By COREY MICHO, Guest Columnist.
Just a forewarning, I’m not including remakes because these games have been seen before. I’m highlighting the releases that are highly anticipated and original.
[two_fifth]5. Evolve (PS4, Xbox One, PC)– From the makers of the ever-popular “Left 4 Dead” series comes a new multiplayer experience for the next generation. This game is a first person shooter (FPS) that revolves around four players hunting down a giant monster, who is controlled by another player. It’s a fight to the death where five people enter and anywhere from one to four people/creatures get out alive. Each human character has a different class and there are a variety of monster characters to choose from. The scenarios are endless! Plus there will be more maps that come with DLC (Downloadable Content). If you want a change up from the usual “Call of Duty” and “Halo” style games, this will be the game for you. “Evolve” is released on Feb. 10. Pick it up if you like your shooters, but are tired of future warfare games.[/two_fifth] [three_fifth_last]
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4. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)– Do you like to hunt? Capcom has got you covered. For years, the “Monster Hunter” game series has allowed you to take up arms (some more massive than others) with your friends and hunt many monsters (again, some more massive than others) for their meat, skins and bones to make more massive weapons and to bring down the menaces that terrorize the common citizens in a RPG (Role-Playing Game). The fourth installment is coming to the 3DS, so you’ll be able to take it with you and take down dragons and wolves in the most unlikely of places. Plus, there is online multiplayer, so if you are able to access Wi-Fi, you can play with your friends wherever you may be! If you are a fan of “Dark Souls”, you’ll have no problem enjoying this game. It’s coming out on Feb. 13, so you won’t have to wait too long. So go forth and grab those precious skins!
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3. Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, Xbox One)– Ever since 2005, fans have been waiting for the continuation of the “Kingdom Hearts” series, and now 10 years later, it’s finally coming. “Kingdom Hearts” combines Disney characters with characters from Square Enix’s “Final Fantasy” series to create an amazing and dynamic RPG universe that leaves little to the imagination. Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy will be reunited once again to take down the heartless that are plaguing the many worlds. With the many new releases that have graced us within the last 10 years, the possibilities of characters that we might see are endless. Some that come to mind are Elsa from “Frozen,” Lightning from “Final Fantasy XIII” or even Marvel and “Star Wars” characters, since Disney has picked up those licenses. No release date has been published, but it will come out sometime this year. And if Jar Jar Binks has a big role in the game, meesa will be a bit disappointed.
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2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS3/4, Xbox One/360, PC)– Big Boss/Snake is back again on the brand new Fox Engine for the ever popular “Metal Gear Solid”. This game will scratch that gritty, dark war game itch. This war is not glorified however, since this series shows the true, dark and scary parts of war. If you’ve never played this series, let me enlighten you: Metal Gear is a Stealth-Action game, meaning instead of attacking everything, you need to find a way to pass by your unassuming adversaries without them knowing you were ever there. Or if you’re me, you can try, and fail horribly. You use guns, lockers, lights and even cardboard boxes to outwit the guards you must sneak past. The game is based around that theme of “Tactical Espionage Operations.” This game is also very cinematic, having a very heavy focus on story and themes that draw you in. If this sounds like your cup of napalm, you’ll be able to get a copy sometime in 2015, as no formal release date has been announced. If you don’t want to wait, “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes,” the game’s prequel, is out for the same systems already, so you can pick that up for about $20. You should also play the many other games (primarily one through four and “Peace Walker”) to get an understanding of what is going on, or at least look it up online (there’s a two hour digital comic on YouTube that covers the first game). Have fun and don’t get caught!
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1. Persona 5 (PS3/4)– Considered one of the last great J(apanese)RPGs, “Persona 5” is a spin-off of the ever popular “Shin Megami Tensei” series, another JRPG series that personifies (no pun intended) the genre in its purest form. Later this year, we will see the fifth installment of the Persona series on the PS3 and the PS4 (I’m buying a PS4 just for this game). This game takes place in a Japanese high school setting, in which the characters fight shadows (the dark side of a person we usually hide away) with their Personas (the shadows of the characters that have been accepted by the person and put into a controllable form). The nameless main character has the “Wild Card,” meaning he can summon multiple personas. By creating bonds with people (referred to as “Social Links”) you can strengthen the Personas that you create. You crawl through dungeons and fight shadows to get Yen and items to upgrade your characters, and it sounds like it will be a turn-based fight system. This game has a dark story with many twists and turns that will make you laugh, cry and wonder why such things happen in the first place. This game’s theme is about breaking the chains that enslave you in society. So, if you want to play something new and fresh that helps you to see video games as an artform, you’ll want to pick this up. You can also play “Persona” one through four on the PSP, PS2, PS3 and the PS Vita, if you want a taste of what’s to come.
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Some honorable mentions include “Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires,” “The Order: 1886,” “Resident Evil: Revelations 2,” “Mortal Kombat X,” “Batman: Arkham Knight,” and “Fable Legends.”
