September
Act of Aggression (Eugen Systems): 2 September
Eugen Systems are back with a new RTS and this time it’s a more traditional affair. If you loved C&C then this is one to check out.
Mad Max (Avalanche): 4 September
Rumoured to have been delayed to coincide with the upcoming Mad Max film. Since that’s coming out on 15 May, our best guess is that we’ll see this around the same time. Mind you, Avalanche has been a bit quiet with the advertising materials of late, and have been talking more about Just Cause 3 than this game. The PR machine might spin up next year, or this one could just be in limbo. Latest word now is a September release.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions): 1 September
Those unfamiliar with the long-running stealth-action franchise might’ve been surprised with the less-than-po-faced reveal that you can attach Fulton balloons to goats and watch them sail into the sky, bleating with confusion. Of course, if you don’t fancy seeing Hideo Kojima’s take on Wildlife Kidnapping Simulator 2015, you could just roam around an open world shooting people, stabbing people, sneaking into bases, and getting wrapped up in what will doubtless be a lengthy, pathos-filled story. We’re in it for the goats, though.
Read more about Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
SOMA (Frictional Games): 22 September 2015
Frictional Games, creators of Amnesia, return to the horror genre with SOMA which they say will “chill you to the core.” Spooky stuff.
King’s Quest (The Odd Gentlemen): Autumn 2015
The Odd Gentlemen (PB Winterbottom) have been chosen to revive the King’s Quest series on the newly reformed Sierra label. It apparently won’t use a point and click interface, but is still slated to be an adventure game in terms of its other mechanics. The framing device for the narrative is King Graham telling his granddaughter Gwendolyn about his former travels and adventures.
FIFA 16 (EA Sports): September
There’s always a FIFA and it’s always in September. 2015 is unlikely to be an exception. Perhaps for this installment EA Sports could give some love to areas of the game which aren’t the money-printing Ultimate Team mode? That would be nice.
PES 2016 (Konami): September 15 /17
Just as there’ll be a new FIFA, there will also (in all likelihood) be a new PES. 2014’s installment came out in November, but September is really the more traditional window. Konami need to give the PC version the same graphical treatment as the PS4/Xbox One versions this time; there’s really no excuse.
Rocket Ranger Reloaded (Cinemaware): September
A successful Kickstarter means that Cinemaware’s remake of Rocket Ranger Reloaded is coming next year. As a World War 2 soldier equipped with technology sent from the future – including a rocket pack – it’s up to you to stop the super-powered Nazi menace from taking over the world. As with most Cinemaware games, it offers a mix of genres: flying, shooting, Nazi punching, and a few strategic overtures in terms of sending your agents out around the globe. It’s estimated for September 2015, but as with most Kickstarter predictions, I’d maybe expect at least a small delay.
