Written By: Tyler Selig
15: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
(PS4, PC, Vita)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beUrlDwf56w
I’m not unfamiliar with cactus,
so when I played Hotline Miami 2 I wasn’t surprised that it was dark and weird.
What I was surprised with the gameplay. You couldn’t just shoot, you had to
plan your next move. It was video game chess, and it got frustrating sometimes
(also because of bugs) but damn, the story was sufficiently nuts, it was really
fun, and the game was just memorable as a whole.
Give me more of that, you have a
winner.
14: Destiny (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox
One)
No
monthly subscription fee, Bungie, not an MMO but actually is an MMO? Yup,
that’s Destiny in a nutshell. It’s hard not to be hyped for Destiny because of
all of these things. Try watching that video and not get excited for it.
13: EA Sports UFC (PS4, Xbox One)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkDED86sskU
Whenever a new Fight Night or
MMA game comes out, I always play it for hours upon hours, always telling
myself “just one more fight” but then being unable to resist to urge to build
my fighter more and beat more people up. They’re really the only sports games I
play.
Though MMA hasn’t had a great
track record in video game format (good games, not quite there yet), I still
look forward to seeing what Next-Gen can do for the sport, especially
considering it’s EA doing it this time so I want to see what they bring to UFC.
12: Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls (PC,
PS4)
I’ve gone to bat for Diablo 3
because I put over 100 hours into it and I did genuinely enjoy it. However, I
can acknowledge the flaws that it has, namely the levelling up system which is
one I understand but don’t prefer.
Reaper of Souls is trying to right
a lot of the wrongs, and adds another class in… so I’m really excited for it.
11: Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)
Partially because it’s a Wii U
exclusive so I have to support it, partially because Bayonetta was a silly,
action-packed, fun, crazy romp, I really want to play this. I think
Nintendo has a winner on their hands here.
10: Lily Bergamo (PS4)
I don’t know much about this
game other than Suda51 is making it. That’s enough for me because I’m almost
always a fan of his stylish, batshit-insane games. I am one of the few people
who loved Lollipop Chainsaw.
Here’s hoping this game is his
best.
9: Final Fantasy XV (PS4, Xbox One)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xKbPooKAo
I have to admit something: I
haven’t loved a Final Fantasy since 10, but my love for 10 is not that of 7, so
really it’s been like 15 years since I’ve felt incredibly passionate towards a
Final Fantasy (though like I said, I loved 10, and I thought 9 was great too).
I skipped 11, hated 12, skipped 13 because it didn’t look appealing and haven’t
played 14.
With all of that said, Final
Fantasy is in my veins, and I’m hoping that this is the next Final Fantasy that
I love. It looks a lot different than others, and it better end up being
awesome because in my eyes, Final Fantasy needs to return to glory – though to
be fair, A Realm Reborn looks great… I just hate subscription fees.
8: Titanfall (PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Incredibly hyped first-person
shooter, but as far as I can see, it’s warranted. It really does look
incredible, and different than the others. I’m sure it doesn’t dethrone
Killzone as my primary online shooter, but if any shooter can, it’s this one.
It will most likely sit comfortably in second, because being able to jump
around as much as you can in this opens up the gameplay and gives us something
different.
7: Starbound (PC)
I love Terraria, and Starbound
looks to be a worthy successor. It really seems like it’s being improved in all
ways – it’s a little more epic, a little more RPG, a little more buildy-buildy,
and that soundtrack is incredible. Peep the trailer and try not to get pumped
for it.
6: Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU7tXqYplA8
It’s Mario Kart. I will always
love the series, because it’s chaotic racing with characters we love. I was
sold on it before I saw footage, but it looks to change up the gameplay a
little bit by adding different types of vehicles, more-so than in previous
entries. Pre-ordered.
5: Tom Clancy’s The Division (PC,
PS4, Xbox One)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njfj6KwEAfg
This was the game that blew me
away the most at E3 this year. It just looked like a solid co-op third-person
shooter, which would be reason enough for me to buy, but then at the end of the
trailer when other players come in. I sat there thinking, “Holy shit, this will
be cool.”
I think to this day, there isn’t
a lot of information but we’ve seen how interactive the environment is and some
other details. As far as I know, it’s not totally clear how the online aspects
work, but I’m ridiculously excited for this.
4: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U, 3DS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvudMu-5kIU
Super Smash Bros. has been my
favourite fighting series since the first one, though Street Fighter will
always have a soft spot in my heart. I love the chaotic nature of the series
and disagree with anybody who says it doesn’t take skill. The idea behind it is
to be able to control the chaos and make it work in your favour. By chaos I
mean that the levels always shift and change, and you can play with four people
on screen. I also like how it sort-of has a health bar but it doesn’t work like
other games.
Like a lot of Nintendo things,
there’s crossover appeal too. Want to beat up Link with Kirby? Sure, you can do
that. With this installment, you can finally play as Mega Man, which should be
awesome. I also look forward to trying out the Villager.
3: Earth Defense Force 2025 (PS3,
Xbox 360)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu7HqyHTJ38
I mention this every time I
discuss Earth Defense Force, but if you just want a game that is a game in the purest
sense of the word, this series is where you go. It’s hilariously low-budget,
with buildings collapsing easily, and all you do is shoot hordes and hordes of
giant ants, spiders, and robots. There isn’t anything complicated here.
I love it.
The reason it’s not number two
on my list is mostly because it’s last-gen. Since it’s already out in Japan,
this is only coming to PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s a shame because even though I
know it won’t ever be a AAA title, I want to see what they’d do with it if given
more power.
Still… it’s Earth Defense Force.
It’ll be fun to shoot aliens again while listening to funny one-liners.
2: X (Wii U)
Do you own a Wii and haven’t
played Xenoblade: Chronicles? Stop reading this and go play it right now. It’s
one of the best RPGs ever and is one of the top three or four of the last ten
years.
Why does this matter? The same
developers are unleashing X onto us, and even though there hasn’t been a lot
announced concerning the game, we know there are giant robots and that the
developers at Monolith Soft are awesome people who make legendary games.
I didn’t even have to see the
game, I just needed to know who’s making it. It helps that they’ve promised a
bigger, more expansive world and it’s probably going to be RPG of the year.
1: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom
Pain (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5t45tEPWQ
There could only be one, even from
the beginning of the list. There were no other games that could touch this. Any
year that there’s a core Metal Gear is a year that it gets number one in
something. I have never been let down, and it doesn’t look like this will
change with the newest in the series.
Kojima is giving us a more open
Metal Gear this time around, and even though I’m the first to admit that
open-world games are becoming a tad oversaturated, I’m still curious to see
what they do with a less-linear Metal Gear.
The trailers already look
fantastic, and I’m sure that the story will be as emotional and deep as they
have been in previous entries. I’m sure the classic stealth gameplay will be as
thrilling as it has been. I can guarantee that the bosses will be as weird and
sometimes whacky as they have been in the past.
What I’ve always loved about the
series, at least since Solid, was that the game is serious but they do throw in
humour. The game is a great example of games being art, but it never forgets
that it’s a game at its core. I know some will say it has too many video
scenes, but it’s never bothered me because I’m so invested in what’s going on.
I actually need to play Peace Walker because I never had a PSP before
(I know they released an HD remake as well), but I intend to play that in
anticipation, right before The Phantom Pain comes out.
What
this all means, of course, is that I need a better job so I can buy all these
games.
What
did you think? Did I miss a game that you are excited for? Let me know in the
comments below or follow me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime and tell me you hate me
there. Make sure to check the blog daily from now on because the Awardicons –
Best of the Year Awards – have officially started.
No comments:
Post a Comment