For me, the introduction of Steam’s Exploration Sales marks the beginning of the end of the year. Video game fans of all kinds (save for Assassin’s Creed players) rejoiced in 2014 for the massive amount of great content. I like to talk more about the future than the past, and, with a lack of big releases in December, it is natural for me to look beyond into next year and highlight some of the promising games ahead.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt Red is coming in February to PC and next-gen consoles. With predecessors that are in direct competition with the Dragon Age series, CD Projekt Red claims that the third installment of the series will match the ambition and scale of The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim. Compared to the fairly linear world design of The Witcher 1 and 2, The Witcher 3 features a more open world environment in a setting that pits series protagonist Geralt against invading otherworldly nightmares known as the Wild Hunt. The developers also promised “at least 100 hours of content” and a vastly improved combat and environment system. Bottom line: although the game sounds too close to Skyrim for comfort, knowing critical acclaim of the first two games, I believe that this one will uphold its promises.
Another major title to hit the Massive Multiplayer Online and shooter field is Tom Clancy’s The Division. Set in the United States after a major epidemic that collapsed society, the game puts players in a contingency squad that attempts to “save what remains” through accomplishing series of objectives online. Players can team up with their friends or with others and take on either computer controlled AIs or other players to accomplish objectives. Other than that, the game seems to play out like most other cooperative shooter games. Originally, the Division was developed and meant to be released in a similar time period with Destiny as two sincere attempts to bring MMOFPS games to mainstream. After experiencing multiple delays, Ubisoft announced that the game will finally be out in 2015. However, I still see The Division as a potential contender to Destiny when it comes out.
Also coming to market on February of next year is Order: 1886 – another medieval “alternate universe” style shooter mixed with horror and sci-fi elements. The game pits humanity against its half-beast evil counterpart, and players control members of an elite monster fighting force with advanced weaponry and other technologies. From the demo at E3 this past year and other gameplay showcases, the game attempts to combine suspense from a horror game, excitement from an action game, the trigger-happy feeling of a shooter game, and a touch of steampunk art style. The game should still be a good play, despite all the factors that make Order: 1886 unique – which are not really innovative or exceptional.
There are many games set for next year that were revealed to different degrees. Some of them are installments of major titles with critical acclaims, such as Halo 5: Guardians, Total War: Attila, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Others are brand new titles with promising new perspectives and already widespread popularities like Evolve, Dying Light, Overwatch, and Crackdown. But what truly excited me are how games across different genres, styles, and types are represented, and, no matter who you are, there’s something for you to enjoy. I will be looking forward to covering some great games next year.
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