Last year was a big one for video games, and 2015 is on its way to being just as big — or bigger — with a release slate studded with long-overdue returns (Lara Croft, Star Fox), ambitious original titles ("No Man's Sky") and new installments in perennially popular franchises ("Batman: Arkham Knight").
Here's the scoop on seven highly anticipated games through the end of the year.
"Mortal Kombat X": Gamers can expect a more cinematic visual style in this tenth installment of the long-running fighting franchise. With a new character variation system, players will be able to change their fighting style before a fight and unlock special moves.
Players can also perform Fatalities, a longstanding and controversial gameplay feature in which fighters can brutally execute enemy combatants after the announcer says, "Finish him/her."
Release date: April 14. Rating: pending.
"Batman: Arkham Knight": The concluding entry in the Arkham series has been teased with striking previews and promises a grand sweep of story, teaming up many supervillains against Gotham's superhero, all at once. (The Batmobile, which will likely provide utility beyond just riding in style, will add a new element to the game.)
Release date: June 23. Rating: pending, targeting a rating of Teen or above.
Tom Clancy's The Division": Set in a futuristic New York City after a disease outbreak has wiped out much of the United States' population in less than a week, "The Division" follows a group of government sleeper agents charged with restoring order after the remaining population starts causing anarchy.
"This one is a must-buy for most people," said said Anthony Dean, a 26-year-old video game enthusiast in Atlanta. "It's taking a lot of what people really really enjoy, like strategy, MMORPG and action shooting, and combining it into one large game while adding in new features, making it pretty much the first of it's kind."
Release date: to be determined. Rating: PG.
"Rise of the Tomb Raider": Though much of the plot remains a mystery, this sequel to 2013's "Tomb Raider" will continue to develop the Lara Croft saga. The first game ended with the proclamation that "A Survivor is Born," and players should expect to see Lara Croft come back stronger and travel to multiple locations around the world.
Makers of the game have also brought the tombs back to this game, a suggestion many fans made.
Release date: holiday season 2015. Rating: pending.
"Star Fox Wii U": No one knows much about the new Star Fox game, except that it will again see fighter pilots in Airwings battling aliens. And it will be the first Star Fox appearance in nine years, not including apperances in the "Super Smash Bros." franchise and the 2011 release of the Nintendo 3DS port of "Star Fox 64.
Some broad features have been confirmed: Game play will use a "dual screen" perspective and the Airwing planes and tanks will be joined, for the first time, by a helicopter.
Release date: fall 2015. Rating: pending.
"No Man's Sky": This sci-fi game features a gigantic universe with countless planets, vivid artwork and an original soundtrack by 65daysofstatic, an instrumental electronic rock band from Sheffield, England. No Man's Sky is a game about survival and exploration, set in an infinite procedurally generated universe.
The ultimate goal of "No Man's Sky" is to reach the center of the galaxy, a feat determined by the way players use available resources in order to get the needed ships and fuel.
Release date: to be determined. Rating: pending.
"Minecraft: Story Mode": Mojang and Telltale Games — maker of the "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead" games — are collaborating on "Minecraft: Story Mode," a narrative-driven entry in the hugely popular Minecraft universe (which is kind of like virtual LEGOs). Don't worry, though: developers said they are trying to make this game as "minecrafty" as possible.
Story Mode will be released episodically, just like "The Walking Dead." Telltale said it won't be an add-on of the preexisting game, but will be a standalone product for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Mac, PC, iOS and Android-based devices.
Release date: to be determined. Rating: pending.
