Last year, I covered some of my anticipated games for 2013. This year and for next year – well, it’s more of the same, since most of the games I wanted were pushed back! Here are my anticipated games from 2013, as well as my anticipated games for 2014 and 2015.
2013
Dragon Age: Inquisition
This game was slated for a Fall 2013 release. Then, with the advent of the next-gen console, it was moved back to accommodate the latest technology. This put the date back to Fall of 2014. I’ll admit – I sort of expected that move. And as a PC user, the next-gen consoles don’t affect me much, considering my graphics will likely (if not certainly) still surpass what next-gen can offer. But, whatever keeps things going. I can understand the delay.
With that extra time, it looks like they’ve pushed to integrate new features and interesting characters, as well as a new way of building the background from previous games to start your DA:I playthrough. It’s present release date is now November 18th in North America and November 21st in Europe (including the UK).
The Elder Scrolls Online
ESO was released in April, after months of Closed Beta. Over-exposure to the beta killed my motivation for this game early on, I’m afraid. They are, however, updating it fairly regularly with new features, such as the new ability to dye parts of your armour, extended end-game and dungeon content, player raid-like events, and a future update that will make looting everyone’s houses, well, a crime. Not sure how I feel about that last one, but we’ll see how this goes.
Bayonetta 2
Oh, Bayonetta, you’re such a tease – leading us along, begging for release (pun intended). But, you have to be careful, you capricious minx, or we’ll just flat-out lose interest. The hopes and dreams of many a mature WiiU gamer were riding on this game to prove that mature games had a place on the WiiU, especially as many publishers have decided to drop all investment in it. First with EA’s lack of support and DLCs (I’m looking at you, Mass Effect) – and now Ubisoft has decided not to develop mature-rated titles for it after Watch Dogs is released. With Bayonetta 2’s release now solidified for October 24th, it may be too little too late. Let’s hope not.
Saints Row 4
I did get this game when it came out, along with my husband. We tried to play together, but had some difficulties at the start (mostly me being an idiot, though). Once we got to playing together…I wasn’t wowed. It didn’t feel like a step-up from Saints Row 3 – in fact, I preferred the old game. The storyline of Saints Row 4 looks interesting, but it’s doesn’t seem as FUN at the start. Maybe it’s the dark-and-red colour scheme bringing me down. I’m not sure. I’ll give it another go at some point, but for multiplayer, I might just stick with Saints Row 3.
WATCH_DOGS
Oh, WATCH_DOGS, you’re starting to be as much (if not more) of a tease as Bayonetta 2. While the current-gen, PC and MOST next-gen releases have passed, the WiiU release is still dangling over our heads. The other console and PC releases have been mixed, particularly as the graphics looked to have been dumbed down last minute. PC users can mod their game to unlock some of this lost HD, but everyone else, including XBox One and PS4 users, are left with lackluster graphics. I am still holding out that the WiiU release will be different – it is being developed independently of other consoles, so that it fully utilises the functions of the WiiU. Guesstimated for Q4 2014, here’s hoping we’ll all get to see it and feel like hackers with our GamePads.
2014
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Bayonetta 2
WATCH_DOGS for WiiU
Hyrule Warriors
When this was announced, I think we were all surprised. Not by another Zelda title – no, we expected that one and we’re getting that as well. But when a game partnering LoZ and Dynasty Warriors was revealed, I’m sure a lot of people didn’t know what to think. Personally, I enjoyed the Samurai Warriors games (late Warrior-bloomer here), so the marrying of the two series works for me. We’ll be looking to pick this one up when it comes out September 19th for the EU and September 26th for North America.
2015
Grand Theft Auto V for PC
Like most of GTA’s titles, the newest GTA V is making its way to next-gen this quarter, with PC’s release to follow in January 2015. Watching my husband play on XBox 360, a lot of it looked like dealing with, well, assholes – all day, everyday. Since watching a small group of Youtubers, however, it has renewed my faith that with the right people, it’ll be a damn good time. I’m waiting for the PC release on this one since I’m terrible at shooters, first or third, with a controller. My driving on a PC, however, leaves much to be desired – someone else needs to take the wheel this time.
Final Fantasy XV
Originally revealed as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, it has since branched off into it’s own game and is now carrying the numerical series forward – though it is still a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Compilation. Preliminary trailers look promising, with a setting akin to the modern-fantasy feel we’ve seen progressively starting from VIII (and bits of VII). This time, we have a bit more urban grunge, fashioned more closely after our present-day cities. Due to hit both PS4 and XBox One, a release date has not yet been pegged down. Original estimates were “Late 2014”, however that is fast approaching and we’ve since had no word on whether that’s when we can expect it. Well, scratch that “2014” stuff – it’s been announced that a DEMO will be available in March 2015, which means we won’t see the game until Summer 2015 at the earliest. Sad face.
No Man’s Sky
I don’t know where you even start to explain to someone whom hasn’t heard or seen the E3 footage just what how mind-boggling the magnitude of this game really is. A Space Exploration Scifi title, with timed exclusivity for PS4 before being followed by PC, almost everything in the world is procedurally generated – this means that the look of things isn’t preset-models like we’re used to, but generated by computer algorithms to ensure uniqueness. We won’t seen this game this year, however, as it is schedule (vaguely) for a 2015 release.