Let’s face it, 2014 wasn’t exactly an epic year in the history of gaming. Sure, it wasn’t all bad as the year included some stellar games we could be talking about for years to come. Case in point, the Dragon Age franchise knocked one out of the park with Inquisition; Call of Duty added some life to the series with Advanced Warfare and Far Cry 4 was almost unanimously considered the shooter of the year. Nevertheless, in a year that was plagued with botched launches, online hacks and an overabundance of sequels, many are ready to turn the page. So with that in mind we decided to reach out to our writers to find out what games they are looking forward to when the New Year drops.
Without further delay here is COG’s list of some of the most anticipated games of 2015:
The Order: 1886
“Trying to narrow down my single most anticipated game for 2015 was no small task. There are so many games on the horizon that 2015 is shaping up to be one of the best years in gaming ever. One of the biggest games on my radar is The Order: 1886 and despite critics taking an early shit on it I still have a feeling it’s going to be well received. Stick in the mud critics are labeling The Order as just another cover based shooter but even so it still has my curiosity piqued. The steampunk setting coupled with stunning graphics and some stellar acting (from what I’ve seen so far) have already sucked me in and I’ve only played a tiny bit of the game. What I did play left me wanting more and that’s what a game should do. If the overly serious critics can pull the sticks from their asses for just a moment and realize that all a game has to do to really be good is be fun then I think, or at least I hope, The Order: 1886 will do well.” – Shawn Petraschuk
Rainbow Six: Siege
“The wait has been excruciating! Rainbow Six fans have waited far too long for another installment in the once best-selling franchise. Pending any delays (somehow I have a feeling there could be) it will have been 7-years since Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 dropped. Having spent the better part of 2008 staying up late playing R6: Vegas 2 with the now COG community I am hoping that nostalgic feeling comes rolling on back. Granted, I am little worried Rainbow Six: Patriots was cancelled and well let’s just say Ubisoft had a less than stellar 2014. But if the development team can simply deliver a solid first person shooter experience that stays true to the franchise, there is no question Ubisoft could easily have a mega hit on their hands. “ – Trevor Houston
Batman: Arkham Knight
“Three games spring to mind when it comes to picking my most anticipated game of 2015: Batman: Arkham Knight, Rise of Tomb Raider and Halo 5. Picking just one is difficult but I probably have to give the nod to Batman as I know I am going to sink a lot of hours playing it along with my son who is a huge Batman fan like his dad. The expanded world of Gotham along with the huge list of villains to battle will ensure that I am getting my bang for my buck.” – John Elliott
Bloodborne
“From Software’s upcoming title Bloodborne will anger me. The gameplay will most likely cause me to rage quit more than once, and I will come close to never playing the game again. All being said, I will love every moment of it! Bloodborne promises a gothic city full of odd secrets and grotesque enemies and loads of equipment, much like the Dark Souls series. This time around however, the game will include procedurally generated dungeons, and dramatically different weaponry. Leaving behind some of the more conventional equipment found in most dungeon crawlers, Bloodborne will feature melee weapons that transform into two unique states. Each state will offer different stances and actions by extension. Some weapons appear to shift from crowd clearing sweeps to more one-on-one oriented attacks. A lot of Bloodborne appears to have an aesthetic reminiscent of the 1800’s, which is a nice change of pace and one that suits the creepy atmosphere found in this game. Set to release in March of 2015, fans of Dark Souls and Demon Souls should prepare themselves to die time and time again.” – Daniel Kozlowski
“I’ve been a huge Demon and Dark Souls fan since day one, so Bloodborne has got me feeling like a kid in a candy store all over again. It looks faster, meaner, and scarier than previous releases, and instead of shields we get a musket! To top it all off, From Software is also boasting a procedurally generated dungeon system to keep you playing for hours past the main campaign. Another reason I’m so excited is because Bloodborne is slated for a first quarter release, so it looks like death is right around the corner.” – Nicholas Plouffe
“Trying to pick my most anticipated game for 2015 is a no brainer for me and that game is Bloodborne. It is being developed by the same people behind the Demon Souls and Dark Souls series ‘From Software’. I personally sunk hundreds of hours into their games and after seeing game footage from E3 this quickly turned into a must buy. The game promises faster, more agile gameplay but still has the risk/reward system of Dark Souls. Bloodborne is also a PS4 exclusive and should be one of the top selling games for 2015.” – Matt Cullen
Uncharted 4
“Why Uncharted 4 you ask? Have you not seen the trailers and gameplay videos for this game yet? Yah it looks great and besides Naughty Dog is developing the game again so you know it’s going to be awesome. This could be Nathan Drake’s swan song and the PS4 hardware is in place for Naughty Dog to deliver a primo production. I cannot wait!” – Lou Sytsma
No Man’s Sky
