Happy 2014 to all you Nerdy Bacon Lovers. Hopefully your resolutions are sticking… but if you’re like me, you don’t even bother with resolutions because you know damn well you’re not going to keep them. But as a collective unit, several of our Nerd Bacon authors vowed to play some new games, and these are the ones heavily on their minds. With the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 pre-release marketing war over, we’re now into the ACTUAL console war. Both machines have been out for a few months and us owners are happy, but we’re a finicky group of consumers and we can never have enough. We want more. So let’s see what the early half of 2014 has to offer for future gamers and why the Nerd Bacon Family is excited!

DESTINY

Anticipated by Malefico

Platforms: PS3/PS4 and Xbox 360/Xbox One
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Genre: Persistent-world FPS

Technically not a “1st half” release, but it’s on my wishlist either way. OK, I’m going to start by saying that I don’t own a PlayStation or Xbox, and I don’t plan on buying either. Nor am I a big fan of FPS games. So, on the surface this would seem to be an odd game for me to be anticipating. It’s rather easy to explain. First, I seem to have some sort of wiring issue, an intermittent short somewhere in my frontal lobes. And second, my nephew does have PS3 and will probably get PS4, which means I get to play for short periods of time, never getting to the point where I am tired of the games. And Destiny looks SICK. Much like Vista vs. 7, this is what Halo should have been. Yes, I am a heretic and will immediately go flog myself with palm fronds in a debased, masochistic attempt to seek redemption. I wouldn’t even know about this release if my brother hadn’t emailed me about it several months ago. The gist of the email, as I recall, was “Dude you gotta check out this fuckin’ game dude,” or something like that. And he was right, the gameplay trailer does appear to be pretty damn awesome.

From what I gather, the game will feature some RPG/MMO elements that appeal to me. There are also projectile and energy weapons, both good things to have around. There are talent trees for characters and weapons, so your gear will grow with you. And, it looks like the game developers put a lot of work into random encounters- good mixed groups of mobs, mini-bosses galore and frequent in-game faction and public events. The trailer gives tantalizing tidbits of all these things. The ghost seems like it would quickly become annoying… Why do game developers seem to always want to make automatons talk? C3PO talks, and look how annoying it is- Twiki from Buck Rogers, HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey… Nothing gets better when the bot starts to vocalize, so cease and desist all you overeager code monkeys.

But just check out the game world. The PS systems do a good job of rendering graphics, and I have to say I am impressed with the environment. All the elements are in place for a new franchise, but hopefully they will do the right thing and release the post-launch DLC in coherent expansions rather than nickel-and-diming gamers. Only time will tell.

So, to sum up, this looks like the coolest, best game I will never own (unless it gets released for PC some fine day). It has a ton of potential and, judging by the trailer, will give gamers countless hours of enjoyment. Definitely check this out if you like FPS, MMO, RPG or Supreme Pan Pizza. Mmmmm, tasty.

Elder Scrolls Online

Anticipated by Dovahkyle

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Developer: Zenimax Online Studios
Release date: April 4th, 2014 (PC/MAC) and June (PS4/XB1)
Genre: MMO-RPG

There was a rumor on the internet that this was going to be the first ever MMO-RPG to be released on a cross-platform mega-server, but according to a response on twitter by Zenimax Online, there will be three distinct mega-servers: Xbox One, PS4 and PC/Mac. I will admit, I had my hopes up, but if it sounds too good to be true… Well, you know the rest. Finally someone out there was thinking.

This Elder Scrolls story is set 800 years before Morrowind, the third in the series, and the big bad Daedric Prince Molag Bal will be threatening everyone’s safety as he attempts to drag Tamriel down to the depths of Coldharbour.

Sticking to the solid foundation Bethesda Softworks has established over the years, the races and classes every Elder Scrolls (ES) nerd has come to love and expect will surely not disappoint, minus the completely useless Imperial Race. A new turn for ES is the three massive factions that exist, based on race: The Aldmeri Dominion, which includes the Altmers (High Elves), Bosmers (Wood Elves) and Khajiit (Cat People); The Daggerfall Covenant, Bretons, Redguards and Orsimer (Orcs) and the Ebonheart Pact, Nords, Dunmer (Dark Elves) and Argonians (Lizard People). Nobody liked the stupid Imperial race anyway – just ancient Greek-looking dudes with almost no racial bonuses.

