In 2013 Sony and Microsoft launched new gaming consoles, but unfortunately neither company exactly made their machines must haves. So far most Playstation 4 and Xbox One games are modestly upgraded versions of current-gen titles, or next-gen exclusives that deliver fancy new graphics, but scrimp on depth.
At first glance 2014 may look rather bleak as well. A lot of the big-name franchises are missing in action, or have been promised but not shown, but things aren’t as bad as they may seem. There are actually a healthy handful of games coming in 2014 that may very well force you to plop down that 400 – 500 bucks for a PS4 or Xbox One. Such as…
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: January 2014
One of the best games of 2013 is getting a spiffy next-gen update in 2014. Lara’s character model is being totally re-done, the environments are getting a lick of paint and all the DLC from the original version of the game is included. This really does seem like the definitive version of Tomb Raider, so if you missed it on current-gen consoles, this might be a good way to kick off your next-gen experience.
Titanfall (Xbox One)
Release Date: March 2014
From the creators of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Titanfall looks to use the Xbox One’s power to deliver as much crazy as possible. Giant mechs, jetpacks and crazy gore effects galore! This one looks like a lot of dumb fun, and could very well be the next big thing in multiplayer shooters.
D4 (Xbox One)
Release Date: Q1 2014
Did I say Titanfall looked crazy? No, this is true next-gen crazy. From the director of Deadly Premonition, D4 is a new Kinect-powered adventure game about a time-travelling detective. The game won’t be for everyone, and it’s hardly maxing out the Xbox One hardware, but if you’re the kind that likes their games strange, D4 has to be one of your most anticipated titles of the year.
The Crew (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: Q3 2014
The Crew is a next-gen open world racing game in which the entire damn United States of America is your playground. Okay, so the map of America isn’t entirely to scale, but it will still take you over 90 minutes to cross The Crew’s game world while driving at top speed. The scale and detail of this game really is kind of amazing.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: Q2 2014
I have a feeling this is the game that’s going to get a lot of people hungrily eyeing some sort of next-gen set-up. The Witcher 3 is both gorgeous and massive, with a world described as 100-times larger than past Witcher games and a good 25% larger than Skyrim. Also, boobs — there will almost certainly be lots of wonderful next-gen boobs.
The Evil Within (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: Second half of 2014
Shinji Mikami’s return to horror is also coming out on current-gen systems, but based on the gorgeously grimy next-gen footage we’ve seen, it seems like The Evil Within is one you’re going to want to experience on a next-gen system. Personally, this is the probably the game that’ll force me kicking and screaming into the next generation.
Tom Clancy’s The Division (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: Q4 2014
I usually just ignore anything “Tom Clancy” branded out of habit, but The Division, an online co-op shooter that takes place in an open world post-apocalyptic New York, actually looks really good. The action’s hard-hitting and visceral, the graphics are fantastic and it seems to lack the layer of blandness that holds most Tom Clancy stuff back. My anticipation level for this one is surprisingly high.
Deep Down (PS4)
Release Date: Second half of 2014
Is there another next-gen game as intriguing as Deep Down? For one, it’s absolutely gorgeous — Capcom’s new Panta Rei graphics engine gives everything in Deep Down a supple, meaty, realistic look that no other next-gen game quite matches yet. Despite these beautiful graphics, Deep Down is actually going to be free to play. It also promises to tell a surprisingly detailed story that takes place partly in a traditional dungeons and dragons fantasy setting and partly in a futuristic New York. Will Deep Down come together as a cohesive whole? Can’t say for sure, but I think Capcom may be onto something big here.
Final Fantasy XV (PS4 & Xbox One)
Release Date: Second half of 2014
Final Fantasy XV of course looks visually stunning, and unlike Final Fantasy XIII, there’s a good chance it will deliver on depth too. See, Final Fantasy XV started life as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which has been in development since 2006. So hopefully this game will be fairly polished, and if it’s not there’s probably no hope left for Square-Enix.
Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One)
Release Date: Q4 2014
Insomniac Games has defected to Microsoft and their first big exclusive for the Xbox One is Sunset Overdrive, a game that looks to combine the shootery violence of their Resistance games with the color and fun of Ratchet & Clank. In other words, if things work out right, Sunset Overdrive could be a best of both worlds situation from one of the most consistent developers in the business.
The Question Marks
Of course the 10 games I just listed aren’t the whole story — there are plenty of other announced or rumored games that may or may not hit next-gen consoles this year.
A new Uncharted and Halo have been announced, but will we be getting them in 2014? I have a feeling we’ll get Halo, but probably not Uncharted. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony and Naughty Dog tried to fill the gap with a fancied up next-gen version of The Last of Us. Oh, and what about The Last Guardian? You’re still working on that, right Sony? Riiiiight? Needless to say, there’s going to be some bombs dropped at this year’s E3.
So, which games do you think might force you to make that next-gen leap? What did I miss? Tell me all about it in the comments.