Ten Games We are Looking Forward to the Most in 2015
Dec-26-2014 PSTWhile 2014 has been a largely disappointing year in games some of the big releases of the year, like Assassin's Creed: Unity, were filled with bugs while other anticipated titles seeing their release dates pushed to 2015. However, then year wasn't a total write off and we've already listed the games we enjoyed the most this year. Having said that, we have high expectations from 2015, and here are the 10 titles we are looking forward to the most.
1. Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight is the first next-gen outing of everyone's favourite superhero. The Arkham series has been consistently good, with combat in particular being a delight, and hopes are high for this game too. And while the last three games featured a solid narrative and a host of villains from the comics, this entry features the Batmobile and a new antagonist known as the Arkham Knight. However we're most interested in the simple pleasures it promises such as being able to strike fear into the hearts of common criminals just before swooping down to end their crime spree in a style befitting the caped crusader.
Expected date of release: Summer 2015
2. No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky has you going where every sci-fi loving fan has gone before - space. This time however you're exploring its depths minus any heavy-handed direction, trying-too-hard-to-be witty sayings, or god rays much like the slew of sci-fi movies we've been treated to. In their place is a gorgeous galaxy that has you exploring planets galore, each of which has its own unique environment and creatures. The scale is immense and from partaking in space battles to diving into the very depths of a planet's seas, there's a lot to do. There's a welcome focus on exploration rather than narrative. With the game's many planets being procedurally generated much like FTL: Faster Than Light, expect a different play-through every time.
Expected date of release: PS4 in June, followed by the PC.
3. Rogue Star
Expected to launch in early-2015, this iPad game will bring the joy of space exploration titles to tablets. The genre is seeing a bit of a revival thanks to games like Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous, but if you're looking for a game that mixes combat, smuggling, mining, and the simple joy of flying between planets, then Rogue Star sounds like a good pick for mobile gamers.
Expected date of release: Early 2015
4. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Unlike other franchises that have yearly releases, Sony's flagship series has been on quite the hiatus. The last time we regaled in the adventures of everyone's favourite male Lara Croft, Nathan Drake was on the PS Vita with Uncharted: Golden Abyss. This was followed by the spin-off card game Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, but we've seen very little else. That was of course until this year's PlayStation Experience that showed off a generous amount of gameplay featuring exotic locales, stealth mechanics, and satisfying melee combat. It's looking spectacular to say the least.
Expected date of release: Sometime in 2015
5. Halo 5: Guardians
The Halo series is synonymous with the Xbox. While we got a collection of the series stalwart Master Chief's greatest hits with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, there's been very little else. With Halo 4, new developers 343 Industries had proved that they could make a very proficient game, but it felt a little flat, so there's a lot of attention being given now to Halo 5: Guardians. With a rather promising multiplayer beta going on, we can't say we're not interested to see how this sci-fi first person shooter shapes up. Expect to be blasting through hordes of aliens late in 2015.
Expected date of release: Late 2015
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A world bigger than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? Check. An emphasis on shaping the aforementioned world around you by the choices you make? Check. Almost a hundred hours of things to do? Check. There's very little reason not to be piqued about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - even more so if you're a fan of role-playing games. Throw in improved combat and an array of fantastical beasts to battle against and May can't come soon enough.
Expected date of release: May 2015
7. Submerged
We don't know too much about the upcoming iOS game Submerged, but the Unreal Engine 4 powered visuals are amazing. In the game, you have to explore an ancient city, to try and find supplies in a simple fishing boat, and scale the ruined buildings. Not much is known about the gameplay yet, but developer Uppercut has some good titles in their backlog already so we're quite excited. The game is expected sometime in 2015 and if this is what mobile games are starting to look like now, then we are officially living in the future.