going to change with Infinite. Even if the story once again disappoints, the release of a new Halo game always brings a group of my friends and I back together as we all collectively pour dozens of hours into the newest iteration’s multiplayer.

I also hate to sound cliché, but Halo Infinite just feels different. The tone of that announcement trailer that we saw was far more unique and rooted in what the series originally was back with Combat Evolved. Yes, you could say it had similarities to Halo 5’s own reveal in terms of tone, but Infinite just seems like it’s going to be different — in a good way.

Microsoft and 343 Industries have been very dodgy about Halo Infinite so far, but I’m hoping we’ll start to get some more worthwhile information at E3 2019. Even though it’s not impossible, I highly doubt Halo Infinite will release in 2019 and I’d say we’ll likely be playing this one sometime in 2020.

Cyberpunk 2077

I’m one of the lucky few people in the world who saw CD Projekt Red’s behind-closed-doors presentation of Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2018, and it looks every bit as promising as everyone has said. Cyberpunk is the first game that I have seen that truly has me thinking about next-generation releases in the same way that Watch Dogs did when Ubisoft first revealed the game in 2012. While that may not inspire much hope considering what the original Watch Dogs became upon launch, I have no doubt that Cyberpunk 2077 will meet all of the expectations that I have for it due to the pedigree of CD Projekt Red.

The one thing I continue to dwell on after seeing Cyberpunk 2077 is just how polished and dynamic it was. I’ve also never seen more impressive NPC routines in any game in my life. Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City feels like a lived-in place, which is something that a lot of developers aim for when making open world games, but the success rate often isn’t very high. Even though I only saw a bit of Cyberpunk 2077 being played, it might be the most realistic-looking game world I have ever seen.

I have no idea when Cyberpunk 2077 is going to release but after seeing the game being played in front of me for nearly an hour, I can tell you this: it’s not coming anytime soon. I’m hard-pressed to imagine Cyberpunk appearing on current-generation platforms, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a release on Xbox One or PS4. Hopefully, when we make the leap to the next consoles, Cyberpunk 2077‘s release will follow soon after.

The Elder Scrolls VI

There’s probably less to say about this one than any other game on this list but of course, I have to throw it in. As the follow-up to one of the biggest games of all-time, Skyrim, there’s a lot to be hopeful and excited about with The Elder Scrolls VI, though there’s likely less work done on this game right now than any other title on this list.

The Elder Scrolls VI is so far away that there’s no point in even thinking about it much right now. Todd Howard has said the technology isn’t even there yet for what they want to do with the game. If I had to guess, The Elder Scrolls VI is likely just a pile of concept art right now sitting in Bethesda Game Studios’ office.

With all of that being said, it has to go on this list purely because of its namesake. The Elder Scrolls is one of the best gaming franchises of all-time, and even if the sixth installment doesn’t release for another decade, I’m just glad we live in a world where it’s now confirmed to exist. Oh, and for the record, my money is on us visiting Hammerfell this time around.

God of War 5

I’ll be honest, the next installment in the God of War series is likely my most anticipated game on this entire list. This year’s release of God of War caught me so off guard as someone who didn’t care for the original games. After all was said and done though, God of War is now likely one of my favorite games ever made.

I wrote a piece earlier this year where I talked about all of the things that make me excited about God of War 5, but most of it comes back to the narrative. The big success of this year’s release of God of War is that it simultaneously built upon everything from the series before it, while still telling a wholly new story that set things up for years to come.

It’s way too early to begin even thinking about God of War 5 too much just yet. Not even being six months removed from this year’s release, the next God of War almost certainly won’t arrive until the PS5 releases, but that hasn’t stopped me from dwelling on just what it will have in store. Heck, if you saw the game’s final epilogue cutscene, you’ll likely know exactly why I feel this way.

Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima; that’s the only name I need to hear in order to be excited about a game. The famed director’s next project, Death Stranding, has been a part of the gaming consciousness for a little over two years at this point and I haven’t been able to get enough of the hype cycle surrounding it.

I won’t lie, the latest trailer that we saw at this E3 made me a little less excited for Death Stranding due to some questionable gameplay, but that hasn’t undone all of the other excitement that has built up for me from all three previous trailers that we’ve seen. Last year’s trailer from the Video Game Awards, which now features the infamous Throat Baby, is probably one of my favorite trailers ever. Kojima’s willingness to be weird is what sets his games apart more than anything else, and Death Stranding seems to have that weirdness in droves.

I’m still of the opinion that Death Stranding won’t finally be launching until the release of the PS5, but I’d love to be proven wrong. If anything, it might end up being a cross-generational release for both PS4 and PS5, but as of now, it’s a bit too early to tell. All I know is that the sooner I can play Kojima’s first new IP since Metal Gear Solid, the better.

A New BioShock Game

This entry on my list is kind of feels like cheating, considering this is the only game that still hasn’t been officially announced. Still, I feel comfortable listing the next installment in the BioShock franchise on this list because we all but know that the game is being developed in a California-based 2K Games studio.

To this day, the original BioShock is still one of my personal favorite games of all time (if not my number one favorite). I think the stories that all three current games in the franchise have told are phenomenal, and the cities of Rapture and Columbia are filled with such fascinating backstories and characters. That and — well — you can shoot bees out of your hands, and that’s pretty dope.

I’m still a bit hesitant to see what this series becomes when not crafted by director Ken Levine, but I’ll trust that whoever has creative control of the franchise now will be sure to treat it with care. It’s kind of hard to peg a release window on this one considering we still don’t know anything concrete about this project, but it has already been over 5 years since BioShock Infinite released, which is far too long for this series to be quiet much longer — especially considering how well it has sold for 2K. I’d have to hope we’ll hear something about this next BioShock game sometime within the next year.

Starfield

The second Bethesda Game Studios title on this list, Starfield was finally revealed alongside The Elder Scrolls VI at E3 2018 after years of rumors and leaks. Much like Elder Scrolls, there’s still not much to know of about Starfield other than it is BGS’ first new IP in 25 years, and that we’ll be in space. The latter point alone already has me sold.

As I’ve said before, I’ve long been a huge fan of Bethesda’s past work with Skyrim and Fallout 3 each being two of my favorite games ever made. I’m not sure how in-line Starfield will be with both of those games other than it obviously being an RPG, but the thought of an open-world role-playing game in space has me excited purely on concept alone.

As for when Starfield might arrive, Todd Howard has already stated that it will be a next-generation game, so don’t expect it to come all that soon. Still, Howard has been candid about how the game is now in active production and that it will arrive ahead of The Elder Scrolls VI so it’s not as far out as our return to Tamriel will be. There’s still a lot left to learn about this one, but considering the pedigree of Bethesda Game Studios’ past work, I know that I’ll be there on day one whenever it does end up releasing.

Is there anything that I missed? Be sure to let me know which upcoming releases — even the ones this year — that you’re most excited to play in the comments below. Also, be sure to watch our companion video for this article over on our YouTube channel.