Best Games with Best Graphics
Welcome to a collection of action games that don't quite fit into other categories. The rumoured summer release of the Oculus Rift will give us a chance to experience Eve Online's universe in a more hands-on context than the MMO offers. We can expect to hear much more about Ubi's pretty but poorly-explained post-apocalypse co-op survival thing, The Division, and we'll hopefully learn more about IO's return to the Hitman series. We're even more excited to hear details of the next Deus Ex game. 2015's shaping up nicely.
Mirror’s Edge
Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA
Release date:TBA
Link: Official site
DICE are making a million things at the moment, so it’ll be a long time before we see this modern reboot of the cult run-’em-up, Mirror’s Edge. Producer Sara Jansson posted in June 2014 to remind everyone that the game’s still in production, saying that it will feature “advanced combat that is integrated into an improved fluidity of movement.” Some fans would rather see combat taken out altogether, but maybe DICE and EA can make it work with a revamped system.
Publisher: EA
Release date:TBA
Link: Official site
DICE are making a million things at the moment, so it’ll be a long time before we see this modern reboot of the cult run-’em-up, Mirror’s Edge. Producer Sara Jansson posted in June 2014 to remind everyone that the game’s still in production, saying that it will feature “advanced combat that is integrated into an improved fluidity of movement.” Some fans would rather see combat taken out altogether, but maybe DICE and EA can make it work with a revamped system.
Star Citizen
Developer: Cloud Imperium
Publisher: Cloud Imperium
Release date: Ongoing module launches throughout 2015 and beyond.
Link: Official site
Chris Robert’s remarkably ambitious space sim is slowly coming into focus. A windfall of tens of millions of crowdfunded dollars are going into the production of the ultimate space game. Want to walk around your ship? Want to visit planets and wander around shops with other players? Want to fight for control of space stations in zero-G first-person combat? Star Citizen’s feature list has it all. For millions, on paper, it’s the dream game. Can they pull it off?
Publisher: Cloud Imperium
Release date: Ongoing module launches throughout 2015 and beyond.
Link: Official site
Chris Robert’s remarkably ambitious space sim is slowly coming into focus. A windfall of tens of millions of crowdfunded dollars are going into the production of the ultimate space game. Want to walk around your ship? Want to visit planets and wander around shops with other players? Want to fight for control of space stations in zero-G first-person combat? Star Citizen’s feature list has it all. For millions, on paper, it’s the dream game. Can they pull it off?
Tom Clancy’s The Division
Developer: Ubisoft Massive, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Redstorm
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: 2015
Link: Official Site
Open-world online shooter The Division got our attention when it was announced at E3 this year, though we haven't heard a heck of a lot about it since, other than that it's been confirmed for PC. Featuring co-op squadplay against AI opponents and firefights with other multiplayer squads, we were most taken with the impressive visuals and the atmospheric setting: a wintery New York City a few weeks after a biological attack.
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: 2015
Link: Official Site
Open-world online shooter The Division got our attention when it was announced at E3 this year, though we haven't heard a heck of a lot about it since, other than that it's been confirmed for PC. Featuring co-op squadplay against AI opponents and firefights with other multiplayer squads, we were most taken with the impressive visuals and the atmospheric setting: a wintery New York City a few weeks after a biological attack.
EVE Valkyrie
Developer: CCP Games
Publisher: In-house
Release date: TBC
Link: Developer website
Rumour has it that the first consumer model of the Oculus Rift will be hitting in summer 2015, and EVE Valkyrie is looking like one of its killer apps. While Star Citizen and Elite are hardcore sims, this is unashamedly an action-heavy dogfighting game. It works brilliantly in the Rift and seeing EVE’s sci-fi universe up-close is a thrill. But Valkyrie is being made especially for virtual reality headsets, so you’ll need the hardware to experience it.
Publisher: In-house
Release date: TBC
Link: Developer website
Rumour has it that the first consumer model of the Oculus Rift will be hitting in summer 2015, and EVE Valkyrie is looking like one of its killer apps. While Star Citizen and Elite are hardcore sims, this is unashamedly an action-heavy dogfighting game. It works brilliantly in the Rift and seeing EVE’s sci-fi universe up-close is a thrill. But Valkyrie is being made especially for virtual reality headsets, so you’ll need the hardware to experience it.
