So you’ve heard the writer’s whining about 2014. Is there anything we’re looking forward to to make us less cranky in 2015? Any front running Game of the Year predictions? Here’s my rundown of upcoming titles.
Platform Exclusives
WiiU
Nintendo is continuing its tradition of bringing you games with all the characters you loved as a kid. 2014 was the Year of Luigi (well actually it started in 2013 but they let him go for an encore). This year Mario and lots of his friends return in their own games.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0uLgdlEBbk[width=650,height=366]
Chew up your enemies to become them!
Mario Party 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L69Z39bgdU4[width=650,height=366]
I’ve been wishing for a new Mario Party for this system. This is probably the killer app that will finally make me break down and start an Amiibo addiction :/
Mario Maker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aryAvSdRQgM[width=650,height=366]
This looks kinda neat and will hopefully teach kids game design. With the popularity of Minecraft and how long I’ve seen kids sit and create Boom Blox levels I think Nintendo probably has a winner here.
New Legend of Zelda game (untitled)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SECWlFInyFM[width=650,height=366]
I’ll mostly be shocked if this actually makes it out in 2015.
Star Fox
Its on the 2015 release list but I can’t even find a trailer. Seems like Nintendo is overcommitting themselves this year.
Yoshi’s Wooly World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vR8EHatIIE[width=650,height=366]
Loving the yarn and the art style but, let’s face it, Yoshi is kind of like Nintendo’s JarJar.
XBone
Microsoft is bringing back their big franchises for the new generation in 2015. They’ve got an exclusive on Tomb Raider this time around, at least for the initial launch of the game.
Halo 5 Guardians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrC0-_QG9A&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu...
Guardians? Is the title Microsoft’s desperate plea to tell Bungie they still love them?
Fable Legends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbF_rNGR08[width=650,height=366]
I’ve somehow never played any of the Fable games. Maybe this one will break the streak.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kLAyzmWnk4[width=650,height=366]
I’ve never made it through a Tomb Raider game because I suck at them.
Forza 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1djJDaPsno[width=650,height=366]
Announced in January at the North American International Auto show in Detroit the same day Ford unveiled their newest GT model. For also gave developer Turn 10 Studios access to their design teams. Hopefully this one will make up for all the disappointment around Forza 5 now that the XBone has its feet under itself a bit longer.
Quantum Break
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E087GDdXYl4[width=650,height=366]
This XBone exclusive time travel based third person shooter will also feature live action episodes that get unlocked based on the player’s choices in the game. The team at Remedy Entertainment consulted with physics from CERN so hopefully nerds won’t be able to poke too many holes in the plot.
PS4
Sony has a nice mix of tried and true franchises and new unknowns debuting for 2015.
Uncharted 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Rx-Bbht5E[width=650,height=366]
The graphics look pretty impressive and I do love pirates...
Bloodbourne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G203e1HhixY&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu...
This one has potential to showcase what new hardware can really do.
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj8Bn3A-TVo[width=650,height=366]
This one has me really intrigued which its cinematic trailers and vague details. I really hope they skip the zombies and give us a new post apocalyptic tale.
WiLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVcv4lihhUQ[width=650,height=366]
From the creator of Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil comes this new tale.
Amplitude
I already told Harmonix to shut up and take my money when I Kickstarted this one. Now I wish they’d just hurry up and make my game.
Silent Hills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vfGzeibNyA[width=650,height=366]
Umm how did I almost completely forget they’re bringing back the Silent Hill franchise with Guillermo del Toro directing and Norman Reedus as the protagonist?! If the actual game is anywhere near as good as critics claim the interactive trailer was we could have a Game of the Year contender here.
Multiplatform
Kingdom Hearts 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3LD-3tHgoU[width=650,height=366]
This one will be cutting 2015 close with a December release date.
Primal Carnage Extinction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cur3xdaO7o[width=650,height=366]
The original is a huge hit with pre-pubescent boys on our MAME cabinet. Clearly we need moar dinosaurs!
Battleborn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3pgQc17JB0[width=650,height=366]
Gearbox is branching out into a new franchise. Think Borderlands but with more fantasy elements..
Mortal Kombat X
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAKI1tVONI0&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu...
I’ll always be an MK fan even if there are far too many buttons and moves for my button mashing technique to be effective past like the third rung of the ladder.
Batman Arkham Knight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsf78BS9VE0[width=650,height=366]
The pre-rendered cut scenes look pretty much like you’re playing a new Batman movie. Also lots of villains and you finally get to take the Batmobile out for a spin.
