By Jack Ridsdale on January 5, 2015 at 11:24am
In Part 1 we ran through the games that will be hitting your gaming systems from January to June. Now it's time to gaze into the far future and take a look at the games that don't yet have release dates, but will be debuting in the coming year. Get ready to start salivating over some truly massive games.
"The Division"
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Nominated for Player Theory’s Most Anticipated Award, Ubisoft’s open world shooter seeks to bring the MMO to the console gamer, in a similar way to "Destiny". The aforementioned shooter received a mixed reception due to complaints of a lack of content, a weak story and a lot of tedious grinding. With "The Division" adopting a similar structure it is not unreasonable to have concerns that the post-apocalyptic action game may suffer from the same flaws. Rewarding game structure, an engaging world and flawless online performance is what will set "The Division" apart from lesser peers. The post-apocalyptic setting looks highly reminiscent of "The Last of Us"' post-outbreak America, expect the gameplay to take some cues from "TLOU's" excellent Factions mode. It’s been a rough year for Ubi, let’s hope they can turn it around for this one because it just might be their most interesting game for a long time.
"Overwatch"
Available on: PC
"Overwatch" is a first-person shooter from acclaimed MMO developer Blizzard and another nominee for our Most Anticipated Award. The game is highly stylized and is reminiscent of "Team Fortress 2". It will be interesting to see how Blizzard expands from RPGs into shooters, bringing over their trademark over-the-top and cartoony style we have come to expect from "World of Warcraft". The ridiculous powers and colorful settings (which looks like an interactive Pixar movie) set this shooter apart from the overly serious military fare are too often subjected to. We can’t wait to get our hands on this when the beta launches in 2015.
"Halo 5: Guardians"
Available on: Xbox One
With the beta already in full swing, the next installment of Microsoft’s blockbuster franchise is sure to give a massive boost to the Xbox One’s sales, but can the next installment make some meaningful changes to the tried and tested formula or is this just going to be more of the same in a prettier package? Some fans were alienated by the faster paced online play of "Halo 4" and this so called “Call of Duty-ization” continues in "Guardians". In addition to the sprint you can now air dash out of harm’s way. You can also aim down the sights, giving you enhanced accuracy. The story is, as of right now, an unknown quantity, but whatever the next installment holds for the series’ lore, you can bet that it will overblown and damn-near impenetrable to those not already intimately familiar with the series thus far.
"Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain"
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
Alright, it’s time for the really big stuff. "The Phantom Pain" has been teased ever since that famously trippy trailer from the VGAs 2012 and has only gotten more irresistible to "Metal Gear" fans with more trailers and demos showing the massive open-world gameplay. Build your base, play online with the all-new "Metal Gear Online" and make friends with the unfairly cute Diamond dog. The story is obviously a massive draw for all "Metal Gear" fans and the "Phantom Pain" looks particular interesting as the story seems to be heading to some very dark places. The E3 trailer that showed a lot of disturbing imagery, such as Big Boss screaming with devil horns covered in blood, confirmed that the focus of "The Phantom Pain"'s plot will be showing Big Boss's descent in villainy and madness. Speculation is already running wild on the inevitable plot twists that Kojima is likely to throw our way, but the only thing we can be sure of at this stage is that "MGSV" is sure to be one of the most polished stealth games ever made. "The Phantom Pain" is confirmed for release in 2015, but like the rest of this category it’s release date hasn’t been confirmed, so expect this one towards the tail end of the year.
"The Legend of Zelda Wii U"
Available on: Wii U
2015 sees Link return to a home console in his first brand new outing since "Skyward Sword" on the Wii. Nintendo have confirmed that it will have an open-world structure, giving the player more freedom than ever before. Miyamoto himself has confirmed that the game will feature an immense amount of sidequests that will allow the player to immerse himself in the world of Hyrule for bite-sized or marathon play sessions. The game looks simply gorgeous, combining the cel-shaded/watercolour visual style of "Wind Waker" with the more realistic styles of games like "Twilight Princess". Nintendo fans, get hyped; this may just be the Wii U's biggest game so far.
"Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Available on: PS4
Naughty Dog returns to Nathan Drake’s saga on the PS4 with what may be his last adventure. Sony recently debuted a new gameplay trailer, showing off the incredibly fluid combat that seamlessly melds platforming with hand-to-hand and weapon combat. Taking some cues from "The Last of Us", "A Thief’s End" looks to be a slightly darker affair which is complemented by the simply stunning facial animation on Drake and his brother, a new character played by man of the moment, Troy Baker. This might just be Sony’s biggest system seller, going head to head to with Xbox One's exclusive adventure "Rise of the Tomb Raider". Details are thin on the ground for this feverishly anticipated title, so this one will probably hit around Christmas time. Expect Naughty Dog to open up about Uncharted 4 at Sony's press conference this E3.
Also coming in 2015: "Xenoblade Chronicles X", "Quantum Break", "Fable Legends", "Persona 5", "No Man's Sky", "Mighty No. 9", "Until Dawn", "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Seige", "Assassin's Creed Victory", Untitled Treyarch Call of Duty
So there you have it, those are the juggernauts that are sure to keep our eyes glued to our monitors for the next 12 months. Be sure to let us know which game you are most excited for and why.
Happy new year, and happy gaming!
2015 in Gaming - Wiki
