It’s a new year and a new dawn for those gaming systems on your shelves and hop boy do we have a ton to play this year. Amidst all of the rivalry and the hysteria, BagoGames is here to steer you in the right direction of where you’ll find the biggest bang for your buck. What games are getting our blood pumping, per say? Read on about our great game debate and decide for yourself.
We’ll be telling you a lot more of our most anticipated games of 2015 as the year rolls along, but for now, here are the biggest and hopefully best games to expect from our round one of 2015’s big ones.
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Top Cop Game
Patrick Kennedy | Rainbow Six: Siege
Patrick says: Rainbow Six has been sorely missed over the last few years with many different variations taking hold of the franchise. With the demise of Patriots, Rainbow Six: Siege aims to bring the strongest emphasis on cooperative play, team work, and tactical action we’ve seen in the series. Other series have tried their best to make a game with intense combat and thought provoking planning, but none have even come close to Siege.
Siege‘s gameplay demo last year took hold of gamers with its dynamic fire fights and intense strategic game play. Its atmosphere’s like that of a Michael Mann film and its intensive gun fights seem ripped straight out of Heat. But the world that Siege inhabits is tremendously more organic in the detail of the destruction you cause and the manner in which you have to race against the clock to make life or death choices. The game world is highly interactive and can be your means of saving hostages, killing kidnappers, or simply surviving yourself. Multiplayer or single player, Siege looks to offer gamers the most brutal, engrossing FPS experience since Counter Strike.
Lachlan Cotter | Battlefield: Hardline
Lachlan says: Battlefield: Hardline is based from the ground up on gritty cop drama’s even throwing in actors from TV cop drama’s to boot. The game features a strong campaign, never really before seen in Battlefield titles and of course features it’s multiplayer, which has been the land of innovation in the last few years for FPS games. In terms of execution, Hardline’s being produced by an enthusiastic team at Visceral games well known for their previous work on Dead Space. Their team delayed the title into 2015 and have listened tentatively to the fans of the game to make vast improvements from previous titles. They’ve also drafted the ideas and opinions of fans to influence their development. To me, Hardline’s almost a community-made game. When asked about tweaking classes or modes, or even core elements of the game, the development team was quick to respond on Twitter, often saying they had already sorted out the said concern.
Of course, we can’t talk about Battlefield without talking about their multiplayer. Working with the Frostbite 3 engine, Visceral’s created an environment for players to roam free with an arsenal of fast cars and flashy but balanced weaponry. While creating a good competitive zone for hardcore FPS players, they’ve also had some imagination and color as well. EA’s constantly promoting in-game or online “Only In Battlefield” and “Battlefield Moments” and they simply are breathtaking. Hardline more than ever invites players to have fun, fast-paced games with the gracefulness and realism you can expect from Battlefield as a franchise. Although Rainbow Six may boast a better competitive scene, for me, Hardline is where it’s at.
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Coolest Steampunk Game
Adam Koziol | Codename S.T.E.A.M.
Adam says: It’s hard to argue against Codename S.T.E.A.M. being one of the most steampunk games to have ever been created. The clue is in the name. Steampunk isn’t just an aethstetic choice for Intelligent system’s next project, it’s an essential part of the gameplay. Your movement, weapons, special abillities; everything you do relates back to steam. Without it, your characters are useless.
This is what sets Codename S.T.E.A.M above The Order: 1886. They may both be new IPs but it’s the 3DS exclusive that’s more compelling. Afterall, third-person-shooters are a much more crowded genre than third-person-strategy games. The comic book-themed artstyle and classic literature-inspired cast also help make Codename S.T.E.A.M the more interesting of the two games. Judging by their work on Fire Emblem: Awakening, I trust that Intelligent Systems can deliver another fantastic title.
Tim Gruver | The Order: 1886
Tim says: I know what’s been said about The Order: 1886 hasn’t been the stuff of sunshine and roses, and I doubt Ready at Dawn’s meaning to include either in an alternate-universe Victorian London up to its mustache in werewolves – err, “half-breeds.” As a period piece and as a piece of steampunk fiction, The Order looks downright flawless, frame-rates not withstanding. The guns look like something out of a Victorian Men in Black that Sony’s yet to release and the alternate history seems promising, combining Arthurian legend with a cool, sci-fi twist. Here we have immortal Knights of the Round Table fighting monsters with laser guns amidst a beautifully rendered England. What’s not to love?
If nothing else, The Order has one last thing going for it and that’s its impeccable sense of realism on top of it all. Everywhere you look, the game’s simply outstanding attention to detail can’t help but show in all the faces, places, and immaculately designed costumes that you could almost reach out and touch them, from its fast-paced gunplay to its smart use of hand-to-hand combat to break up the pace. Thanks to its top-notch motion-capture, each of The Order‘s characters feel like live actors, only it’s a video game. The Order might already look like one of the better PS4 exclusives of the year, but with the right spit and polish, it could be one of 2015’s third-person shooters to beat.
