GAMING IN 4K

Tekken 7 Developer:  Bandai Namco Publisher:  Bandai Namco Release Date:  Early 2017 Platforms:  Xbox One, PS4, PC While Japan has already been enjoying the fast-fighting gameplay of  Tekken 7  in the arcades, we’re all awaiting its PS4/Xbox One/PC debut in the west. We’re told that it will hit retailers at some point in 2017, although we surprisingly don’t have an official concrete release date for the popular fighting game just yet. The new game will introduce Rage Art and Power Crush, two new mechanisms that make the franchise even better. All of the  latest game trailers  for it look great, and we’re on the edge of our seats for a release date. We’ll keep you posted. **I’ll note that there are plenty of other games that were announced at E3 2016 that we’re looking forward to. However, many of them might not even make it into 2017 for a release, so they’re not included on this list (for example,  Death Stranding ). Let’s also not forget that this is a dynamic list, and

For Honor Developer:  Ubisoft Montreal Publisher:  Ubisoft Release Date:  February 14, 2017 Platforms:  PS4, PC and Xbox One For Honor   was also revealed at E3 2015, and it’s safe to say that it pretty much stole the show. Not one single person thought Ubisoft would bring anything new to their show, but  For Honor   looks like nothing else we’ve played before. There are three factions (Knights, Samurais and Vikings) facing off against each other in 4 v 4 battles, with both teams in a match also facing their enemy’s army. They had us at samurais. Pre-order For Honor here.

Days Gone Developer:  SIE Bend Studio Publisher:  Sony Release Date:  TBA (likely 2017) Platform:  PS4 Genre:  Zombie third person shooter I think a lot of people are sleeping on  Days Gone  following its E3 debut, simply because it’s another zombie game. However, it appears to be an attempt at making the ultimate zombie game with a realistic tone, as we saw in the  Days Gone  gameplay demo. There’s not going to be some random kid following you around, you’re not going to have to save the day, and by the looks of it, your only goal is your own survival. The gameplay we’ve seen so far has some interesting highlights, such as the sheer number of zombies on screen, and the fact that Deacon, the protagonist, decides to leave a man to die so that he, himself, can live. We’re anxiously awaiting more soon, and hopefully we don’t have to wait until Fall 2017 to get our hands on it. Pre-order Days Gone here.

 Halo Wars 2 Developer:  343 Studios Publisher:  Microsoft Release Date:  February 21, 2017 Platform:  Xbox One, PC Genre:  Real-Time Straegy Halo Wars  wasn’t all that great in its first release, but it was good-enough that we’re curious about a sequel. Hopefully,  Halo Wars 2  will take a less dumbed-down approach to the console RTS genre than its predecessor did, because the original was a bit too basic — to the point where it didn’t have a ton of replay value. The game will have two factions, the UNSC and the Banished, and the campaign will have thirteen missions. There will also be an Ultimate Edition version that includes a DLC season pass, access to the game four days early, and a copy of  Halo Wars: Definition Edition , an enhanced version of the first game. Here’s to hoping that it’s a big enough release, content-wise, to fill the current void of RTS games on consoles. Pre-order Halo Wars 2 here.

 Prey Developer:  Arkane Studios Publisher:  Bethesda Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platform:  PS4, PC, Xbox One Genre:  First Person Shooter The return of  Prey  is upon us, and oddly enough, it’s getting rebooted after its first try. Now, Arkane Studios will try to revive the long dormant  Prey  franchise with a new psychological first person shooter that looks to be a formidable and thrilling experience with an interesting story. We know next to nothing about the game so far, but it appears to involve a  Groundhog’s Day- esque timeloop. We’re hoping our goal will be to find the differences in that loop to make it out, because that would be an incredibly interesting video game story that hasn’t been done before (at least to our knowledge?). We’re excited to learn more about  Prey , and we’ll keep you posted here at Nerdmuch.com as we learn more. Pre-order Prey here.

 Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game Developer:  Insomniac Games Publisher:  Sony Release Date:  TBA (likely 2017) Platform:  PS4 Genre:  Superhero Adventure We’ve been waiting for Spidey to swing back into our lives with a proper, quality game, because it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to actually enjoy a Spider-Man game (not that many haven’t tried to win us over). So, Sony orchestrated a team-up between Marvel and Insomniac Games ( Ratchet & Clank ) for a new as-yet-to-be-titled Spider-Man game, exclusively for PS4. We don’t have a release date for the game just yet, but given the fact that we don’t even have a proper name for it, and  Amazon’s placeholder is set to 2017 , we’re going to tentatively suggest it’s going to be a 2017 release. For more info, check out our  Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game: Everything We Know So Far round-up. Pre-order Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game here.

