The Most Anticipated Games of 2015

Distance

Developer: Refract
Publisher: Refract
Expected release: 2015

A new survival racing game funded by Kickstarter where the player will be given a variety of tools with things like driving upside-down and even fly, Distance will be released this year. The gameplay was inspired by arcade racing games and Wipeout while wanting to include an atmospheric experience like that of Limbo.

Sports

Fifa 16

Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: EA Canada
Expected release: 2015
One of if not the most popular sports game franchises to play against your friend with, “Fifa 16” continues the series this year. Over the years we’ve seen more fluidity added to the mechanics, more options in team building, and of course prettier graphics. The Fifa series has proven to not just be an ode to futball (soccer) fans, but provides an enjoyable experience for anyone just wanting to play a fun and competitive game.

Frozen Cortex

Developer: Mode 7
Publisher: Mode 7
Expected release: Early Access, 2015
Football with robots, what more do you need? While technically a sports game, at its heart, Frozen Cortex is a strategy game where players make simultaneous turns and try to predict and counter predict opponent’s actions.

Simulation

American Truck Simulator

Developer: SCS Software
Publisher: Excalibur Publishing
Expected release: Feb. 20
After the overwhelmingly positive reception of SCS’s Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator is likely to follow suit. The surprisingly zen series where you drive a metal battering ram carrying ten tons of cyanide along long winding roads while trying to obey or evade the rules of the road has stolen the hearts of many gamers and there’s little doubt that the American version will be as oddly enjoyable.

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Developer: Runestorm
Publisher: Runestorm
Expected release: Early Access, 2015
At one point or another we’ve all wondered: “Who has to clean up the space station that I just killed six-hundred demons with a chainsaw and a rocket launcher?” Viscera Cleanup Detail provides an answer for that question and the answer is “you.” This game offers a cheeky jab at the action/shoot-em-up genre where the devil’s in the details.

Wishingful Thinking list

Kingdom Hearts 3

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Expected release: “When it’s ready.”
Kingdom Hearts 2 came out for the PS2. The series managed to spend so much time making this game that they missed the entire lifespan of the PS3 and will now make its way to the PS4. Finally we have seen gameplay videos in addition to the confirmation that no spin offs will be created at least until “Kingdom Hearts 3” is released. There was a recent interview with its head director and it was clear he is exhausted with the project, the expectations it has, and the fans constantly badgering him for a release date. One can hope it will be here for the holidays, but it unfortunately does not seem likely. We should know more by E3.
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The Order: 1886

Developer: Ready at Dawn, SCE Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Expected release: February 2015
One of the games that was announced simultaneously with the PS4, The Order: 1886 looks to be a third person shooter in a steampunk universe that has horror game elements to it. The reason it hits this part of the list is my worry for how good it will be. It clearly has a big budget and would be shocked if it was terrible, but I worry for its chances of being anything grand. The gameplay shown does not look like anything new and amazing but perhaps the actual game will surprise us.

The Division

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Reflections
Publisher: Ubisoft
Expected release: 2015?
Everything seen of The Division makes it look phenomenal, whether it be its beautiful graphics, fun Borderlands-esque gameplay, or multiplayer fluidity. Though demos have been known to lie to us about the game’s actual graphics, I still hold high hopes that “The Division” will be a great and gorgeous looking game. The company advertises on their Facebook page that it will be coming later this year but the lack of a confirmed release date and the buildup of expectations its receiving instills me with doubt.

Evolve

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Expected release: Feb. 10
Evolve has come into some recently well deserved criticism for its DLC based model where players are expected to pay a whopping $60 to buy the base game and then pony up more money if they want to play the additional monster and two hunters that come in the $99.99 pack. However the game is still a fun and interesting game of cat and mouse, only the mouse is two stories tall and the cats have an arsenal of highly specialized weapons. In a way, it’s like a Sci-Fi version of the Left 4 Dead series and we can only hope it has the same longevity.

Cyberpunk 2077

Developer: CD Projekt RED
Publisher: CD Projekt RED
Expected release: TBA
A cinematic for this game was released back in January of 2013 but not a word of it has been spoken since then. It is the same team behind the Witcher series so likely they have been putting more of their focus into that. Since Witcher 3 releases in March, it is likely that we will be getting a glimpse of the progress of this game at E3 this summer.

Half Life 2: Episode 3/Half Life 3

Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Expected release: In an alternate reality.
Popularized on the Internet as that game that will never happen but what people will not stop talking about, the Half Life series has been leaving people wanting more since Half Life 2: Episode 3. Valve knows they will make money off of it, but with the last game having come out over 7 years ago, whatever is next (if anything) will have to be something new entirely in terms of core mechanics to keep up with the times. Still, the world of the Half Life series has been one of its definitive features that we wish to go back to and explore more of. Maybe someday.