Now that we’ve looked at the exclusive games that Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are offering this year, the team have weighed in on their most anticipated games of 2015. It’s extremely interesting to note that everybody chose a different game. It just shows how diverse 2015 will be in gaming.
The more fluid style, fast paced combat looks like an interesting step in the Souls franchise, but I’m dying to explore what may shape up to be one of 2015’s most interesting settings in gaming. Being a huge sucker for unforgiving combat, beautiful atmosphere and unique aesthetics, Bloodborne ticks all the right boxes. Having never believed in a game being able to sell a platform (with the exception of Bayonetta 2 on WiiU) I’ll be watching Bloodborne very closely.
I had to do some serious thinking in order to narrow down my most anticipated title of 2015, and whilst Uncharted and The Division were serious contenders, Rocksteady’s third instalment in the Arkham franchise is a title that I simply have to put on the top of this list.
Batman: Arkham Asylum back in 2009 at its release did something that I really didn’t see coming, it redefined what a licensed game could be, and managed to rival the portrayals of its source material in other media, including the films. I believe Arkham Knight could do for DC in games what the Marvel Cinematic Universe did for Marvel in films, create a strong foundation that may grow beyond its original boundaries.
The gameplay and scale of the world are seemingly out of this world, and on a narrative basis Rocksteady seems to be putting together an amazing finale to their well-crafted franchise. The night is darkest right before the dawn, and Arkham Knight is looking to be one of the best titles of 2015 that we’ve seen so far.
Tomb Raider was one of my favourite games of the last generation. It took elements from other games to create a near perfect finished product. It’s going to be a really interesting battle this year in the sense that Microsoft have backed Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed exclusive for Xbox One knowing that it will be going head to head against Uncharted 4. My choice could’ve just as easily been Uncharted 4. Realistically, I know that both will be amazing game. I’m most interested to see how both developers will be looking to differ the games knowing full well that they’ll be going up against each other.
Ultimately I chose Tomb Raider because it did certain things better than Uncharted 4. I’m really interested to see how they raise the stakes to go to the next level as Naughty Dog have done with each Uncharted iteration.
I’m most decidedly not one for the horror genre, but there’s a certain appeal to Until Dawn that has me hooked. Now, there have been games recently that have gone the way of resembling Hollywood productions. But Until Dawn goes beyond just a cinematic experience, providing a psychological horror that has you wearily edging towards corners as tense music builds. Going further still, I am intrigued by the use of the Butterfly Effect system, whereby potentially a hundred endings can occur brought on by the combination of actions undertaken throughout the course of play. As a result, I certainly feel it is one of those games I could spend hours on end playing. That being said, I would say that Until Dawn more than justifies my decision to FINALLY go ahead and make the move to current gen come next year.?
This was a hard one to pin down because we just don’t know a whole lot about the games that will be hitting stores later this year. On one hand, there’s some games I find intriguing but don’t know enough about to be excited – like Star Fox, Zelda and even the Friday The 13th adaptation – all of which are due to hit later this year. But there’s one game that stands out from the rest and it’s because it’s coming off of such a strong pedigree. That game is Mortal Kombat X.
Mortal Kombat X represents such an exciting time for the franchise. New characters. New combat systems. New visuals (including a much needed revamp of animations). New renditions of familiar characters. It’s just looking to be a fresh coat of paint for a franchise that has been around for several decades now.
The controversial reboot brought the series back to its roots, trimming the fat that diluted the series vision during its inconsistent outing on the Playstation, Gamecube and Xbox. It’s both interesting and exciting to see what Ed Boon and the team at Netherrealm can do with the franchise next and whether or not it’ll repeat the same mistakes the series made in the past.
Who knows – perhaps as we see more of other titles my thoughts will change. But for now, Mortal Kombat X stands above and beyond everything else for this year as my most anticipated title.?
Although we are waiting for a lot more details for this game, such as an official name. The mystery and lack of confirmations isn’t going to damper my spirits for this title. The Legend of Zelda is one of my most beloved series of all time, it has influenced me as a person and forged memories that I hold near and dear to my heart.
Having said all that, it does place a lot of pressure on this game. Pressure I am certain Nintendo will rise above with this entry. Already it has a wonderful art style, an vast open world and a few game play tweaks such as the way gamers tackle dungeons. This is literally just about all we know about the game but I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a strong contender for game of the year not only for myself but more gamers across the globe.?
There is no doubt in my mind that Naughty Dog are the best developers in the world right now; their past three games have been masterful and Uncharted 4 will hopefully be another master stroke. Despite a turmultous period for the developers post-TLOU, early teasers and gameplay ahead of it’s 2015 release are certainly promising. With Nolan North and Troy Baker once again returning for motion capture and voice acting, I have tremendous faith in both the cast and story. Assuming the game manages to release this year and Naughty Dog do not break stride, we are set for another near-perfect game that will undoubtably satisfy the PS4’s new Xbox-converts.
It was a tough choice between this and Majora’s Mask 3D (as that is my all-time favourite game) but a thrilling new experience trumps an old favourite for now. Being a procedurally-generated game, and an open-world one at that, my mind already struggles to think of the endless possibilities of worlds to explore and what to find. From initial screens and trailers, the game already looks vibrant and mesmerizing, and it will be a testamtent to developer Hello Games as to whether a group so small can pull off something on such a grand scale.
If all goes well and the release date isn’t pushed back further, this game will be one I’m dying to grab and experience in 2015. From what we’ve seen in gameplay clips and trailers, the graphics look amazing and all the little details within the environment will be something I look forward to exploring and pushing, to see how far they’ve gone with it. I’m interested to see whether the story of the game will suck me in and whether the multiplayer aspect will live up to its hype, two things I hope don’t leave me disappointed. I think The Division is set to be what Destiny wanted to be with its open-world MMO, but after Destiny not being quite on par with my anticipation for it, I’m hoping my 2015 excitement for The Division is satisfied wholeheartedly.?