Hyper Light Drifter
Developer: Heart Machine
Publisher: Heart Machine
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official site
Beautiful art, snappy combat and a world of robots and monsters await in Hyper Light Drifter. Top-class pixel art recalls the 16-bit era, but Heart Machine promises “modernized mechanics” and “designs on a much grander scale.”
Publisher: Heart Machine
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official site
Beautiful art, snappy combat and a world of robots and monsters await in Hyper Light Drifter. Top-class pixel art recalls the 16-bit era, but Heart Machine promises “modernized mechanics” and “designs on a much grander scale.”
Gigantic
Developer: Motiga
Publisher: Motiga
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Gigantic is a team-based action game all about destroying the opposing team’s guardian which is, well, gigantic. An arena combat game with a unique art style, Gigantic is the first project to come from Motiga. It has a lot of competition from other recently announced arena games like Blizzard’s Overwatch, but Gigantic puts a spin on the genre that will help it stand out.
Publisher: Motiga
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Gigantic is a team-based action game all about destroying the opposing team’s guardian which is, well, gigantic. An arena combat game with a unique art style, Gigantic is the first project to come from Motiga. It has a lot of competition from other recently announced arena games like Blizzard’s Overwatch, but Gigantic puts a spin on the genre that will help it stand out.
Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age
Developer: Crytek Austin / Crytek Frankfurt
Publisher: Crytek
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
Publisher: Crytek
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
Hunt looked wonderful when we saw it at E3 in June, a combination of Left 4 Dead-style four-player co-op against AI monsters with third-person action and shooting that reminded us of Resident Evil 4-5 set in the 19th century… with procedural level and enemy generation. We got worried when Hunt’s studio, Crytek Austin (formerly Vigil Games) experienced significant layoffs, shifting Hunt to Crytek Frankfurt for completion. It’s never encouraging to see a game change hands mid-development, but we’re still holding out hope that the ex-Vigil team’s ambitious and refreshing vision will take shape. A closed beta was announced in December 2014, though it’s unclear when it’ll run.
Fractured Space
Fractured Space will transition to a free-to-play model sometime next year, but for now it’s on Steam Early Access. Tyler has been enjoying its giant spaceship lane pushing, where two teams of five capture mining stations to earn buffs, then go after each other’s home bases. It’s pretty far from complete, but the essential design is sound—sneaking up on a Flagship in a cloaked Assassin, materializing like a Romulan warship, then blasting it with rockets is one of its especially satisfying joys.
Io's next Hitman game
In early January 2014, Io Interactive posted an open letter to their fans. In it, they revealed the existence of a new "AAA Hitman game" for PC and current-gen consoles. More importantly, they reassured fans that this wouldn't be another Absolution. "The game concentrates on the core Hitman fantasy of using a wide range of tools to take out a diverse group of targets across expansive, exotic locations around the world," Io wrote. Specifically, the new Hitman is inspired by Contracts and Blood Money, and, with luck, will be a return to the formula that made the series great.
Space Pirates and Zombies 2
Developer: MinMax Games
Publisher: MinMax Games
Release date: Q1 2015
Link: minmax-games.com
The second coming of (the somewhat-unfortunately named) SPAZ transforms the space shooter into a behind-the-thruster action game that’s more Freelancer than Asteroids, as its predecessor was. There’s still a great focus on random generation and ship building, and you’ll have to make careful design choices about component positioning, weight, hull integrity, and engine power. SPAZ 2 also promises a living galaxy that isn’t player-centric—200 other pilots are crawling the galaxy who are “able to do everything the player can, including forming dynamic factions, building structures, controlling territory, and going to War.”
Publisher: MinMax Games
Release date: Q1 2015
Link: minmax-games.com
The second coming of (the somewhat-unfortunately named) SPAZ transforms the space shooter into a behind-the-thruster action game that’s more Freelancer than Asteroids, as its predecessor was. There’s still a great focus on random generation and ship building, and you’ll have to make careful design choices about component positioning, weight, hull integrity, and engine power. SPAZ 2 also promises a living galaxy that isn’t player-centric—200 other pilots are crawling the galaxy who are “able to do everything the player can, including forming dynamic factions, building structures, controlling territory, and going to War.”
