The Game Awards 2014 Recap: The Announcements

By Jordan Schilling/PFSolitude on 12/07/2014 • ( 1 Comment )

[Part 2 of 2] Several industry icons and independent developers were on-hand at The Game Awards to present updates and new content for future titles, including Mario Maker, Metal Gear Online (to be included with MGSV: The Phantom Pain), Bloodborne, No Man’s Sky and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. A condensed breakdown of the reveals, trailers and updates is listed below.

Mario Maker:

Presented by Reggie Fils-Aime and Shigeru Miyamoto, it was revealed that composer Koji Kondo will be writing the music for the Wii U Mario level-creation title. More gameplay footage for Mario Maker was shown, including new visual templates for Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3. Miyamoto hinted at the possibility of Mario Maker becoming a series, depending on fan-reception.

Metal Gear Online:

Keifer Sutherland, Hideo Kojima and Tom Sekine (head of Kojima Productions LA) were on-hand to present a new trailer for Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer component to the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The new gameplay trailer showcases character customization, the ability to play as MGSV protagonists, and several gadgets to use on the battlefield; players have access to the likes of a motion-detecting grenade, balloon-turrets, “distractions” (a dog, as shown in the trailer), and a usable Metal Gear. While it’s shown very briefly, other players can hijack a Metal Gear from the enemy team. Metal Gear Online– subtitled “Tactical Team Operations”- will be included with the full release of The Phantom Pain, not as a separate purchase.

Tacoma:

Fullbright, the creators of Gone Home, debuted a very brief teaser trailer for their next project, Tacoma. While very little is known, the title appears to be set in space, and will release in 2016.

Bloodborne:

From Software’s PS4-exclusive, a new gameplay trailer was shown for Bloodborne, highlighting multiplayer gameplay, and a flamethrower.

The Banner Saga 2:

Stoic Games unveiled a bleak debut trailer for their turn-based RPG, The Banner Saga 2. A release window has not been revealed.

Hazelight’s New Game:

EA’s Peter Moore appeared during The Game Awards to announce a new partnership with Indie studio Hazelight. Hazelight is a brand new team from former members of Starbreeze, the people behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Very little details were revealed, however a very brief, cryptic trailer for their debut game was shown.

Adr1ft:

Adam Orth of 505 Games premiered a new gameplay trailer for Adr1ft. Coming in Summer 2015, Adr1ft launches players into a derelict space station, with a malfunctioning suit with an oxygen leak.

Codename S.T.E.A.M:

From the team behind Fire Emblem: Awakening, Codename S.T.E.A.M. is a Steampunk action-strategy game that puts historical and literary figures at war with an alien race. The 3DS title from Intelligent Systems was confirmed to feature local and online multiplayer, courtesy of a new gameplay trailer.

Before:

Facepunch’s Bill Lowe took the stage to discuss Before, a new survival game set in the prehistoric era. Lowe stated that Before is still in its early phases of development, however an extensive debut trailer was shown, giving viewers a taste of the varied environments in store for adventurous players.

Battlefield Hardline:

Not only were viewers treated to a performance of “Karma” by Jamie N Commons, but a new story-driven trailer was shown for EA, DICE and Visceral Games’s Battlefield Hardline. While a window wasn’t stated, a second multiplayer beta will launch before the title’s official release on 3/17/2015.

Sony’s Scott Rohde made a quick plug for this weekend’s PlayStation Experience event, followed by a new trailer for The Order: 1886 and the cover-athlete reveal for MLB The Show 2015. Until Dawn, the Sony-exclusive psychological thriller from Supermassive Games, debuted with a new gameplay trailer, showcasing a QTE-heavy choice-oriented horror sequence.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris:

Sequel to the award-winning Guardian of Light, the launch trailer made its debut, as Temple of Osiris will release this Tuesday- 12/9.

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt:

CD Projekt RED presented a new gameplay trailer for The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. While it’s difficult to see in the trailer itself, Wild Hunt will be the first game in the series to feature multiple playable characters.

No Man’s Sky:

Shaun Murray of Hello Games took the stage to reveal a new gameplay trailer for No Man’s Sky. The new trailer shows off new creatures and robots, along with new interplanetary travel methods; players can warp to a set beacon, and use what is essentially a “Stargate” on the surface of some planets, warping to a completely different location. Murray also revealed that his favorite band, “65daysofstatic” will write the soundtrack for No Man’s Sky.

Godzilla:

While promotional artwork leaked earlier in the week, the first trailer for a new Godzilla game was shown. Godzilla will release as a PS3/PS4-exclusive in Summer 2015.

King’s Quest:

Continuing the legacy of Sierra Entertainment and Ken and Roberta Williams, The Odd Gentleman debuted the first trailer for their King’s Quest revival. While it’s currently unknown if King’s Quest will keep the traditional point-and-click control scheme, the new trailer includes in-progress gameplay, set within a 3D-inking based world of fantasy and wonder. King’s Quest is scheduled to release in Fall 2015.

Human Element:

Human Element is the first title from the talented crew at Robotoki. This multiplayer FPS is set 35 years after the zombie apocalypse, and involves several factions of the remaining human race fighting for control over the planet’s scarce resources. While it’s brief, viewers can get a taste of Human Element‘s gameplay and quirky sense of morbid humor in this new trailer. Human Element is expected to release in November 2015 for PC, Xbox One and PS4.

“Zelda 2015″/”Star Fox U”:

Nintendo capped-off The Game Awards with a huge reveal for the upcoming Legend of Zelda title for Wii U, and a tease for Star Fox for the Wii U. Reggie Fils-Aime presented a video featuring Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma playing a brief demo for the unnamed “Zelda 2015”. As seen with the latest build, the Wii U Gamepad shows the “overworld” map, and can zoom in and out- to its massive entirety; the current map is roughly the size of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Gamepad also doubles as a gyro-controller whenever the player switches to first-person view. Beacons and waypoints can be placed on the map at any time. Early in the demo, Link jumps from a cliff and descends using a cloth for a parachute; Aonuma and Miyamoto confirmed that this is the “Sail Cloth” found in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Epona will return for Link’s next adventure: Aonuma states that the development team is working on new horse AI that will automatically steer Epona between trees, plants and other obstacles, as “a real horse” wouldn’t run directly into a tree; not only can Link engage in sword and arrow-combat while on Epona, but he can vault off her back into a slow-motion aerial strike using the bow.

While nothing gameplay-related was shown, Aonuma asked Miyamoto about his progress on the upcoming Star Fox game for the Nintendo Wii U. According to Miyamoto, the game is coming along smoothly, and will release in 2015 before the Zelda Wii U title.