Quake Champions Developer:  iD Software Publisher:  Bethesda Release Date:  TBA Platform:  PC Genre:  Arena Shooter (possibly hero) We’ve all been waiting for  Quake  to make its return to kick ass in the FPS genre, and now iD Software and Bethesda are ready to make that happen with  Quake Champions . Strangely enough, the game was only announced for PC, but the devs have already said that they aren’t ruling out a console outing for the game. The game will feature a large roster of playable characters, each of which has their own unique skills — similar to  Overwatch . Details aren’t widely available yet, but hopefully it turns out to be more than just a  Quake -branded  Overwatch .

 Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Developer:  Capcom Publisher:  Capcom Release Date:  January 24, 2017 Platform:  PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre:  Horror, Thriller It was an incredibly well done reveal on Sony’s part, and they surprised everyone at E3 by announcing  Resident Evil 7: Biohazard , despite the fact that it’s not a PS4 exclusive. The game will also be coming to PC and Xbox One in January 2017. For the first time ever,  Resident Evil   will go first-person, and Capcom says that gamers shouldn’t expect a “gun fest.” What’s more, herb gathering is back, baby! And, there will be no quick time events in the game. It’s quite possible that this could be the best  Resident Evil  game ever made, or it could be Capcom just cashing in on the brand — only time will tell. Pre-order Resident Evil 7 here.

Crash Bandicoot Remastered Games Developer:  Naughty Dog Publisher:  Sony Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platform:  PS4 Genre:  Platformer One of the biggest announcements to come out of E3 2016 was the announcement of a few  Crash Bandicoot  Remastered Games, including  Crash 1, 2  and  3.  We’ve all been waiting for Crash’s return, and soon, we’ll be able to play his games on our PS4s. We still don’t know if the remastered games will be packaged as one retail offering, or if they’ll be sold individually, but if Sony really wants to knock it out of the park, they’ll bundle them all together. Despite how they’re going to be sold, we can’t wait to learn more details about the upcoming remastered  Crash  games.

Horizon Zero Dawn Developer:  Guerilla Games Publisher:  Sony Release Date:  February 28, 2017 Platforms: PS4 Genre:  Adventure We’re deeply saddened by the  Horizon Zero Dawn  delay, but we completely understand. It’s probably a good thing that they want to polish it up and make it even better than it already looks, because we have a feeling it’s going to be the beginning of an incredible new IP. In  Horizon , players control Aloy, a hunter and archer set 1,000 years into the future in which robotic creatures dominant the Earth. The game will have RPG elements akin to  Skyrim  and  Assassin’s Creed . Count. us. in. Pre-order Horizon: Zero Dawn here.

injustice 2 Developer:  NetherRealm Studios Publisher:  WB Games Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platforms: PS4, Xbox One Genre:  Fighting Game NetherRealm has finally revealed the  Injustice  sequel, and although we don’t have a ton of information on it just yet, we’re incredibly excited for its 2017 release.  In  Injustice 2 , players will be able to earn and unlock new armor that will not only add a new look to their character but will also give them different stat boosts, adding an RPG-like element to the game. We’re excited to see how formidable  Injustice 2  will be, and with the developer noting that it will have the “largest roster of any DC fighting game to date”, we’re at full-on hype level 3000. Pre-order Injustice 2 here.

 Pyre Developer:  Supergiant Games Publisher:  Supergiant Games Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platforms:  PC, PS4 Genre:  Action RPG Supergiant Games has a couple of great games under their belt with  Bastion  and  Transistor , and that’s the main reason we’re excited for  Pyre , their upcoming 2017 game.  Pyre  will be a high fantasy game that, according to IGN, is a “poetic, 4th-wall-breaking adventure.” You’ll level up three heroes, each with their own skill trees and battles occurring from the same overhead perspective as the developer’s previous titles. The encounters are all based around a glowing orb that’s placed in the center of a map, and two pyres on either end that you want to defend and attack. You’ll attempt to grab that beautifully glowing orb and send it into your opponent’s goal. Each character in the match is moved one at a time.

