Most Anticipated Video Games of 2014

2013 saw two new amazing consoles land in the market. 2014 will see developers using the new tools and extra power to come out with games, with even better graphics. I pick the games, I’m looking forward to most.

1. Titanfall

This is by far one of the most anticipated games of 2014. A FPS with giant robots, what more could any man want?! The game is an online- multiplayer only game. Judging by the trailer and initial response, the game is action packed, with abilities to run on walls and hijack mechs. If you are still not convinced, the fact that the game won over 60 awards at its E3 2013 reveal, including a record-breaking six E3 Critics Awards should convince to put it on your must buy list.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Launch Date: 14 March 2014

2. Destiny

This game has been creating hype for quite some time now. Initially expected to come out in 2013 (It was included in our last year’s list too), the game is now coming in September. With BUNGIE behind the game (The studio that brought us Halo 1-3) along with Activision, expectations are bound to be high.

Players create a custom Guardian avatar, choosing from powerful hunters, warlocks, and titans, and set out to defend the last city on Earth using a combination of weapons and magic. Will bungie once again reinvent FPS? Time will tell.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: 9 September 2014

3. Watch Dogs

This is the game I have been waiting for, originally scheduled for a November 2013 release, the game has been pushed to mid-2014. Forget iOS vs Android. In Watch Dogs’ future, everyone is jacked into a centralized operating system, which means that the game’s hacker protagonist (Aiden Pearce) has access to the digital lives of the entire city. The game blends on-foot stealth and action gameplay with driving (more than 65 vehicles are available!), allowing players to work their way through the overarching storyline any way they wish. And multiplayer allows players to hack into other player's games and toy with them in different ways.

Being a fan of the CBS hit show, Person of Interest, the similar theme excites me a lot. While the TV show is set in New York City and this game takes place in Chicago. Moreover, with the recent NSA spying revelations, Watch Dogs launches at an interesting time.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: 30 June 2014

4. South Park: The Stick of Truth

This game has been delayed more time than any other, hopefully the final release will occur soon for what may be the first worthwhile South Park game ever made – and potentially even a decent role-playing game. The game supposedly turns the foul-mouthed boys into wizards, warriors and auctoritas.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Launch Date: 7 March 2014

5. Dark Souls II

The original game took the world by surprise in 2012, making the sequel highly anticipated. The game like its predecessor, is an action role-playing open world video game. The story will revolve around a cursed character trying to find a cure for their agony, and will be emotional and involved in the fashion of the original Demon's Souls's story. Miyazaki (who served as director on Demon's Souls and Dark Souls) stated there will be no direct connection between Dark Souls and Dark Souls II. The game will use its own dedicated multiplayer servers.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Launch Date: 14 March 2014

6. Game of Thrones

Very little is known about this game, but with Telltale behind the game expectations are sky high. The game developer is trying to take the same approach that it did with ‘The Walking Dead, which saw the game earn 90 Game of the Year awards in 2012 and apply it to Game of Thrones. The game makers are working with HBO to deliver an episodic adventure that follows George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy book series.

While not much has been revealed about this just-announced game, it's expected to deliver virtual seasons of interactivity as players explore Westeros and the seven noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. A key component of most Telltale's games are the interpersonal relationships among characters and the hard decisions that need to be made. Game of Thrones is the perfect suit for this type of gameplay. Highly Excited!

Platform: TBA
Launch Date: TBA 2014

7. Dragon Age: Inquisition

I’m a huge fan of the Dragon Age series and consider it to be one of the best RPG’s to play. Bioware has supposedly worked on the criticism that Dragon Age II received, and promised a much wider scope and much more developed role-playing elements, while blending elements from the highly successful first game.The hopes of the fans are high on this one!

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: Q3 2014

8. Metal Gear Solid V

The Metal Gear franchise is one of which no one can have had enough. Every sequel introduces fundamentally new concepts/ideas while killing a few things you loved from the prequels. Metal Gear Solid V's addition to the franchise, will be an open world map design and a much less linear structure.

The game is supposedly so big, that Konami is splitting the release into two parts. A "prologue" called Ground Zeroes will be released in March. The full game, The Phantom Pain, will be released... at some point, later.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: 18 March and TBA 2014.

9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Developer CD Projekt has created the third game in its bestselling franchise exclusively for PC and next-gen consoles. This game is a must for Skyrim fans, gamers who love massive RPG’s with nonlinear story lines.

But what will ultimately draw gamers is the deep and complex nature of the game's storyline. Gamers will be challenged to make hard choices throughout the epic adventure as the world evolves based on each decision that the protagonist, Geralt. There will also be plenty of vicious monsters to slay, inspired by European ghost stories and Celtic legend. A dynamic weather system and day/night cycle impacts the gameplay, as some creatures only come out in the dark. This game promises to deliver the first truly next-gen fantasy role-playing experience.

Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Launch Date: Q2 2014

10. Broken Age

This one is for the point and click adventure fans! With the legendry game designer Tim Schafer (the man behind Monkey Island, Grim Fandago, Full Throttle) returning, the hopes are high for this game. The Kickstarter fund gives a  good idea of the hopes behind this game, the developers set out with a $400,000 goal but with thousands of people backing, managed to raise a whooping $3,336,371! This game better be good..

The first episode is out in January though and the second in May.

Platform: PC, iOS, Android

Launch Date: 14 January 2014 and 14 May 2014

11. X

How time has changed the dynamics. Nintendo basically was forced by the fans to release the gorgeous, fun RPG Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, and now its follow-up is one of the most anticipated titles for Wii U. Even if X is as good as its predecessor, it still probably won't sell many copies. But, at least it'll give content-starved Wii U owners the kind of lengthy single-player adventure that the system has sorely lacked thus far.

Platform: Wii U

Launch Date: TBA 2014

12. inFAMOUS: Second Sons

One of the few PS4 exclusive that caught the eye of the gamers at the PS4 launch. From the gameplay trailer I saw released by PlayStation, it looks incredibly amazing. The graphics are awesome, you can jump from a building and use your fire hands to lift you upwards and the animation when you kill people is freakin cool!!!

Platform: PS4

Launch Date: 21 March 2014

13. The Division

A disease has wreaked havoc in the US, triggering a complete social breakdown. It’s up to you now to sort it out. This online multiple tactical shooter + role playing game looks to be one of the most exciting prospects of the year. One of the most graphically impressive next gen games at last year’s E3, this new Tom Clancy third person shooter is also extremely ambitious in terms of its online features and smart device connectivity.

Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Launch Date: Q4 2014

14. Dying Light

Zombies were the fad of 2012-13. But it’s getting a bit boring now. Still, Techland has given the zombie apocalypse horror game another go and the result looks pretty entertaining.

In this fast paced game, you play a man who tries to survive against the zombies that grow aggressive and dangerous everyday especially at night, you have to scavenge and hunt for tools to make weapons and fight them.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: TBA 2014

15. Thief

Thief is an upcoming stealth action-adventure game that focuses on Garrett, a master thief. This is the fourth game in the series. The reason it's on the list is because you can do all sorts of things that is awesome. Firstly, you can pickpocket someone and turn into smoke, secondly, you can be as free as you like in the game, you choose your own paths and you choose your fate in the game. Sadly, the game only has a campaign mode and no multiplayer mode.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 3, PS4

Launch Date: 25 February 2014

Honorable Mentions:

1. The Walking Dead Season 2 and the Wolf Among Us by Telltale.

2. The Elder Scrolls Online (4 February 2013) on PC, Xbox One and PS4.

3. The Order: 1886 on PS4.

4. Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One.

5. The Witness on PS4 and PC, by Jonathan Blow (creator of Braid)

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Most Anticipated Video Games of 2013

Although 2013 has just taken off, it's already shaping up to be a weird year for the gaming industry. It’s the end of the current generation’s console cycle, and that means graphics - like everything else - has reached its limit. It looks like Microsoft and Sony will try to squeeze one more year out of their current gaming consoles before the Xbox 720 and PS4 make it into the market. Meanwhile, Nintendo will be trying to get its new hardware, the Wii U, off the ground. But despite the turbulent environment - the list of big game releases still looks quite encouraging.

It goes without saying that PCs are on the forefront of videogame development as they aren’t anywhere as constrained as their console counterparts. They are at least half a decade ahead of the pack – which allows developers to make use of high resolution textures and detailed physics engines.

Here are 15 of the most anticipated video games of 2013.

1. Dead Space 3

The nerve chilling sci-fi third-person shooter is back and promises to be more terrifying than ever. Isaac Clarke is returning to Necromorph territory more prepared than ever. Teaming up with his buddy John Carver, Isaac intends to discover the root cause of all Necromorphs and permanently eviscerate the abominations from the universe. Fans can anticipate Dead Space 3 to honor the series’ identity of horror and brutality. Dead Space 3 also introduces new co-op play, where you can play as Isaac and John together with your friends.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: February, 2013

2. Crysis 3

Crysis 3 sees Prophet return to a post-apocalypse New York to finally take his revenge on the corrupt Cell Corporation. Veering away from the corridor shooter gameplay of the second Crysis, Crysis 3 is set to offer wide open spaces in a New York City overrun by flora and fauna. Players can expect to be able to utilize free-form strategies against AI opponents as they traverse through the wide open areas.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: February, 2013

3. Grand Theft Auto V

GTA V will be the first game in the series that allows players to assume the role of three different main characters - Michael, Trevor and Franklin. A gaming world said to be bigger than the environments of Red Dead Redemption, GTA: San Andreas and GTA 4 combined. And if all that wasn't enough, Rockstar is also promising to redefine open-world multiplayer.

Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: Q2 2013

4. Bioshock Infinite

The game was originally scheduled for a 2012 release, but the necromancers over at Irrational Games pushed this highly ambitious title into 2013. BioShock Infinite introduces a whole new environment, the game is set in the floating sky-city of Columbia, a metropolis shrouded in clouds and secrets. Gamers will play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent with a rugged yet handsome look. Matching its predecessors will be no easy task, but a floating fortress in the midst of a civil war has certainly caught my interest.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita

Release date: March, 2013

5. Sim City

As the name suggests, SimCity is a reboot of the classic city-building sandbox, and the first true sequel since 2004. Just think of the leaps in processing power that computers have made since then, and imagine how much more detailed your little metropolis could be. It’ll be all the more devastating when a UFO comes and ruins everything.

Platforms: PC, Mac

Release date: March, 2013

6. Watch Dogs

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the same team responsible for Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed, comes Watch Dogs, a hacking and surveillance sandbox game. Forget iOS vs Android. In Watch Dogs’ future, everyone is jacked into a centralized operating system, which means that the game’s hacker protagonist has access to the digital lives of the entire city. To complement the typical open-world fare of shooting and driving, the game will allow players to eavesdrop on cell phone conversations, manipulate city infrastructure, and even just look up the names of passersby.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: TBA 2013

7. Starcraft II: Heart Of The Swarm

Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm is the first expansion pack to Starcraft II, and the second chapter in a planned trilogy of games. The game's campaign takes place after the events of the first game and you take on the role of Sarah Kerrigan and the Zerg race in an all new single-player campaign. The multiplayer is also set to get some major additions with new buildings, units, and associated strategies.

Platforms: PC, Mac

Release date: March, 2013

8. Remember Me

It’s delightfully uncomfortable to think about Remember Me’s setting of 2084 Paris, where surveillance is everywhere, privacy doesn’t exist, and certain people—including the game’s protagonist, Nilin - have the power to change people’s memories. With former Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six and Heavy Rain staff overseeing its development, Remember Me should strike a nice balance between action and storytelling.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: May, 2013

9.  Gears of War: Judgment

Another game, another prequel. This time, it’s the Gears of War franchise. Gears of War: Judgement takes place before the events of the original trilogy, with Baird and his team brought to trial for disobeying orders. Add in class-based multiplayer, and what you have is a prequel full of surprises.

Platforms: Xbox 360

Release date: March, 2013

10. The Cave

The Cave sees seven characters from across time and space - including an adventurer, a knight, time-traveller and a scientist - join forces to explore a Cave that magically brings their desires, hopes and dreams to life. Did I mention that The Cave is the brainchild of the maker of adventure classics Day of the Tentacle and Maniac Mansion? Could this be 2013's must-have downloadable release?

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U

Release date: January, 2013

11. 0x10c

Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, has a twist in mind for its sci-fi MMO: At the core of every player’s spaceship is a fully programmable 16-bit computer. At best, 0x10c’s CPUs will spark the same type of creativity that made Minecraft a huge hit.

Platform: PC

Release date: TBA 2013

12. Destiny

Little is known about the next big game from Bungie, the studio that created Halo. What people have heard so far outlines a story about an alien invasion, and a sci-fi universe that aspires to be as epic in scale as Star Wars. We’ll see about that - but Bungie’s track record is enough to keep us listening.

Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: TBA 2013

13. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Developed by Platinum Studios with input from Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Rising combines a thrilling combat system with an insane story. It's also extremely violent - thanks to a brutal, albeit enormously fun limb-slicing system - and incredibly challenging. Is "revengeance" even a word? I’m not sure, but action and Metal Gear fans are in for a treat in 2013.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: February, 2013

14. God of War: Ascension

God of War: Ascension is the next in line for the popular God of War series, exclusive to the PlayStation 3 console system. Taking place six months after Kratos killed his wife and child, God of War: Ascension promises to reveal a more human side to Sony's ancient Greek anti-hero, before he was consumed by a desire for revenge. The game will also have the newly introduced multiplayer system.

Platforms:  PS3

Release date: March, 2013

15. Tomb Raider

The highly-anticipated Tomb Raider reboot reveals how Lara Croft became the fearless treasure-hunting heroine we've all come to know and love. Shipwrecked on a hostile island and without her usual highly-developed skillset, it's not going to be an easy ride, especially with scavengers, wolves and booby-trapped temples to contend with. Seriously. Lara Croft has been around for 16 years and, in recent years, has really shown her age, hopefully that will change with this game.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release date: March, 2013

I’m well aware that this list is non-exhaustive. There are many more grand releases set for 2013 such as  Prison Architect, The Last of Us, Total War: Rome 2, Beyond: Two Souls, DmC: Devil May Cry, The Elder Scrolls Online, Metro: Last Light and many others. Feel free to discuss in the comments below.

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