15 Unmissable Video Games You Need to Play in 2015

There are hundreds of video games released every year; some good, some great, some not worth playing even for a minute. At MakeUseOf we tend to focus on the greatest video games, those ones that the majority of people would get some enjoyment from. And this article follows that trend.

Our readers have hand-picked a selection of titles they’re eager to play at some point over the next few months. All of these games are (fingers crossed) due to be released in 2015, meaning this is a list of games you should definitely be keeping an eye out for between now and the beginning of next year.

The Must-Play Games of 2015

Our list of the must-play games of 2015 cover a range of genres and platforms, with PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 all enjoying a pretty equal share of the spoils. Most (but not all) of these games are big-budget blockbusters, with a healthy dose of hyperbole being aimed their way prior to release.

Let’s just hope they all live up to our considerable expectations.

GTA V on PC

After several severe delays, Grand Theft Auto V is finally coming to the PC in March. It was a great game on PS3 and Xbox 360, and even better on PS4 and Xbox One, so let’s hope the PC version ups the ante even more.

Halo 5: Guardians

Due to be released on the Xbox One in the fall, Halo 5: Guardians is the latest game in the long-running series, and a direct sequel to the brilliant Halo 4.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Set to be released on a range of platforms sometime during 2015, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain will continue the story on from Ground Zeroes.

Battlefield Hardline

Battlefield Hardline will arrive in March, bringing the beloved Battlefield gameplay to urban environments as the war on terror switches to the war on crime. Yep, this is the police vs. criminals, which isn’t at all likely to cause controversy. /sarcasm

Dying Light

Dying Light may already be out by the time you read this, so if the idea of fighting to survive the zombie apocalypse appeals to you then stop reading this and play the game instead.

Evolve

Evolve is a rather unique concept which sees four players hunting down a fifth player controlling a monster able to evolve as time passes. Assuming the online multiplayer isn’t broken at launch this should be a fantastic experience.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky, an open adventure game featuring a procedurally generated universe, won’t be for everyone, but anyone who likes originality and exploration should fall for its considerable charms.

Bloodborne

Coming from the same director as Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, Bloodborne won’t be for the faint of heart. This combat RPG is guaranteed to be dark, tough, and violent. Oh, and amazing.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This open-world action RPG is set to arrive in May, and is already receiving a considerable amount of hype. Which is no surprise really, as it looks and feels like Skyrim on crack.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

Possibly the most-hyped game on this list, Tom Clancy’s The Division is a third-person surival shooter which will either outperform all of our expectations or completely crash and burn. Let’s hope it’s the former.

Obduction

You may not have heard of Obduction, but this is the spiritual successor to Myst and Riven, the puzzle adventures that mesmerized PC gamers through the 1990s. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, Obduction is due to be released in the fall.

Persona 5

This is the latest game in the long-running Persona series of RPGs, with a storyline thought to revolve around the idea of freedom and how to attain it. This is another title that won’t be for everybody, but those who love Japanese RPGs will lap it up.

Medieval Engineers

Medieval Engineers is the third title from Keen Software House, following up on the success of Space Engineers. As you may have guessed from the title, this is a sandbox engineering game set in medieval times. The idea of which will either excite you no end or bore you to tears.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Arkham Knight, the fourth game in the Batman: Arkham series of games, sees Batman going up against the Scarecrow with a storyline following on from the events of Arkham City.

Fallout 4

We know, Fallout 4 isn’t going to be coming out in 2015. Hell, it hasn’t even been announced yet. However, there have been numerous rumors suggesting this game is in development, so we choose to believe it’ll arrive sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed.

Continue the Conversation

We think this list represents a good selection of the must-play video games due out before the end of 2015. Some will inevitably slip over into 2016, while others may fail to live up to the hype, but we are choosing to be optimistic here. Even if only a handful of these titles turn out to be unmissable gems we’ll be pleased to have directed your attention to them.

Please continue the conversation in the comments section below, as, although a good number of our readers took part in the original discussion, there is always room for more opinions. Do you agree with the titles selected for the list? If not, then please add your own suggestions to the conversation happening below. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here, just opinions.

A Debt of Gratitude

In order to compile this list of the best video games to look forward to in 2015, we received help from the MakeUseOf community. As always, our readers proved to be an invaluable part of the site you’re reading right now.

The readers we need to thank took the time to answer the question, What Video Games Are You Keen To Play In 2015?, and their responses helped us compile this article. Noteworthy comments include those from Ali Arshad, Liam M, Tom K., and nameless980.

Image Credits: Ross Heale-Whittle via Flickr