Top 10 anticipated games of 2015

By Austin Miller | @AMiller_DE | Daily Egyptian

Heading into a new year, gamers are rife with excitement and anticipation. A new year means a new slate of video games. Any problems of last year are forgotten with the hope of new games for everyone to spend money on. These are the 10 I can’t wait to empty my wallet for.

10) Mario Party 10

Coming in at the 10 spot is the 10th installment of Nintendo’s popular party game. After an awesome year, Nintendo is poised for big 2015. They will release a new Legend of Zelda, as well as Yoshi, Kirby and Starfox titles in 2015. But Mario Party makes the list because of its history of fun and simplicity. Players navigate a virtual game board and compete various mini-games, all in pursuit of collecting stars. The player who has the most stars after the last turn wins. Mario Party veterans know to never get too attached to stars, because they will be stolen by competitors you once considered friends. Friendships will be tested, and most likely broken when Mario Party 10 launches on March 20.

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9) Cuphead

The first brand new game of the list belongs to Cuphead. Aside from the game’s looks and its story, not much else is known about the game. Players control a character who, as expected, has a cup for a head, which lost a bet with the devil. But the aesthetics are what makes Cuphead so interesting. It looks exactly like an original Walt Disney cartoon from the 1930s. Maybe the urban legend of Disney being cryogenically frozen were true. Maybe he was thawed and secretly began working on video games. While extremely unlikely, Cuphead appears to be the long lost twin of Steamboat Willie, so maybe it is the chance to attract Grandma to play games.

8) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher franchise has always been known to have the best graphics in gaming, which showcases the truly open world. The horse riding option in the previous games has a new feature exciting many, which is full combat while mounted. Riding a steed with swords and spells ablaze should be enough to get gamers in the door. The Witcher 3 is the final game on the Polish fantasy novels of the same name, and will surely end up on many lists as the best game of the year.

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7) Halo 5: Guardians

The Halo series has been in flux since creators Bungie gave control of the franchise to Microsoft after 2010’s Halo: ReachHalo 4 was released in 2012 by a new studio, 343 Industries, to lukewarm reception. Last year’s botched launch of The Master Chief Collection only furthered the idea Halo wasn’t good anymore. But after playing the Halo 5 beta, it appears Halo is due to make a splash in 2015. The game certainly looks great, but has also been changed slightly to resemble modern first-person shooters While the changes will anger some, it will also bring in a new audience who has never went into battle as the Master Chief.

6) Star Wars: Battlefront

To the dismay of many wannabe Jedis, there has not been a good Star Wars game since Star Wars Battlefront 2 10 years ago. But developers DICE, creators of the Battlefield series, hope to change the tide. The Battlefield franchise is known for massive battles, with vehicles and destructible environments. Fans are excited to swap Iraq for Hoth, and jets and tanks for X-wings and AT-ATs. Releasing alongside Episode Seven: The Force Awakens, 2015 will be a big year for Star Wars.

5) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Based on the series by late author Tom Clancy, Rainbow Six has been a popular game franchise too. The games have always put players in control of a tactical anti-terrorist squad, but Siege is different. Now, gamers will be members of a hostage rescue team. Cooperation is the most important tactic to save the hostage, which is expected with a Rainbow Six game. It is one of the few first-person shooters to not reward being a lone wolf and has done so for many years. Siege is supposed to hit shelves this year, but it may be delayed since it was only announced last year.

4) Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Hotline Miami was a game that came out of nowhere and surprised a lot of people in 2012. Sporting a neon look influenced by the 2011 crime noir film DriveHotline Miami turned out to be a top-down game unlike anyone has ever seen. Top-down games, like Pac-Man, have usually been games for people of all ages, but kids should not be within 100 feet of the game; it is violent with a capital V. Both the player and enemies are defeated with just one hit, creating a bloody, brutal puzzle. Think Manhunt meets PortalHotline Miami 2 was supposed to come out in December 2014, so it should be available fairly soon.

3) No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is definitely the most ambitious game of 2015 and maybe of all time. No Man’s Sky is a procedurally generated open universe game. Not open world – open universe. Procedurally generated is just a fancy way of saying each person’s console will create its own planets and environments. Developer Hello Games said there are 18 quintillion, a number with 20 digits, possible planets to explore! That number is so big it can only be read in Dr. Evil’s voice. By the time our sun dies, the game will still not have been completely explored by one person. It’s weird for something so dark to be so exciting. Destiny was supposed to be the massive, sci-fi exploration game last year, but only delivered a bare bones experience with a couple hours of content. Whereas, No Man’s Sky is literally giving enough content to last until the end of the world. The game needs speed up its release because we are on the clock.

2) Batman: Arkham Knight

The Arkham franchise has given Batman some of his greatest stories. These games are just as good as the best movies and comics. Developer Rocksteady has been given a ton of leeway with the Batman mythology, including (SPOILER ALERT) killing the Joker in 2011’s Arkham City. They have also created a new, original character for Batman to deal with, the Arkham Knight. All citizens of Gotham have been evacuated after Scarecrow littered bombs throughout the city, leaving Batman and the police to stop a new alliance between villains. Aside from the interesting story, the Batmobile is a drivable vehicle, making the childhood fantasies a reality for many.

1) Tom Clancy’s The Division

The Division is the second game in 2015 to use Tom Clancy’s name, and both seem like a better tribute to the late writer than the terrible Jack Ryan movie from last year. The Division is set in the ultimate nightmare of germophobes and hermits. On Black Friday, a disease is quickly spread across the United States; collapsing the country in just 5 days. It is up to one group, I guess you could call it a division, to restore some sense of order from before. The Divisionemphasizes teamwork and strategy, similar to Rainbow Six Siege, which seems like it may be a new trend. Just seeing the trailers released at the last two Electronic Entertainment Expos are enough for my money. Hopefully, The Division, and the other 9 games on this list appear on my 10 best of 2015.

Austin Miller can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @AMiller_DE

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