Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Release Date: Aug. 25
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Plaforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided takes place in 2029, two years after the award-winning Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The series takes place in a gritty cyberpunk future where corporate monopolies and new technologies are driving social instability. The world has changed for the worse from the previous game, and robotically augmented humans now live separated from normal humans. Players will return as protagonist Adam Jensen, who is now working for an anti-terrorist organization
The game promises to include a huge degree of freedom in both gameplay and story. It allows choice and customization of augmentations and weapons for use in combat or stealth, or a mix of the two tactics. Huge, open levels will allow the use of many different strategies for victory. The creative design and attention to detail of this futuristic world is extensive and all meant to add to the story of the game, which like the gameplay, will be greatly influenced by the decisions players make.
XCOM 2
Release Date: Feb. 5
Developer: Firaxis Games
Platforms: PC
In the game XCOM: Enemy Unknown, players command the military group XCOM in a war to defend Earth from alien invasion. It gained popularity for its strategic and challenging gameplay, blending decision-making and resource management with tactical squad combat. The sequel XCOM 2 takes place 20 years after the war was lost and the aliens conquered Earth. This time players direct XCOM not as a special ops commander, but as the leader of a resistance movement against Advent, the joint human and alien government.
The game keeps many features of the original, while adding plenty of new aspects, such as procedurally generated maps to keep battles unfamiliar. Gameplay is now meant to reflect guerilla warfare. Stealth will factor into combat scenarios, and Advent forces will alter the ways that they fight and hunt XCOM depending on how players fight against them.
Uncharted 4
Release Date: Mar. 18
Developer: Naughty Dog
Platforms: PS4
With over 21 million sales worldwide, the Indiana Jones-esque Uncharted series is one of the most popular exclusives on the PlayStation system. Uncharted 4 is the series’ next installment, bringing a new storyline and multiplayer modes to an existing set of action-based third person shooter mechanics. And now, the game’s well known action-based gameplay is supplemented by stealth mechanics and by open levels that offer multiple pathways. The game’s multiplayer beta has already been praised for its engaging and varied action.
Uncharted 3 appeared to end the series, so many may ask why a fourth game was necessary. According to writers, Uncharted 4 tells a heavier story than previous installments, and also sheds light on the past of protagonist Nathan Drake. They have also assured that the story will still follow the series’ lighthearted precedent, not straying into the hopelessly bleak territory of The Last of Us, which was made by the same developer.
Street Fighter V
Release Date: Feb. 16
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PC, PS4
Street Fighter V will be the first major installment in the Street Fighter franchise since the fourth game’s release in 2008. Street Fighter is a fighting game series where players can compete against their friends and other players online in a one-on-one bout of skill.
Fans of the series are very excited, and justifiably so, for a variety of reasons. For the first time in the franchise’s history, extra characters added to the game after its release will be available for free. In most fighting games, including the previous Street Fighters, these additional characters had to be bought separately. In Street Fighter V, all additional characters will be unlockable through an in-game currency.
In addition to the in-game currency feature, several new characters will be added to the standard cast, though not much information about them has been disclosed. Overall, the game promises to continue the series’ success by retaining the other games’ signature art style and look, while adding some new gameplay features to keep things fresh.
Dark Souls III
Release Date: Mar. 26
Developer: FromSoftware
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Dark Souls III is the next installment in the hit Dark Souls series, which is renowned for its infamously difficult gameplay and rewarding mechanics. Dark Souls I director Hidetaka Miyazaki will be directing Dark Souls III, after his abscene during the development of Dark Souls II The game takes players through a dark world where they must hunt down all the Lords of Cinders, a group of past rulers who are returning from the dead. Exactly how the player will achieve this, and who exactly all the Lords of Cinder are, is still unknown at this point.
The game mixes a lot of different aspects of both Dark Souls and Dark Souls II, removing the agility stat from the second game, while retaining many gameplay features that made the previous games stand out. The gameplay also looks very similar to that of Bloodborne, a title by the same developer, with the action being more brutal, claustrophobic and fast.
Fire Emblem Fates
Release Date: Feb. 19
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platforms: 3DS
Fire Emblem Fates is a collection of games that were released together in Japan last June that will be coming to North America this February. Fates was released as two main games, Conquest and Birthright.
The gameplay centers around the player commanding an army of characters in a long series of battles. Every one of the soldiers has a distinct personality and a set of abilities that aid the team in their endeavors. Unfortunately for the sentimental who choose to play the game on “Classic” mode, if one of your soldiers dies in a battle, they remain dead for the rest of the game. However, Fire Emblem Fates also gives the option for players to have characters return at the end of battles in “Casual” mode, and the next turn in “Phoenix” mode.
Fans have taken to Fates with enthusiasm in Japan. Some key features of the game that have gotten North American fans excited include the addition of same-sex couples and the ability to build a personalized castle.
– By Colin Battis and Cameron Underwood