This is a shorter list than what I've previously presented in the past couple days. There are fewer questions here, a greater number of assumptions, and in all, a brief and definitive presentation of the future greatest games of 2014. If I'm wrong, then everything is terrible, and surviving this wretched winter is virtually all for naught.
Here we go. Buckle in.
The Elder Scrolls Online (PC)
This was a game that I initially disregarded, given my checkered and difficult past with the Elder Scrolls series, and Bethesda, in general. However, after having finally found that I was 'doing it wrong,' and coming to appreciate Bethesda's style, learning more about the game, and stuff that I can't discuss yet, I preordered the hell out this motherfucker last night. Imperial Edition, bitches.
This is difficult for me, since I'm trying to explain why I'm excited about this without disclosing details that are under NDA.
Let's do it like this. Everything I've seen in the publicly available videos and marketing materials tells me this is a true Elder Scrolls game. The difference between this and previous core Elder Scrolls games is that you can team up with your friends, and this thing looks huge. Since Daggerfall, we've been restricted to one huge area of Tamriel at a time, whereas this opens up several areas. I cannot wait to just explore and see what's out there.
I also like the setting, both in terms of time and story, as well, and the game just looks really, really nice. According to the publicly available videos and marketing materials.
If they have an open beta before release, I beg you to try it. If you're reading this, my assumption is that you have at least a modicum of sense, and will come around to my way of seeing things.
The last thing that makes me love this in advance is that it's subscription-based, which tells me that the quality of the game is something about which Zenimax cares. I'm done with F2P stuff, and have no interest in going back. I care more about substantial content releases than I do hats.
If they do drop the sub at some point, I'd like to see them adopt a model in which big chunks of content are purchased, a la Secret World, LotRO, or Guild Wars. I'd be good with that. F2P has all but chased me out of STO and SWTOR, and that was really disappointing. Both of those games had endless potential that was curbed sharply by the decision to add an F2P model.
In any case, five days before 4/4 can't some soon enough!
Pillars of Eternity (PC)
This was the first project I ever backed on Kickstarter. When I saw it was Obsidian getting back to their roots, I literally dropped what I was doing and backed it. And then drove my coworkers nuts with tales of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment while we were out to lunch, as those are the games being invoked in the design choices of this game (moreso the first two, while the further-away Torment: Tides of Numenera leans more on the, you guessed it, Torment design. That games look amazing, as well.)
I'm fascinated to see what the grand old style of PC RPG looks like today, how it plays, and how they've meshed that with today's modern RPG sensibilities.
What caught my attention the most was that it was a chance for Obsidian to operate without the meddling of a publisher, which seems to have hindered them in the past. Both KotOR2 and Alpha Protocol appeared to suffer from 'must meet release' date mentalities from their respective publishers. I'm excited to see these guys put their game where their mouth is, and I have a lot of confidence they can do it.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (PC)
It took a couple years for Geralt and I to come to terms with each other, but once we did, it was a partnership that I came to treasure, above all perhaps all other user-avatar relationships that I have.
The Witcher series speaks to me on a level that makes wonder why other development studios don't approach the concept of 'mature' storytelling the way this does. Everything in the Witcher games is there to serve the story and the experience. Nothing in these games cries out for controversy or attention. Rather, it's all components of a whole and complete storytelling experience. And, lemme tell ya, there's a lot of very 'adult' content, some of it rather gratuitous, but it all informs the tone and style of the storytelling.
Once I finally 'got' the first game, understood it, I was off to the races and plowed through every bit of content I could get my hands on. Once I was done, I dove into the mods, played those, loved them, and then felt a wave of depression come over me as I realized that The Witcher 2 was still a ways off.
Then, one glorious day, The Witcher 2 came out, and my video card howled in pain as I cried out in ecstasy. I consumed The Witcher 2 like a delicious Imo's Pizza, and then ... it was over. I wanted to fall to my knees and cry out, but I have hardwood floors, and I'm a bit heavyset, so that would've really fucking hurt. Instead, I turned my gaze back to my old BioWare games, and played some of that, but nothing could quite fill the void that had been left by completing all available Witcher content.
