My most anticipated titles

Well usually I'd like to do a list like this withing a year's worth of release.... but I just don't have the same hype and expectations as everyone else right now, and didn't feel like what I want was within the year itself as much as what I'd just like to see more of that stands a good chance of coming out overall. Anyways here's my list.

10) Tekken X Street Fighter

The backwards brother of this game was launched quite some time ago. I rented it because.... what the heck, maybe it'd be fun, and after the tag system settled in and I understood it I started really enjoying it. I mean really, really loving it. Short term addiction sort of thing. I temporarily got back into the genre, and sadly when I had to take it back after keeping it for a rediculously long time I tried to find a good replacement for it with no good result except... almost Tekken 6. The game played with my favorite cast of character from Tekken, while using the art style and freedom of solo vs exclusive to street fighters and innovated on what I knew with the tag system to the point where it all came together as an incredible fighter game that I adored. Now I'm still biased towards Tekken, and if it wasn't for the lack of a better solo mode I would say the Tekken Tag that came after that wins out by a landslide, so when I heard there would be a follow up game made more in the style of Tekken.... fuck yeah. This is just going to be really good if it turns out like I'm hoping. Hopefully without Capcom developing it there wont be any locked up DLC characters delayed to the public for the sake of delaying for 6 months post release with this entry.

Oh and if my excitement isn't good enough just basing it on the idea of another freakin' Tekken Tag, there's also confirmation that they're adding demonic twists over street fighter characters giving them some life where as I usually find them to be some of the dullest among fighter casts out there. That's a nice extra bonus. Mostly though I'll be glad pairing King and Balrog or vega up against Bison and heihachi on Tekken turf and beating the crap out of them in whatever silly decorations the deeper customization it might allow.... that is assuming the typical Tekken costumed system is there. After playing Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag 2, I felt like SFxT was a little weak just letting me color people. Anyways this has me pretty excited, though probably the least amount possible because honestly there is little information to go on and I'm just not a major fighter fan that finds $60 worth in these things.

9)The Order 1886

I don't care if the developers themselves deny it, but this is a triple A budget monster filled victorian steampunk shooter. Yes please! Ok to be fair now with gameplay getting reveals there is stuff people are concerned over and people are already coming forward to call it generic... and honestly I agree with them. Setting and aesthetics aside, the core gameplay is essentially Gear of War off of what we know and the team themselves sound content with being safe or "tried and true". Still I enjoyed Inversion, so that sure wont stop me from enjoying this game if they get the pacing of the gameplay and gunplay down well enough. I'm not totally ready to go grab this when it hits, but I've got my eye on this game.

8) Mario Kart 8

Love this series. I adore the DS version the most, but got hours out of the Wii one as well regardless. I had the horrible inconvinience of being left out of the 3DS one, and I wont be making that mistake with Mario Kart 8. If rumors are true that it'll have a track editor, than what I have to say is simple: It's about time! Seriously, Nintendo really needed this for some of the mario games but I feared they were always staying in this old way where they could continue to push sequels with replay only being in the linear adventure and bonuses. Well finally they might have got wise and set up a better creative system for people to push a great game to its limits and really sink their time into it.

7) Infamous: Second Son

I don't know squat about this game, and that's the way its going to be until I see it discounted and pick it up blind. Its just a tradition for this series... ignorance is bliss and keeps the enthusiasm out of the way so I can get games I know about and I don't have silly doubts on infamous. Then when its in my hands, I know nothing and everything is a discovery, feels fresh, surprises me, and I run around as a super hero withing a fun little sandbox world with new mechanics and fascination. Basically to cut it short, this is on my list because I just know the series is too good but I never try to analyze it. Its just one of those games where there's no need to, and doing so would only hurt it. Oh and no worries about "supporting the bloated triple A game" because its been pretty much the most generally hyped PS4 game ever so far that supposedly people are ready to buy the console for. So I'm hyped for the day that I play this, but no rush.

6) Smash Bros 

Its smash bros. Oh, being made by the Tekken team this time around. I guess I'm slightly concerned for some of the casting choice (wii fit? -_-), but I'm still more dazzled by what I said in the last sentence to really care. Yeah, 'nuff said, moving on.

5) Prey 2

Prey 2.... why did you have to go wrong? It was so perfect, just the concept alone skyrocketed up to my #1 hyped game all of a sudden. It was an all alien open world game on a foreign dark super sci-fi planet casting you as a free running bounty hunter under an FPS style. That's without mentioning the optional prisoner system that comes with part of the job, the traps, and the boss teaser that was later revealed with footage that backed up such a bold concept. Oh this would have been so good. It ran into trouble that nobody can exactly come out and say for sure on, however what it looks like is that the studio making it is done for, bethesda cut them off and owns the IP, and arkane was given it and told to basically turn it into their spin of a system shock game. Honestly this sounds horrible except for one tiny detail that makes my entire perspective melt in pain and joy at the same time.... Arkane studios.

