WHO'S GOT 2014 BAGGED???

WHO HAS 2014 IN THE BAG??

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DRIVE CLUB

This online racing game is coming to us free of charge as the calendar turns to the new year. The game’s being developed by Evolution Studios and is a bit different from the previous racing games they’ve developed. This isn’t meant to be a simulator, but more of an arcade racing game.

The open world racer combines elements of cooperative sandbox play that promises to entertain any fans of racing games. If you’re looking for a game where you can just drop in and race with, or against your friends without having to go through the process of selecting and tuning your car to just the right adjustments and want to get right into the action, this games’ definitely for you.

The Witness

Jonathan Blow, the developer behind hit indie games like Braid is working on on puzzle game that is based on a island. The game was initially scheduled for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 but it ended up on the PlayStation 4. The Witness was first how at the PS4 reveal event back in February this year and will be a timed exclusive. Blow believes “the point is the magic that happens in the player’s mind when he understands the subtle things that the mazes are saying – because the mazes aren’t just puzzles, they are lines of communication that aggregate, become more complex and eventually say surprising things”.

Deep Down

Capcom’s free to play PlayStation 4 exclusive title dropped jaws when it was first revealed at the PlayStation meeting back in February earlier this year. Then at this year’s Tokyo Games Show, Capcom demonstrated gameplay footage running on the PS4 and it simply looks stunning. Running on the ‘Panta Rhei’ engine, the game shares a visual style that can be compared to Dark Souls. Deep Down is easily one of the biggest 3rd party exclusives on the PS4 in 2014.

The Order: 1886

This game has got plenty of people excited. This Steampunk version of late 1800’s London has got advanced technology to help fend off an undead menace of an unknown source. They aren’t zombies and they don’t appear to be vampires either. The Order also appears to have classes, and hopefully will be offering a cooperative experience that plenty of gamers can get behind.

Santa Monica and ready at Dawn sure have got a good thing going for them. There are still a lot of questions revolving around this game, but even more amazing, new technology that wasn’t possible on a console before. The Order is definitely a game people should be keeping their eyes on, even if they’re only half interested.

inFamous: Second Son

Second Son is the third installment in the inFamous series. This time around though, we’re not playing as the lightning bolt slinging Cole, but a whole new character with a unique set of powers. The game takes place about seven years after the last inFamous game.

Sucker Punch has let it slip that our new characters’ powers revolve around absorption and usage of other “conduits” powers. This certainly promises to bring a whole new dimension to the inFamous universe. Our new character, just like Cole is no choirboy from the looks of it in the trailers so this promises to be a fun game for anyone who likes games with plenty of moral quandaries in them.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

The Chinese Room development team that brought us “Dear Esther,” is developing a survival horror game that is about the end of the world and is in many ways, the successor to “Dear Esther.” There’s not too much information about the game, other than it’s a story-driven exclusive to the PS4.

The Story is told through the eyes of six playable characters as they try to survive the end of the world. This obscure title name does quite a bit to conjure up classic images of the end of the world, but The Chinese Room is certain to bring this game to life as they show us their hellish rendition of the end of the world.

Shadow of the Beast

Heavy Spectrum is rebooting this classic series on the PS4. The action game drops players into the shoes of what appears to be a blood-thirsty, monster-slaying demon. While this game is still waiting for a solid release date, it’s expected to hit the console in 2014.

Any fans of this classic game may be interested in it, though it does look like it’s changed quite a bit. This isn’t a bad thing by any means though and anyone who is into a fast paced action game with plenty of violence, magic and big monsters will probably enjoy this reboot.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive

This 2D beat ’em up game has an interesting art direction, and some great, fast paced gameplay. While this game may not have the best graphics, or really take advantage of the PS4’s hardware it’s looking to bring some fun, and addictive gameplay. The Studio, 5pb has a great idea with this game and there’s always going to be room on a new console for a classic arcade-style beat ‘em up. Fan of games like Double Dragons and Castle Crashers my find themselves right at home with this title.