As each of the books has been slowly translated and released on Nook, they've brought a brief and all too-fleeting salve to my grievous wound, but nothing will compare to that moment when I'm back in Geralt's rough embrace.
That moment cannot come soon enough, but I've been assured that it will come this year. I'm already scoping out video cards.
Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC)
Before I talk about the game about which I'm the most excited for 2014, let's you and me get a few things straight right quick.
01. It has become fashionable to beat on BioWare. Yes, I've heard. I don't give a fuck. Do I think they've made some imperfect decisions in every one of their games? Oh, hell yes. Consider this, though. Is it possible that the quality of their games is so high that when they do make a decision most people don't like, it's all the more highlighted by the fact that everything else about the experience is orgasmically wonderful? All signs point to yes for me.
02. The Mass Effect 3 ending. Yes, it was shit. Up to that point, I was considering that I'd been playing what was arguably the best game I've ever played, and then that turd of an ending happened. The reaction from the community is what is typical when you have a large bag occupied with numerous smaller internet-infesting shitbags, and the whole thing got blown way out of proportion. Was the 'Director's Cut' (or whatever it was called) ending improve things? Yes. Was it made perfect by this patch? No. And that's okay. If BioWare stands by their artistic vision, even if I think the whole thing happened because they ran out of time to address the insane number of variables that could make up that ending, I'm okay with it. No one I care about in real life died, I still have a job, I still have a house, and it's time to move on.
03. It became especially fashionable to declare Dragon Age II as the worst game ever. This was a curious one. I really enjoyed it (on PC. I don't know why one would play this series on a console.) Was it as good as Dragon Age: Origins? Not even close. However, it was still a deeply enjoyable game that contributed a lot to the lore and larger story of the Dragon Age franchise. The majority of the core mechanics were still in place (for PC players), and the ridiculous reuse of assets and environments became a rallying cry for shitbags the world over. Morons. Do I hope for an experience that harkens back to DAO more than DA2? Yes. Do I also want new features? Yes. Do I still replay DA2 from time to time and enjoy the hell out of it? Yes.
All these gripes about your gripes lead me to believe that there's a lot of myopia when it comes to the average internet shitbag and their perspective on 'good' games. If a game lacks something that its excellent predecessor has, it must now, according to the average shitbag, be the worst game ever. What an odd and sad little world you've carved out for yourself.
Being a fan of the Dragon Age games, as well as the novels and comics, the Dragon Age universe is one with which I connect on a very deep level. There's something about the series that captures the same essence of 'I can't wait to see what happens next' that only KotOR has every captured for me.
From the storytelling to the combat, Dragon Age is my favorite game series ever, and everything I've seen about Inquisition has me ready to burst with excitement.
I'm keenly interested in the features that are new to the series, such as the more 'open world' structure, and the establishing of the Keep and what seem to be something like control points on the world map, that open up new areas for the user to explore.
My one potential disappointment is that PC players may not be able to directly import their save files, and may instead have to use the online system to 'create' an imported save. If that's true, that is a huge bummer, but one that I can easily overcome.
In all, DAI might be that game that I sheepishly take a day off work for, the day after it comes out (PC players, of any new release, always need to take the day after off, to get all the launch bugs and DRM worked out before they can play the best available version of the game.)
In closing ...
This is certainly shaping up to the best year ever in RPGs, and even if it was just the four games I talked about today, I would still have concerns about how I'm going to squeeze it all in, while still maintain that work-family-life balance.
And, hey, if I need to let it seep into next year, that's fine. Or not. Next year will have Mass Effect 4, Tides of Numenera, whatever the new Bethesda release is, and more and more and more.
Either way, too many good RPGs is a good problem to have. I look forward to having the best backlog ever.
What about you? What are you must-have games for 2014? Any thoughts on these? Lemme know!
As always, thanks for reading!
-Blaine
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