Now that the new gaming consoles are out, the industry can get back to what it does best: games. The year 2014 will see the most interactive, most visually-impressive games ever. And most share a feature which seems to be the new modus operandi: an open world for gamers to explore.
Though there will be a myriad of exclusives coming to each console (Titanfall and Fable Legends for the Xbox, The Order: 1886 and inFamous: Second Son for PlayStation, Mario Kart 8, Zelda U, and Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U), a plethora of big titles will grace multiple consoles in the first half of 2014.
I hope you'll forgive me if we breeze past January's slim pickings. With Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and its visual upgrade being the only big title gracing the next generation consoles, and The Lego Movie Videogame being released alongside a last-gen Final Fantasy game (Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII) in February, early 2014 is looking pretty weak.
Things pick up in late February with the release of Thief across last and current generation consoles. Incorporating first-person stealth action, special sneaky abilities, and beautifully sculpted, moody surroundings, this will be one game in which it will be a pleasure to stick to the shadows in this open world. February also sees the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.
Though limited to the Xbox 360 and the PS3, it features an expanded story mode and an open world, allowing it to move away from the linear, level-by-level flawed stylings of its predecessor. With the haunting voice of Patrick Stewart to guide him as Zobek, Gabriel-turned-Dracula must battle through his castle, rediscovering his power as well as new abilities in order to exact fierce retribution against Satan himself.
The first couple of months are but warmups. The real action starts in March with the release of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zero on the 360, X1, PS3, and PS4. I'm still confused as to exactly where this fits in the convoluted Metal Gear chronology – this is actually game number 10 of the series – but I'm excited for the move towards an open-world concept. While other MSG games allow for limited strategic choice, Ground Zero now brings choice in how missions are completed. Take a look at the trailer and you'll feel the same pang of excitement I hold for this game.
Thanks to the PS4 and Xbox One having close-to-PC architecture, you'll see massive multiplayer online (MMO) games become more prolific in the next year or so. The first will be coming in April: The Elder Scrolls Online. Personally, I consider Skyrim to be the best classical role-playing game ever to hit a console. As an MMO, the open world of Tamriel can now take on a life beyond anything previously experienced, combining the worlds of Elder Scrolls lore: Morrowind, Cyrodill, and Skyrim. Set 1,000 years before Skyrim, players will join one of three factions all vying against a demonic daedric prince to rule of the realm.
Then there's the game that I have been waiting for since the PS4 release conference: Watch Dogs. Originally a launch title, it was delayed as a launch title back in November. Being released across all consoles, including the Wii U, this open-world (déjàvu) is a true open-world game.
As vigilante hacker turned spy Aiden Pearce, you'll walk the streets of a futuristic Chicago rippling with life, both human and virtual. See, Watch Dogs takes place in a world dominated by supercomputers and is layered with commentary on dependence and abuse of technology. You'll use Pearce's gift for hacking and cutting-edge toys to turn tech against itself, upsetting the establishment all the while.
As strong as the lineup is for the first half of 2014, the true gems will come later in the year. Destiny will have an open universe to explore with always-online, interstellar multiplayer. Dragon Age: Inquisition will continue the legacy of Bioware-sculpted fantasy fiction. And The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be one of the darkest, largest, most beautiful-looking games of the year.
Any way you slice it, from mind-blowing exclusives to genre-defining games coming to any console, 2014 will be a decadent year for video games.
When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.
