Well, this year has been slow with big AAA releases, and we’re coming up to the winter months where we’re supposedly going to get quite a few big titles along the way. I just wanted to share my thoughts on exactly what it is that I’m most looking forward to in the last few months of this year, and maybe what I’m looking forward to seeing next year.
Of course, on everyone’s wishlist is Fallout 4 – which was announced to everyone’s delight. It’s felt like a long time since we played Fallout 3 and for me it hasn’t aged well . Don’t get me wrong, I like Fallout 3, but I was never a huge fan of the setting itself. I loved the start of the game, and all of the interactions I could do in the vault, but then when I trudged out into the wasteland, I found myself questioning what exactly am I supposed to be doing? I liked the idea that I had to go and find my father, kind of like Indiana Jones did in the Last Crusade, but after a few hours of killing what seems like an endless amount of bandits and going off to different places and picking up every little thing, I got a little lost in what I like to call the “Western RPG Run-around”. I’m not a huge fan of the whole free roaming/sandbox genre games simply because they tend not to deliver so well on the main story, but Fallout was the exception for me, so when I say I’m not a huge fan, I still liked it – just not as much as everyone else wanted me to. Fallout 4, however, has the chance to put me in my place, to wow me, to say “Hey Ryan, I’m the best game you’re going to play this year, so suck it up and grind on me.” Not literally of course.
Street Fighter V is also on my wishlist, since beat em up games are so few in number. Not counting of course all of the poor man’s equivilent that tides them over until a good fighting game comes out anyway. Street Fighter for me, is the pinnacle of all fighting game franchises. It’s been around long enough that it has it’s own legacy, and is still fresh enough to introduce new players. It’s not perfect, but its a damn good franchise, and we’re expecting the same from Street Fighter V. A new character was actually announced today, which I have very little in terms of information about, but he’s not a shoto style character, he appears middle eastern, and looks to be a nice addition to the ever growing roster. I hear that the game will launch with a 16 character roster, which means that 11 have already been announced and there’s only five spaces left. I really hope Capcom don’t drop the ball and make the older characters purchasable DLC, which would really piss us hardcore Street Fighter fans off.
That move is so OP!
Another on my to do list is Until Dawn. Yes, I know it’s already out, but I’ve still got to play it. It look amazing, and it could be the game that forces movie style gaming to become more marketable. So far, we’ve seen a few attempts at movie styled games, where the reception has been hit and miss. Some people like it, some people don’t. But in most of these games, there is very little at stake when making decisions or making mistakes. Usually you get to try again, or a less favourable event happens, but still continues. In Until Dawn, there are several survivors, and their lives are basically in your hands. It’s like being the director of a slasher movie, which in itself sounds amazing. If its executed with enough fineness this could be a contender for game of the year.
Along with those 3 big titles, I’m looking forward to certain early access titles and indie titles which should hopefully be nearing completion in 2016. I’m looking forward to grabbing the completed version of De Mambo by The Dangerous Kitchen (which you should totally back by the way), which is a Smash Bros. esque game but more interestingly enough the team that created it, developed the game from a hotel coffee lounge. If you haven’t heard of it, you should check it out, and we’ll have more news from them from EGX this year (Sept 24th-27th). Other titles I’m looking forward to are Samurai Warriors 4-2, which should be the true sequel in the warriors franchise that everyone invested in the series thus far will be expecting, with more emphasis on character story arcs than in the previous title. I’m very much looking forward to the prospect of Mount & Blade 2 for PC, which will take place after the events that took place in the Warband edition of the game.
As for everything else…I could take it or leave it. Some games I just expect, but won’t be terribly excited for, things like a new Assassins Creed game, a new Gears of War, a new Call of Duty, etc. But the ones I’ve taken the time to mention are the ones I’m seriously hoping will whet my appetite for a good game. Don’t get me wrong, there are other games I’m looking forward to, just none worth mentioning. If you’d like to play devil’s advocate and let me know what you’re looking forward to, feel free to write it up in the comments below.
