WORDS PATRICK CREMEN
Titanfall
Platform: XboxOne
Developer: Respawn Entertainment .
Release :March 11.
No upcoming game has more buzz surrounding it then the XboxOne exclusive Titanfall. Coming from the individuals originally responsible for Call of Duty’s huge success, the online only first-person shooter will pit players on huge battlefields as both individual infantry and as pilots of gigantic and fearsome mechs robots. While little gameplay has been shown to the public, those who have played it have called it a revolution for the increasing stale online first person shooter genre. Titanfall has the potential to be the first game to truly warrant spending €500 on a new console.
Mario Kart 8
Platformm: Wii U
Developer Nintendo
Release: Spring 2014
The first HD edition of Mario Kart doesn’t seek to reinvent the franchise. It takes the familiar formula (Mario and friends racing go-karts) and adds a few new twists (antigravity tracks). However, this is a case where conformity looks to be a good thing.
While most multiplayer games focus on large online battles at the expense of local multiplayer, Mario Kart is one of the rare franchises that excels at both. For those who enjoy gathering around TV with their friends for a videogame tournament, there will likely be no better game in 2014 then Mario Kart 8.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Developer Obsidian Entertainment
Release: March 7
South Park: The Stick of Truth is show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker attempt to make a video game, handpicking Fallout: New Vegas creators Obsidian Entertainment to assist them.
The two have not only written an original script for the game, but served as overseers for the entire project. Everything in the game, from the artwork to the selection of weapons is the product of their hilariously twisted minds.
The result of this mammoth undertaking has been countless delays, but it looks like a release date has finally been nailed down. If the previews are any indication, South Park: The Stick of Truth could be one of the most hilarious and original games ever created.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Platforms: PC, MAC, Xbox One, PS4.
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
Release: April 4th for PC and Mac, June for Xbox One and PS4
The best way to describe The Elder Scrolls online is just that- it’s The Elder Scrolls,but online. From what has been shown, the game looks and plays very smaller to the outstanding Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but in a world inhabited by real life players.
However, with combat specifically designed with a controller in mind and a fantasy world that seems tailor made for the genre , The Elder Scroles Online has the potential to be the first great MMO for home consoles.
Watchdogs
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS4, Wii U.
Release: Summer 2014
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Set in an alternative version of the US where corporations track and catalog all online behavior over a vast data network, Watchdogs looks to meld the open world sandbox gamely of Grand Theft Auto with important themes about hacking and privacy.
Like the best open world games, it’s the freedom provided to the player that looks the most exciting. As a member of the vigilante group, you are given the ability to hack into the cities central operating system. This allows you to do everything from monitoring phone calls to tapping traffic lights to cause collisions.
With a sequels and even a movie already in the works, Ubisoft clearly has big ambitions for the Watchdogs franchise. It will be interesting to see if the first installment can deliver on it’s ambitious promises.
