English
Gamereactor
articles

15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

There's just too many great games landing this year.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

* Required field
HQ

We've been running a series of previews in recent days (links at the end) where we've been highlighting some of our most anticipated titles coming in the year ahead. It's been tough choosing which titles to pick, given that 2015 is shaping up to be a golden year for gaming, and with so many left to talk about, we thought we'd use the final entry in the series to discuss the games that didn't quite make the final list. In no particular order, here's some of the year's most promising titles:

Remedy's Xbox-exclusive Quantum Break could be a revelatory fusion of media, with gaming and television meeting to create an immersive experience unlike no other (although there was Defiance, but here's hoping this betters the MMO scyfy crossover). While the game itself looks like a fairly standard cover-based shooter, albeit with a nice twist, we're super interested to see exactly how the game fits with the TV show.

Quantum Break Preview

HQ
This is an ad:
HQ

No Man's Sky is the indie darling of the moment. Hello Games has captured everyone's attention with their galaxy-spanning game of exploration and discovery. It looks so good that we're still waiting for the catch. If there isn't one, this has the potential to blow almost everything else out of the water in 2015.

No Man's Sky at PlayStation Experience

HQ
This is an ad:
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Dying Light is one of the first big games of the year to land, and it focuses more on player movement over of the MMO-lite sandbox setting that we'll be seeing later in the year in Dead Island 2. Either way, both games are looking good and 2015 should be a great year for zombie fans (there's H1Z1 coming too, although DayZ won't make full release in 2015).

Dying Light Hands-on Impressions

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

The Order: 1886 could end up being a surprise package this year. It has all the hallmarks of a generic third-person shooter, but there's undeniable potential here too. Visually it's very strong, and the Victorian-era setting sounds intriguing. If Ready at Dawn can sidestep mediocrity and avoid the temptation to add in too many QTEs, this could be a success when it launches early in the year.

The Order: 1886 Preview

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Just Cause 3 is certainly one of the most exciting games coming out this year. Perhaps we could've said a little more about it, but details are still pretty thin on the ground. We know that super-agent Rico is being sent to a beautiful Mediterranean archipelago that he's more than familiar with, and Avalanche will be returning some of the tricks - like the grappling hook - that have become synonymous with the series.

Just Cause 3 Officially Announced

15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Project CARS is the brightest light for racing fans in a year that doesn't have much in the way of standout titles in the pipeline. Here's hoping it delivers, because the current-gen consoles have under-delivered on this front. PlayStation fans in particular will be hoping for a top quality release. Having seen the game in action ourselves, we're expecting big things.

Project CARS Preview

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

They might be bordering on niche, but we can't wait to see the re-releases of Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle when they launch this year. It's going to be a great year for adventure fans, with Telltale continuing their various series in 2015 (most notably new offerings Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands), and there's the second part of Broken Age coming this year too.

Broken Age: Act 1 Review
Tales from the Borderlands - Episode 1 Review
Game of Thrones - Iron from Ice Review

HQ
HQ

Battlefield: Hardline certainly has us intrigued. Will the expansive style of the series gel with the cops and robbers setting? A new beta is said to be coming very soon, and with the game set to launch in March, there's not long to wait before we get to see how Visceral has put their stamp on the Battlefield formula. Reactions were mixed on first viewing, but given the extra time the studio has had, we're hopeful that it's going to turn out well.

Battlefield: Hardline Preview

HQ
HQ

Mortal Kombat X should prove a bloody success when it lands later this year. It could be the best game in the series thus far, if all the various pieces come together, with Netherrealm building on the success of Injustice: Gods Among Us. There'll be console-specific characters for players to look forward to, and more variety than we've seen in the series thus far.

Mortal Kombat X Preview

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

If MKX isn't your thing, there's always the small matter of Street Fighter V, which is also planned for 2015. This one is down as a PlayStation 4-exclusive, but that doesn't mean that subsequent remixes won't make it out on Xbox One (we'll have to wait and see on this front). We've not seen much of SFV following its announcement at the tail-end of last year, so expect plenty more details in the coming months.

Capcom "partners" with Sony for Street Fighter V

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

If Doom makes it out this year, shooter fans could be in for an absolute treat. We can't wait to see more of id's next game, and while it has been shown to fans at QuakeCon, there's still plenty of questions that remain unanswered. Following on from last year's Wolfenstein sequel, let's hope that the other major shooter series from the ‘90s can make a similar impact when it lands in 2015.

Doom shown exclusively to QuakeCon attendees

HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Rainbow Six: Siege was another show-stealing unveiling from Ubi at last year's E3. Here's hoping the refocus can mix modern moves with the series' tactical gameplay beats. It certainly looks like the decision to reboot the development process is going to pay dividends, and the asymmetrical gameplay looks like it will position the new Rainbow Six in a fairly unique position.

Rainbow Six: Siege's destruction tech a "complex problem"

HQ
HQ

If you like open-world adventures, two more games worth keeping tabs on are Crackdown, which is heading exclusively to Xbox One, and Mad Max, which should also hit consoles in 2015. We're hesitant about both titles if we're honest, and are holding back our excitement until we've seen more, but it's also possible that one or both could end up being hugely entertaining. Time will tell.

Avalanche on Mad Max: "We are going to stand apart" and Crackdown is a mash-up of single-player and co-op

HQ
HQ

We should get to see more of Overwatch in 2015, the first new IP from Blizzard in a long, long time. Given the quality across the rest of their portfolio, this should be decent. It looks like it's going to follow the path laid down by Team Fortress 2 before it, and given the size of Blizzard's PC platform - Battle.net - the chances are good that this team-based shooter is going to prosper.

Overwatch: Hands-on Impressions

HQ
HQ

Assassin's Creed is heading to Victorian London in AC: Victory, in what is surely one of the most interesting settings the series has had to date. Despite the issues that plagued the launch of Unity, we can't help but get excited at the prospect of traversing our way through 19th century London, and as long as Ubisoft can ensure there's no issues with quality control this time around, this could be the right response to 2014's underwhelming offerings.

Assassin's Creed: Victory leaked

15 for 2015: Best of the Rest
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Horror fans will have the Resident Evil reboot and Revelations 2 to look forward to, as well as the cinematic PS4-exclusive, Until Dawn. There's also Soma, which should make a great year if heading behind the sofa is your preferred place to do your gaming.

Resident Evil: One step back, one to the side and Until Dawn Preview

HQ
HQ

Nintendo has a selection of solid-looking titles planned for 2015 (Devil's Third, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Mario vs. Donkey Kong to name just three of their exclusives). One of the ones we're most looking forward to is definitely Mario Maker, as it looks like it'll be playful just as much as it gets the creative juices flowing. Then there's Star Fox, which is heading to Wii U. Miyamoto is handling this one himself, and who knows what he's working on. It has been confirmed that we should see this one land before The Legend of Zelda Wii U, although there's still no specific dates being mentioned just yet. Expect fireworks and ingenuity when it lands on Wii U.

"Devil's Third demolishes past games in multiplayer, Xenoblade Chronicles X is almost complete, and Star Fox playable at E3

HQ
HQ
15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest15 for 2015: Best of the Rest

Want to read more? Here's links to the rest of our 15 for 2015 previews.

Batman: Arkham Knight
Bloodborne
Dead Island 2
Evolve
Final Fantasy XV
Halo 5: Guardians
Heroes of the Storm
Indie Games
Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain
The Division
The Legend of Zelda Wii U
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Total War: Attila
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & Rise of the Tomb Raider



Loading next content