I downloaded Returnal because I liked the vibe the trailers gave off. I tend to avoid spoilers as much as I can so I really didn’t do any research into the game. I was immediately immersed. The game felt like it was something that belonged in the Alien universe; a series that I love. The world reminded me of Alien Covenant, the tutorial didn’t seem to slow the game to a stand still, the controls felt solid, and killing enemies felt satisfying. I really can’t recall the last time a game grabbed me as quickly as Returnal did.
Quick Note: As interested as I am in Returnal I only played through the first loop. So please don’t spoil anything.
It makes me wonder what games immediately pulled you in?
I feel like Battlefield 1’s first level did a similar job. For those that haven’t played it you fight a wave of enemies and if you die you get transported to a different solider. It was an interesting change from the usual CoD-style hero shooter. You really felt like you were being shoved into a meat grinder.
Edit: I misunderstood the question. Originally I thought this was a “what game were you excited for before it came out”, then I re-read the post. Here’s a much better answer:
Against the Storm, which is a roguelike city builder. I was initially undecided, but the reviews were so positive it prompted me to buy it. Boy oh boy was that a good choice. I thought a city builder without combat was going to be dull, instead I spent weeks losing several hours at a time in a flash. The atmosphere (art, music, aesthetic) is incredible. The challenges hit that sweet spot with some being easy and some being really difficult (but almost always possible), and the roguelike nature means you never know which you’re going to find. The metaprogression means you can tackle harder and harder maps which gives each game a nice sense of progress even if you fail.