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2014 was packed with some outstanding games, but even a cursory glance at some of the games confirmed for 2015 shows that the next 12 months could outshine the previous year when it comes to high quality experiences. And while 2014 saw the steady rise of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (and the quiet resurgence of the Wii U), 2015 looks like it will be the year where the new consoles truly shine and finally deliver on their promise. PCs, too, remain a stronghold for unique and amazing gameplay experiences, and will undoubtedly continue to be an outstanding platform for gaming in the new year. So which 2015 confirmed releases are the GameSpot team most looking forward to? EvolveComing February 2 for PC, PS4, Xbox OneEvery team-based shooter claims to require camaraderie and coordination, to the point that boasts of mandatory teamwork can often be dismissed as simple buzzwords. Evolve’s alpha test proved that “teamwork” is not just a marketing term in this case, but an inescapable need. The game’s asymmetrical, monster-versus-squad action is electrifying, and makes playing every class an absolute blast. Don’t dismiss Evolve as another been-there-done-that competitive shooter: there’s something truly special here. -- Kevin VanOrd BloodborneComing March 24 for PS4It would be disingenuous to suggest that one of the reasons we’re so thrilled by Bloodborne is that it so closely resembles From Software’s previous games in the Souls series. Those games rose to excellence through their weighty combat, their stiff challenge, and their oppressive atmosphere. That we will be able to say the same about Bloodborne is almost certain. But we’re also thrilled by how the game so clearly makes a statement apart from the Souls games. It’s a different kind of world with different kind of weapons, and boasts a newfound fluidity of motion that makes combat newly fresh. -- Kevin VanOrd Mighty No. 9Without a new Mega Man game in sight and the franchise locked behind Capcom's doors, Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9 is promising to fill the void. A class-style action-platformer with colorful bosses whose power you can absorb, Mighty No. 9 is both a throwback to its predecessor and a glimpse of what can happen when fans help shape a game. Through a successful Kickstarter campaign and constant communication with its backers, those who really want Mighty No. 9 are helping to shape it, and developers are listening at every step of the way. We're excited to see this return to form for Inafune and get our hands on a game truly tailored to its fans. -- Alexa Ray Corriea The Witcher 3: Wild HuntComing May 19 on PC, PS4, and Xbox OneThe Witcher 2 planted the seed. It depicted one of the most beautiful and brutal places you can explore within the whole of games, and planted within it an intriguing political story and a vicious combat system that made shedding blood feel physically and emotionally exhausting. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s exponentially larger world and new characters would seem to bear the fruits of that initial seed. A stunning and vast landscape, filled with difficult decisions and colossal creatures, awaits us, and it’s difficult not to tremble when you imagine the possibilities. -- Kevin VanOrd Batman: Arkham KnightComing June 2 for PS4, Xbox One, PCDeveloper Rocksteady is back to finish off what they started with the extremely well received Arkham series. The bits and pieces of what we've seen so far of the game have been stunning, due in no small part to the increased horsepower of the PS4 and Xbox One. And the inclusion of the Batmobile seems to be more than just a neat gimmick--the Batmobile looks like it's been integrated into a lot more than just getting Batman from point A to point b in style, and seems to be useful in solving puzzles and even as a partner during Arkham Knight's brutal fistfights. I can't wait to see how the whole things blends together next year. -- Randolph Ramsay Rise of the Tomb RaiderComing 2015 for Xbox OneLara Croft's rebirth in early 2013 was met with high praise. This new Lara appealed to us because she was younger, softer--still learning the skills and hurtling through the experiences that would hone her into the powerful and confident Lara we've known since 1996. Trailers for Rise of the Tomb Raider show a Lara both broken and strengthened by the experiences of the first game, and we're excited to see her character grow and the exotic locales she'll conquer in the next game. -- Alexa Ray Corriea Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainComing 2015 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PCThough some may have only spent two hours playing through Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' story mission, I put 10 times the hours into exploring the full range of the game's open-world stealth mechanics. I came away convinced that this is one of the most solid foundations ever for a stealth-action game. Seeing how this plays into the far more massive scale of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, along with the game's fascinating new buddy system and adversarial multiplayer base-infiltrations, is something I cannot wait to do. -- Daniel Hindes Star Fox Wii UComing 2015 to Wii UIt's a new Star Fox game. What's not to be happy about? Shigeru Miyamoto's focus for the past several years appears to have been centered on Mario and