Lords of the Fallen 2 Developer:  CI Games Publisher:  CI Games Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platforms:  TBA Genre:  RPG The first  Lords of the Fallen  was only slightly above average, admittedly. It had an almost  Dark Souls  feel to it, but not nearly as difficult. It was a good game, but it wasn’t great, and we’re hoping with the second game in the franchise, CI Games can bring the franchise to greatness. The company intends to reach a wider audience by building a richer story and a more robust fighting system. Their goal is to bring something fresh to the RPG genre, and we’re not exactly sure how they can do that, but we’re interested in finding out exactly what sort of changes will come in  Lords of the Fallen 2 .

Overkill’s The Walking Dead Developer:  Overkill Publisher:  Starbreeze, 505 Games Platforms:  PS4, PC, Xbox One Genre:  Co-Op Action Game, Multiplayer Licensed games typically don’t do anything but frustrate fans. But, somehow, Overkill’s  The Walking Dead  has still piqued our interest. It’s probably because   Instinct  was such an incredibly awful  Walking Dead  game that we are so excited to see what Overkill can do with the franchise license. Being that it stems from the same company behind the  PayDay  franchise, we’re fully expecting this game to be formidable. What’s more,  TWD  creator Robert Kirkman is involved with the project, and he says “this is the Walking Dead co-op action game fans have been waiting for.” We’ll see about that in the second half of 2017 when the game is slated for release.

 Batallion 1944 Developer:  Bulkhead Interactive Publisher:  TBA? Release Date:  May 2017 Platforms:  PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre:  FPS, Multiplayer Before all of the hype surrounding  Battlefield 1  and its announcement,  Battalion 1944  took to Kickstarter and caught our interest, simply because it feels like a back to basics, no frills,  World War II  shooter. Obviously,  Battlefield 1  and  Battalion 1944  are completely different, but I’m comparing their announcements because they’re both world war set first person shooters.  Battalion 1944  will feature dedicated servers with anti-cheat mechanisms in place, and any online unlockables will be cosmetic, and won’t give any competitive edge to players. The game will be multiplayer only. The game looks beautiful, and judging from the footage we see in the video above, FPS players are in for a treat — without wall climbing or jet packs.

Vampyr Developer:  Dontnod Publisher:  Focus Home Interactive Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platform:  PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre:  Action RPG My love for Dontnod started with  Remember Me , what I consider to be a criminally underappreciated game. Their next game,  Life is Strange , is a critically-acclaimed masterpiece — a game that we loved here at Nerd Much, as well. But now, Dontnod is working on their next game, which appears to be much darker. It’s called  Vampyr , and it revolves around a vampire doctor who is forced to come to terms with his undead condition. He’ll battle his own demons as he struggles to fight his need to abide by the Hippocratic Oath when all he wants to do is throw back some shots of blood. Dontnod notes that it’s entirely possible to complete the game without taking a single life. And, it’s interestingly set in 1918 London during a Spanish flu pandemic. So, there’s that. We’re anxiously awaiting some  Vampyr  gameplay footage, and hopefully we’ll get some (a

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Developer:  Inti Creates Publisher:  Deep Silver Release Date:  March 2017 Platforms:  PS4, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, Vita, Mac Genre:  Metroidvania Former  Castlevania  series produce Koji Igarashi has created the franchise’s spiritual successor,  Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night , which raised over $5.5 million with its Kickstarter campaign. It’s much more colorful than anything  Castlevania  ever saw, but that’s part of its appeal. What’s more, it will utilize Unreal Engine 4, so we’re fully expecting a beautiful-looking game.

Mass Effect: Andromeda Developer:  BioWare Publisher:  EA Release Date:  Q1 2017 Platform:  PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre:  RPG, Third Person Shooter We’re still kicking dirt about  Mass Effect: Andromeda  not releasing in 2016, but it’s probably a good thing since it’s going to pay off in the long run. I mean, it’s not like BioWare has a history of releasing buggy games, right? RIGHT??  Andromeda  will take place long after the events of the  Mass Effect  trilogy, and players will be able to take on the role of a male or female human character. What’s more, we now know that we’ll be able to pilot a Mako, a customizable six-wheeled vehicle.

. Shenmue 3 Developer:  YS Net Publisher:  Shibuya Productions Release Date:  December 2017 Platform:  PS4, PC Genre:  Action Adventure The internet absolutely lost its mind when  Shenmue 3  was originally announced at last year’s E3. The game was brought to Kickstarter, and it reached its initial target of $2 million in under eight hours, becoming the fastest Kickstarter campaign to reach that amount. The game will follow the events of  Shenmue 2 , with you continuing Ryo Hazuki’s story, with his father’s killer, Lan Di, and a new antagonist, Niao Sun, appearing in the game as well. We can’t wait to get more  Shenmue 3  details.

