The following are the 2015's Top Ten Console Games
It's exceptionally hard to pick a Top 10 list for upcoming video games. 2015 has promised us some great console games and so far they have delivered on that promise. From dragons to zombies to reboots of old classics, here’s the breakdown.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Playstation 4
Score: 9/10
Rating: M (17+)
Genre: Action / Role Playing
Players: Single–Player
Release Date: May 19, 2015
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the latest installment in the Witcher series that transports players to the land of Northern Kingdoms. Take control of Geralt of Rivia as you explore this large open–world role–playing game (RPG) complete with quests, monsters and decisions that impact the rest of the game. Use magic, swords, and gear upgrades to take down any beast in your path as you journey through the epic storyline and beautiful scenery.
Also Read: Best Gaming Consoles for 2015
2. Bloodborne
Developer: FromSoftware
Platform: Playstation 4
Score: 9/10
Rating: M (17+)
Genre: Action / Role Playing
Modes: Single–Player, Multiplayer
Release Date: March 24, 2015
From the makers of the Dark Souls series comes a new action RPG that draws heavily on dark classic stories like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Set in a society akin to an old, gothic Romania, players will take control of The Hunter, whose physical appearance is customizable from gender to body type and hairstyle. Unravel the mysteries behind the strange plague that ravages the town of Yharnam, all while wielding some intense steampunk–esk weapons and taking down bosses at every turn. With a twisty plot, intricate combat system, and realistic graphics, Bloodborne is the biggest PS4 exclusive so far.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Score: 9/10
Rating: E10+ (Recommended for ages 10+)
Genre: Action / Adventure
Modes: Single–Player
Release Date: February 13, 2015
This reboot of a favorite in the Zelda series takes the classic N64 game and brings it to 3DS with enhanced graphics, touch–screen commands, and even makes use of the 3DS’s gyroscope. Players will control Link as he tries to stop the moon from crashing into the land. Beginning just months after the last game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link must now rely on a new power that lets him use masks to change his abilities. The moon will crash in three days, but don’t worry; Link can time travel back with his Ocarina if the moon gets a little too close for comfort.
4. Batman: Arkham Knight
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Platform: Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS, Playstation 4, Xbox One
Score: 9/10
Rating: M (Mature)
Genre: Action / Adventure
Modes: Single–Player
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Batman is back in this 4th installment of the Batman: Arkham video game series. The storyline takes the epic Batman comic book city of Gotham and infuses it with a new original antagonist, Arkham Knight, who was created for the series. With Batman’s arsenal of gadgets, combat moves, and newly–designed Batmobile, you can face off against Arkham Knight as he teams up with Scarecrow and other villains from the original comic series. While the console versions of the console games have received top marks, the Windows version was plagued with frame–rate issues and glitches at release. The game has undergone several patches and bug fixes, but has not yet optimized the performance value for Windows users (as of July 6, 2015).
5. Ori and the Blind Forest
Developer: Moon Studios
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
Score: 9/10
Rating: E (Everyone)
Genre: Platform adventure
Modes: Single–Player
Release Date: March 11, 2015
This charming platformer centers around the guardian spirit, Ori, who is tasked with restoring the forest. Though it’s played in a 2D environment, this platformer is open–world and uses witty puzzles, special abilities, and upgrades for a fun–filled adventure through beautiful lands. This game receives high praise for its design, music, gameplay and storyline.
6. Pillars of Eternity
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
Score: 9/10
Rating: M (Mature)
Genre: Role–Playing
Modes: Single–Player
Release Date: March 26, 2015
After raising over $4 million on Kickstarter, developers Obsidian Entertainment released Pillars of Eternity, an epic role–playing game that focuses on a team of adventurers who have awakened special powers that allow them to interact with spirits and past lives. They go in search of answers to their mysterious new powers and how to save their society from a plague. The game received acclaim through its creative storyline, battle system, graphics and customization.
7. Final Fantasy XIV—Heavensward
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 3
Score: 8.5/10
Rating: T (Teen)
Genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG)
Modes: Massively Mulitplayer Online
Release Date: June 23, 2015
This is the first expansion pack for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, a game that revolutionized the landscape of massively multiplayer online role-playing console games (MMORPGs). This addition will bring a level maximum of 60, a new race, three new classes, eight new dungeons, two new primal encounters, nine new zones, flying mounts, a ton of new missions, and much more to players of the original game. Join forces with your pals and join a group to defend Ishgard from the dragons in this breathtaking expansion.
8. Dying Light
Developer: Techland
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Playstation 4, Xbox One
Score: 9/10
Rating: M (mature)
Genre: Action Role–Playing / Survival Horror
Modes: Single–Player, Multiplayer
Release Date: January 27, 2015
If you like the Walking Dead series, you’ll probably enjoy Dying Light. A first–person zombie survival game unlike any other yet released, players are forced to scavenge the barren land for supplies while avoiding being eaten by the growing population of infected humans. The gameplay includes a lot of melee combat and interaction with the environment. The detail to the world is superb and the dynamic day and night settings create real fear in the player once the sun starts to go down in–game.
9. Splatoon
Developer: Nintendo EAD Group 2
Platform: Wii U
Score: 8/10
Rating: E10+ (Recommended for ages 10+)
Genre: Third–person Shooter
Modes: Single–Player, Multiplayer
Release Date: May 29, 2015
Splatoon mixes all the fun of a water gun battle with graffiti art. The concept pits two teams of four players against each other to ink up as much of the battlefield as possible. The team with the most ink of their color across the field by the end of the game is the winner. Players can also turn into squid–like creatures to easily move throughout their own team’s ink, creating a unique multiplayer experience centralizing on a battle of colors.
10. Mortal Kombat X
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Playstation 4, iOS, Andriod
Score: 8/10
Rating: M (Mature)
Genre: Fighting
Modes: Single–Player, Multiplayer
Release Date: April 14, 2015
One of the most violent console games of all time is back. Mortal Kombat X is a blood-soaked, gore-filled, and combo-heavy fighting game that pays homage to the fighting game franchise that has dominated the genre since 1992. This is not a game for kids, as the finishing moves—Fatalities, Brutalities, Quitalities, and Faction Kills—can unleash a flurry of grotesque executions that would give many children nightmares. The entire richness of the controls, interactions with the environment, and character choices will ensure that this is a terrific fighting game for many years.
2015 is a promising year for video games and it’s not over yet. Some games to look forward to include Final Fantasy XV, No Man’s Sky, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Super Mario Maker, Spider Solitaire and much more.
*Disclaimer: The score given to each console games is an average based upon user reviews and editor reviews from outside sources. These scores are independent from FINE Magazine and only reflect the view of the writer.