5 Games to be excited about in the near-ish future

[SlightlyJames]

I've got my eye on quite a few titles coming out in the next few months, I figured since it's been a while since I posted anything in this section that wasn't about Metal Gear Solid, I'd throw some down a few recommendations for games you might want to keep an eye on. Click the headings for a trailer or demo or whatever.

Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut - October 13th 2015
Wasteland 2 was kickstarted and released in September 2014 for the PC, a sequel to the game that inspired the original Fallout. It’s a squad-based tactical RPG. I found myself drawing comparisons to XCOM in terms of gameplay, while the world and characters make it very apparent the influence this series had in the creation of Fallout.

The game was really good, though it certainly had its flaws, that’s why earlier this year it was announced that they were developing a Director’s Cut for the game. It will include a visual upgrade, an updated engine, controller support and additional content in the form of new voice-overs, perks and quirks for deeper character customisation as well as revisions to the user interface and encounters found in the game.

In addition to coming as a free update for existing owners of the game, the Director’s Cut will also come with a console release for the game, so non-PC folk will get a chance to play Wasteland 2 for the first time.


Sword Coast Legends - October 20th 2015
I found out about this game the other day, it’s an isometric Dungeons & Dragons RPG that shares a director and composer with the fantastic Dragon Age: Origins. If you ever played something like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights or this year’s Pillars of Eternity you’ll feel right at home here.

The main reason I’m excited for this game is the Campaign Creation mode. My friends and I have been testing the waters of getting into D&D recently and I’m eager to give this mode a try, from the looks of it there are some really intuitive tools for creating and customizing adventures to share with people.


The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth - October 30th 2015
I’ve spoken about The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth before on here, I still maintain that it was one of the best games to come out last year. Not sure how many of you have ever tried it (think @Messiah was going to recently but I’ve not heard anything since) but it’s certainly deserving of a shot.

Afterbirth, if you couldn’t guess from the title, is an upcoming expansion to Rebirth and is said to provide 100+ hours worth of content to the game. A new playable character, 120 new items, 1000+ new varied room designs, 8 new bosses, more transformations and item synergies, seeded daily runs with leaderboards and an entirely new way to play the game, Greed Mode.

It comes with an avalanche of new content and it cost me £4.79 on Steam. Certainly worth picking up if you decide to give Isaac a try (do it!)


The Witness - January 26th 2016
If you’ve ever played Braid, you should know why I’m excited for this game. It’s the next game from Jonathan Blow that’s been in development for about 7 years now.

Essentially, the game is a 3D Puzzler where the player explores an island in first person solving a series of themed puzzles, consisting primarily of navigating a path through maze-like grids.

Beyond the basic action of solving the mazes, the game is also about interpreting the message found within the puzzles and how they reflect on the world around the player.


XCOM 2 - February 5th 2016
The follow up to 2012’s wonderful XCOM: Enemy Unknown, this game is set 20 years later and, interestingly enough, it seems that the canon ending of the previous game is that in which the player fails to stop the alien invasion, a game over.

The world of XCOM 2 is one in which humanity has completely submitted to the whims of the aliens and, rather than assuming the role of a planetary defense force funded by a council of nations, the player commands a rebellion against the alien administration, attempting to free humanity from control.

This shift in dynamic will be reflected in the gameplay as well. You’re not the defender, thoroughly suppressing all alien activity wherever it may appear, you’re going in to accomplish a goal in occupied territory and bug out with as little confrontation as possible, resulting in a much faster style of play.

Many of the classes found in the previous game have been revised and expanded, accommodating more specialised builds for your soldiers. The environments in the game are now procedurally generated so the familiarity you would eventually build with the maps will no longer be possible.