2. Scalebound Developer:  PlatinumGames Publisher:  Microsoft Release Date:  TBA 2017 Platforms:  Xbox One Genre:  Action RPG Scalebound  is another game that won’t make it into 2016, as Microsoft has delayed the Xbox One exclusive to 2017. The game is developed by PlatinumGames, which can go either way, really. On one hand, Platinum has a few great games under their belt with  MadWorld ,  Bayonetta , and even  The Wonderful 101 . But on the other hand, they’ve got truly awful games like  The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox Zero  and the recently releases  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan  game. We don’t know which side of the coin we’re going to get with  Scalebound , but the footage we’ve seen so far looks stunning. In  Scalebound , players will take control of Drew, the protagonist, alongside a dragon named Thuban (which you can issue commands to). And, we can’t wait to tell that beautiful dragon what to do.

 1. The Legend of Zelda NX Developer:  Nintendo Publisher:  Nintendo Release Date:  Early 2017 Platform:  Nintendo NX, Nintendo Wii U Genre:  RPG What we once thought was Nintendo’s savior for 2016 has now become an early 2017 game, as Nintendo has pushed back  The Legend of Zelda  to 2017. What’s more, we now know that it will not only release for the Wii U, but it will also release alongside the launch of the Nintendo NX. This open world Zelda looks like it could be the best Zelda game ever made, and hopefully it turns out to be more than just Link on a horse that has some smart AI technology (just look at how he avoids those trees on his own!).

**Update 6/16: We’ve updated with all of the incredible    that we’re looking forward to most.** We’re halfway through 2016, and with E3 just around the corner, we’ll soon have a fully fleshed out 2016 video game release schedule. But what about those juicy, succulent 2017 games?  will obviously bring about a ton of new game announcements for games we’re expecting to see in 2017 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC, as well as the rumored and PS4K. But even before we get the major releases to pencil onto the release calendar, Sony and Microsoft already have some good-looking games on the horizon for next year. Of course, that’s good news for us, and we’re expecting big, big things for 2017. Sadly, we won’t be able to play these highly anticipated upcoming games until next year. This is just our preliminary list, as we’re fully intending to expand it to a top 30 (like our current list of the  In fact, consider this video games release calendar to be dynamic content, as it will change and

**Update 6/16: We’ve updated with all of the incredible E3 2016 games that we’re looking forward to most.** We’re halfway through 2016, and with E3 just around the corner, we’ll soon have a fully fleshed out 2016 video game release schedule. But what about those juicy, succulent 2017 games? E3 2016  will obviously bring about a ton of new game announcements for games we’re expecting to see in 2017 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC, as well as the rumored  Xbox One Scorpio  and PS4K. But even before we get the major releases to pencil onto the release calendar, Sony and Microsoft already have some good-looking games on the horizon for next year. Of course, that’s good news for us, and we’re expecting big, big things for 2017. Sadly, we won’t be able to play these highly anticipated upcoming games until next year. This is just our preliminary list, as we’re fully intending to expand it to a top 30 (like our current list of the  most anticipated games of 2016 ). In fact, consider this v

The year 2016 saw and will see releases of numerous video games, including new installments for several well-received franchises, such as  Ace Attorney ,  Battlefield ,  Call of Duty ,  Civilization ,  Cossacks ,  Dark Souls ,  Dead Island , Dead Rising ,  Deus Ex ,  Dishonored ,  Doom ,  Far Cry ,  FIFA ,  Final Fantasy ,  Fire Emblem ,  Forza Horizon ,  Gears of War ,  Hearts of Iron ,  Hitman ,  Homefront ,  Homeworld ,  Kirby ,  Mafia ,  Mario Party ,  Master of Orion ,  Metroid ,  Mirror's Edge ,  Persona ,  Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare ,  Pokémon ,  Ratchet & Clank ,  Shadow of the Beast ,  Shadow Warrior ,  Sonic the Hedgehog ,  Star Fox ,  Star Ocean ,  Street Fighter ,  Titanfall ,  Total War ,  Uncharted ,  Watch Dogs , XCOM  and  Zero Escape . Contents    [ hide ]  1 Events 2 Hardware releases 3 Game releases 3.1 January–March 3.2 April–June 3.3 July–September 3.4 October–December 3.5 Unscheduled releases 4 Video game-based film releases 5