3. Runner3

Bit.Trip Runner was a really cool game when it came out on WiiWare in 2010, easily the best of the Bit.Trip series. So when Runner2, a direct sequel to it, came out in 2013, it wasn’t a surprise that it was good. What was a surprise was just how good it was. Runner2 is incredible. It got a 10/10 when we reviewed it (and the reviewer is writing this blurb). It’s just science that we’re stoked for Runner3. Making it a little more personal: Runner3 is the sequel to one of the few 10/10 review scores I’ve ever doled out. Of course it’s at the top of my personal list, and thankfully enough other NWR staffers like it too.

2. Project Octopath Traveler

When Project Octopath Traveler was first announced at Nintendo’s Switch reveal in January, the name seemed like absolute gibberish even if the game itself seemed awesome. It was, at first glance, a gorgeous 2D old-school RPG from the team at Square Enix that made the Bravely games on 3DS. At the Nintendo Direct later in the year, more of Octopath Traveler was revealed, proving it to be more than just a goofy name. The idea is that you can play as one of eight characters, all who have their own “path” that you can “travel.” Get it? Alongside that Direct was a demo (still available on the eShop and well worth checking out) that showed off two characters, each with their own story, unique mechanic, and voice acting. The battle system seems heavily inspired by Bravely Default and Second’s modern take on old-fashioned RPG combat, which hopefully means this “HD-2D” will be a nice throwback to those old games while being a great modern experience. We’ll find out when Octopath comes out sometime in 2018.

1. Fire Emblem (Switch)

It’s insane that Fire Emblem, once a nearly-dead franchise, tops our list of Most Anticipated Games for 2018. Thanks to the 3DS entry, Awakening, Fire Emblem has found great success; enough that we’ve received nearly half a dozen games bearing the title since its release. The series has become one of Nintendo’s tent poles in recent years, and the turn-based strategy RPG is looking to capture hearts with quality gameplay and anime waifus/husbandos whenever in launches on Switch this year.

Unfortunately, we haven’t heard much about the game since it was announced during a Fire Emblem Direct in January of last year, but we have so much faith in the team at Intelligent Systems that it still ranked first on our list. Whatever form the game eventually takes, it will be the first time the series has graced a home console since Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn came to Wii back in 2007. The Switch entry will also mark the first time the main series is in HD. We’re all looking forward to learning more about the game, hopefully soon, but just knowing that a new Fire Emblem is on the horizon is enough to appease us for now.