Andrew’s Most Anticipated Titles of 2015: The Movie

Disclaimer…not all games are officially coming out for 2015, but they’re announced and this is me hoping.

2015 so far looks to already be leaning towards a year of incredible releases, as long as the trend of releasing half finished games or delaying the games until 2016 doesn’t continue. Nonetheless, my hopes are held extremely high and I can’t wait for a few games in particular. So why not just jump into that list. This list is in alphabetical order and is not rated by how much I want the game.

1. ) Arkham Knight – If you haven’t played the previous two Batman entries from Rocksteady studios, I don’t know why you’re reading this list, because clearly you don’t love video games. So everyone should know how amazing the first two games were, with tight combat that really put you into the shoes of the Dark Knight as well as solving puzzles to find those damn Riddler trophies and the predator missions, being able to take out a room of guards, never once being seen. That is the stuff that I used to dream about as a kid. With Arkham City, they let you do this, all while exploring an enormous city. While Arkham Origins wasn’t a bad sample to keep us heldover, it wasn’t quite what we’ve been expecting considering how Rocksteady has been spoiling us. Now with even more gorgeous graphics on the next gen consoles and the chance to drive around the city in the batmobile. I can’t wait to don the cowl once again.

2. Battleborn – Here is one most people probably aren’t going to even know what game I’m talking about. I will admit that I’m a borderlands fanboy through and through and I love those games. I’m also a big MOBA fan. So when I hear that Gearbox is throwing it’s hat into the ring creating a hybrid, MOBA shooter, it’s piqued my interest at least a little bit. Honestly, this game will probably end up like so many other MOBA’s that get thrown at that cash cow. I’m hoping that a studio like Gearbox though, can pull out something creative and memorable.

3. Bloodborne – I’m so excited for this game that I can barely contain myself even looking at screenshots. I don’t consider myself a good gamer, and I play a lot of games very averagely. So when I play games like Dark Souls and Demon Souls, I find myself dying constantly. Somehow, I can never stop playing them though. From Software as far as I’m concerned has put out some of the greatest titles of the last 10 years, from games dripping with atmosphere, lore, haunting music, insane boss fights and difficulty that never feels unfair rather challenging. Now with the announcement of Bloodborne, Miyazaki is back in control and this game from his description is faster paced with no shielding to hide behind (suck it Havel users), and a terrifying and creepy victorian midnight atmosphere that already has me shitting my pants. Miyazaki….my body is ready.

4. Cuphead – A game quite frankly, I still don’t know much about. A game though that when Microsoft flashed through a montage of games coming to there system quickly, managed to catch my eye so strongly that I had to find out what it was. Cuphead has one of the most beautiful art styles I’ve seen in a game in a long time harkening back to the old Walt Disney cartoon days. Now I learn it’s a puzzle platformer as well, and this game is on the top of my Steam pick up list, as a non AAA game, the price tag for art couldn’t be cheaper I imagine.

5. Final Fantasy 15 – While most people after the Final Fantasy Hallway that was 13 are probably not expecting a great game, I like to look at the positive. XIII-2 and Lightning Returns were vast improvements on the original game of the same name. While the story might as well been written by tumblr fanfic’ers in terms of how much I care about it, the gameplay was made to be an incredibly fun experience. And now after the success of Bravely Default, I think Square Enix is once again understanding that gamers don’t just want a beautiful movie (though it’s not too awful), but we want a fun game that can be simple. This game also seems to a decently different game from the series, if riding around in a car with a bunch of weaponed up buddies through a desert is anything to judge. While I still have a my reservations, here’s hoping that Square pulls their heads out of their ass and really does this game justice.

6. Kingdom Hearts 3 – Call me a fanboy….cause I am. I’ve played every Kingdom Hearts game and am even now playing through 1.5 and 2.5. It’s because as stupid as the plot gets and as childish as it can be because of all the Disney tie ins, what this game does best, is provide you with one hell of a fun game. With surprisingly deep combat considering how simple it seems on the surface, as well as awesome creative worlds, flying around in your gummi ship, to even board games, and fun mini-games (that’s an accomplishment in most games). This game was the reason I bought a ps3, but of course they waited an entire generation. This is the game I’ve been waiting for since I beat KH2 when I was in 8^th grade. Now that Disney owns Marvel and Star Wars…I know it’s a long shot, but think of the possibilities. Square Enix has the power to really make my year this year, and they better not screw it up.

7. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain – I had never played a Metal Gear Solid game prior to 4. I figured that I was a very unstealthy player and that the games just seemed uninteresting to me. I have never been so wrong about a game in my life. This series is brilliant through and through. If Kojima is good at one thing, it’s blowing your mind to pieces. The story once again, is a little absurd through the series, but the stealth gameplay, the creativity and easter eggs thrown throughout the game. The beautiful hour long cutscenes which provide just enough time to cook and eat dinner, (That’s just considerate). But seriously, this game, I don’t know what to expect, but if ground zeroes is any indication of what we’ll see, I don’t imagine a single fan of the series will even be close to being dissapointed.