Titan Souls
Developer: Acid Nerve
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Release date: Q1 2015
Link: Official Site
Originally made for the Ludum Dare 28 game jam, Titan Souls has been tapped to become a full sized experience. It looks like a 2D, pixel-art Shadow of the Colossus, the only enemies being large bosses with distinct weak points. The original is available to play for free here and is hard as nails.
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Release date: Q1 2015
Link: Official Site
Originally made for the Ludum Dare 28 game jam, Titan Souls has been tapped to become a full sized experience. It looks like a 2D, pixel-art Shadow of the Colossus, the only enemies being large bosses with distinct weak points. The original is available to play for free here and is hard as nails.
Amazing Frog?
Developer: Fayju
Publisher: Fayju
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
A sandbox dick-about in the vein of Goat Simulator, Amazing Frog? is set in the magical kingdom of Swindon, UK, where a farting frog frolicks with friends for environmental bonuses. Fire yourself out of cannons, hit bouncy castles for points, jump off things, parkour up things. Swindon is your oyster.
Publisher: Fayju
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
A sandbox dick-about in the vein of Goat Simulator, Amazing Frog? is set in the magical kingdom of Swindon, UK, where a farting frog frolicks with friends for environmental bonuses. Fire yourself out of cannons, hit bouncy castles for points, jump off things, parkour up things. Swindon is your oyster.
Rebel Galaxy
Developer: Double Damage Games
Publisher: Double Damage Games
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official Site
Rebel Galaxy is a space game about shooting first, learning how to dock later. Unlike Elite: Dangerous, for instance, it emphasizes the action over the minutiae of space travel. It promises a big ship, an open galaxy with randomly generated solar systems and quests, and the experience of “feeling the concussion of a broadside blast, and the impact on your deflectors as they absorb a particle beam meant for your shield generator.” Also, shady space bars.
Publisher: Double Damage Games
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official Site
Rebel Galaxy is a space game about shooting first, learning how to dock later. Unlike Elite: Dangerous, for instance, it emphasizes the action over the minutiae of space travel. It promises a big ship, an open galaxy with randomly generated solar systems and quests, and the experience of “feeling the concussion of a broadside blast, and the impact on your deflectors as they absorb a particle beam meant for your shield generator.” Also, shady space bars.
Jotun
Developer: William Dubé
Publisher: William Dubé
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
An action-exploration game, Jotun challenges you to fight your way through a randomly-generated viking purgatory by killing giant norse elementals in an attempt to reach Valhalla. The game’s creator, William Dubé, describes it as “the mood of Journey and the scale of Shadow of the Colossus in top-down 2D,” which sounds pretty great if he can pull it off.
Publisher: William Dubé
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
An action-exploration game, Jotun challenges you to fight your way through a randomly-generated viking purgatory by killing giant norse elementals in an attempt to reach Valhalla. The game’s creator, William Dubé, describes it as “the mood of Journey and the scale of Shadow of the Colossus in top-down 2D,” which sounds pretty great if he can pull it off.
Overgrowth
Developer: Wolfire Games
Publisher: Wolfire Games
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Overgrowth, also known as “that 3D brawler where humanoid rabbits fight each other, oh man, what is this,” doesn’t have a set release date, but sometime in 2015 seems like a reasonable guess. It feels like it’s been in alpha for forever, but maybe that’s just because we really want to be a fighting rabbit-person.
Publisher: Wolfire Games
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Overgrowth, also known as “that 3D brawler where humanoid rabbits fight each other, oh man, what is this,” doesn’t have a set release date, but sometime in 2015 seems like a reasonable guess. It feels like it’s been in alpha for forever, but maybe that’s just because we really want to be a fighting rabbit-person.
