THE BEST GAMES TO COME IN 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider is expected to be a huge release. Source: Supplied

IT has been a massive year for video game releases with Battlefield Hardline, The Witcher, Grand Theft Auto V and Batman: Arkham Knight all considered crowd favourites.

But, if you are like me and have played all these titles to death, chances are
you’re looking for a new game to fill that empty void in your life.
The good news is there are still plenty of huge releases to come in 2015.
To keep you in the loop, we have compiled a list of the biggest titles yet to be released and when to expect them.

SEPTEMBER
Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain
THE Godfather of tactical espionage games has returned in a huge way.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is taking players back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1984.
Snake has since woken up from a coma and is on a solo mission to save his former partner who is being held prisoner by Soviet forces.
Not only will the game deliver a large open-world campaign mode, but it will also include some huge online components.
Developers have detailed a massive online game mode in which users can invade other players’ Forward Operating Bases to steal their weapons, money and soldiers.
Speaking on Twitter, Konami said the protection of the bases was an element of the game players had to consider.
“What you can decide is the placement of your defences and to what level you want each area covered. This includes how many soldiers, security devices, or high-powered weapons are available in each area,” Konami tweeted.
Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain will be released September 1 on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.

Infamous mercenary Snake has to be one of the baddest gaming characters ever. Source: Supplied

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
IT’S a year of gaming nostalgia with a number of franchises returning to their glory days and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is no different.
The new game promises to return to classic format that made its early predecessors so successful, while also boasting a revamped selection of professional skaters and online capabilities.
In a move set to delight long-term fans of the franchise, the game is set to included the original ‘warehouse’ and ‘school’ levels from THPS and THPS2.
Despite including “power-ups” and the capability to “shoot projectiles” for specific missions, Tony Hawk said he didn’t want the game to change too much.
“Obviously, the consoles have come a long way since our last game came out,” he said.
“I felt we could take advantage of that, yet still deliver the classic THPS gameplay that fans are used to and come to expect from the series,” he told RedBull.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 will be released September 29 on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Get ready to feel like you are 15 again. Source: Supplied

Forza Motorsport 6
The quintessential game for any car enthusiast is set to explode onto our shelves next month.
Following on the success of its predecessors, Forza Motorsport 6 promises to be the biggest release yet, boasting an impressive 450 cars, 26 locations, 24 on-track online competitors and 70-hours worth of gameplay.
However, the most exciting aspect of the game is the meticulous detail applied to simulate wet weather driving.
Creative director Dan Greenawalt said it was something the gaming developers wanted to get perfect.
“It’s important for rain that we completely capture that experience, both in how it looks and how it feels on the track,” he told news.com.au.
“In real racing, they call rain the great equaliser because it’s a true test of a driver’s skill and so it’s important for us to capture every aspect of that rain experience.”
Forza Motorsport 6 will be released September 15 exclusively on Xbox One

The team worked hard to provide an accurate simulation of rain. Source: Supplied

OCTOBER

UNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection
Whether you’re new to PlayStation or just looking to replay some classic releases, UNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection is for you.
With UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End not scheduled for release until next year, Bluepoint Games has decided to rebuild the earlier games from the franchise to be optimised by the power of the PS4 system.
The genre-defining epic that revolutionised adventure storytelling will let you re-experience the perilous journey of Nathan Drake across the globe.
Offering hours of entertainment, the pack will include the single-player campaigns for UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception.
The game will also offer exclusive access to UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End multiplayer Beta.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake collection will be released October 7 exclusively on PS4.

The PS3 version of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune has been revamped for optimisation on the PS4. Source: Supplied

Halo 5: Guardians
The next instalment of Microsoft’s hugely popular Halo series is just around the corner and it will offer some amazing advancements.
Campaign mode will be a continuation of the Reclaimer saga, which means the story will pick up where Halo 4 ended.
Promising to use all the benefits of a next-gen console, the game will run at 60 frames per second and will be much larger than its predecessors.
One of the most ambitious aspects of the release is a multiplayer mode that was unveiled at E3 earlier this year.
Aptly titled Warzone, the mode allows for up to 24 players — including computer-controlled adversaries — and offers maps up to four times larger than those seen in previously.
The game will also give fans the opportunity to download all of its post-release multiplayer maps for no extra cost.
Halo 5: Guardians will be released October 27 exclusively on Xbox One.

24 players in multiplayer means a whole lot of respawning for me. Source: Supplied

NOVEMBER

Fallout 4
As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the wasteland. Welcome home.
This is the premise behind the fifth major instalment in the Fallout series, which promises to offer an unprecedented action role-playing experience.
Set in Boston, exactly 200 years after the nuclear holocaust of 2077, the game gives the player the opportunity to explore the wasteland with their canine sidekick.
Well, that’s when they are not too busy defending their territory from attackers.
One of the most impressive aspects of the game is the customisation players are offered when using the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system.
“From a Power Armoured soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of Perks and develop your own play style,” the developers said.
The game also claims to have created the most advanced crafting system ever, allowing gamers to collect, upgrade and build literally thousands of items.
Fallout 4 will be released November 10 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Who needs an actual pet when you have an awesome role-playing game like this. Source: Supplied

Star Wars: Battlefront
Sci-fi nerds have reason to celebrate with the most immersive and authentic Star Wars game ever.
Star Wars: Battlefront will offer unprecedented access to props and locations from the movie franchise, while also offering photorealistic visuals and authentic sound design.
The game will allow players to choose if they want to be a hero or villain by offering them a selection from a wide range of iconic Star Wars characters.
Included in the game will be an epic multiplayer mode that will give players the opportunity to wage battles on Hoth, Endor, Tatooine and the previously unexplored planet, Sullust.
In addition to epic battles on the ground, the game also allows players to take to the skies with Pilot X-wings, TIE fighters and the Millennium Falcon.
Star Wars: Battlefront will be released November 17 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

May the force be with you. Source: Supplied

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is one of the biggest gaming franchises ever created and its upcoming release is set to mimic the early releases.
After two years in hiatus, the team Crystal Dynamics has returned with Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Set in the wilds of Siberia, Lara Croft is trying to uncover the secrets to immortality, while battling the elements, nature and human enemies.
Featuring a crafting system, players are forced to scavenge for items to create things to help Lara hunt, survive and heal.
Combat has also been redesigned to give players a choice to approach enemies with guns blazing or to use stealth and sneak attacks.
Franchise director Noah Hughes described the game as the ultimate test of the human existence.
“We felt that really embodied Lara in a great way and what would it be like to send her on this great tomb raider expedition pushing the boundaries to great peril herself,” he told news.com.au.
“Ultimately, this is a life or death situation.”
Rise of the Tomb Raider will be released November 10 on Xbox One, Xbox 36, PS4 and PC.

Tomb Raider goes back to basics. Source: Supplied

DECEMBER

Hitman
AGENT 47 is back in what has been described as the most ambitious Hitman ever.
With missions taking place in exotic locations around the globe, the game will put players in a number of diverse situations.
Following in the lead of its predecessors, Hitman will give players the freedom to choose the method in which they assassinate the target.
However, a new feature will see some missions only offering a limited time span to eliminate the target.
The game will also offer a contacts mode in which players can mark their own targets to share with friends.
In addition, developer IO interactive has announced plans to continually release new missions online, which will allow for endless hours of gameplay.
Hitman will be released December 6 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.