8. Mighty No. 9 – After Mega Man was all but abandoned these last few years by Capcom, Inafune finally said, Peace and left to work on his own projects. So what does he do? He makes a slightly different MegaMan type game. And I’m so happy that he is. I personally am a kickstarter backer for this game. I have never been a great megaman player as the only ones I was ever good at were the Battle Network games. But from the amazing artwork being put into the game and the design feedback that the backers are being allowed to put in, even getting to pick the design of certain characters. It’s going to be coming out on so many different platforms and considering my current love of Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and Shovel Knight, another 2d platforming masterpiece will be very welcomed.

9. No Man’s Sky – When I look at this game and hear about it after all this time, I’m still not sure if I’ve ever seen anything like it. While I’m not sure how well it will end up doing, this game may be one of the most creative ambitious games to be put out in recent memory. I need to see this game paired up with Oculus Rift and give you the opportunity to become a space explorer. Traveling to the far corners of the galaxy, and actually naming and finding your very own planets. Manfiest Space Destiny Mother Fuckers!

10. Nuclear Throne – Now it’s time to play a game called, talk about a game that I’m pretty sure I might be the only one to know about. With the recent explosion in rogue like’s in recent years, this game has followed in those footsteps, though a little later. With the success of games like Rogue’s Legacy and Binding of Issac, incredibly difficult games with randomly generated maps just do something to my brain that I like. I have put too many hours into those games, there is no other way to put it. Nuclear throne has the difference of allowing you to choose one of many wasteland monsters with different powers and then it becomes a bullet hell rogue like with gun play and insane quick levels that leave you breathless at the end. While this game is currently in alpha on steam I believe, the actual release is supposed to be later this year. I for one will be checking this sucka out.

11. Splatoon – If you had told me at the end of last year, that I’d be excited about a Nintendo multiplayer shooter, I would have straightjacketed you then and there for the horrible memories that Red Steel gave me. But low and behold, Splatoon is just another game on the Wii U’s list on why it’s making a comeback that so many people did not see coming. A shooter that doesn’t primarily focus on taking out other players, but as a combination of area control and shooter with a unique movement mechanic which could lead to all kinds of crazy strategies. I can almost guarantee some 12 year old will find a way to tell me he fucked my mom and that his dad works for Nintendo so he’s going to get me banned, but this game might actually be worth all of that.

12. Tomb Raider 2 – But Andrew, it’s Rise of the Tomb Raider. No, no it’s not, because that’s a dumb name which sounds like an origin story, but the last game already was the origin story, so no, it’s Tomb Raider 2. That being said, I thought that the original Tomb Raider re-imagining that was released last year was going to be a useless attempt at revitalizing an old game with mediocre success. But I was proven wrong. As soon as I picked up that controller, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Stealth, good shooter mechanics with tight controls and platforming which felt good. Even the atmosphere was perfect for the game. That game may have ripped off the Uncharted Series, but it did so with a spin that made it it’s own, and I’m okay with it. If this game is within even a mile of the original, I will be picking it up as soon as physically possible.

13. Uncharted 4 – If you know me, I consider myself a fanboy of 3 series. Kingdom Hearts, Zelda, and this masterful series. When Naughty Dog first put me into the shoes of snarky but loveable Nathan Drake, I fell in love with a game that had amazing platforming and fun mechanics, (while being difficult at times), but a script and characters who I genuinely cared about and liked. Then they did what I didn’t think possible. They put out Uncharted 2, and it blew the first game away. When a game almost universally wins Game of the Year and is as gorgeous and fun as a slutty prom queen, people take notice. With the third game, I thought I was seeing the end of one of my favorite series for good. Then without warning, Uncharted 4 was announced and I was ecstatic. Nathan Drake wasn’t going to be the protagonist though. It just didn’t feel right. Clearly, Naughty Dog knows has a connection to my brain, because Nathan Drake is out of retirement for one last ride. I can’t even put into words how much I want this game.

14. Zelda U – I said that I had 3 series that I was a fanboy for. I couldn’t have picked a better year to be a fanboy with Nintendo completing the trifecta. Though we haven’t seen much about this game and if Tumblr has it’s way, it’ll be called FemZelda U , I couldn’t care less. The vistas are magnificent and the cell shading is spot on. If what’s promised is real the world truly is as large as they say, this puts the great sea to shame and truly puts you on an epic quest like there hasn’t been.

Honorable Mentions: Other games I think you should look forward to in 2015, but I really didn’t have the energy to write about : Evolve, The Order, Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, Yoshi’s Wooly World, Scalebound, Xenoblade X, Star Wars Battlefront, Below, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.