Controller Crusade Roundtable: Games We’d Like To See Announced In 2015

Hello everyone, and welcome to Controller Crusade’s first Roundtable discussion. Every Friday our team of writers will tackle a different gaming question. The question this week is “What games would you like to see announced in 2015?”. Let’s see what our team has to say.

Charles D.

Gears of War 4

Gears of War was the reason I chased rumors of various retail stores having Xbox 360s in stock back in 2005. I knew it wasn’t launching until the following year, but I feared that if I didn’t have the new Xbox console, I wouldn’t be able to play one of my most anticipated games of all time. From what I had seen in the E3 2005 trailer, it looked amazing, different, and I just had to have it. Upon launch in November 2006, my pre-order of the limited edition in that cold, metal box had finally arrived, and Epic Games had made me believe, once again, that hype can sometimes deliver. I’m pretty sure the next Gears of War game on current-gen consoles, will be everything we have come to expect from the franchise, with a few updates and improvements. I sincerely hope that it will put up big sales numbers, especially considering the fact that the franchise inspired a new-generation of cover-based shooters, while also breathing new life into wave based challenges they like to call Horde mode. The series is now in the hands of Black Tusk Studios, who currently have former Epic Games / Gears of War executive producer and director of production Rod Fergusson on staff. If anyone can ensure fans of the series get what they want, it is indeed @GearsViking.

 

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3

Lots of rumors are swirling around a possible MUA3, but developers would need to take what was good about the first game, and improve on that. Ultimate Alliance 2 wasn’t quite what anyone expected, especially when certain playable characters were locked, depending on what side you chose in the game. The fusion attacks, which were kind of neat, but ultimately felt unneeded, meshed with a Civil War storyline, did its best to appeal to a small, niche audience. If there is a ‘this-time-around’ third installment, the game would need to allow use of any of your unlocked playable characters, while also leaving the game as simple as the first. I’m not all that confident that a new Ultimate Alliance is even being talked about internally by any studio, with Disney Infinity 2.0 trying to fill that superhero need, but it’s still something I want to at least believe will be announced.

 

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 3

Beyond the April Fools’ Day announcements of TFU3, I really want a game that will cap off the trilogy. I’m fairly confident a third game will never happen, but if it did, I think it would be kind of awesome to have some different Disney themed outfits that the character could wear. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t want an Aladdin or even a Buzz Lightyear costume pre-order bonus?! I would even be willing to accept the same type of game with a different title, to release around the same time as the upcoming Star Wars flick. Maybe a Star Wars: The Force Re-Unleashed could be made for current-gen consoles, in the spirit of what seems to be happening currently with other popular franchises. Throw in some bonus content or skins, remaster the visuals, call it a Definitive Edition, and fulfill the wish lists of the fans that will buy anything Star Wars.

 

Saeed D.

 

LA Noire 2

Team Bondi’s 2011 neo-noir detective game was a unique and remarkable addition to the sandbox action adventure genre that captured the essence of Los Angeles in the late 1940s. There was a sense of accomplishment in solving cases as as you controlled Officer Cole Phelps and everything from the game’s custom engine to the voice acting and soundtrack was incredible. The game doesn’t come without its flaws sadly as certain side missions and cases did feel a little repetitive but that doesn’t steer the attention away from the game’s captivating storyline. So with Rockstar’s catalogue of top-rated games, will we see the game announced in 2015? It is quite unfortunate that Team Bondi no longer exists however it would also be disappointing if Rockstar decides to abandon it in favour of its other top-rated game series. LA Noire definitely deserves a sequel that brings forward new, innovative detective gameplay mechanics to the current-gen consoles. Coupled with a vast city and gripping storyline, LA Noire 2 will certainly be a great addition to the growing library of games on Xbox One and PS4.

 

Snatcher II

There was once a time when Metal Gear Solid 4 was considered to be Hideo Kojima’s swan song. Looking back, it is perhaps obvious that Konami must have never received that memo and that is perfectly fine because the world of video games wouldn’t be the same without our favourite spy mercenary hiding underneath cardboard boxes. But one must wonder what Kojima would have moved onto to if he had decided to work on something different. Personally, I would like to think that he would dust off and revisit his 1988 cyberpunk point and click adventure game “Snatcher”. Released originally on NEC’s PC-8801 with a remake later on the PC Engine, Sega CD, Saturn and Playstation, you took on the role of Gillian Seed who has been assigned to investigate the murder of a colleague and uncover the mysterious origins behind dangerous bioroids called Snatchers. Action, suspense and mystery with several throwbacks to our favourite sci-fi movies, Snatcher had all the ingredients for a fantastic game and with plenty of potential for story expansion. Sure, the point and click control mechanism might seem outdated to some but it sublimely worked well with exploring the game’s universe. Snatcher as a revamped smartphone and tablet game would definitely be enjoyable and if high interest is clearly present then Kojima can do no wrong with releasing a spiritual sequel on home consoles or PC and forge a new game series alongside Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders.