The Very Organized Thief
Developer: Redefinition Games
Publisher: Redefinition Games
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Starting as a free Unity game, The Very Organized Thief wants to be bigger, but unfortunately failed to meet its Kickstarter goal. Since then, it’s made its way to Steam Greenlight. It’s a casual stealth game about sneaking around somebody’s house with a list of things to steal, and has no combat. You have to find keys, disable alarms, and get the loot before you get caught.
Publisher: Redefinition Games
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Starting as a free Unity game, The Very Organized Thief wants to be bigger, but unfortunately failed to meet its Kickstarter goal. Since then, it’s made its way to Steam Greenlight. It’s a casual stealth game about sneaking around somebody’s house with a list of things to steal, and has no combat. You have to find keys, disable alarms, and get the loot before you get caught.
BattleCry
Developer: BattleCry Studios
Publisher: Bethesda
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
Not to be confused with Battleborn, this is Bethesda’s competitive 32-player third-person brawling game with art direction from Half-Life 2 and Dishonored whizz, Viktor Antonov. It’s bloody, thanks to the inclusion of dismemberment and classes that wield massive cleavers, but the sketchy art style keeps things light, and you get to fight in beautifully realised eastern European industrial zones. Classes include archers, punchy brawlers, knife-wielding duellers and enforcers, who wield the aforementioned cleavers.
Publisher: Bethesda
Release date: TBA 2015
Link: Official site
Not to be confused with Battleborn, this is Bethesda’s competitive 32-player third-person brawling game with art direction from Half-Life 2 and Dishonored whizz, Viktor Antonov. It’s bloody, thanks to the inclusion of dismemberment and classes that wield massive cleavers, but the sketchy art style keeps things light, and you get to fight in beautifully realised eastern European industrial zones. Classes include archers, punchy brawlers, knife-wielding duellers and enforcers, who wield the aforementioned cleavers.
Kakexun
Developer: Kenji Eno
Publisher: Kenji Eno
Release date: TBA
Link: Game’s Indiegogo
Famous Japanese game developer Kenji Eno passed away nearly a year and a half ago, but that isn’t stopping his friends from creating a game based on his final design. Kakexun is a psychedelic game comprised of a mix of “story stages and action stages.” It’s very hard to explain, and we highly recommend visiting the game’s Indiegogo to witness the madness for yourself.
Publisher: Kenji Eno
Release date: TBA
Link: Game’s Indiegogo
Famous Japanese game developer Kenji Eno passed away nearly a year and a half ago, but that isn’t stopping his friends from creating a game based on his final design. Kakexun is a psychedelic game comprised of a mix of “story stages and action stages.” It’s very hard to explain, and we highly recommend visiting the game’s Indiegogo to witness the madness for yourself.
Dreadnought
Developer: Yager Development
Publisher: Grey Box Games
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official Site
These aren't sleek, swift, easily-maneuverable fightercraft we're talking about. In Dreadnought, a tactical action multiplayer game from the developers behind Spec Ops: The Line, you'll pilot truly massive spaceships and battle other flying behemoths in team deathmatch and elimination modes.
Publisher: Grey Box Games
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official Site
These aren't sleek, swift, easily-maneuverable fightercraft we're talking about. In Dreadnought, a tactical action multiplayer game from the developers behind Spec Ops: The Line, you'll pilot truly massive spaceships and battle other flying behemoths in team deathmatch and elimination modes.
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Release date: 3 April, 2015
Link: Dark Souls 2 site
Prepare to dive into some original sin with From Software's remastered version of Dark Souls 2. That a year-old game is being remastered is unusual, but it's a side-effect of the studio releasing the game on new-gen consoles. Scholar of the First Sin brings enhanced graphics, performance and DirectX support, all bundled with DS2's three DLC add-ons. Fortunately, existing owners aren't being left behind. A free patch for Dark Souls 2 will bring Scholar's expanded story and additional NPCs.
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Release date: 3 April, 2015
Link: Dark Souls 2 site
Prepare to dive into some original sin with From Software's remastered version of Dark Souls 2. That a year-old game is being remastered is unusual, but it's a side-effect of the studio releasing the game on new-gen consoles. Scholar of the First Sin brings enhanced graphics, performance and DirectX support, all bundled with DS2's three DLC add-ons. Fortunately, existing owners aren't being left behind. A free patch for Dark Souls 2 will bring Scholar's expanded story and additional NPCs.