“The game I’m most excited about is probably Uncharted 4. No Man’s Sky, on the other hand, is a complete mystery. The developers are talking a pretty big game about this one while being incredibly vague at the same time. The early looks we’ve seen of No Man’s Sky look absolutely incredible, but the big concern on everyone’s mind is what exactly you do in the game. As it stands right now, No Man’s Sky is positioning itself to either be one of the best games ever, or a massive disappointment. I’m sure hoping for the former.” – Brian Connor
Persona 5
“Although we’ve already been treated with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth this year, the biggest factor that makes Persona 5 my most anticipated game of 2015 is because we’re going to get a new cast of characters. Don’t get me wrong, the cast of Persona 3 and 4 are more than awesome, but I think it’s time to put the spotlight on a new group of characters that we can consider part of the Persona family. It’s been six years since Persona 4 was released with the addition of an abundance of spin off games, but it’s finally time for new social links and a place to put countless hours of your life into.” – Judi Azmand
Halo 5
“My most anticipated game is a simple one for me: Halo 5. It will be the next instalment of my all time favourite franchise. It needs no further explanation. How can I choose anything else? A close second would be Rainbow Six: Siege. It is a close second in voting as the amount of fun and play time our community put in to the Rainbow Six: Vegas games was amazing. Online multiplayer has evolved dramatically over the years and not necessarily for the better. The jury is still out but you can bet your ass I’ll be there on day one.” – Shad Forsyth
“To say I am a big fan of the Halo franchise is an understatement. With Halo 4 introducing Forerunner enemies, and a story that surprised many, I can’t wait to see what 343 Industries has in store for Halo 5. There will be a new character, and a new setting, but beyond that we have no clue what the narrative holds, and I am excited to see what is next. Of course there is the new multiplayer as well, with gameplay that seems to be brought into the current state of FPS games. But again, it’s the story I am anticipating the most. For me Halo 5 is not just the most anticipated game of 2015, but something I have been totally stoked for since I saw the teaser at E3.” – Kirby Yablonski
The Legend of Zelda: Wii U
“As an avid fan of the Zelda series, I’ve been longing for a game experience that equals the epic adventure of The Ocarina of Time and this game has the potential to be truly fantastic. While details are few, the snippet of gameplay footage showcased at The Game Awards has left me in awe. Even with the little I know about the game, I dare say that this will likely be my Game of The Year choice for me next year. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a game release, and I have no doubts that The Legend of Zelda Wii U will be nothing short of amazing.” – Jen Dingle
“The little gameplay we’ve seen so far has me ultra-hyped for this game. Of course it’s a Zelda game so the anticipation goes without saying, but what we know so far is awesome. The size of the game’s map is bigger than any Zelda game yet and I can’t wait to explore the whole thing. If Wind Waker HD is an indication of what Nintendo can do with high definition graphics then we are in for a visual treat with Zelda Wii U. Nintendo has rarely gone wrong with Zelda and I can’t wait to jump into our next adventure through Hyrule. The graphics look great, the gameplay is forever solid, and the increase in scale is sure to make this an easy contender for game of the year in 2015.” – Cole Jackson
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
“The first 2 Witcher games were great. They pushed the envelope visually, and gave RPG fans a brand new world full of lore to enjoy. Wild Hunt is set to crank the knob to 11 with an absolutely massive, gorgeously rendered open world. It looks stunning. The combat has also been refined for increased awesomeness, as has the magic system. From the demonstrations they’ve shown, the world appears to live and breathe in a way that we haven’t really seen realized. Developer CD Projekt RED has also promised sixteen (16) free DLC packs, and vowed to not release the game before it’s ready — they’ve yet to fail to live up to their often lofty promises, and all signs point to a fantastic RPG experience .I’m drooling already.” – Paul Sullivan
Star Fox Wii U
“Of all the games due to come out in 2015, Star Fox Wii U is highest up on my watch list. It’s been far too many years since we’ve had a new entry into the Star Fox franchise and I’m really excited to see what they’ll do to add to the experience. Will missions follow a linear path like in previous entries, or will we have a more open galaxy to explore? Perhaps it’ll take on a more Mass Effect flavor, because that would be amazing! Even the thought of flying an Arwing through an armada of bogies all in glorious HD has me pumped.” – Royce Dean
Evolve
“I was fortunate enough to play a little bit of Evolve a few months back for the “Big Alpha”, and it was a ton of fun. The hunters were interesting and varied, and the monster was one of the most uniquely enjoyable experiences I’ve had in a long time. As a lover of the Left 4 Dead series Evolve looks like it’s going to be either a strong contemporary, or even a full blown replacement with my gaming group of friends. With new monsters and hunters being revealed all the time, and the game already looking amazing, (how cool does the Wraith look!?) this one was an easy choice for my most anticipated.” – Ryan Moriarty