Arkane studios is among my favorites of developers out there, and I seriously think its a shame that they only just now caught the public's attention with Dishonored. If it wasn't for them, every bit of this turn of events would have been bitter pain that would have probably damaged my stress levels. However having a developer who's name means gold to me supposedly remake one of the greatest concepts ever attempted to gaming isn't exactly as bad to me as it should sound. However I'm still kind of holding out hope that we get the true Prey 2 experience I watched trailers and that E3 reveal to. That game was simply too beautiful to kill. The game has been pushed aside on the hype train to me for better and more visible gaming experiences, I mean Killzone had at least 2 announcements and game launches since I heard of this, and with all the sad news I can't help but keep it back a bit. However it still looks like it could hit, and whether it shows up trying to be modern System shock or the real Prey 2 I'm excited to see it and play it with the hope that Human Head or Arkane made a very incredible sci-fi FPS that properly thrashes on the typical form shooters come in now.

4) Destiny

Ok I'm actually pretty sure I'm giving this game too much credit putting it so high on this list. However I'm expecting it to really make an impact... and a legit fresh impact unlike what I'd say for its accused competitor. Destiny is an interesting FPS with an awesome looking world, a promising team that brought us halo, and some solid looking gameplay with good guns, classes, and exploration and battles. If that's all it did, it would probably be a solid and great experience to go and pick up sometime in itself. However it doesn't stop there... try the fact that its bringing all of it in a Console MMOFPS form. That's something that hasn't been well done yet if at all. Its an unmarked territory with no icon except maybe Planet Side 2, but even then that's PC side we're talking about where its flooded with other options and kept Planet side 2 back a bit. I predict Destiny is pretty much going to be Halo all over again in MMO form with the impact it'll have. A part of me is a bit afraid of that, but another part of me will be glad when the generic military shooter gets pushed back for something else. TitanFall might be an incredible game, but it wont be doing revolutions by being the same thing we've seen 6 years with wall jumping and mechs slapped into it. Destiny is another story. I have no idea how long it'll actually feel good to play to me... I'm no MMO fan afterall. However what I've seen looks like wild fun, and I'm kind of excited to put this game to the test and enjoy it. Oh and I will also state that the art style is just brilliant. I adore the psudo-knight + space marine style design of the characters and armor, and the world just looks great to explore. I'm really looking forward to it just for the setting alone to be honest, but the gameplay looks like a good thing to back up such a nice place in.

3)The next Ratchet and Clank

Screw announcements, this is just something needed and I couldn't make this list without this. I've been waiting and excited for the next entry ever since Crack in Time was so good, but sadly the awesomeness was postponed for some lamer spin-offs until we finally got a sample of a new adventure with Nexus. It may have been short, but damn was it good. I replayed the heck out of it and happily grinded away for my first ever platinum trophy, and enjoyed every minute of it. Everything was at its A game and they truly showed a lot of love and care into that entry. Now its time for a real full sized adventure to follow up something that good. Please Insomniac, do it! These games always have me smiling, immersed, and just having fun, not to mention I tend to replay each game 4 times through before I tell myself I'm done with them (and that's only until I come back some other time later).

2) Dark Souls 2

Coincidentally enough there are only 2 reasons why I shouldn't be anticipating this game... 1) Working on the first game still. So good! 2) I can't decide between regular and collectors edition, and either one burns money. Apart from that, there's no excuse to not be hyped. I suppose you could say its 80% likely to get a better current generation port, but then I guess the fans and myself will just buy it twice. Deep combat, deep world, deep emotions, deep mechanics, this games so deep you need proper scuba gear to survive the pressure. Apart from the series just being amazing with depth, the world itself is just so awesome and it'll be amazing to go into the next one. Unlike my issue with Dark souls 1, I will gladly go into this one without concerns over spoilers to. This game will be worth it, and the thing is its barely even list material anymore.... its really coming soon.

1) Wolfenstein: New Order

Were you really expecting something else from me? Ok fine, maybe Dark Souls 2 will be a superior game in every way imaginable, Smash bros will have more replay value and depth, and Destiny might be the next big thing with mainstream sensation, and Infamous or The order has the attention of the common sony leaning guys. So why some silly under the radar single player only shooter when you have too much shooters already flooding the market? Why is it the thing your checking on and hyping above all else in this list? The answer is simple really: Wolfenstein is everything I have been asking for for a very long time. It has everything on a big check list of "how to make an awesome corridor shooter" and passed in colors. It has a good setting, cool enemies and a variety of types, great gunplay with slight innovation, Solid dark visuals backed by strong gore, cheesy "grim dark" story, a promising corridor shooter direction, and above all else... AN ACTUAL HEALTH SYSTEM in addition to armor and power-ups! Finally! What the heck is wrong with this industry when such a game is a rarity when they used to be so common and easy to produce. Thank you Wolfenstein for keeping your head together and giving me promise for the corridor shooters I grew up with. Oh yeah, and recent announcements say I'll probably be entitled to a Doom 4 early access, so yeah that's nothing short of awesome.

I've got to admit though, there are concerns. For a starter, its ironic that this is a list full of "yeah I trust and love this series" while the #1 thing comes from a game in a series that has always been on par with Bioshock as being great on paper but just not clicking right for me. I've also heard a trusted critic with his hands on impressions say that for all the amazing gameplay I mentioned above, its sadly all just as scripted and force fed to you as a call of duty campaign. That is very concerning. However as we all know Metro did exactly what COD does in every campaign, but to such a higher quality that its like comparing a muffin top to a towering multi-layered cake. I have confidence that if they nail the pacing down just right, it can be a brilliant game and will be the shooter I've been waiting for.