Deus Ex Universe
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: TBA
Link: Announcement post
Deus Ex: Universe is Square Eidos's name for a whole series of upcoming Deus Ex stuff, including at least one proper "core game". We don't know what this game is called, when it's due for release, or even if it'll be a narrative follow-up to Human Revolution. What we do know is that it'll run on the Dawn Engine, a modified version of Hitman: Absolution's Glacier 2 Engine. Eidos Montreal recently released an in-engine screenshot showing what can be done with the tool, and the result looks awfully Deus Ex-y. We do, of course, have a wishlist of features we'd like to see in any new Deus Ex game.
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: TBA
Link: Announcement post
Deus Ex: Universe is Square Eidos's name for a whole series of upcoming Deus Ex stuff, including at least one proper "core game". We don't know what this game is called, when it's due for release, or even if it'll be a narrative follow-up to Human Revolution. What we do know is that it'll run on the Dawn Engine, a modified version of Hitman: Absolution's Glacier 2 Engine. Eidos Montreal recently released an in-engine screenshot showing what can be done with the tool, and the result looks awfully Deus Ex-y. We do, of course, have a wishlist of features we'd like to see in any new Deus Ex game.
Halo: Spartan Strike
Developer: 343 Industries/Vanguard Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official site
The follow-up to largely ignored Halo twin-stick shooter spin-off Spartan Assault works across both tablets and PC via your Steam saves, and includes Halo 4’s slightly rubbish enemies the Prometheans, as well as the ability to run over enemies in a Warthog. Essentially, it’s there to remind you that none of the proper Halo games have come out on PC since Halo 2, but nonetheless it looks pretty enough.
Publisher: Microsoft
Release date: Early 2015
Link: Official site
The follow-up to largely ignored Halo twin-stick shooter spin-off Spartan Assault works across both tablets and PC via your Steam saves, and includes Halo 4’s slightly rubbish enemies the Prometheans, as well as the ability to run over enemies in a Warthog. Essentially, it’s there to remind you that none of the proper Halo games have come out on PC since Halo 2, but nonetheless it looks pretty enough.
Dungeon Defenders 2
Developer: Trendy Entertainment
Publisher: Trendy Entertainment
Release date: 2015
Link: Official site
The sequel to popular tower-defense action RPG Dungeon Defenders entered early access in 2014, and plans to become free to play once it officially launches. In co-op play, teams defend their base against wave after wave of A.I. creatures with a mixture of automated turrets and third-person combat.
Publisher: Trendy Entertainment
Release date: 2015
Link: Official site
The sequel to popular tower-defense action RPG Dungeon Defenders entered early access in 2014, and plans to become free to play once it officially launches. In co-op play, teams defend their base against wave after wave of A.I. creatures with a mixture of automated turrets and third-person combat.
TerraTech
Developer: Payload Studios
Publisher: Payload Studios
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Build a fleet of vehicles to fight for an alien planet’s resources. As you destroy your opponents you can scavenge parts from them, growing and upgrading your machines even more. TerraTech currently has a demo on its site and will be hitting Steam early access sometime in January.
Publisher: Payload Studios
Release date: TBA
Link: Official Site
Build a fleet of vehicles to fight for an alien planet’s resources. As you destroy your opponents you can scavenge parts from them, growing and upgrading your machines even more. TerraTech currently has a demo on its site and will be hitting Steam early access sometime in January.
Human Element
Developer: Robotoki
Publisher: Robotoku
Release date: November 2015
Link: Developer Site
Cooperate with, or battle against, other human players 35 years after the zombie apocalypse. Build and fortify your base, scavenge for resources, and plans assaults on enemy forts, using every weapon at your disposal, including zombies themselves.
Publisher: Robotoku
Release date: November 2015
Link: Developer Site
Cooperate with, or battle against, other human players 35 years after the zombie apocalypse. Build and fortify your base, scavenge for resources, and plans assaults on enemy forts, using every weapon at your disposal, including zombies themselves.
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