January is often a quiet time of the year for the gaming industry. Usually companies are looking over the recent quarter sales, their pending release and development schedules, and also looking ahead to the upcoming conventions later in the year as there is much to prepare for.
After the slew of first of the year meetings and planning sessions, companies take stock of where their games are in their developmental cycle and plan out their promotional campaigns for the titles ranging from when they will do interviews, announcements, trailers, and so on as they want to make sure to strike a balance of building excitement and interest for a title with making sure that it is presented in the best possible light.
Gamers are about to experience EVOLVE and The Order:1886 as along with Bloodborne they mark probably the biggest names and most anticipated titles to be released early in 2015.
Both Evolve and The Order were delayed from planned releases in late 2014, and gamers will soon have options for their gaming dollars as well as any unused gift cards that they accumulated during the holidays.
Both games have plenty of questions regarding them. Some have questioned if there will be enough replay value in Evolve and if the experience of hunting gigantic monsters in a team setting will play out well over time.
Fans have also asked if The Order: 1886 will be hampered by too many cinematics and a gameplay style that some may find dated or cumbersome and be lacking enough of the hardcore action and multiplay that they have come to expect in modern gamers.
I have addressed each game in other articles but suffice it to say that the developers have addressed the concerns such as Evolve having a multi-day campaign that will allow multiple Goliaths to take on players and for the game to change based on the outcome of previous campaigns. They have also added a solo play mode for gamers to enjoy.
Ultimately it is going to come down to preferences and what the public is willing to except, but I think it is safe to say that there are enough good things about both games that they should find a audience that will be more than happy with them and what they offer.
So as we prepare to go through the winter doldrums for many across the world, it is nice to see some new offerings coming very soon to help brighten up the winter months for those not fortunate enough to live in warmer climates this time of year.
Hopefully the opening salvo of 2015 gaming is a sign of good things to come this year and will make this a year to remember in gaming.
Evolve. It’s multiplatform and isn’t an overhyped Sony game.
True but some may be put off by the perceived repetitive nature of EVOLVE.