Thief
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: February 2014 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Sneaking through the shadows, avoiding armed guards and cleaning every room of valuables using arrows and gadgets – that’s what being a thief is all about, and that’s what was it like playing the original Thief games. The new Thief (or Thi4f as it was announced way back) seems to preserve all that, but adds a few features more suited to an action title. We later learned that “focus” mode, and any violent interaction, was completely optional. The Thief series lives on, and we couldn’t be happier.
Watch Dogs
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: Q2 2014 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
If you’re getting a bit fed up with what’s going on with the Assassin’s Creed franchise and its lack of assassinations, and you feel like it’s time to move on to bigger things – watch out for Watch Dogs. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal (yep, the same studio that brought as Assassin’s Creed), this open-world game combines third-person gunplay, hacking and stealth. It also has a multiplayer experience built into the single-player one in a way we’ve never seen before. So yes, we think this is one new IP worth waiting for.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
Developer: Ubisoft Massive
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: Q4 2014 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Yet another game from Ubisoft makes this list. When it was first shown at E3 2013, Tom Clancy’s The Division looked like just another third-person shooter set in a post apocalyptic world. But once we had a chance to delve deeper into the disease-stricken open-world, and saw its shooter MMO elements in action, we realized just how awesome it was. We’re not so sure about the 2014 release date, though; It’s mostly wishful thinking.
Mad Max
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros.
Release date: TBA 2014 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Ah, the open road. Get in your car and just drive around the Wasteland with your buddy, stopping only the fight gangs of mutants and take pee breaks. That’s what Mad Max offers to next-gen gamers (maybe with less pee breaks). The realistic driving physics are a prefect contrast to the hyper-realistic action full of grappling hooks, saw-off shotguns and car combat. But what else can you expect from the people who brought us Just Cause.
Mirror’s Edge 2
Developer: DICE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: TBA 2014 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Mirror’s Edge 2 is an open-world parkour action title, and the prequel to EA’s underrated Mirror’s Edge. No much is known about this run-jump-roll-climb sandbox, since all we’ve seen was a short trailer featuring a pre-tattooed Faith punching bad guys. But with the Frostbite 3 engine at its disposal, Mirror’s Edge 2 should at least look terrific.
Kingdom Hearts III
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: TBA (Xbox One, PS4)
We’ve been waiting for a new proper Kingdom Hearts game since 2005, and judging by the roaring crowds at Sony’s E3 2013 presentation, so was everyone else. This action\adventure\RPG sees the return of protagonist Sora, as well as other beloved Disney characters in a whole new adventure in the style only a Kingdom Hearts game can deliver. And now that Disney has acquire both Marvel and the Star Wars franchise, we’re hoping to see Sora fighting Deadpool with lightsabres (make it happen!).
Beyond Good & Evil 2
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: TBA (Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, PC)
As much as we are happy with Michel Ancel for reviving the legendary Rayman series, and bringing us the truly amazing Rayman Legends, we think it’s time he got back to work on Beyond Good & Evil 2. The sequel to the unique action adventure game has been in development since 2008, and all it has to show for it is a rendered trailer and a not-so-official gameplay video that’s probably irrelevant by now. We’ll be really disappointed if Ancel won’t take the stage at E3 to show us something new.
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