The Most Anticipated Games of 2015

Narrative-based

Life is Strange

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Square Enix
Expected release: January 30 (Episode One of Five)
An episodic drama, “Life is Strange,” will likely bring a lot of the same elements that made “Heavy Rain” and “Gone Home” become so popular and critically acclaimed. The story looks engaging and will be the primary focus of the entire game; for it will be categorized as an interactive drama. Immersion is certainly key in the experience and we will see if it delivers. Each episode will have a six-week delay before the release of the next.
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Minecraft: Story Mode

Developer: Mojang, Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Expected release: 2015
Perhaps the game of the year to come most out of left field, Telltale’s upcoming story based game about Minecraft will be taking us through the story of the game, without touching on the iconic character Steve. The game is said to be inspired by and made with some of the Minecraft community members.

Indie

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Developer: Dennaton Games
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Expected release: Early 2015
The second and final game in the series will be following the first’s protagonist, Jacket, and the aftermath of his taking down the Russian Mob. The game will be sticking close to the formula of the original and is expected to have another great soundtrack to accompany the lightning-fast combat of the first game.

Hyper Light Drifter

Developer: Heart Machine
Publisher: Heart Machine
Expected release: 2015
Similar to tiles like “Bastion” and “Diablo,” “Hyper Light Drifter” will be an overhead action RPG game with 16-bit looking graphics like that of “Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP”. Originally put up on Kickstarter with a goal of $27,000, the game received over $600,000, allowing it to see console releases and become a larger game in general.

Horror

Silent Hill

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment, Capcom
Expected release: 2015
Directed by Hideo Kojima with assistance from film director Guillermo del Toro with Norman Reedus voicing and providing motion capture for the main character, this installment should be a powerhouse in the horror genre. After the release of the P.T. in Aug. 2014 and the subsequent Best Horror Game award from Giant Bomb and Scariest Game title from Bloody Disgusting, everything about this game that’s been mostly kept under wraps has the makings of one of the greatest potential games of the year.

Until Dawn

Developer: Supermassive Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Expected release: 2015

Eight friends in a cabin on the anniversary of the death of one of their friends discover they are not alone and must fight or run for their lives. Originally developed to be on the PS3 with PlayStation Move support, has now shifted to be a PS4 exclusive.

Survival

Rust

Developer: Facepunch Studios
Publisher: Facepunch Studios
Expected release: 2015, Early Access
Having recently received a total overhaul, Rust has become an entirely new game from what it originally was. There are few survival games that have managed to capture the survival aspect as well as Rust has and it’s only going to get better from here on out. The building system is smooth and easy to understand while providing players with plenty of options to make their own homes feel unique to them. Player combat is as strong as ever with other players being your biggest nightmare, followed by the wildlife and environmental hazards.

The Forest

Developer: Endnight Games Ltd
Publisher: Endnight Games Ltd
Expected release: 2015, Early Access
The Forest is a survival game with a touch of horror. You crash land on an island populated by nude cannibals that will track you during the day and watch you from a distance only to return in the dead of night with a group of friends to hunt you down. The game provides a good mixture of tension and teamwork as you and friends gather to build shelter and hide away from the cannibals before nightfall.

The Flame in the Flood

Developer: The Molasses Flood
Publisher: The Molasses Flood
Expected release: 2015
The game sets you up with the challenge of making it down the river with your dog compatriot and little supplies. The player will travel through procedurally generated environments similar to places like the Mississippi Delta and the Louisiana Bayou. The game has a definitive end but that does not mean the player will make it there. Funded through Kickstarter, the game features artists and a few developers from Irrational Games (Bioshock) and it has been what they have been working on since the company crumbled.

Racing

Project Cars

Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Slightly Mad Studios
Expected release: March 17
The good-looking racing car game of 2015. Project Cars will feature an open world realistic driving simulation with all vehicles and tracks unlocked from the beginning. An interesting idea is that the game will consist of several day racing events with things like qualification rounds, adding to the game’s realism.

Audiosurf 2

Developer: Dylan Fitterer
Publisher: Dylan Fitterer
Expected release: Early Access, 2015
Sequel to the rhythm game Audiosurf, this installment adds some new game modes while being a decent improvement over the original game and sticking closely to the original game’s formula. The biggest improvement to happen between the two games is the addition of mod support which changed this game for the better.