 

Road Rash

Riding down the highway at ridiculous speeds swinging a shiny chain with the intention of hitting an opponent rider in order to get to first place, EA’s menacing motorcycle racing game had the perfect mixture of competitiveness and unecessary violence that provided countless hours of mayhem and laughs. Therefore, it’s quite baffling that a Road Rash game hasn’t appeared on a home console since the end of the last millennium. Players might feel that Road Rash’s gaming elements can be found in Grand Theft Auto and that a standalone motorcycle racing game may not bring forward anything new but Road Rash was more than just a bike racing game. The attitude, music, wacky physics and numerous ways to hit opponents, Road Rash was the perfect friday night-in multiplayer game you played with your friends that always gauranteed hilarity and good times.  And with today’s capabilities, it is possible to create a massive online multiplayer Road Rash experience while including the ability to create race tracks, customise bikes and choose from a wide selection of weapons. And let’s not forget a sweet soundtrack too (Although there’s nothing wrong with Soundgarden!). The game’s creator Dan Geisler has shown interest in revisiting his game series and is willing to bring the new game to life through crowd-funding means. Nothing has been set in stone yet but so long as it sticks true to its comedic violent gameplay roots that made it enjoyable, a new Road Rash would be a great addition to next year’s game lineup.

 

Josh

 

Majora’s Mask For 3DS

Oh wait! That already happened! Here are my actual picks:

 

DMC 2

I know this one is a long shot since so many fans of the original Devil May Cry series hated the game, but I loved every second of it. Many people whined and complained about the new look Dante, and it really overshadowed how good the game was. There were so many awesome aspects to the game but my favorite was being able to change weapons on the fly during combos. The ending of the game definitely left the door open for more installments in the franchise and I’m really hoping that Capcom ignores all the haters and announces DMC 2 in the new year.

A Good Spider-Man Game

I’m a pretty die-hard fan of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book franchise and I’m sure most of you would agree when I say there hasn’t been a good Spider-Man game since Spider-Man 2 for Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox. What I would personally love to see is an open world Spider-man game, similar to what the Arkham franchise has done with Batman. Combine that with storylines from the comic book series, for instance The Sinister Six, and you’d have a recipe for success. If this game ever comes to fruition I only have one demand: bring back Bruce Campbell to narrate the tutorial.

Wedge

 

Kentaro Miura’s Berserk
Having nearly finished all 37 of the currently adapted volumes of the manga series, I believe it would be absolutely spectacular if they adapted it into a current generation video game. Its grim, dark fantasy world mixed with complex characters, over-the-top action and ultra-violence make perfect ingredients for a compelling action game. From Software has already taken elements from the series and has successfully implemented it into its ‘Souls‘ series, which makes them the perfect canidate to craft the real thing. The gameplay would consist of the strong atmosphere of Dark Souls, and fast-paced gory action along the lines of Ninja Gaiden and God of War.

It has been since 2004 when a game based on the series was released, and alas, it was only in Japan. Currently, with the recent release of the newly adapted anime films there isn’t a more perfect opportunity than now to make it happen.

 

Behrang

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mass Effect 4

I think it is fitting that on N7 Day, I should wish for an official announcement of the next instalment in the Mass Effect franchise. Even though Bioware teased us at E3 this year, we know next to nothing about the game so far. Now many are of the opinion that the Mass Effect 3 ending was a black mark on the franchise and I was certainly one of those people. However, having lived a couple of years now without the pleasure of playing a rich and deep SCI-FI RPG, I am inclined to miss all that the trilogy did right. In my opinion, Mass Effect was the best game of the last generation. Despite the departure of Mass Effect’s Project Director Casey Hudson from Bioware, I am excited to see what Bioware has in store for us with the next game in the franchise.

 

That is a wrap on our first discussion. Let us know what games you hope are announced in the new year. Be sure to check back every Friday for a new Roundtable. Of course if you have any questions on topics for our team, you can leave them below in the comment section.