10 Games to get excited about in 2015

2015 is among us and we are in for one hell of a year.

Whatever your preferred genre, it’s almost certain you have something to look forward to and an empty wallet by December. So here’s our short list of exciting games in 2015 that are sure to make an impact throughout the rest of the year.

Batman: Arkham Knight (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Release date: June 2nd 2015

Batman Arkham Knight Fight

London-based developer Rocksteady aim to see out their hugely successful take on the Batman universe with the “ultimate Batman simulator”. The Batmobile finally makes its arrival and looks to be a key tool in The Dark Knight’s arsenal this time around. You’ll need it as the map is apparently an impressive 5 timeslarger than Arkham City’s. Rocksteady have even been working alongside DC to debut a new villain in the universe. Not much is known about The Arkham Knight apart from that he acts as a kind of Anti-Batman with a more mechanical-looking high tech suit. Either way, old Bruce has his work cut out for him when the game launches in June.

The Division (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Release date: ??? 2015 the division street

Built in Ubisoft Massive’s impressive Snowdrop engine, The Division certainly looks the part. The world is filled with immense detail thanks to the engine’s excellent global illumination and The Division features co-op gameplay, RPG style character levelling and subtle door closing. In a similar way to Destiny, player squads will encounter each other in public events and battle while waiting for extraction and other situations. Ubisoft had a tough 2014, taking criticism for the state of Assassin’s Creed Unity on launch, apparent downgraded graphics with Watchdogs and lackluster reviews for The Crew. So the question is can The Division hold up with the hype? Will it look as good as it does now? We hope so, because it looks great.

Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One)

Release date: Q3 2015

Halo 5 Beta Menu Feature

With December’s successful beta, everyone who bought The Master Chief Collection got a taste of what’s to come in the Spartan’s next outing. Gone are the Armour Abilities and custom loadouts, 343i took the decision to bring Halo back to its roots and level the playing field but with a few of their own new twists. The new Spartan abilities are available to every player at all times and improve player mobility much like Titanfall or CoD: Advanced Warfare. Speaking of which, Halo now adopts left trigger for its own take on aim down sights (aptly named Smart Scope), in which every weapon can now zoom including the Assault Rifle and SMG.

We’ve got a while to wait but from what 343i is has displayed so far Halo 5: Guardians looks to be a big step in a new direction for the franchise…And we like it.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Release date: September 1st 2015

snake aim phantom pain

The hotly anticipated follow up to 2014’s Ground Zeroes is said to be a staggering 100 times larger than its predecessor, according to stealth espionage action guru Hideo Kojima. A lot has changed within the franchise, including the controversial choice to give David Hayter the boot and bring in Kiefer Sutherland. The Phantom Pain does look as though it will carry over its over-the-top and silly elements such as a supernatural bikini-donning sniper and chicken hats for players on a bad streak.

Metal Gear Online is also set to return, complete with pilot-able mechs and puppy toys…Because Hideo Kojima.

No Man’s Sky (PC, PS4)

Release date: ??? 2015

no mans sky red foliage

Easily the most intriguing title on this list, No Man’s Sky is a space exploration FPS throws players into the furthest corner of the universe and tasks them to…well explore.

While there is a whole lot left to know about No Man’s Sky, a Reddit user has compiled a handy list of features currently confirmed for the game along with links to their sources. What is known is that all players will share the same universe and collectively discover an almost endless number of procedurally generated planets, species, weapons and ships. What’s most impressive is that a game of such massive scale is being developed by Joe Danger creator Hello Games…A team of TEN people.

Project CARS (PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One)

Release date: April 2nd 2015

project cars aston martin

Originally a crowd funded project (pardon the pun) from British developer Slight Mad Studios, Projects CARS is a racing simulator that will feature 52 race tracks and 67 cars to pick from. Naturally, as a community-driven game it already has a large following and has grown a even bigger following thanks to the game’s many delays.

It’s a visually stunning game with a hell of a lot of content. Not only does pCARS offer a vast number of tracks and cars to enjoy, but also features dynamic weather and lighting, allowing a massive amount of driving gameplay variants and enabling the possibility to night races.

Rainbow Six: Siege (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Release date: ??? 2015

rainbow six siege wall breach

Ubisoft’s second entry on this list, Siege bucks the trend of recent shooters fast-paced run and gun styles. Siege looks to remain a slower, heavily tactical first person shooter. Ubisoft has been keen to show off the new 5v5 Hostage Rescue mode in which terrorists have 3 minutes to fortify a stronghold and protect a hostage while the team of counter-terrorists plan and execute their assault. The gameplay shows off the new proceudral destruction mechanic which allows players to fire through/breach any wall, ceiling, floor. Basically, if you can see it, you can blow it up.

Siege follows the previously announced Rainbow Six Patriots, which eventually got cancelled to pave the way for this new vision for an online-focused title. From what we’ve seen so far, Siege looks as though it could revive tactical shooters and regain some fans for Ubisoft after a lackluster 2014.

Star Wars Battlefront (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Release date: ??? 2015

dice star wars battlefront

It’s always disappointing to hear that a game has been cancelled, especially when tied to a franchise as big as Star Wars. When you hear that said game also included seamless land-air-space transport and battles, that’s just a kick in the teeth.

Thankfully the Battlefront series has been resurrected by EA and is being developed by Swedish Battlefield veterans DICE. With only a CG trailer to go by, it’s enough to get fans of both Star Wars and more specifically previous Battlefront games all giddy with excitement with the thought of returning to high definition locations such as Hoth to take down some AT-AT’s.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

Release date: ??? 2015

nathan drake forest draw

Naughty Dog’s history of massively successful franchises looks like it is set to continue with the fourth installment of the Uncharted series. There will undoubtedly be pressure for them to deliver after Nathan Drake’s previous adventures and the triumph of The Last of Us, but from the 15 minutes of gameplay that we’ve seen so far…Yeah. It looks pretty damn good.

Stunning character models and breathtaking environments coupled with high-octane action, slick stealth and smooth shooting mechanics all prove that Naughty Dog deserves the title as one of the best developers in the world…And we can’t wait to get our hands on that grappling hook.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Release date: May 19th 2015

Witcher 3 Village Fight

If you’ve been following The Witcher’s press releases so far, you’ll know that it is set to feature one of the most gorgeous looking fantasy worlds in the history of games. Polish developer CD Projekt has delayed the game twice already but explained the reason for the delay is to simply clean it up from bugs and glitches as it is far larger than anticipated. Considering the recent backlash of Assassin’s Creed Unity and other titles criticised as being “unfinished” on release, this may be a smart choice. CD Projekt are winning fans and gamer loyalty for their decisions, including their choice to release all DLC packs for free.