Yakuza Ishin

This game is currently only scheduled for release in Japan, but most likely will be making it’s way to Europe and the US. This open world, action adventure title follows a samurai as he carves a bloody path through Japan. Anyone who is interested in being a samurai and feudal Japan may get a real kick on out of this game.

This game has a very similar look and feel to the RPG, “Way of the Samurai,” which unfortunately was not a incredibly known title, but a good game. If this turns out to be anything like that series, then gamers are in for a real treat, with some excellent sword play and good story telling.

Velocity 2X

This insanely fast paced bullet hell game promises to offer some addictive and difficult gameplay. This 2D shooter isn’t looking to tax the new console’s hardware, but developers, Futurlab also has plans to port this powerful little thing over to the Vita, so if you’ve got a PS4 coming and already own a Vita you’ll be able to play this game not only at home, but on the go as well.

Mobile Suit Gundam

Namco Bandai is releasing a new Gundam game that’s an exclusive to the PS4. This iconic series is a fast paced combat game that looks to be staying true to the Gundam roots. What’s different about this Gundam game is that the pilots are able to disembark from their mobile suit to capture strategic points and gives players more to look forward to than just duking it out in giant robots.

While some gamers may be a bit disappointed that the PS4 isn’t getting Titanfall, any fan of the Gundam series have something to look forward to. While there are have been some pretty poor Gundam games in the past, hopefully this one will make up for that a bit and offer us the flexibility and entertainment that all the animes in the past have offered.

Rime

There is no doubt that Rime has an uncanny resemblance with the PlayStation 2 classic ICO. Looking at the trailer above, Rime will be utilizing cel shaded style visuals and is set in the ruins of an ancient civilization. Unfortunately, there is next to no information available. The game is under development at Tequila Works who have previously worked on Deadlight.

Lily Bergamo

Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and GungHo Online Entertainment, Lily Bergamo is an upcoming online action RPG. The game will support second screen experience that means you will be able to play this game on your smart phone. The game is set in the year 2043 and it will be inspired by both Japanese and Western development creativity.

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Project Spark

Project Spark seems to be the LittleBigPlanet of the next generation and is one of the most important titles for Microsoft in 2014. Using a digital canvas, players can create games and movies, features which play a central element in the experience provided by the Xbox One. Project Spark will allow players to design even the most miniature objects in the game, distinguishing itself from the likes of LittleBigPlanet.

Fable Legends

Any fans of the Fable series should be excited for this game. The fifth installment in the series promises to bring a whole new level of detail and character depth that the previous games just couldn’t do, coupled with the option for an in-depth cooperative experience that the previous games certainly lacked.

This unique brand of cooperative play makes Fable Legends an interesting one to follow at the very least. This game is actually meant to be played with five people, four heroes and a villain, with the A.I. controlling any gaps that may exist in available player slots. This is particularly interesting because the game seems to be taking a page from the pen and paper role playing games. Playing the “villain” in this new Fable title is almost like being in the game-master role, while the other players fight through the challenges the antagonist has put in place.

Below

Any fans of the Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery that was originally released on the iOS and then ported over to the PC may be interested in this little game. While it’s not going to wow you graphically, if it’s anything like Capybara’s other game, many gamers will find it wonderfully entertaining as well as artistically stunning.

‘Below’ is bringing gamers an incredibly difficult, yet rewarding experience as it introduces the concept of permanent death. The classic look of the game also makes for both an incredibly nostalgic yet fresh approach. While it hasn’t quite been announced yet we can probably expect this game to jump platforms, just like Superbrothers did. For now though, Microsoft’s Xbox One is getting it first.

Quantum Break

This narrative driven game that lands somewhere between the shows, 24 and Through the Wormhole (with Morgan Freeman,) is tackling a pretty interesting subject matter. This science fiction story deals with the seemingly inevitable breakdown of our worlds physical being due to an out of control scientific experiment.