Pikmin, so when he confirmed his new secret project is a Star Fox title for the Wii U, we were figuratively over the moon. Not much is known about this game yet, but as the first Star Fox appearance not in a Super Smash Bros. game since the Nintendo 3DS port of Star Fox 64, we're still excited. We'll be doing barrel rolls in anticipation until this one comes out. -- Alexa Ray Corriea Coming 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, PCMy Star Wars excitement is swelling once again with the recent teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and that those high hopes extend to the big Star Wars game we'll be getting next year: Battlefront. DICE's reboot of the multiplayer shooter series already looks gorgeous, with brief glimpses of the ice planet Hoth and forests of Endor seen at E3 2014. But what I want to know more than anything is: how will it play? What kind of game modes will we see? Will DICE opt to include a full-fledged singleplayer campaign as well? And perhaps most importantly, will we see any new locations and vehicles from the upcoming trilogy? My S-foils are locked in anticipation. -- Daniel Hindes Halo 5: GuardiansComing 2015 for Xbox OneThe Halo series is one of my favorites in all of gaming, and I'm eager to see what 343 Industries can pull off with its first new Halo title developed for Xbox One. On the story side, we're finally seeing a compelling new character in Agent Locke, an aggressive-sounding Spartan tasked with hunting down Master Chief. Locke will be a playable, "primary" character in Halo 5, and I'm excited to see how Locke's involvement affects Chief's saga. Best of all, though the full Halo 5 game won't be out until next fall, its multiplayer beta--which will let you try out the many new and exciting player abilities--rolls out next week. I know how I'm spending my Christmas break. -- Eddie Makuch The Legend of Zelda Wii UComing 2015 for Wii UAt E3 last year, Nintendo revealed a Link in very different attire. And the recent The Game Awards presentation unveiled a breathtaking open world that makes the possible scope of the game's world looks expansive and more comparable to Western RPGs like Elder Scrolls. These brief teases make us excited to learn more. But it's Nintendo's agonizingly metered release schedule and record of releasing carefully crafted experiences that mean, whether it's the best in the franchise or just merely OK, it's the Wii U game that everyone will be talking about. -- Justin Haywald  Coming 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, PCUbisoft has garnered criticism this year for utilizing a very specific open-world formula across multiple genres. Thus far, Tom-Clancy-branded games have avoided many of that formula’s tropes, and The Division looks to hew more closely to the philosophies that separate Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell from the pack. There’s still much we don’t know, but if previous showings are an indication, The Division could smartly replicate the sense of joining a small band of cohorts and journeying into a devastated New York City, hoping to survive and even thrive. Destiny has popularized the dynamic-world multiplayer shooter. We’re excited to see how Tom Clancy’s The Division refines and riffs upon a soon-to-burgeon genre. -- Kevin VanOrd Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndComing 2015 for PS4Uncharted is the series that redefined developer Naughty Dog. Previously known primarily as the creators of Crash Bandicoot, they're now the studio behind some of the most cinematic and well-paced action games on any console. It's almost a given that Uncharted 4 will continue the company's legacy of creating graphical showcases. And there's no doubt that it'll be another exciting, Indiana Jones-like adventure full of big set pieces and snappy dialogue. But if it also successfully integrates the combat refinements and nuanced, character-driven storytelling from The Last of Us, Uncharted could possibly be the developer's magnum opus. -- Justin Haywald No Man's SkyComing 2015 for PS4, PCThis game with have limitless potential. That's the promise No Man's Sky seems to be making. Each and every time this amazing-looking game has been shown thus far, I'm left in awe at the sheer audacity of what it looks like it may be bringing to the gaming world. A huge, living galaxy which countless planets, procedurally generated lifeforms, and an invitation to simply explore and discover. If No Man's Sky can match even half of my expectations, then it'll be an outstanding achievement. If it can meet them all, then it'll be a revolutionary game. -- Randolph Ramsay Persona 5Coming 2015 for PS3, PS4With the series approaching its 20-year anniversary and its cult following still going strong, it's hard not to get wrapped up in the hype for the next Persona game. Set to launch next year for both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Persona 5 looks--from its sole teaser trailer--like it will take the beloved role-playing franchise into a new setting with possibly more mature characters (the character in the teaser looks to be wearing a college uniform). After a dozen re-releases and spin-offs from the last numbered title, the critically acclaimed Persona 4, fans are slavering for another adventure. -- Alexa Ray Corriea You've seen our picks for the Most Anticipated Games of 2014, now vote for your favorite in our poll below!
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