#5. Uncharted 4
Buy It: Pre-order Uncharted 4
Game Sales Estimate: 2.5 Million
Release Date: 2014
System: PS4
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Action-Adventure, Platformer, Third-Person Shooter
Why Play It?: The Uncharted franchise is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4. Developed by Naughty Dog, not much is known about Uncharted 4. The teaser shows an ancient map of the African continent while the voice-over of character-actor Todd Stashwick is heard. The map displays treasure hunter Nathan Drake (Nolan North) his ancestor’s Sir Francis Drake’s travel route, thus hinting at locations for the next game taking place in Madagascar and its pirate island Ile Sainte-Marie. No doubt fellow treasure hunter/father-figure Victor Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) and journalist/love-interest Elena Fisher (Emily Rose) will come along on Nate’s next adventure.
#4. Titanfall
Buy It: Pre-order Titanfall
Game Sales Estimate: 3+ Million
Release Date: March 11, 2014
System: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Why Play It?: The team that built Call of Duty signed up with EA just to be able to make this brand new online multiplayer-only game, their first title since leaving Activision. You play as free-running soldiers who can also pilot various classes of mechanic walking Titans on a war-torn planet, choosing sides as either the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) or the Militia. The multiplayer objective-based gameplay is mixed with an overlaying story-driven narrative. Check out the video to see why it’s being heralded as the next big leap in FPS gaming thanks to its fast-paced gameplay with smooth controls.
#3. Destiny
Buy It: Pre-order Destiny
Game Sales Estimate: 6 Million
Release Date: September 9, 2014
System: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4
Developer: Bungie
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action Role-Playing
Why Play It?: The studio that built Halo signed up with Activision just to be able to make this brand new co-op and competitive multiplayer game, their first multiplatform title since leaving Microsoft. Word has it they are hoping Destiny will start a sci-fi Trilogy that will rival the original Star Wars Trilogy in scope. Play as the Guardians, either as the Hunters, Warlocks or Titans class, as you protect Earth’s last surviving city shielded by the mysterious floating Traveler sphere. It’s an ambitious project for sure, as you can see in this action-packed video from within the futuristic post-apocalyptic always-online game world.
#2. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U
Buy It: Pre-order Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Game Sales Estimate: 6-8 Million
Release Date: 2014
System: 3DS, Wii U
Developer: Sora (with Masahiro Sakurai), Namco Bandai Games (with Yoshito Higuchi)
Genre: Fighting
Why Play It?: Possibly the most anticipated game on the list, due to it marking a simultaneous Wii U and 3DS release, which marks the first time the franchise appears on a handheld. Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series commands instant recognition with fighting fans for its easy to pick up but hard to master competitive fighting aspects for up to four players, meaning it is always a good time whether you’re playing in a group on the couch or using online play. Instant recognition is added by the roster of familiar Nintendo characters and new/familiar third-party mascots from Capcom, Sega, Namco Bandai and more.
#1. Watch Dogs
Buy It: Pre-order Watch Dogs
Game Sales Estimate: 6.2-8 Million
Release Date: Spring 2014
System: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Romania
Genre: Open World Action-Adventure, Stealth
Why Play It?: Watch Dogs is designed to “go beyond the limits of today’s open world games”. With a story set in a near-future setting where a hacker — Irish vigilante named Aiden Pearce — wages information warfare against corrupt elements in society, as his electronic devices are tied into the city’s CenTral Operating System (ctOS). Let’s hope ctOS is self-aware Artificial Intelligence like The Machine on the TV show Person of Interest that tasks able people to protect humanity from harm. Fans have a lot to be excited about with this brand new series!
Top image credit: Official Ubisoft-ordered female Aiden Pearce cosplay by Lindsay Elyse.
What are your favorite games of 2014?
