2015 is going to be a big year for gamers. There are 10 games coming out this year that I am personally excited for. Excluded are games that don’t have an official title or have not shown any gameplay footage. Sorry Legend of Zelda Wii U and Scalebound, but I just don’t know you well enough yet. Also excluded are games that don’t seem like they will come out this year. I’m looking at you, Kingdom Hearts 3.
10. Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, XOne, PC)
The fourth installment of the critically-acclaimed Batman Arkham series, Arkham Knight aims to give Batman some new tech to take on criminals with. The developers at Rocksteady Studios are finally opening up the world of Batman, as players will be able to explore Gotham on a much larger scale. Players will finally be able to drive the Batmobile, something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. The Batman Arkham games are always good so Arkham Knight has slim chances of disappointing.
9. Mighty No. 9 (PS3, PS4, PSV, 3DS, Wii U, X360, XOne, PC)
This action platformer was crowdfunded in 2013 on Kickstarter, and received nearly $4 million from over 67,000 backers. It is produced by Keiji Inafune, creator of the legendary and now long-dead Mega Man series. For anyone who is a fan of the Mega Man games or any old-school action platformer, this game is for you. It is basically a Mega Man game with a new title. This will also be the most accessible game of 2015, as it comes to every single relevant console.
8. Project CARS (PS4, XOne, Wii U, PC)
Speaking of crowdfunded games, here’s another one. Project CARS was backed in 2012 and raised over $3 million for its development. It looks to be the most technically advanced racing simulation game ever to come to consoles, with a powerful physics engine and stunning graphical performance. I am worried because it was supposed to come out in November of last year but has been delayed three subsequent times. We haven’t seen or heard anything about the Wii U version of the game. All of that aside, this game has the potential to be the best hardcore racing game to ever grace home consoles. Hopefully it delivers.
7. Splatoon (Wii U)
Nintendo’s third-person shooter Splatoon has the honor of being the only game on this list that I have actually played a demo of. The game consists of teams of squid-people who shoot paint at each other in a head-to-head war. Yep, that’s what it is, and it is fun as hell. It uses unconventional controls that remedy usual third-person shooter problems, making it the finest controlling third-person shooter I’ve ever played. Hopefully Splatoon has enough content to keep players interested, as its concept is fresh and exciting.
6. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS3, PS4, X360, XOne, PC)
The “final” game in the beloved Metal Gear series (creator Hideo Kojima says it’s the final game every time), MGS V looks to deliver more incredible stealth action and more ridiculous storylines. I’m excited to see just how dumb the plot is for MGS V, and what kind of insane scenarios arise for the player to overcome.
5. The Witcher 3 (PS4, XOne, PC)
I’ve never played a Witcher game before, but according to developer CD Projekt RED, this won’t prevent me from enjoying the newest title. Witcher 3 looks to be one of the biggest and most beautiful RPGs of this generation. It has everything I look for in an RPG, with insane creatures to battle, mythical powers, numerous quests to carry out and deep levels of customization.
4. No Man’s Sky (PS4, PC)
Called a procedurally generated open universe game, No Man’s Sky looks to be one of the most innovative games of the 21st century. Players take the role of space explorers, using their spaceships to explore unlimited amounts of planets and encounter the wildlife, as well as engage in space combat with other ships. Supposedly, players will never run out of places to explore, as the game will keep creating new planets. No Man’s Sky promises a lot. We can only hope that the final product will be as amazing as it sounds.
3. Killing Floor 2 (PS4, PC)
Killing Floor 2 is exactly like it sounds: you kill a lot of zombie creatures with guns. The original Killing Floor was one of my all-time favorite first-person shooters and it was only a mod. Killing Floor 2 is its own game, and looks to visually upgrade the satisfying action of the original as well as bring in all new weapons and gamemodes.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
The biggest and most beautiful game to hit the Wii U, Xenoblade X is the successor to the critically acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles. This RPG is absolutely massive, with numerous varying worlds for the player to explore and all kinds of monsters to take on. The player can jump inside a flying mech and light up enemies with machine guns and rocket launchers. What’s not to like about that? This game serves as the main competitor to the next and final game on my list.
1. Final Fantasy XV (PS4, XOne)
This has to be my most anticipated game of the year, as it has been in development for nearly a decade. When this game started development, I was just starting middle school, George W. Bush was still president and 50 Cent was still relevant. I can’t wait to see what a game that took 10 years to develop looks and plays like. XV has the potential to be one of the best Final Fantasy games ever. It really has no excuse to be anything short of brilliant. If XV disappoints, it could bring the entire genre of the Japanese RPG down with it. It cannot afford to fail.