11 Games I Am Looking Forward To

There is something bittersweet about anticipating a new game.

First, the sweet.

There is the enveloping excitement that emerges immediately when a project is officially announced. Then follows the unbridled hunger for that first teaser trailer. Theories begin to fly regarding mechanics, design, story, and characters. Gameplay footage is showcased as development progresses. Clues are excavated from every screenshot, video, and announcement made public.

Then, the bitter.

Uncertainty plagues fans. Release dates are either announced ridiculously far in advance (causing an unbearably long wait), surprisingly late (leaving fans in the dark for longer), or are delayed completely (when the industry can’t keep up with the timeline they set without sacrificing quality). Some projects are brought to the public’s attention only to go silent for years (e.g. The Last Guardian).

It seems like my own personal list of games I am eagerly expecting ebbs and flows like waves on the sand. There are dry spells usually around summer and Christmas when release dates are more common and new projects are in their early stages around the world. Then there are times (like now) where there are a plethora of expected masterpieces that I impatiently await.

In honor of this spring’s greater than average quantity/quality of upcoming games, below are 11 games I am incredibly excited about.

11. No Man’s Sky

I hesitantly trust that No Man’s Sky lives up to all the hype. I know how excited people are (I am too), but I have this fear that it’s going to end up like Fable: lots of raised hopes only to lead to unnecessary let downs. Because, like Fable, I can totally see No Man’s Sky being an excellent game. But I can also see it not quite living up to all the lofty expectations. If No Man’s Sky ends up being a solid A- game, I really hope that people refrain from criticizing it for not being an A+.

I mainly want to play No Man’s Sky to make good on the promise that I can be the first to discover my own planet.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Wii U

Riding Epona as she naturally doesn’t run into trees? Leaping off her back while firing arrows at my enemies? Playing in a vast open Hyrule akin to Skyrim? Yes please!

Enough said.

9. Quantum Break

I was saddened by the news that Quantum Break would be delayed but hopeful that the extended development time would ensure a quality product. I feel like this gem has been flying under the radar for months, so if you haven’t seen anything about it, please watch the embedded video below. It gets really interesting around the 5 minute mark.

Quantum Break’s physics/time based gameplay looks like a blast. Its visuals are gorgeous and eerie. I hope it lives up to my expectations, and the delay ends up benefiting the project as a whole. I can honestly say that this is my most anticipated Xbox One exclusive as of yet.

8. Danganronpa 3

I think most people would agree that the high school experience was pretty awful. Sure, there might be some popular kids who enjoyed it pretty thoroughly, but even they might say that high school did a disservice to them by not preparing them for a world that doesn’t care how attractive or athletic they are. Well our high school days were nothing compared to the horrible, upside-down world of Danganronpa.

This series has a pretty fantastic formula. Take a group of “ultimate” high school students who all excel in one oddly specific area of life. Trap them somewhere. Force them to murder a classmate and get away with it if they ever want to escape.

What ensues is a murder mystery teen social mashup that delivers better than I would have ever guessed. These games are full of crazy twists, humorous dialogue, and creative storytelling.

I played the first game in the series when it was ported to Vita, and I loved it. But I was dubious regarding the success of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair because I couldn’t foresee how it could even work. How could there be more crazy twists when the underlying secrets of the first game were, for the most part, exposed? But sure enough, I was wrong. The second game was every bit as wonderful and shocking as I could have hoped. I have no idea how writer Kodaka (friends with Kotaro Uchikoshi) will make a third game that still surprises his fans, but I now have confidence he can do it.

If you enjoy Zero Escape’s suspenseful story, Phoenix Wright’s courtroom battles, or Persona’s social links, you will probably enjoy Danganronpa. Start with the first entry, Trigger Happy Havoc. Meanwhile, I will be eagerly awaiting Danganronpa 3.

7. Rise of the Tomb Raider

When a close friend recommended the 2013 reboot to the Tomb Raider franchise, I was cautiously optimistic. Here was a franchise I had always liked that seemed to be falling behind the times in terms of mechanics, innovation, graphics, and character development. Well. I guess you could say the old Lara Croft is “developed” (overly so!), but not in a relatable way…

 

Comparison composite via howmanly.com, left image via GameInformer.com, right image via laracroft.wikia.com

You can imagine my pleasant surprise at the new character model for Lara. Her redesign leaves her looking real, healthy, and strong. Her personality was also given a complete overhaul, and it did wonders for the series.

The Tomb Raider reboot takes Lara back to her origin story, in which she is mentally naïve, physically inexperienced, and emotionally desperate. I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh take on a classic character and hungrily anticipate Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next entry in the beautifully resurrected franchise.

Unfortunately, Rise of the Tomb Raider appears to be a timed exclusive for Xbox One (which makes no sense, considering Tomb Raider has always been for the most part a PlayStation thing). Out of an effort to support Sony, we will try to wait it out and purchase the game on PlayStation 4 whenever it is released for the system. I'm sure we won't be the only ones either. Hopefully that will help send a collective message to Crystal Dynamics that their loyal fans are more important than a quick cash grab.

6. Fire Emblem: If

Finally, a Fire Emblem in which you are the (customizable) main character. Since Awakening balanced perfectly the old school elements of Fire Emblem with many new and welcome features, I believe Fire Emblem: If will be free to improve further on the series thanks to Awakening’s success. And the character models will finally have feet!

