10 Biggest Video Game Surprises Of 2019
Another year made better by Keanu Reeves' existence.
The best surprises are the ones you don't see coming; that take you off guard and send you into an unending sense of delirium. Sure, they might not always pan out as intended, but it's hard to disagree that given the world around us, it's nice to be in awe every once in a while.
In video game terms, that could be as small as a cameo role for a once forgotten character, to as big as an industry shaking moment that has far reaching knock-on effects.
From Microsoft's continued evolution in their attempts to catch Sony, to the simple shadow-dropping of a game we never thought we needed, 2019 had its fair share of enjoyable and unexpected moments.
Better still, many are proof positive there's still plenty of opportunities left to catch fans off guard in the best way possible, even in the age of social media.
Others, meanwhile, are heartwarming reminders that there's still good in this world, even if that world may be virtual.
10. Microsoft Reveals The Xbox Series X
The Game Awards 2019 ended the year with another handful of video game announcements and trailers for new titles to look forward to, but nothing could have prepared the audience both in person and online for Microsoft's shock announcement barely minutes into the show.
Formerly code named Project Scarlett, very little had been leaked or teased about the next generation Xbox console since E3 2019. But once Xbox boss Phil Spencer took the stage and a hype trailer revealed both the name and the intention of Microsoft's future endeavour, everything became crystal clear. Oh, and all that was followed up by a teaser trailer for Hellblade 2, just for good measure.
Whether the big reveal will pay off is a question left to be answered, but the gauntlet has been firmly thrown down by a company willing to go the extra mile to get back into the good graces of its fans.