Looking forward to 2015

Much has been said at various outlets about how satisfying a year 2014 was for the gamers and the industry as a whole.  While I'll wholeheartedly admit there was a lot of ugliness to be found last year (social issues, broken games, etc.), I tend to lean on the positive side for a lot of good releases as far as the year is concerned.  I don't think we've hit that sort of "next-gen" point that justifies the sale of new consoles and the like.  With perhaps the exception of Nintendo, the console scene doesn't have that first-parties don't have that "killer-app" the way something like Gears of War was when it hit the 360.

Guns with chainsaws: Apparently the high-water mark of gaming fidelity

I'm hopeful this gets turned around this year.  We have the odd sort of benefit of having a lot of games pushed back from 2014 into this year, leaving me hopeful that there will be even more to pick out.  So here is what I'm looking forward to seeing this year, as well as some wild speculation about what else could be down the road.


Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

For some reason, I now own 3 different versions of Ground Zeroes.  My only defense is that I've managed to get the majority on very deep-cut sales.  I keep finding new bits of fun and challenge out of this bite-sized game/demo.  I'm also incredibly surprised how well optimized the PC version manages to be, especially coming from a Japanese dev.  It's all mapping out to be a very effective prelude for a game I can only hope sees the light of day this year.

For now I'm just left with questions and speculation:  How big is the game?  How is the multiplayer? Can we top being played like a damn fiddle?  Can Kiefer Sutherland deliver any other lines beside "Pretty Sure"?

Bloodborne

I find myself straddling the line between both camps when it comes to Dark Souls 2:  It was my favorite game of last year, but I understand all the arguments about the original being superior.  For most Souls fans (will we need a new name after this game?), the lack of the original director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, may be the reason the sequel stands in the shadow of it's predecessors.  It stands to reason that Bloodborne very well might be a return to form for From Software's unique blend of action-rpg-suffering that we've all come to know and love.  It looks moody as hell visually, and the mechanical focus on dodging looks to add an interesting wrinkle, if not be an outright shake-up.

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin

So yes, I'm as sick of HD re-releases as the next guy.  But there looks to be some promise of new content, which seems cool.  New enemy placement and NPC's have the potential to make this a sort of Master Quest for a game, this of course being the best-case scenario.  What the exact deal is for the updated visuals are for PC players worries me somewhat.  It seems like it'd be a real forsaking of your fan-base to make them buy the game all over again, if at least not offering some deep discount for those who already own the game.

Halo 5: Guardians

While Master Chief collection continues to be broken, people seem to be enjoying the Guardians multiplayer beta.  Spartans have more or less been falling in line with the new mobility that is to be expected with first person shooters, and mechanical tweaks like ADS and flinching seem to be up the air according to devs.  We're sort of left then with two questions regarding the game:  Will it be good?  And does 343 as studio still have enough clout with the fan-base to make it a seller?

Destiny expansions

I kind of hate how this has turned out.  I ended up getting back into Destiny over the holidays with the Dark Below expansion, and found myself having a surprisingly good time.  While many of my complaints regarding Destiny still stand, I'll concede that the endgame has gotten somewhat more interesting.  Modifiers for some story missions and strikes do shake things up a bit, and I get a bit of WoW nostalgia when it comes to raiding.

The supposed leaked plan regarding expansions has me curious if nothing else.  Things like the rumored 3rd subclasses and new weapon types for Comet, as well as new exotics and raids will probably have me checking out the content if nothing else.  Destiny seems like it's growing, albeit very slowly.

The Witcher III

CD Projekt Red managed to throw in another delay for our favorite white-haired monster slayer, but in the wake of the eventful year that Ubisoft had, it seems like the smart move.  In a lot of ways, this looks to be an ambassador of what to expect open-world games to look like for this console generation.  This assumes the team manages to stick the landing.  Still, my hopes are high that this one turns out well.  If nothing else, maybe we'll finally be able to see some footage for Cyperpunk 2077

The Banner Saga II

This one is my own damn fault for getting into this game so late in the year, but I am just psyched about the potential of this franchise.  If we get more of the same from the original, than that's just great honestly: the music is awesome, the atmosphere is dire, and the art style is gorgeous.  There's a lot space for this game to grow however.  How great would it be to see some full-scale animation to go with the story?

Starfox for WiiU

As stated above, Nintendo keeps hitting it out of the park with their first-party franchises, and it's been far too long since we've seen a proper console Starfox.  Assault was ok, but sort of lacked the gut-punch that 64 managed to be in it's prime.  The question if an on-rails shooter could still make waves in this market is an intriguing one, or if this game is even on-rails.  Also there's the question if the WiiU manages to take advantage of it's screen for asymmetrical multiplayer or the possibility online functionality.

The Legend of Zelda for WiiU

Theoretically slated for this year (but not before Starfox), it feels like there's a ton riding on the potential success of this one.  A lot of Zelda fans felt burned by Skyward Sword, but had their hopes somewhat rekindled by A Link Between Worlds.  It's also been shown that Zelda can get a lot out of a second screen, from a detailed map screen, to a better way to manage what often ends up being a massive inventory.  Couple this with a very well received art style from what we've seen in previews and you've got a title that could end up bringing in quite a few new WiiU customers.

The Long-Shots and Speculation 

Fallout 4

While I would be incredibly surprised to actually see a release this year, I don't think an announcement is out of the realm of possibility (granted, I feel like I've said that at the past 3 or 4 trade shows that have come around).  ESO seems like it's continuing to flounder, (probably going to be free to play before/if it ever hits the consoles), and the Evil Within didn't exactly set the world on fire.  There's no doubt that Fallout would give Bethesda the shot in the arm that needs at the moment.  It's that or I go back to modding New Vegas.

Borderlands 3

So I'm still one of those defenders of Pre-Sequel, surprisingly good game of what is more and the same, but I've still got a desire to see what a current-gen version of the original shoot-and-loot looks like.  Granted, this one looks even further off with a rumored current-gen Borderlands collection in the works, and Battleborn supposedly on the horizon.  Still, if Gearbox at least shows off a trailer or something, sign me up.

Hearthstone expansion and/or adventure.

Less a long shot and only a matter of time.  Goblins and Gnomes has been pretty successful, so it seems pretty likely we'll be seeing more cards sooner rather than later.  I continue to be fascinated with the design space afforded by a purely digital CCG and how successful elements of randomness continue to be.  The real key however is to release the iPhone version at the same time as new content so that I can completely eliminate what free time I have left.

The Next Call of Duty

Are we going to take off the Jet Packs?  That's about as interesting a question as this franchise has had in years.  The year that was extra mobility in our first person shooters has more or less spoiled us as an audience to this expectation.  It's hard to imagine ever going back to the plain, non exo-suit movement from years past.  While this doesn't feel particularly limiting to series like Halo or Titanfall, it does more or less stick us into a future-shooter aesthetic for the future of this shooter.