If you want to join in on the discussions or have some burning questions you need answered, visit: http://tesof.com/. Here, you can pick up all kinds of information about joining existing guilds or starting your own. There are some pretty impressive guilds that were built in early 2013 before we even knew when BETA was going to start. I have not joined any yet, although I am really curious to know if my typical fallback play style will work in this massive game. In other words, I don’t want to join a Khajiit guild and then find out I really love the Nord’s abilities or vice versa.

I am personally excited to start beta testing this weekend. I have just finished the massive download and am totally psyched to begin my testing adventure. If this game is half of what I expect it to be, it will completely blow minds. The character development alone (as you can see here) looks like they took a turn for the good. Get hyped up, because 2014 is going to rock the nerd world.

The Order 1886

Anticipated by The Watchman

Platform: PS4
Developer: Ready at Dawn
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: TBD 2014
Genre: Action

Out of all the games shown during the Sony-coming-out party at E3 2013, The Order 1886 was one game that put my jaw on the floor. Taking place in an alternate version of 1886 London, The Order follow a group of monster hunting knights – inspired by the legends of King Arthur – as they track down the stuff that goes bump in the night.

Visually, the game looks stunning, with ambient fog creeping over the re-imagined city adding an air of suspense and mystery. Ready at Dawn has also added a steampunk inspired motif to their version of London. Your Knights wield advanced weapons that shoot lightning and airships float across the sky. The world that these developers are creating just beckons you to come explore it.

The character models themselves are the most detailed I’ve seen yet in an upcoming next-gen game. The attention to detail that the developers have given, from little things like skin blemishes to the facial hair worn by the Knights, is pretty amazing.

The most important question, however, is: how does this game play? We haven’t really seen anything other than a tantalizing glimpse in the reveal trailer. It appears that the action takes place from an over-the-shoulder perspective, but it’s impossible to guess yet as to how the action is paced or what else the game will have to offer.

Sony originally pegged The Order for release in the first quarter of 2014, but rumors have been swirling around the internet claiming that it will be pushed back into late in the year.

The part I’m most excited about in regards to this title is the fact that it is an original IP, built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS4 – something we have not seen a lot of yet in the early life cycle of this console.

I have high hopes for this game and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rumors are incorrect about it slipping to Q3 or Q4. Anyone who has a PS4 can tell you that the launch lineup is pretty thin. By March, we are going to need something fresh and exciting. If everything stays on target, we should be getting an amazing AAA showcase title for the new generation of gaming just when we are needing it the most.

QUICK HITS FROM SHADOW LINKS

Watch Dogs

Platformers: PS3/Xbox 360/ Wii U/ Xbox One/PS4
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release: Q2 2014

Of course we all hate it when a game gets pushed back. It’s even worse when it’s already a highly-anticipated game like Watch Dogs. Our shady hero does some shady work in a futuristic world where technology is everywhere and he can hack it in an instant from his phone. Hopefully this game comes out sooner than later.

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles

Platform: PS3
Developer: Namco Bandai Games
Release (NA): February 25, 2014

Okay, I’m a sucker for re-releases of games, especially when they have more to offer. The Tales franchise has always been and amazing fantasy RPG series with breathtaking stories. Personally, I think the first Symphonia game has been the best, yet few played it because of its Gamecube exclusivity. Even more so with its sequel that was released on Wii and bogged with motion controls that were hit or miss for most people who played it. This gets a release for the more available PS3 along with additional content like costumes, illustrations, and the option of the japanese voice track. Also available as a collector’s edition for those inclined.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (and Ground Zeroes)

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release GZ: March 18, 2014
Release PP: 2014

Again, a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid Series, not to mention that FOX engine looks amazing. I keep thinking MGS crossed with Red Dead Redemption. These are separate physical releases, GZ being the prologue and together they make MGS5. Stepping back into Big Boss’s shoes will be nice, but the voice change will be weird. Oh and yes, the cutscenes will be much shorter than previous games.

Super Smash Bros.

Anticipated by Nerdberry

Platform: Wii U
Developers: Sora ltd., Namco Bandai Games
Release: 2014

Featuring Mega Man (FINALLY!) plus some other new fighters, fans of the series (myself included) have been waiting for this one for far too long. We’ll get our game soon, but it’s not soon enough. There are so many mysteries to this new Super Smash Bros. game. There have been rumors of getting rid of the adventure mode and focusing only on battling… That’s disappointing. Hopefully, there will be some solid online multiplayer battles but Nintendo has been so far behind the curve for a while now, there’s no telling.

 

Upcoming 2014 Games are on the way, folks!