1. . Fallout 4
2. . Star Wars: Battlefront
Battlefield meets Star Wars, that what Star
Wars: Battlefront always used to feel like, and therefore who better to lead
the return of this epic series than DICE - masters of expansive combat action.
We've all seen the footage. Battlefront looks absolutely stunning. The
Frostbite engine has brought the Star Wars universe to life like never before,
and we'll be able to step once more unto the breach as Rebel or Imperial and
make our mark. We can't wait to leap into the cockpit of an X-Wing and lock
those S-foils into attack position, or rewrite the history books for the Empire
at the helm of an AT-AT on Hoth or a speeder on the forest moon of Endor. With
the new film out this winter, this is surely going to be the game everyone is
playing come Christmas. Grab your blasters, bowcasters, and best mates...
Battlefront is back!
3. Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Being a UK company, whenever we’ve played
the game of “Where would you set an Assassin’s Creed game?” Victorian London
has always come up. And now our dreams have been realised! Immerse yourself in
the world of The Ripper, walk the streets (and rooftops) of the Dickensian
London and make the city your own. Step into the shoes of Evie and Jacob Frye –
the dynamic sibling duo at the heart of this year’s, traverse the city from on
high thanks to the fantastically fun grappling instruments. Beautiful, bold,
and brilliant – Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate looks like an epic return to form
for the series.
4. Just Cause 3
Just Cause 3 is shaping up to be a
rollercoaster ride of pure fun! Double grappling hooks, wingsuits for aerial
shenanigans, unlimited C4, and a Mediterranean despot to overthrow... where do
we sign up? Just Cause has always been about sticking players down in a massive
open sandbox, sprinkling in a little revolutionary context, and then letting us
run riot in gloriously explosive fashion. Just Cause 3 looks like it has that
by the truckload, with ample opportunities for creative destruction, and more
varied daredevil antics than ever before. Some of the recent gameplay footage
has been dazzling, and we're big fans of the ability to tether objects,
weapons, and people together with the grappling hooks. Who's ready to base jump
off a mountain, paraglide onto a moving car, cover it in C4, and blow up a
military installation by rappelling said vehicle onto a plane headed for an
enemy base? We are!
5. Metal
Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The hype is real!
We're finally getting true open-world Metal Gear Solid! Hideo Kojima's magnum
opus is so close now, and it looks like it's going to be an utterly
breathtaking experience. 200 times the size of Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid
V: The Phantom Pain will finally put players in the driving seat like never
before. The stealthy shenanigans return, of course, but now there's so much
more choice and freedom as Venom Snake pursues the men responsible for the
destruction of MSF. It all looks totally bonkers, in the best possible way.
Base building is back, you can speed up time with a fake cigar, Snake now has a
trained wolf to help him in the field, not to mention a combat-ready horse. The
open-world means more opportunities for tactical ops, more ways to deploy and
infiltrate enemy encampments, just...more! Ground Zeroes was an engrossing, if
fleeting, tease, but now it's time for the main event. And The Phantom Pain
doesn't look like it's going to disappoint.
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Where would a list like this be without
mentioning the biggest entertainment franchise on the planet? Call of Duty:
Black Ops III looks to capitalise on the futuristic flavour that Advanced
Warfare brought to the table. Set 40 years after the events of Black Ops II,
warfare in this sequel is heavily augmented my robots, drones, supersoldiers,
and the advancements of scientific progress. We’re so onboard for a 4-way co-op
campaign,not to mention the two zombie-related storylines (yes, Jeff Goldblum
FTW!), and we’re intrigued to see what Treyarch have brought to the table in
terms of new progression systems, and get hands-on with the new Specialist
character system. The speed and the fluidity of Advanced Warfare has been
kicked up a notch with Black Ops III, and we’re excited to jump into the
multiplayer to start learning the best spots for the new maps tailored towards
this revamped movement system. The beta kicks off later this month – time to
gear up
7. Tales
of Zestiria
Boasting
beautiful anime visuals, a stirring, emotional soundtrack, and a richness in
both story and setting for which the series is renowned, Tales of Zestiria is a
looking fantastic. Though not a particularly resource-intensive title,
Zestiria’s graphical and presentation are wonderfully realised on PC, with an
increase in NPCs making the world seem more alive than ever before. The battle
system has been overhauled to give players even more tactical options when it
comes to combat, but Zesteria remains accessible even to series newcomers.
You’ll come for a rich JRPG experience, but you’ll stay for the characters, the
superb dialogue and localisation, and the outstanding presentation.
8. Warhammer:
The End Times – Vermintide
Imagine for a
moment what might happen if Left 4 Dead and Warhammer Fantasy had a baby.
That’s basically Vermintide. Beautifully optimised on PC, Fatshark’s
co-operative action fest is set to be one of the surprise hits of the year.
It’s a stunning game, with a finely-balanced combat system that really
encourages players to work together. It’s tough, even brutal at times, but with
the pick-upand-play accessibility of Valve’s co-op shooter. You’ll sink hours
and hours into Vermintide, levelling up your characters, uncovering better
loot, and living out fantastical adventures with your friends time and time
again. Join the fight – it’s time to push back the Skaven horde!
9. Tom
Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Oh how we've
missed Rainbow Six! The tactical, squad-based FPS returns this year with
Rainbow Six: Siege, with a heavy emphasis on destructible environments. Grab
your explosive charges, folks, because we'll be blowing holes in walls, floors,
ceilings, and shouting the words "breach" and "clear" an
awful lot. The three pillars of teamwork, tactics, and tension will be in full
force in Siege, as we move in to liberate hostages, deactivate bombs, and
generally stop terrorists from ruining everyone's day. Verticality and
procedural damage will be a big theme in Siege, not to mention playing to your
strengths with the different classes of operators each boasting unique perks,
abilities, and weapons. Better still, Terror Hunt is back, meaning you can take
out waves of AI goons with your chums. Lock 'n' load, folks, and prepare for a
Siege.
Silly season kicks
off with Mad Max right at the beginning of September, and the open-world,
blisteringly action-packed, vehicular tour-de-force from Avalanche has been on
our radar for some time. Avalanche just know how to create outstanding
sandboxes and then fill them with exactly the right tools to maximise the
chaotic, brilliant fun that you can have in them as a player. Mad Max looks
totally bonkers, but the level of crafting and customisation, not to mention
the freedom in wreaking havoc in this dust, brutal virtual playground, is truly
tantalising. We're ready to jump behind the wheel of the Magnum Opus and hit
full throttle. Put simply, we're absolutely Mad for Max.