2015 is setting up to be a fantastic year for video games. With many games originally scheduled for release in 2014 being pushed to 2015, the calendar will be full.  I had a much harder time with this top 5 list than the 2014 list. What I decided to do is limit the pool of games that could be on the list to only games that showed gameplay at E3.

Here are my top 5 most anticipated games of 2015. Drum roll please…

5) Yoshi’s Woolly World – Going into E3, I anticipated very little from Nintendo. I expected them to talk about Smash Bros. and the new Zelda but Yoshi’s Woolly World totally surprised me. I love that Nintendo is still doing classic side-scrolling games and consistently inserts such whimsy and charm. Only Nintendo can make the process of eating a character and pooping it out a game mechanic that works and is not a joke. The WiiU is not a graphics powerhouse but this game looks gorgeous. After all the guns and gore from the major publishers, Yoshi was a breath of fresh air that I can’t wait to play.

4) The Division - Ubisoft showed off more of The Division at E3 and the footage looked incredible. The team-based gameplay reminds me of the Rainbow Six: Vegas games that I really enjoyed. We were shown lots of tech the player can use in battle to get intel on the enemy. The footage shown in the trailer looked like a great set piece moment. I hope they can duplicate that throughout the campaign. I also like how the player can jump from one member of the team to another smoothly. The addition of having someone on a tablet help out remotely with a drone could be a fun way for friends to help you complete missions. Graphically it is as impressive as any other game.

3) The Order: 1886 - The Order is the first game I’ve seen that pulls off the seamless transition between cutscene and gameplay without any loss in graphic fidelity. This was very impressive in the demo shown during the Sony conference. I love the turn of the century London setting of the game. I think with the historical setting and the beautiful transitioning, The Order: 1886 could tell a great story in a cinematic way. 

2) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - The Witcher 3 was one of my most anticipated games of 2014 until it was delayed recently. The Witcher 2 was a hidden gem when it was released. The developer, Projekt RED, looks to have taken what was great about The Witcher 2 and built upon it to create an even bigger, more immersive world. They have said that it will be a living world larger than any other in modern RPG history and is 30 times larger than previous Witcher games. Every action affects the world and every quest has many options on how to complete it. Until the most recent technology, “choose your own adventure” gameplay was not possible and this is something I’ve always wanted out of a title. I can’t wait to just spend weeks in this world.

1) Batman: Arkham Knight - One word: Batmobile. Once I saw how Batman called in the Batmobile and flew into the driver’s seat, I was sold. This game seems like the perfect Batman simulator. I can’t wait to drive around Gotham, pop out, fight criminals, and fly back into the Batmobile. Once in the Batmobile, the player can enter battle mode, which turns the Batmobile into a tank-like vehicle to do more damage. The main villain in Arkham Knight is Scarecrow. He looked so creepy and had a new, very cool look for Scarecrow. As a huge Batman fan, I loved Batman: Arkham City and this looks to take that formula and build on it. I can’t wait to get into the Batcave again.

As you can see, there is a lot to look forward to in 2015. Some amazing titles and that doesn’t include others that could come out that just had trailers. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Star Wars: Battlefront, and the new Zelda game would have definitely made the list if we saw gameplay.  These games are so early in development that 2015 could be a stretch for release. No Man’s Sky would have definitely made this list if it had release date. What games are you most looking for to in 2015? Let me know in the comments.