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Most Adorably Adorable
Eleni DiCarlo | Yoshi’s Woolly World
Eleni says: In a world full of sunshine, Yoshi’s Wooly World is the type of place you can imagine yourself laying down on the plush ground and sleeping for a hundred years just like Rip Van Winkle. Well unless you become too excited over seeing the colorful yarn balls and decide to chase them like a month-old kitten. This textile-themed game for the Wii U is the exact embodiment of adorable, the only thing missing is fluffy bunnies. Yoshi’s a cutie in his own right. From his chubbiness to his lime green skin, Yoshi is the pet dinosaur you wish you had as a child AND as an adult. Who wouldn’t want to ride a baby dinosaur who can eat enemies and then put them inside an egg?
Within Yoshi’s Wooly World, the player can uses yarn to literally weave together platforms and pull the yarn apart to make new discoveries. By manipulating the yarn that makes up most of this game, the player has more interaction with their surroundings. Using yarn as the medium to create or destroy is such an unusual way to play. Taking soft yarn and using it as a muzzle an enemy boss instead of reverting to a violent weapon of choice is a fresh way to battle. Yoshi is more than willing to fight against a fellow Yoshi but with great pride in the art of yarn ball tossing instead of eggs this time. Yes, folks, it’s true! Yoshi will use yarn balls to attack enemies! If there was any way more adorable to attack an enemy, Yoshi would’ve already come up with the idea.
Tim Gruver | Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Tim says: He’s round. He’s pink. He’s full of hot air. He’s Kirby! Needless to say, Nintendo’s super tough pink puff’s always my oasis for smiles and any game called Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is bound to draw one or two from this gamer. Kirby games are too easy and Kirby games are too short, people tell me, and while Kirby’s Epic Yarn might have been both of those things, he’s never failed me once in lending me a deliriously soothing time and Rainbow Curse looks like it could succeed on all fronts.
The follow-up of sorts to Kirby and the Canvas Curse, Kirby’s clay abilities look exactly like the kind of Wii U game we deserve. The gamepad’s touch-screen controls look like a fine way to fool around with Kirby’s pinball sensibilities like the kind of handheld experience you’ve come to expect from the series, only with all the benefits of HD graphics. Clay might fall short of anything “warm” or “cuddly,” but in a Kirby game, you don’t need much more than Kirby’s ever present smile to justify an “aww.” And playing potter with his mushy little self could be a refreshing take on his morphing powers we love about Kirby. If it’s everything I expect, Kirby’s Rainbow Curse just might mold something beautiful.
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Bloodiest Good Time
Corey Atwood | Bloodborne
Corey says: Obviously, it’s impossible to say for certain which game is bloodier before either come out. However, after performing a series of rigorous, dangerous, and mildly sexy experiments, I’ve come to the conclusion that Bloodborne will feature more on-screen human juice than Mortal Kombat X. Ever since the ever-famous Sega Genesis “blood code”, the MK series has been a pioneer in the field of vital fluid spillage, but as far as sheer volume, I think Bloodborne will have it beat. Not only is blood in the name, but in Bloodborne players will be facing hordes of enemies (before they’re inevitably cut down themselves, adding to the bloodbath). In fighting games, there are rarely more than two players on screen at once. Gory as it may be, two fighters can only exude so much blood.
Full Disclosure – To avoid any accusations of scandal and bias that may bring the full wrath of readers down upon Bagogames, I must admit that I am an enormous fan of From Software, have already pre-ordered Bloodborne, and haven’t truly enjoyed a fighting game since Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
Tim Gruver | Mortal Kombat X
Tim says: There’s probably no game this year that won’t push barriers like Mortal Kombat X. The very title “Mortal Kombat” has conjured up imagery of bloodied heads and far-flung body parts for years, and as the series that’s basically responsible for the ESRB game ratings system’s creation, you can always count on Scorpion and friends to chop up our doubts of “Well, this isn’t so bad” into little tiny pieces. A Mortal Kombat in 1080p and 60 fps is a deadly Mortal Kombat, especially if that said MK is one with “blood gods” and insect women.
The series has undeniably slowed down for the last half-decade since its Mortal Kombat reboot four years ago, but there’s more than enough ‘head’-room to for improvement. As the most environmentally driven MK in years, using environmental weaponry to keep your opponent off balance sounds like a nice step in the right direction, but it’s the “X-ray” special moves that’ll really break new ground – and bones. Throw in that “Ninjutsu” martial artistry and MK X should be good to go for a bloody good time with new blood to boot as much as the most visceral there’s ever been. Excuse me as I lay down for a bit.