Deus X Universe
This is another I’m skeptical will make 2015 since I can’t find a trailer. But Eidos promise there will be a whole boatload of “universe content” with this one as well including mobile games and graphic novels.
Minecraft Story Mode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsfvMzNH54k[width=650,height=366]
Wondering if Telltale can help me understand why all my nephews are obsessed with Minecraft. Really hoping they go back to their point and click adventure roots for it as opposed to the new gut wrenching dialog choice style of their last several games but I’m not holding my breath.
Mighty Number 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alhQ3cmIGT8[width=650,height=366]
A Kickstarter spiritual successor from the creator of Mega Man due out this spring.
Tekken 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTm6BV8RT9A[width=650,height=366]
Tekken was always my least favorite fighting franchise but at least the graphics aren’t all blocky polygons anymore like I remember.
Final Fantasy Type 0-HD and Final Fantasy XV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHyvQwv_f9w&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT3dyanB3pk[width=650,height=366]
I don’t really understand how Square Enix decides what falls under the Final Fantasy franchise or how the heck their numbering scheme works. Both game look pretty cool though.
Doom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYBVdIHDPo[width=650,height=366]
Are we really getting a new Doom after all these years? Hopefully its better than Duke Nukem Forever...
No Man’s Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwG6Sj1Yfg[width=650,height=366]
This looks really pretty, although it also kinda looks really boring.
Metal Gear Solid V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG_8ZMtQ58Y[width=650,height=366]
Other people like Metal Gear Games I guess.
Broken Age 2
2015 should finally show us how the story all comes together. Although at this rate I’m going to have to play Act I again to remember what the heck happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuCErygUS_g[width=650,height=366]
Project CARS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6qKPd8YCIc[width=650,height=366]
CARS stands for Community Assisted Racing Simulator. Slightly Mad Studios allowed players to contribute to the game and some will even get profit sharing once the game launches. Originally planned for the PS3 and 360 that plan was scrapped in favor or next gen. The feature bullet list claims pretty much everything but the kitchen sink including Oculus Rift support. Hopefully feature bloat won’t kill a damn impressive looking game.
Witcher 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr-DKyAVU34[width=650,height=366]
The 3rd installment of this franchise based on Polish fantasy novels is set. Its supposed to be “bigger than Skyrim” and have well over 100 hours of gameplay.
The Elder Scrolls Online
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=418HiZzy0ig[width=650,height=366]
I played the demo at PAX East a couple years ago and completely forgot it was PC only. Its coming with all its bonus content glory to PS4 and XBone this summer. I did love that the demo quest was running around a pirate town looking for a monkey and now no more WASD controls!
Tom Clancy’s The Division
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lveDri3eU[width=650,height=366]
The premise is a plague that starts on Black Friday? Sign me up! Also sign me up for one of them flamethrowers at the end of the trailer for all the now we have in New England. Another one where the pre-rendered stuff looks pretty damn close to watching a movie.
Lego Jurassic Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19bujoZiBNA[width=650,height=366]
I don’t even like the Jurassic Park franchise but OMG I want Lego dinosaurs!
What am I Looking Forward To?
If studios actually hit their release dates there is certainly going to be a lot to keep gamers busy this year. Many games still seem to be coming out for new and old gen though so it remains to be seen if we are going to see the XBone or PS4 hardware taxed to their full potential. Some of the pre-rendered trailers are looking pretty impressive though!
Overall I’m most excited for Nintendo’s line up, but also its highly likely that as with most of my other WiiU games they’ll be fun for a weekend and then just make me want to go play the original NES versions.
I’m looking forward to seeing the end of Broken Age and hoping it lands solidly.
Other than that maybe I’ll check out some of the big franchises like the Final Fantasy titles. I’ve never been a survival horror fan but man Guillermo del Toro directing reallymakes me want to give Silent Hills a shot.
I’m kind of skeptical all of these will make 2015 so its hard to predict the Game of the Year contenders. My current bets are on Bloodbourne, Zelda, Silent Hills, and Halo. Come from behind sleeper option: Primal Carnage Extinction because dinosaurs! In fact I’m calling 2015 the year of the dinosaur with that, Lego Jurassic Park and Yoshi’s Wooly World (he’s a dinosaur right?).
What is 2old2play looking forward to? How about your Game of the Year predictions? Anything I missed on my list?