It deals with the slowing and stoppage and possible collapse of time itself. The game’s story follows three characters who are involved and may have something to do with why the experiment failed. If you’re into fringe sciences and like a good narrative you will probably enjoy Quantum Break when it’s released, hopefully sometime in 2014.

Cobalt

Cobalt is an upcoming side scrolling video game that is under development at FatShark studios. FatShark are the developers behind popular games like Lead and Gold & Bionic Commando Rearmed 2. Mojang are publishing the game and Cobalt will feature several modes like Capture the Plug, Deathmatch, Survival, and Adventure mode. Originally developed by Oxeye Game Studio, Cobalt will be one of the major indie games for the Xbox One in 2014.

Sunset Overdrive

This title’s release date has yet to be announced, but hopefully we’ll be seeing it sometime in 2014. Sunset Overdrive is an open world shooter that has your character facing off against a city full of mutants and has the character leveraging fast-paced, acrobatic maneuvers to get the edge in combat. The unique art style and character design tells us this game isn’t taking itself too seriously and may be one hell of an entertaining ride.

Fantasia: Music Evolved

Any fans of the classic Fantasia series and a good old fashioned Disney musical will enjoy this, especially if you’re a gamer who also moonlights as a parent. Disney’s Fantasia has always been a popular film series for parents and children alike and making the musical a more interactive experience may really pay off for them as it jumps from the movie screen to the gaming console.

At the very least it’ll be something worth watching for a bit to see how it plays out. If it’s successful, this is just further proof that gaming isn’t for just children, or adults for that matter; but can be a fun and interesting family experience as well.

Halo 5 or the next Halo

343 Industries is working on another Halo game, right now the community is addressing this game as ‘Halo 5,’ though the name has not yet been confirmed. If they’re putting as much time into this game as Halo 4, then it does promise to be a very good addition to this long-running franchise.

Halo has garnered such support that many gamers have already made their decision on what next gen hardware they want simply by knowing this up-and-coming title will exist. This next Halo game probably has a lot of fans that just can’t wait to get their hands it. We can most likely expect to be throwing down as Master Chief and killing some ancient alien race bent on the destruction or domination of the universe.

Kinect Sports Rivals

This game is scheduled for release sometime between the first and second quarter of 2014. This sports game is giving gamers a bit more to work with in the motion control department. With Games like Rock Climbing, Soccer, Tennis and Sharpshooting, it brings a bit more to the table that other sports games that work with motion controls.

Xbox One’s Kinect system is very sensitive and takes a full-body scan of the players before they get down to business. You should expect something a bit more detailed and muscular compared to your regular old Xbox Live Avatar too.

D4

The episodic title being released by Microsoft Studios and directed by Hidetaka Suehiro, the major creative forces behind Deadly Premonitions is tackling a game about the dark side of one’s personality and the fourth dimension. This trip into time itself is a bit different than most games coming out on Xbox One.

The game will be controlled via Kinect, and is very heavily driven by the narrative and story of the game, falling into an area of gaming that is somewhere between a movie and an in-depth interactive experience. This kind of gaming only seems to be growing as titles like Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain become more popular, so it will be interesting to see such an accomplished director start down the same path on this new hardware.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

The Curse of Brotherhood is the sequel to 2010′s Max & the Magic Marker. The game is set in 2.5D view and is a side scrolling action game. One of the game’s highlights is its amazing visuals. Although an indie game, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood looks like it will be using all the power of the Xbox One.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

A timed exclusive for the Xbox One, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is the sequel to one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years. The game will be running on Electronic Arts’ latest Frostbite Engine 3.0, featuring 24 player online and four player co-op. Keep your eye on this as it might exceed your wildest imaginations.

Titanfall

Remember the amount of hype and fan following that Gears of War got when it was launched on the Xbox 360? Respawn Entertainment seems to be following the same route with Titanfall. The developers have confirmed that this game will never be released on the PlayStation 4, so Microsoft’s platforms are the only place you can play this next gen blockbuster. Titanfall will also be using Xbox One’s cloud services which will give a big push to the graphics of the game. This game should be on anyone’s list who plan to own an Xbox One.