2017 has certainly been an exciting year for mobile gaming. From feature-rich MMORPGs like Crusaders of Light to light casual games like Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, there has been a lot for mobile gamers to chomp on and whittle the time away this year.
But what about 2018? With the rise of idle grinding RPGs in late 2017, it may seem like there's not much interesting on the horizon for next year.. but that's not the case at all. There's way more coming than 2017 has let on.
Here, we're going to go over eight of 2018's most anticipated Android and iOS games and highlight why you -- yes, you -- should be excited to get your hands on them. All of these games are slated to come out on both platforms, so cruise on through!
Durango
Genre: Open world survival MMORPG
Publisher: Nexon
The open world survival genre is booming on mobile devices, and none look as comprehensive as Nexon's dino-taming Durango.
A full-fledged MMORPG, the game will feature a number of mechanics to keep players busy and fighting for survival in the unrelenting dinosaur-filled wilds. Players will be able to build their own settlement, farm, fish, craft, and harvest materials in the wild.
Unlike many of the other survival titles currently on Android and iOS, Durango will actually be an online multiplayer experience. Players will have to cooperate to tame dinosaurs and build settlements to succeed.
Pre-registrations for Durango appear to be closed, but you can sign up for updates on the official website.
Marvel Strike Force
Genre: Squad-based action RPG
Publisher: FoxNext
It should come to no surprise that 2018 will see its fair share of Marvel mobile games, and the first we know about is Marvel Strike Force.
With developers from Marvel: Contest of Champions, Strike Force will feature a plethora of characters from Marvel comics. Players will have to team up with SHIELD's Nick Fury to duke it out with villains from yesteryear and next year's Marvel comics and movies.
Who knows when this baby is going to be out, but pre-registration is open now for those who want to make sure they get in on the action well-prepared. Pre-registering grants in-game currency as well as a 3-star Daredevil. Sounds like it's time to get to it!
RuneScape Mobile
Genre: MMORPG
Publisher: Jagex
It was only a matter of time before Jagex took the plunge and tried their hand at bringing the long-running MMORPG to mobile devices. And they are -- this is going to be a cross-platform affair.
The mobile RuneScape experience appears to pack all of the punch of the PC version of the game, and will give players a great deal of customization over their UI.
This is the only game on the list that is technically a port, but it is definitely worth noting. Players will be able to play their characters either on PC or on their mobile device with little to no effort, and even the classic version (called Old School Mobile) is being released on Android and iOS devices. What's not to get excited about?
PAYDAY Crime War
Genre: PvP FPS
Publisher: Overkill
A little different from PAYDAY on PC, PAYDAY Crime War promises to be a mobile PvP game to remember.
Players will be able to choose between police and heisters in Crime War, a first in the series. Police will have to thwart the tactics of the heisters, a totally new concept to the PAYDAY series.
How this game is going to play out is still a bit of a mystery, but the concept of a full PvP PAYDAY game is very enticing. We'll have to see how heavily monetized it after PAYDAY 2's microtransaction fiasco in 2015, but the gameplay is sure to be top-notch. Let's wait until 2018 to find out.
Tekken
Genre: Fighting
Publisher: Bandai Namco
After Tekken 7 totally killed it in 2017, the series is finally moving to mobile to find further success.
Not much is known about Tekken mobile at the time of writing, but it appears to have gameplay different from the mainline fighting series. Players will be able to collect and upgrade characters to create tag teams and take on opponents.
Considering the popularity of the series through the years and its recent resurgence, it's going to be interesting to see how the mobile game plays and performs.
Pre-registrations for Tekken mobile are open and they are near the completion of their pre-registration stretch goals. If you know you're going to play this one, it's best to get registered sooner rather than later.
The X-Files: Deep State
Genre: Puzzle adventure
Publisher: FoxNext
The X-Files is soon to return to TV, and it seems it's getting a brand new mobile game to go with it.
The X-Files: Deep State will have players solve puzzles to unravel the mysteries behind Mulder's favorite obsessions: aliens and government conspiracies. Sounds good, right?
It does! And even better, developer FoxNext promises new cases for players to solve each month, alongside character customization and monsters of the week. I think we can officially upgrade "good" to "great" right about now.
Not much is known about this one just yet, but we'll be sure to hear more about Deep State as we edge closer to the return of the TV series on January 3rd, 2018.
World of Warships Blitz
Genre: Warship PvP combat
Publisher: Wargaming Group
World of Warships has been on PC since 2015, and now Wargaming Group is ready to bring its combat to mobile devices, albeit a little condensed.
World of Warships Blitz has been out in a number of countries for a little while now, and the consensus seems to be that the gameplay doesn't fall too far from the original game, which is great news.
Its 6 minute battle length may be shorter than some fans of the PC game may enjoy, but short battles will keep Blitz feeling arcade-like and fresh on mobile.
This big boy may actually see a release in December 2017, but it's worth a mention regardless. Those looking for a good non-fighting action game will definitely want to look here.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Genre: Augmented reality RPG
Publisher: Niantic
There should be little to no doubt that this will be one of the biggest games of 2018, mobile or otherwise.
Little is known about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite so far, but it does appear to be similar to Niantic's Pokemon Go. Both make use of the developer's geolocational data and augmented reality technology, and Wizards Unite will have players searching the globe much like Pokemon Go.
How will it differ from Pokemon Go? No one knows just yet, but we're sure to find out as we edge into 2018 and closer to release date. One thing is for certain: it's going to be interesting.
We may not know much about the game, but we do know how Niantic deals with server issues at the start of a game's release. Here's to hoping they deal with Wizards Unite's overloaded servers faster than they dealt with those in Pokemon Go.
----
Are these all the high quality mobile games we're going to see in 2018? Certainly not! 2017 was packed with larger mobile game releases but saw a huge wave of quality RPGs and arcade-style games from smaller publishers.
From the gritty dinosaur-laden Durango to the fanciful world of wizards and muggles in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, mobile devices in 2018 are going to see more quality and creativity from bigger developers than 2017 even could have imagined.
Published: Nov 29, 2017 06:56 pm