The Top 5 Most Anticipated Indie Games of 2015!
Welcome to Indie Spotlight!
With 2015 in full swing, it’s time to get ready for all of the great games that will be coming our way over the next year. Of course, there are far too many to squeeze into a single article, so I have picked out my top 5 most anticipated indie titles for you. Let’s get to it!
#1: Mighty No. 9 (pictured above)
Any long-time Mega Man fan will have heard of Mighty No. 9 by comcept. I joined their kickstarter campaign back in fall of 2013 and have been eagerly waiting for the game’s completion.
The development team is almost entirely comprised of veteran Capcom designers, artists and engineers with experience on the Mega Man series, so naturally No. 9 has been coined a spiritual successor. Released gameplay footage certainly supports this notion. Can’t wait to fight alongside Beck, the new Blue Bomber!
[divider]
#2: Below
With my newfound love for Roguelike games (thanks to playing Rogue Legacy last year), I’m always on the lookout for more. Capybara Games’ Below seems to be the next one to scratch that itch.
Below puts you in the shoes of a yet-to-be-named hero struggling to survive on a remote island. It is designed to punish recklessness, offers challenging but fair combat and is equipped with permanent death. That all sounds quite tasty to me. After thoroughly enjoying Capy’s Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, I have full confidence they will be pushing out a gloriously rewarding (and occasionally frustrating) game to us in the
coming months!
[divider]
#3: Ori and the Blind Forest
The first time I caught sight of screenshots and footage for Ori and the Blind Forest, I was left in awe. Developer Moon Studios has spent more than four years creating what they describe as a “Metroidvania, but with a stronger platforming focus and light RPG elements, all set within an atmospheric world.” (“Metroidvania” is a term that implies free-range world exploration akin to classic titles like Super Metroid, Castlevania and Zelda: A Link to the Past.) They have even claimed to have been influenced by Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki and animated films from the 1990s (The Lion King, The Iron Giant). It’s going to be like a painting coming to life.
[divider]
#4: No Man’s Sky
As a computer science major, the most fascinating aspect of game design to me is procedural generation, meaning the environment is created randomly and as-you-go. As a geek, science fiction reigns supreme in my eyes. Needless to say, No Man’s Sky has me bouncing in my seat.
From what we’ve seen, developer Hello Games is giving us an endless universe that players can explore infinitely. You can travel seamlessly between space and planets, discover secrets and face dangers at every turn. Best of all, the universe is (or at least can be) shared between all players, and everything you do leaves a mark on everyone’s existence. This seems like a huge undertaking, and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.
[divider]
#5: Mew-Genics
On the surface, Mew-Genics is a game about cats. You have cats, you feed cats, you breed cats. I can only imagine the sort of silliness that is hidden beneath this seemingly simple premise. The trailer / music video only spawns more questions.
Honestly, I have NO idea what to expect, but the idea is so farfetched that I know I just have to play it. After countless hours completing every last challenge in Super Meat Boy (Not kidding, I got to something like 115% completion, however that’s possible!), developer Team Meat has at the very least earned my support and respect. Mew-Genics was postponed in 2014 due to wanting to do some more stuff with Super Meat Boy, but with any luck it’ll be back on track and ready for 2015.
So what do you think of those picks? What other games are you really looking forward to? The power of indie development
keeps getting stronger, and I’m really happy for it. Here’s to another year of great gaming!
