What a quiet first couple weeks of 2014, right? Too quiet. Wondering where all the games are? Don’t worry, whether you own a current-gen console or previous-gen console, PC or iPad, there are plenty of big games getting ready to drop in 2014. Here are just a taste of what you should be excited for.
10. Broken Age
For all intents and purposes, the Kickstarter revolution was ignited when Double Fine Productions was able to earn $3.45 million–an unthinkable amount to make in the crowdsourcing scene two years ago–for their point-and-click adventure game. Fast forward to January 2014 and Broken Age’s first half is primed to drop as part of a Steam season pass. It may not be a finished product, but nonetheless Broken Age’s release will be very carefully watched by Kickstarter naysayers. There’s a lot of pressure on this little point-and-click adventure.
9. Watch Dogs
There are always plenty of delays in video games, but the biggest–or at least, highest profile–delay in 2013 was when Ubisoft pushed it’s open-world vigilante story to Q2 2014. The delay might have turned some people off from Watch Dogs, but Ubisoft has shown a commitment to quality in the last year and deserve the benefit of the doubt given their recent history. Watch Dogs had fans and journalists drooling at E3 2012 and 2013, a six month delay might be just what the game needed to make it a can’t miss current-gen title.
8. Child of Light
While we’re on the Ubisoft band wagon, 2014 boasts another interesting title in the publisher’s platforming-RPG Child of Light. Telling a coming-of-age story, the game uses the gorgeous UbiArt in-house engine that has been so effectively used in the Rayman series. It is nice to see Ubisoft taking risks and Child of Light looks like it could be a surprise charmer in 2014.
7. Dying Light
I was pretty skeptical of Techland’s upcoming zombie thriller, I get pretty skeptical whenever I hear the word “zombie” being thrown around. It wasn’t until I had spent some time hands-on with Dying Light that I became a believer. Dying Light is zombies done right, making you feel helpless instead of empowered. My time spent running from the undead was a tense thrill ride that left my nerves fried…and wanting more.
6. Transistor
After the success of Super Giant’s hit game Bastion, the studio returns with a new strategy RPG scheduled for release in 2014. Titled Transistor, the game tells the story of a girl named Red and her talking sword. Trading Bastion’s fantasy elements for a more sci-fi look, Transistor’s art style still captures the beauty for which Bastion was so highly acclaimed. Transistor looks like a strong follow up for what is becoming one of the most interesting independent studios.
5. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
The growth of the Witcher series from game to game is one of the most interesting journeys in video game development. Starting as a PC-centric, hardcore action-RPG, the game garnered a small but devoted following. Then, after The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings began to gain traction with critics and fans alike, the series blew wide open when the sequel made its way to the Xbox 360. Fast forward a couple years and The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is one of the most anticipated RPGs of the year, vibrantly showing off the power of the new generation and proving that Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls don’t hold a monopoly on fantasy storytelling.
4. Massive Chalice
The second of Double Fine’s kickstarter successes is a fascinating blend of RPG and strategy as players venture on epic quests and grand adventures not with just one character, but a line of descendants. Game director Brad Muir’s vision of a blend between Crusader Kings and X-COM: Enemy Unknown garnered over $1 million through Kickstarter and began one of the most open design processes in gaming history. Let’s hope the final product is equally as interesting.
3. Elder Scrolls Online
There have been few games that have boasted the immersion and investment of the single player adventures set in the fantasy world of Tamriel, but when Bethesda announced a plan to bring their world to the massive multiplayer front, it signaled the biggest arrival to the scene since World of Warcraft had established its dominance. Translating the single player experience to the multiplayer world is an interesting transition and it will be fascinating to see how Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios pull it off.
2. Infamous: Second Son
When Sucker Punch showed off their third entry to the Infamous trilogy at the Sony PlayStation 4 reveal nearly a year ago, it got plenty of attention. As more and more of the game has been revealed behind closed doors, the response continues to be overwhelmingly positive. Infamous: Second Son is a chance to make Sucker Punch’s niche superhero world an icon of the Sony library and set the bar for quality in this generation.
1. Titanfall
When I saw Titanfall announced at EA’s E3 press conference, I found it to be an eye-rolling affair. It looked like just another shooter. As the positive reviews came in about the game’s mile-a-minute pacing and creative design, I began to change from skeptical to cautiously optimistic. When I finally got to play the game myself, I felt Titanfall was shooter meant to end the reign Call of Duty has enjoyed at the top of the console-shooter market. Titanfall looks like the game meant to move new consoles and show everyone how the same old shooter can be made new again.
That’s a pretty impressive list, but it’s far from complete. Here are some other games you might be jacked about in the upcoming year:
Bayonetta 2
The Crew
Destiny
The Evil Within
Fantasia Music Evolved
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Mad Max
Lords of the Fallen
Rime
Sleeping Dogs: Triad Wars
Sunset Overdrive
The Order: 1886
Valiant Hearts
The Witness
That should whet your appetite. Did we miss something you can’t wait for? Think this top ten is bogus? Let us know what you are most excited about in 2014.
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