It’s the return (again) of Friday Feeling – your weekly slice of gaming’s past, present and future. This week, Dave takes a look at 5 games that are guaranteed to be leaving a hefty dent in your bank account in 2015. Read on, brave soul!
5) THE WITCHER 3
It’s been delayed a number of times but HEY, Witcher 3? That just makes me want you MORE. I’m glad for the delays, too often over the last couple of years we’ve been served up ambitious games that simply weren’t ready for release (Hello Drive Club! Is that Assassin’s Creed Unity you’ve brought to this shindig!?) and The Witcher 3 is ambitious. A bigger game-world than the mighty Skyrim, with more density, a stronger storyline and a sandbox that feels more alive than other games of its ilk is promised. It’s going to be big, it’s going to be brutal and it’s going to be AWESOME.
4) HALO 5 GUARDIANS
I know some folk don’t like Halo (seriously, why?) but even the most ardent Master Chief-denier can’t argue with the sheer pull of Microsoft’s flagship series – and Halo 5 Guardians is, without a doubt, going to be one of 2015’s BIGGEST sellers of units and shiny, new consoles. Developer 343 means business too, the Halo 5 multiplayer beta has already been and gone, proving to be a success with the fanatic Halo community; refining things the fans love and nailing some new additions. Hopefully the online problems that have plagued The Master Chief Collection won’t make a reappearance later on this year. The campaign is still wrapped in secrecy – Master Chief and newcomer Agent Locke are both confirmed as playable, so expect some Halo 2 style character-hopping shenanigans and the story to carry on from Halo 4’s downbeat ending.
3) STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT
EA are adamant that this is coming out this year, and they’d be fools not to with Episode VII aka The Force Awakens BLASTING into cinemas this December. It’s been in development over at DICE for around 3 years, so why haven’t we seen anything? Answer: THE FILM. Director JJ Abrams loves secrecy and hates spoilers of any kind with an earth-melting, laser-hot RAGE – and rumour has it (the irony!) that Star Wars Battlefront takes place over the course of the original trilogy and, you guessed it, The Force Awakens. In fact, secrets from the game’s development were allegedly leaked last week, which revealed a few snippets from the upcoming movie. Maybe our mate Abrams is right, then? There’s a new trailer for the film due to drop in April, so expect EA to go big with this at E3; there’s no reason this shouldn’t be the Battlefront game we’ve always wanted – ground to space combat at all of those iconic locations and characters, EA have the money and DICE have had more than enough time to fulfil Battlefront’s potential.
2) ZELDA WII U
Do you have a Wii U? This might tempt you then – just look how beautiful it looks! I think the console is the perfect companion to an Xbox One or PS4 (or PC while we’re at it), as Nintendo are a company that march to the beat of their own drum and the as yet untitled Wii U Zelda is set to be the crown jewel in a console that already has the best Mario Kart, Smash Brothers and 3D Mario in YEARS. After the reception of the Wii’s Zelda: Skyward Sword was unfairly lukewarm, Nintendo are looking at redefining what a home-console Zelda game is; building on those pillars of combat, puzzles and dungeon exploring with true open-world discovery and character. Gameplay footage has so far been stunning and I will cry and cry and cry and stamp my feet if I’m not playing this by the end of the year, OK Nintendo!?
1) BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT
It’s been strangely quiet on the Arkham Knight front ahead of its June 2nd release date, but the key here is that it’s coming out pre-E3 – this is the calm before the storm. I’m a little concerned that I already know (or think I know) too much about the story of Rocksteady’s trilogy capper but I DO know that I can’t wait to play it. Rocksteady are approaching their final Batman game, crucially, on their own terms; crafting it for next-gen and super PCs only and delaying for more time as they needed. We’re only 4 months out from finding out how the Dark Knight’s story ends and for Rocksteady to confirm their place amongst the gaming industries elite developers. Will Batman survive? Will the Batmobile be a horrible mess? Is the Arkham Knight Jason Todd (yes). We’re tantalisingly close to our answers.
– Dave Green @davidpgreen83
That’s just a taste of things to come this year without evening mentioning the likes of Bloodborne, Quantum Break, Fable Legends, Pillars of Eternity, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Uncharted 4 and the countless horde that will be announced E3 time (FALLOUT 4). What are YOU looking forwards to the most from our merry band?
