Most Anticipated Games of 2014 (Part 2)

For gamers everywhere the new year is about the hottest releases scheduled across a variety of genres.

In addition to the usual sequels/prequels, there are a number of new releases that are going to keep us busy all year round. Naturally as a fan of strategy and adventure games, my priority list maybe a little different from what the rest of you have in mind.

Fortunately, there is plenty to go around for everyone.

This year we may see a few bad apples but I’m inclined to think that games in general are becoming better looking, faster, smoother and much bigger.

Keeping that in mind here’s a few from my list of most anticipated games.  

This week the page features upcoming games from the MMO, puzzle and exploration and survival genres.
 

Puzzle

Life Goes On (Infinite Monkeys Entertainment)

Remember the scene from Shrek 1, where eponymous hero storms the castle and manages to defeat the dragon with weapons and armour left behind by knights who had gone (and died) before him?

Life goes on has a similar approach towards problem solving. Players get to control an endless supply of bumbling knights, sacrificing them one by one so that the next might get a little closer towards the finishing the puzzle.

Each one dies in a rather creating and amusing way.

You will need to sacrifice your knights carefully, as their corpses help trigger traps or doors so that the next one can go a bit further. If you are interested, there is a playable demo available right now.

Talisman Digital Edition (Nomad Games Limited)

This is the official digital multiplayer online version of a the classic fantasy adventure board game. Digital versions of board games are gaining popularity and while they may never really be the same thing, it is easier to organise games with friends online and AI opponents.

Anywhere between 1-4 players pick from one of fourteen characters and start questing for the Crown of Command. T

he game aims to be a faithful recreation of the physical set and players get to enjoy the digital versions of the real thing, including digital dice rolls and a virtual version of the original board.

It is set for release quite soon after the team finishes off the bugs.
 

MMO

WOW: Warlords of Draenor (Blizzard)

Like a beloved soap opera, WOW lingers on and the new expansion pack is supposed to inject some much needed rigor into the game.

Warlord of Draenor, the fifth expansion pack, will raise the level cap to 100, provide a much-need revamp for player character-models and add player-run garrisons. And of course, it adds a new war.

The addition of a time-portal plot device brings back fan favourites. More importantly, this is a significant pivot from the Mists of Pandaria expansion, which tried to introduce a little more colour and humour.

As someone who hasn’t played the game in awhile, this isn’t going to bother me but it is still one of the most interesting games to look out for in the coming year.

The Elder Scrolls: Online (Zenimax Online Studios)

The Elder Scroll Online has met a mixed reception ever since its announcement. Many loyal fans feared it might lose its charm or become an endless money-making machine that loses focus on its most attractive features.

Yet, others quickly noted that this is largest Elder Scrolls game ever made. For the first time, players will be able to explore virtually every part of the entire continent of Tamriel.

Regardless of the reception, this is one game I wouldn’t mind trying out early on. It may be a mega hit or a disappointing miss; given the statue of the series, fans might find it difficult to find any middle ground.

Exploration and Survival

White Heaven (Dreampainters Software)

Tracing its roots to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this is part of a new genre of first-person horror games. White Heaven is set in an abandoned, isolated hotel, close to a foreboding forest (ecotourism anyone?).

While the plot will undoubtedly be menacing , the game is notable for being built in Unreal Engine 4, which should put a whole new perspective on horror.

Moreover, it’ll also have Oculus Rift support, an almost mandatory requirement for a game of this nature but hardly available in Sri Lanka so you’ll need to buy it online.

The Long Dark (Hinterland Games)

Sometimes, a game can be great or even better without any action involved.

The Long Dark sees players assume the role of pilot Will Mackenzie (voiced by the same guy who voiced Commander Shepard) struggling to survive as some atmospheric event (solar flare perhaps? ) has rendered all technology useless.

The game is focused on survival and exploration rather than action. Players will need to find ways to keep warm, well-fed, sheltered, and safe from predatory wildlife as the freezing winter nights come closer.

The game is not devoid of all action as players will need to confront other survivors who may be aggressive. But the emphasis will not be on action.

The game also strives to be minimalist with no HUD or equipment/health metres. Mackenzie will simply states what he needs and players will need to guide him through the process.

No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

This game is a procedurally generated sci-fi FPS game. Players will be involved in every element of this space-faring thriller. Some cool elements will involve allowing players to chart the universe in a spaceship and move from planet to planet to explore strange environments, without a load screen.

Moreover, each planet will be unique and virtually every element will be procedurally generated. On a desert planet, players might run for cover from a giant land snake; on a water planet you’ll get the chance to swim with luminous green sharks.

This unique and expansive universe may just be the thing for those who want to immerse themselves in a real sci-fi epic.

The Evil Within (Tango Gameworks)

This survival horror is built in the same mold of Resi/Silent hill. This genre with its unique features is making a health comeback with a renewed effort to immerse players entirely in the game’s environment.

Not much is known about the game except that it involves a cop (not the supernatural kind), monsters and someone running around with a chainsaw - all the ingredients are in place.

The Forest (Ben Falcone)

The Forest takes the form of a survival sim and also doubles as a creepy horror game. It features, amongst other things, crafting, exploration and a day/night cycle.

Add to that moments of where you need to battle violent semi-naked mutants in a wooded area, and you’ve got yourself quite a winner.

Players assume the role of a plane crash survivor ending up on a mysterious island; during the day players will need to gather and scavenge resources, build a home and attempt to grow food.

If you have time, you’ll also need to figure out what’s going on in the creepy island. At night, the mutants come out, lurking in the shadows and not too fond of uninvited guests.

When I first read about the game, parallels to Tomb Raider were unavoidable but the key difference here is that the pace of the game is much slower and less action based.

The Betrayer (Black Powder Games)

Its not every day that players get to enjoy a horror game set hundreds of years in the past.

The Betrayer is a first-person action adventure game that takes players to the New World (America!) at the turn of the 17th century.

In 1604 the player’s character, moves from England to the struggling colony on the coast of Virginia, only to find ghosts and mysteries. Once there, players will need to figure out what catastrophe blighted the land and drained it of colour (the game is entirely in a monochrome) and what happened to the settlers and tribes in the area.

Also, what about that silent woman in red who aids you from a far? (so many questions).  With the clues strewn across the island, players will need to piece together the doomed settlement and set things right.

In the meanwhile, you’ll be hunted by corrupted Conquistadors and deadly shadows, as you stalk the wilderness. Eventually players must trace the brief but tragic history of the colony and search for survivors.

Cool features involve the ability to play around with classic 17th Century weapons and awakening the memories of the dreaming dead. Treasure also included.
 

By Navam Niles