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The Remaster We Dreamed About
Tim Gruver | Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Tim says: I kid you not – I’ve still yet to play Final Fantasy: Type-0 in any shape or form, but trust me, Type-0‘s HD rerelease on current-gen systems is more than enough to get me interested again. As the very first “mature” Final Fantasy as it was heralded back in the day, Type-0‘s more than appealed to my interest in seeing the series take its classical moral quandaries to their fullest amidst all-out war and destruction, couple of course with the interpersonal relationships we’ve grown to love about JRPGs, and all in beautifully realized graphics only current-gen systems can bolster. Shame about no multiplayer, though
For people like me, Type-0‘s a diamond in the rocks I still haven’t cracked and I look forward to doing just that. I won’t lie, though. As much as I do want to follow Class Zero through their journey, I’m in it for Final Fantasy XV‘s demo day one. While my finger’s still hovering over that pre-order until I break open my piggy bank, I can’t for the life of me deny myself the chance to play the game we REALLY never though would come out – at least in terms of our lifetimes. In short, Type-0 is the best Final Fantasy deluxe package you can get (until XV comes out, of course) and I can’t wait for it.
Jerry Dobracki | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3DS
Jerry says: Majora’s Mask has to be one of the most polarizing Zelda games to date, some people love it, some people hate, and most don’t know what to do with it. Personally I’ve never gotten very far in the game, while I am a huge fan of Nintendo I skipped the N64 era and have been catching up since. In my defense, I’ve tried to play Majora’s Mask on my N64, and it’s all been for naught. The gamer in me is use to 2015 controllers, controls and tutorials, so I’m handicapped when I attempted to play it on its original console. I need to remedy this and Nintendo is giving me the change next year, and I cannot wait!
I understand that most of my excitement of this game is due to nostalgia purposes, but that shouldn’t steer anyone away from this remake. It’s a chance to play a Zelda classic without having to break your wrist with the N64 controller and the graphics, while updated, will still keep true to the original creepiness of the N64 version. I like the fact that they’re making it more accessible to gamers since 2015 me cannot seem to grasp the N64 Majora’s Mask game. Plus, let’s not forget the fact that the game will be in glorious 3D, allowing you to see the full fierceness of the moon’s descent, should you fail. And the one thing that makes me want to buy this is the chance to show Nintendo that I’d be willing to also buy some more HD Zelda’s for the WiiU, specifically Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, both great games.
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Best Shoot ’em Up With Friends
Eleni DiCarlo | Splatoon
Eleni says: Shoot’em up games are usually considered violent and for more “mature” gamers. Nintendo’s changing the concept that shooters need to have violence to be fun. Splatoon offers intense strategy with a colorful world for players of all ages. The squid-humaniods, Inklings, are cute but fierce warriors who battle for territory by using ink. The Inklings team wins by claiming the most turf during the match. By using the ability as an Inkling instead of hiding behind walls or in in shrubs like other shooters, Splatoon offers a much more refreshing take on sneak attack. Inklinks can swim in their own ink to not only to refill their ink tanks but also to hide undetected from enemies. Imagine being able to swim up to the enemy to take them out on a street!
The world of Splatoon is filled with ink that as long as it is your team’s color, you can swim in it no matter how high or low the ink is on the terrain. The 4×4 multiplayer is small enough to be enjoyable without have too many players crowding the battlefield. Each team can use strategy tactics to figure out the best possible way to ensure victory. One of these deals with the outfits the Inklings wear. They can wear hats, clothes, shoes and weapons that offer different stat options. These can be purchased using the in-game currency. By modifying your character, you change the way the match is being played. From the brightly colorful universe to the friendly looking Inklings, Splatoon‘s sure to be an enjoyable shooting game!
Patrick Kennedy | Evolve
Patrick says: If Evolve‘s poised to bring gamers the fresh take on competitive multiplayer that it looks to be, then February’s set to bring us one of the best current-gen experiences yet. Designed by the folks who brought us Left 4 Dead and Counter Strike, Evolve is founded on the concept of pitting a team of four human hunters against another lone player, who poses as the main threat in the world and try to become the ultimate hunter as they play one of three titan-like aliens roaming the planet in a bid to survive. Aliens can even consume smaller life forms to “evolve” as a means of progression and upgrading. Same for our hunters, who adapt greatly through hunting and in turn make them deadlier with each bounty they successfully conquer.
Evolve looks to be the kind of intense, brutal experience that puts a unique spin on the traditional team death-match formula. The game has a brilliant, life-like feel to it, where everything from our characters to the world and the enemies in it have an organic, intelligent nature to them in which their actions and interactions between one another are critical to their own survival. This sci-fi monster hunt’s surely one of the biggest multiplayer experiences of the year with its cat and mouse style game-play that changes perception from one side to another, but also to have a strong emphasis on adapted survival and dynamic team work since Left 4 Dead.
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So, what games are you most excited for this year? Let us know in the comments below, and stick around for what round two’s discussing. JRPGs! Horror! Open-world gaming! Stay tuned, gamers!