5. Final Fantasy XV

I had the immense pleasure of playing the Final Fantasy XV demo when it was released, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Many old school FF fans are dissatisfied with the current state of things, particularly that Final Fantasy XIII has taken such a massive chunk of development time and effort when they could have moved on to other things. But I think Final Fantasy XV is really going to get everything back on track.

Its design brings me back to what Final Fantasy VII felt like in terms of atmosphere. The universe seems like a strange amalgam of modern and fantasy. One minute you are in a lush landscape filled with bizarre fantasy creatures. The next you find yourself in a convenience store parking lot next to your rockin’ black convertible. Familiar Final Fantasy feelings come rushing back.  Remember what it felt like when you first discovered Final Fantasy VII was an open world? Remember seeing the grand expanse that was Final Fantasy X’s Calm Lands for the first time? Remember learning the draw system and milking it to maximize every spell in Final Fantasy VIII? Remember managing your gear in Final Fantasy IX to make the most of each battle? And while the essence of the game certainly has that nostalgia factor, Final Fantasy XV feels revitalized, refreshing, and novel. Plus the soundtrack is going to be amazing.

4. Uncharted 4

I know this is going to be a fantastic game. Naughty Dog has proven to their fans time after time that they will do what it takes to build top notch products. If you don’t believe me, watch Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us. It’s clear how hard these guys (and ladies) work. If they do anything short of our expectations, it is because the hardware, gameplay, or other such circumstances demand it. But in the end, they are going to ensure that the experience they provide to fans is the best one they can create.

That being said, there have been criticisms regarding Uncharted 4’s gameplay showcased at the 2014 E3. I have a hard time believing the final product will suffer from these same criticisms. Naughty Dog isn’t done. Games frequently do not end up matching with their early gameplay trailers. So graphical limitations that seem to be there now may not be there by the time the game is released. Case in point, check this out.

In other words, they are still learning. The game is still evolving. And I trust Naughty Dog to do it right. That being said, the gameplay here looks super fun.

3. Persona 5

Every Persona fan salivated in unison over the Persona 5 trailer released earlier this year; so much so that if they had all been gathered in Cowboys Stadium to watch the trailer on the massive jumbotron, their drool would have filled the place like a fish bowl. That’s because the video Atlus released was slick. It was filled with style, intrigue, and a completely fresh atmosphere.

I want Persona 5. In fact, my husband and I have been brainstorming for months trying to decide how both of us can play it immediately after it comes out without spoiling the story for each other. Do we take turns playing in a room closed off from the world? Do we track our calendar days so that whoever is ahead in the game can watch the other person? Do we get two copies and play simultaneously in separate rooms like a couple who've let their love die out? We are still debating the best solution.

2. Kingdom Hearts III

There is almost no game I long for more than Kingdom Hearts III. The first installment came out in 2002 just before I turned fourteen. I remember soaking in its imaginative story as a kid. I loved every piece of it, including the Disney influence that so many feared would never work. Kingdom Hearts II came out in late 2005, meaning I had to wait over three years for the full blown sequel. I remember the horribly long wait between KH1 and KH2.

Once Kingdom Hearts II came out, I think a lot of people realized the beauty of this universe. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a Disney/Square Enix crossover. It was an epic clash of light and darkness. It was a coming-of-age tale revolving around themes everyone on the planet can relate to (including love, friendship, loyalty, burdens, tenacity, and sacrifice). But along with Kingdom Hearts II came something else: the extensive wait for the next big game. Sure, there were smaller games in between (that—believe it or not—are instrumental to the overarching story), but every fan of the series knows that there are big, unresolved issues that only Kingdom Hearts III can address.

This franchise has matured with me. I feel like I have grown up with Sora and the gang. As I have become a more complex person, the characters have developed more multifaceted personalities right there with me. The themes of the games have matured as well. Just try playing Birth By Sleep (included in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix) and not feel the emotional weight of its story.

I cannot wait to see what 10-ish years in the making will do for Kingdom Hearts III. I hope its theme of maturation continues and we see a truly developed, dynamic world with the same spectacular cast of characters. I hope the game maintains Sora as his same old good hearted self while simultaneously addressing the heavy burdens he carries. I hope to see some more intense Square Enix characters thrown into the mix, including a fully grown Tidus (he was a kid in Kingdom Hearts I, so why not let him grow up with Sora too?), a villainously insane Kefka, and a mischievous Zidane Tribal. I hope the game has Shibuya (from The World Ends With You) as a playable world, and I hope the gameplay feels both balanced and powerful. But no matter what they do with it, I know Tetsuya Nomura has a crazy intricate plan that I will love.

1. Zero Escape 3

Okay, so I cheated a little. I put Zero Escape 3 on this list despite the fact that it has not been announced yet. But as I stated in my previous post, “The Dangerous Nature of Hype,” I have succumbed to the excitement. My hopes are up.

The Zero Escape series is the smartest game I have ever played. Its writing is quite frankly genius, and I have never experienced anything as exciting before or since. Maybe it’s because of my love for math, psychology, video games, and a good story. All of these elements come together beautifully in 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward.

I have written quite a bit regarding the Zero Escape franchise. I was also extremely fortunate to have many excited readers view my articles after Uchikoshi generously retweeted my husband’s link to this blog. So you guys already know how I feel. In fact, many of you probably guessed that this would be number 1. Now all I can do is look forward to the other ten games on this list and hope this will be released among them soon enough.