IWG's seven most anticipated games

9/11/2014

The IWG Games Team

As the last generation of gaming moves sluggishly towards its ultimate end and allows the eras of the PlayStation 4, Wii U and Xbox One to truly begin, some of our writers have banded together to provide you their thoughts on some of our most anticipated games across all platforms.

Check 'em out!

Ben is ready to get his Templar on!

'Everyone knows that Assassin's Creed Unity will be hitting next gen (exclusively) in less than a couple of months, but Ubisoft have graciously decided to help out the poorer Assassin's Creed addicts who can't afford to upgrade to the newer systems by releasing Assassin's Creed Rogue. The game is a sequel to last year's Black Flag, and is set between the events of that game and Assassin's Creed III. You control Shay, an ex-Assassin-turned-Templar who, guided by fan favourite Haytham Kenway, helps the Templars to conquer the New World. The gameplay will be based around that of Black Flag, featuring a fun combination of exploration, naval combat and armed combat.'

Assassin's Creed Rogue will be released on November 11th.

Jaime is preparing to catch 'em all!

'The game that I’m most looking forward to is Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire. The original Ruby/Sapphire games for the GBA were my very favourite games at the time, and to this day still stand as my favourite generation of Pokémon games. I’m expecting the remakes to be absolutely fantastic, since they are using the same engine and visual style as Pokémon X & Y. Having the addition of online play and trading from in X & Y will give much more longevity to it, as it encourages more competitive play online, not just locally. If Game Freak can pull it off well, these could easily become the best Pokémon games of the series.'

Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire will be released on November 21st.

John can't wait to return to the Borderlands...

'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was one of those games I wanted to pre-order but was a bit skeptical at first. There were two reasons. The first was that it is coming out on last generation consoles, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, when I was already committed to the newer consoles, and the second was that I hadn't seen much gameplay. However the more I've seen footage of the game in action the more I've wanted to pre-order it. The reason I've finally now decided to pre-order this game is because I love the new gameplay mechanics. The location of the games setting and the characters we can choose to play from. Hands up all who are gonna choose Claptrap! If, of course, you decide you want a new slice of Borderlands in your life, I really enjoyed the first two games and having this release next month will give me my fix of Borderlands until number 3 makes an appearance. All I can say is bring on October!'

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will be released on October 17th.

Luke can't wait to smash his way to glory!

This is the fourth installment in the Smash Bros series and it’s felt like an eternity since brawl was released. With versions for the 3DS and Wii U coming soon, 3rd October for 3DS and winter 2014 for home console, I’m literally foaming at the mouth to get my hands on the only fighting game that has ever kept my interest. With exclusive stages to each platform as well as Smash Run, a mode available only to the 3DS version, I can’t wait to get stuck in and send Mario and various other Nintendo favourites flying off the edge of the stage to their demise.'

Super Smash Bros 3DS will be arriving October 3rd, with the Wii U edition releasing around Christmas.

Paul is ready to get Dangerous with Elite

'One of my earliest memories as a child is slipping into my older brother’s room and watching him play the 1984 classic, Elite. In gameplay that would become familiar to many fans of the space-sim genre in years to come, Elite became the yardstick for which all that would follow would be measured. Thirty years on, and almost twenty years since its poorly received sequel, Frontier: First Encounters, we are about to get a new game in this prestigious bloodline.

Elite: Dangerous is going to share the core elements of the original Elite and Frontier. You play as a space trader, trying your best to survive in a hostile universe and make a living as best you can. This may seem pretty par for the course in terms of the genre, but when you add in the prospect of a galaxy that is completely to scale, with 400 billion star systems and a persistent online multiplayer then you get something that is truly exciting for space-sim fans. There is even the promise of Oculus Rift compatibility which, quite frankly, makes me froth at the mouth just thinking about. Meanwhile, the similarly anticipated Star Citizen may also be out soon, but for the time being Elite: Dangerous is definitely the one I’m looking out for.'

Elite: Dangerous is due to be released some time in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Thomas feels ready to Evolve!

'I am looking forward to Evolve, it is a game by Turtle Rock Studios which pits four players against one huge beast that can change throughout the battle and become an even more formidable foe. Considering I played this at Insomnia this summer, I can easily say that it is one of the best, if not the best, FPS games I have played in the past five years and is a definite must buy for fans of the Left for Dead series. The game's combat flows like a charm, the teamwork aspect makes you work together or you will get picked off one at a time and be forced to find sanctuary inside cave systems, that is if the monster doesn't find you first.'

Evolve is not due out until February 2015.

Vanessa expects the Thedas Inquisition!

'My most anticipated title would have to be Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Dragon Age series is one of my favourites and from what Bioware have been teasing at the various game expos, Inquisition seems set on building heavily on existing titles. Having an expansive open world exploration, intricate combat, a host of playable races and companions - Bioware seem to have taken on board the criticisms surrounding previous titles and from their other series (cough Mass Effect cough) and improved upon them. Only time will tell if Inquisition will live up to hype and meet expectations but I am definitely looking forward to exploring Thedas with my Inquisitor.'

Dragon Age: Inquisition will be released on November 21st.

And the rest...

There are many awesome games coming out over the course of the next year, and so it's very difficult to narrow it down to just one favourite of the lot! More importantly, what do you think of our choices? Do you agree/disagree?

Come let us know in the comments below, or come find us on Facebook/Twitter. We'd love to hear from you!

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