20. Crackdown (XOne)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: If nothing else, the original Crackdown showed me that I would totally use superpowers for dubious purposes. Running up skyscrapers is a neat trick, but I just wanted to use excessive force against basically harmless mooks and improvise an armored vehicle by putting a flipped dumpster on a small car. I'm hopeful that the world of the new Crackdown will allow for that same level of player flexibility, and I'm even more hopeful that I'll be able to coerce a friend to tag along in co-op.
Read more WP impressions about Crackdown
Rainier Van Autrijve: With Evolve coming out in a few days, a lot has been said about Turtle Rock's co-op shooter. Even though it also features a solo campaign, the meat and potatoes are its multiplayer. Teaming up with a few friends and hunting down a big scary monster never has been more fun. Different classes, variety of weapons, beautiful graphics, over a dozen maps, and the need for teamwork will guarantee many nights of fun and heated discussions on chat servers about whose fault it was that the team was nommed by the Behemoth, Goliath, Kraken or Wraith. If you're fed up with your teammates, you can switch sides and be the monster. Sounds like a great night of fun to me!
Read more WP impressions about Evolve
Redmond Carolipio: Sometimes I don't want to explore. Sometimes I just want to kill shit, and this game offers me the chance to do that in stylish glory. With all the open-world and existential stuff on the horizon, it's always good to have a straight-up action game. I find the steampunk medieval vision of London endearing, and the game's action atmosphere calls up a mix of "Van Helsing," "Underworld" and a little of RDJ's "Sherlock Holmes." Toss in the fact that the game looks stunning, and I'm expecting a good time.
Read more WP impressions about The Order: 1886
17. Dead Island 2 (PS4/XOne/PC)
Thomas Wilde: As longtime readers may be aware, when someone asks who is still buying these zombie games after the last 10 years of arguable overexposure, it's me. They're talking about me. You're welcome.
What I'm interested in isn't just a zombie apocalypse for its own sake, but seeing what Yager does with it. This is its follow-up project to Spec Ops, of all the things they could have possibly done, and I enjoy the idea of them having fun with a California-based outbreak. As long as I get to drive up and down the beach in a pick-up truck with at least three buddies, smashing zombies for entire afternoons, I will get my money's worth from this. I'm expecting more, though.
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16. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (PS4/XOne/PC)
Mark Buckingham: It's been seven years and a whole console generation since we last saw a R6 game. Patriots was in the works for some time but then apparently got scrapped, and now we're waiting for Siege. R6 Vegas and Vegas 2 were outstanding shooters and brought the series the innovation and polish it desperately needed after some rather rough entries that tried too hard to be everything to everyone. If Siege can keep pace with the Vegas games and bring a few new tricks to the table, fans should be pretty happy — that is, if the developers ever finish this one.
Read more WP impressions about Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
15. The Legend of Zelda (WiiU)
Chris DeAngelus: There are countless fantasy games out there, but there's something about the Zelda franchise that makes it stand out. It might be the tight gameplay or the unending sense of adventure, but the Zelda series is one of the best-selling in the world for a reason. The latest Wii U offering looks to bring the franchise back to its roots with a large open-world adventure. The protagonist is still Link, who has his trusty sword and loyal horse, and you can assume there will be a Zelda and a Gannon somewhere. Yet this Zelda looks bigger than any that has come before, and it has the potential to bring the franchise to a new level.
Read more WP impressions about The Legend of Zelda
14. Tom Clancy's The Division (PS4/XOne/PC)
Redmond Carolipio: The concept of teaming up with other people armed to the teeth with ass-kicking tactical tools and running into an open New York for various missions is too good to pass up. I've always been a fan of the atmosphere of Tom Clancy games, which find a way to maintain a level of active tension no matter what you're doing. The fact you can use the weather and the changing environment to your advantage only makes the experience more appetizing.
Read more WP impressions about Tom Clancy's The Division
13. Mighty No. 9 (3DS/WiiU/PSV/PS4/PS3/XOne/X360/PC)
Brian Dumlao: Unless something happens relatively soon, the most recent appearance anyone will ever see of Mega Man outside of the old game re-releases is his cameo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Luckily, the creator of the blue bomber, Keiji Inafune, has Mighty No. 9, a clone of the famous series that will hit just about every platform except for mobile. The released footage thus far looks like everything a Mega Man fan could ask for and, honestly, that's all it really needs to do to get fans frothing for it.
Read more WP impressions about Mighty No. 9
12. Xenoblade Chronicles X (WiiU)
Dustin Chadwell: While I enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii, it was sometimes difficult to get past the visual quality in comparison to RPGs on other platforms at the time. Xenoblade did a lot with its art style to make up for the sub-HD graphics, but Xenoblade Chronicles X gives the series the visual makeover it deserves. That last trailer from a Nintendo Direct session, which showcased the scale and variety of the environments, did more to sell me on this RPG than any other piece of media to date.
Read more WP impressions about Xenoblade Chronicles X
Brian Dumlao: We still haven't seen much from this title since E3, but the premise remains intriguing, especially with the live-action portions coming at a time when Microsoft has pulled the focus away from TV and back to games. The developer's past with Alan Wake and Max Payne gives you a good feeling that the action will be fine, but the story has the chance to really make the title. Our hope is that it actually comes out this year instead of facing a delay.