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10 games we are looking forward to playing in 2015 (Part 1)

10 games we are looking forward to playing in 2015 (Part 1)

2015 seems to be full of interesting releases for all platforms. As good indies, we admit to be particularly interested in small projects from other independent developers and we have our own list of favorites for this year.

Of course, this list only responds to our personal preferences rather than qualitative or quantitative factors of any kind! Here are the first 5 games from our list of 10 favorites for this year, not in order of preference:

1. Severed

Severed
Severed is the new project by the canadian Drinkbox Studios, creators of Guacamelee and their two previous Blob games. Not much to say. Guacamelee seems to us one of the best indie games of all time and a constant inspiration in many ways. We further believe that Drinkbox found their own personality with this brilliant project. A game we played again & again both in PC/Mac and PS Vita.

Although the company is currently working on a new big project and it seems they’re planning Guacamelee 2 at a medium/long term, their next game to be published is Severed, surprisingly addressed to touch devices only. Although the game has been announced as a PS Vita exclusive, we think they’ll port it to iOS/Android devices eventually. We’ll see. For now, great news for PS Vita users.

Severed presents an extreme look that drinks a lot from the Guacamelee heritage, with simple graphics and a semi-3D development. Half dungeon exploration, half tactile combat against one or more enemies, half RPG evolution. All wrapped up in a cryptic plot that unfolds through flashbacks experienced by our protagonist, a one-armed female warrior. Instant love. We want it NOW. Scheduled for summer.

2. Curses N Chaos

Curses N Chaos
The new project by the also canadian Tribute Games, developers of Wizorb and Mercenary Kings. Of course, we played both games. While Wizorb was a very singular homage to the mythical Breakout, Mercenary Kings was a clear and big step in their trajectory as developers. Despite some unequal critiques towards M Kings, the team made clear they knew how to make cool games.

Tribute presents Curses N Chaos as a simpler game than Mercenary Kings, probably trying to solve a minor and agile project. Its graphics have a very low resolution with big, impeccably animated and exquisitely colored pixels and multiple and enjoyable scenarios. An arcade action game, where the protagonists move within a static scenario where enemies appear in waves, with various bosses and stays within the same level.

Apparently fun and carefree. And also represents another interesting PS Vita project.

3. Nuclear Throne

Nuclear Throne
It seems that praising the last project by Vlambeer –creators of Super Crate Box, Luftrausers, Ridiculous Fishing, etc.– is a new sport in the indie scene. A deserved praise, in our opinion. We know Nuclear Throne has been some time among us and in fact we’ve been following their early access since it appeared on Steam. But it is in 2015 when the game will be finally released for all platforms.

We believe the Nuclear Throne’s EA is the best managed one we’ve seen so far, with weekly updates that almost never failed. Just over a year of continuous development that has long since created a game worth playing. Anything new coming is more than welcome. The replay value of the game is important and once you know in depth all the elements that come into play in the overall system, you realize the great work of game design behind this little masterpiece.

Entirely developed using Game Maker, our usual tool, and currently available for PC, Mac and Linux, with PS3, PS4, Xbox One & PS Vita as the final target for its commercial release. It seems PS Vita has a lot to celebrate.

  • Developer: Vlambeer
  • More info: Official site / Vlambeer site
  • Platforms: Pc, Mac, Linux, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita
  • Price: 12,99 $ (Steam early access). Consoles price pending.

4. Rise & Shine

Rise & Shine
Rise & Shine is the new creation by Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team (SAHDMT), developers of Pro Zombie Soccer and Supermagical. We are big fans of both games. The first one was published at a time where iOS games were still growing and improving day by day, and we must admit it was one of the first games to make us see that it was possible to develop interesting things for the Apple’s system. Supermagical, on the other hand, has been one of the most played games in our tablets. Not only by us but also by our friends and family. A well-rounded and exquisitely polished game.

Rise & Shine is an artistically impressive game, with a 2D side scroll and full of references around the video game culture. Sometimes close to a Contra game, sometimes closer to Mega Man… its creators describe it as an Another World with more action and guns. Just look for info on Youtube and enjoy it.

Interestingly, we had the occasion to meet Enrique Corts in the first PAD Congress and Gamelab 2014. Apparently, the real target of Rise & Shine are consoles (and eventually PC) but they didn’t have a publisher at that time and, in fact, they were not sure of how to proceed. The crowdfunding option has been mentioned by the team through social networks, but we don’t know about their current situation, beyond the fact that the project continues and that after having played it in the mentioned events, it would be a real pity if it’s not released. Will be 2015 the year of Rise & Shine? We really hope so. (Update: it’s confirmed! R&S will be published next year by Adult Swim. Good news!)

5. Below

Below
Capybara Games are on fire. After the huge success of Sword & Sworcery, the canadians have been involved in two major projects: the hyper-frenetic Super Time Force, published last year on Xbox & PC and Below, the game we mention in this post. It should be published this year.

Although the company has been dropping information in minimal amounts, the videos we can find today make clear that it will be an adventure game with action and exploration with a setting between bleak and strangely serene, artistically superb. Also accompanied of music by Jim Guthrie. Capy promises a game with no texts, where the tiny protagonist discovers his own goals through exploration, a very hardcore (but fair) combat system and a stunning use of sound and music.

Nothing else to add. A game full of expectations that we hope will not disappoint. We recommend you to watch the video published on its site. You can also find some gameplay videos on Youtube and the Capybara site as the game has already been presented in several events.

We will soon publish the second part of our favorites for 2015!

Note: The images that illustrate this post were extracted from various sources related to the mentioned games. Copyright © 2015 de Drinkbox Studios, Tribute Games, Vlambeer, SAHDMT, Capybara Games.

What about you? What are you willing to play in 2015?