2013 was a great year, no doubt. It’ll be hard to top a year with releases like Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and BioShock Infinite all in a single year. However, 2014 has some muscle of its own.
The next-gen has begun, and some of the most talented development studios on the planet have genuinely exciting games in-store for 2014. We’ve looked at the list of games that will come out in the next calendar year, and we’re extremely excited about where the industry is headed. But what should you really be excited about? We’ve boiled a list of over a thousand games down to a mere 10 that we think will have the most profound effect on 2014. You can see them in the gallery below.
The Top 10 Games We're Looking Forward to in 2014
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10. Bayonetta 2
The first Bayonetta was one of the most surprising hack and slash games of last-gen. The flashiness of the presentation, the addictiveness of the cohesive combat, and Bayonetta's charm made for one heck of a ride.
We want to relive our passion for Bayonetta, this time in HD. Surprisingly, it's exclusive to Wii U. That's okay, though. We'll do whatever we can to get our hands on what is almost certain to be the best hack and slash game of 2014, even if it means buying a console that's selling as poorly as the Dreamcast.
Release Date: 2014
Platform(s): Wii U
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9. Thief
In the world of stealth games, Metal Gear Solid has been absent for a while, and Thief has been nowhere to be seen. Actually, in 2014 it will have been ten years since the last Thief release. That's really way too long.
Thief is looking to reboot the series which is great in and of itself. Moving methodically through challenging levels using wit and careful observation has been fun in past games, but this new Thief has tricks up its sleeve to make it better than ever before. We can't wait to see what that means.
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
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8. Hotline Miami 2
We have a real soft spot for Hotline Miami, the game that delivered AAA fun in an indie package last year. Figuring out how to tackle its many levels without making mistakes was something we won't soon forget.
The game's developer now knows how successful its work can be, and is in the middle of preparing Hotline Miami 2. We can't wait to play it.
Release Date: 2014
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
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7. Watch Dogs
Ubisoft's delay of Watch Dogs was alarming, there's no doubt about it, but it was also a good thing for the game. Sure, it wasn't ready for commercial release, but now an additional six months of preparation will be given to the game.
When Watch Dogs was debuted at E3 2012 it looked outstanding, winning best of show awards in the process. We know it has a great chance at performing well and exceeding expectations. Now that careful time and consideration has been given to it, don't be surprised if it has an open-world experience that wows you in ways you thought unimaginable.
Release Date: Q2 2014
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
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6. Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. is one of Nintendo's trump cards. As with Mario's platforming games it has timeless design that delivers excellent local multiplayer play and uncompromising fun. The next outing will have new characters, such as Mega Man, and visuals that the series has never even come close to realizing before. That's enough to have us giddy with excitement.
Oh, and being able to play the full experience on a handheld, the 3DS, is exceptionally cool. Count me in!
Release Date: 2014
Platform(s): 3DS, Wii U
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5. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Yes, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a prologue for the full Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain experience which will come at a later day. We get that. The fact that this lands on our #5 spot goes to show you just how great Kojima's games are.
Everything said and shown about Ground Zeroes has looked fantastic. It's the first Metal Gear with an open-world level design. It's the first Metal Gear with truly realistic graphics. It stars Big Boss, one of the coolest characters ever made. Merely being able to look at the lay of the land, create a plan of infiltration, and put it into action is enough to make us wish it were coming out tomorrow.
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
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4. Dark Souls 2
Grueling. Punishing. Excruciatingly hard. These are words used to describe Namco Bandai's Souls series. So is 'well worth it'.
Dark Souls received hundreds of hours of our picky game time. We love that it doesn't adhere to the streamlined, mainstream approach of most other games. Dark Souls 2 promises to be bigger, better, and even harder than the last. We can't wait to experience the pain (and the reward). We hope you saved your PS3 or 360. If not, upgrade your PC to the recommended specs immediately!
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
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3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
It's difficult to think of any game that has been anymore technically complicated and impressive as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Most open-world games make sacrifices; The Witcher 3 doesn't. What we saw at E3, and that was far from the final build. was absolutely staggering.
The Witcher 3 just be a visual showpiece, though. There's going to be a deeply interactive fantasy story to partake in. There's also a much more refined combat system than was present in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.
You can pilot a sailboat across arctic waters, explore a variety of rich worlds, and hunt game. To put it bluntly, The Witcher 3 is going to be a next-gen Skyrim with better graphics, a bigger environment to play around in, and way better combat. Reserve your days off from work in advance.
Release Date: Q2 2014
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
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2. Destiny
List of reasons why Destiny is one of the best-looking games of 2014:
- Destiny is being developed by Bungie.
- Destiny is an open-world sci-fi game.
- Destiny has MMORPG elements.
We can only think of one other game that competes with it in 2014.
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
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1. Titanfall
You think the FPS genre has become stagnant over the years? Respawn Entertainment agree, and have a solution in-place. These are the guys who made the original blockbuster Call of Duty games, so you shouldn't take that lightly. This time around they're playing with mechs, more technology, and blazingly fast gameplay.
Instead of just defining your loadout, you get to choose from several massive mech-style Titans to employ during combat. You can punch your friends across the map, or blow them away with 22nd century ammunition.
Titanfall has garnered generous accolade since its announcement, and reasonably so. This is a game that people will line-up and fight eachother over to buy. It's not common for a Game of the Year contender to come out in March, but Titanfall has plans to change that.
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
