Five Xbox exclusives you need to play in 2014
2014 is going to be a good year for videogames. We might be going through a drought right now, but come the end of the year there's going to be so much to play that you'll be wishing some publishers delayed their games a little bit, just to give you a chance to complete some more. October in particular is stacked full of great games, and our bank accounts are going to be feeling a little empty before 2015 gets here.
A selection of those games will only be arriving on Xbox platforms, so we've compiled a list of the best Xbox exclusives to watch out for in 2014.
Forza Horizon 2
The first Forza Horizon was a breath of fresh air. Forza Motorsport is known for its superb vehicle handling and graphic brilliance, but Horizon took all that and made it accessible to the casual racing fan. Adding the backdrop of a pulsating music festival and a large, beautiful open-world made it one of our games of 2012.
Horizon 2 sees the setting move from the US to Southern Europe, but the premise of being involved in a festival is still there. And for the first time in a Forza game there'll be a dynamic weather system, so expect to see rain and thunderstorms as you speed to victory.
Sunset Overdrive
There comes a point in video games where gritty realism just stops being fun. Lifelike simulations can be amazing, but too often they can make you feel like you're playing a part in a gloomy documentary instead of something that was built to be enjoyed. That's where Sunset Overdrive comes in.
Explosive, bright, energetic, effervescent... These are just some of the words that come to mind when looking at gameplay and screenshots for Insomniac's latest effort. The world is ending and mutant creatures are hunting you down from every direction, but that doesn't mean you have to stop having fun.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
One for the hardcore Halo fan, of which there are many. Put Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary together with upgraded versions of Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 and you've got a winner. All four games will run at 60 frames per second and be at 1080p, meaning those who played them all previously can still find something new here.
And for those of you who are still yet to get into one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time, now's the perfect opportunity.
Fable Legends
This might be a bigger deal than you think. Fable is a polarising series of games but it goes hand-in-hand with Xbox, and developer Lionhead needs to do something big to get players interested again. Their answer? Turn it into a cooperative experience for up to five players.
Four of those players will be controlling a set of customisable heroes, while the last player can control a villain. That villain is responsible for setting traps, deciding where enemies will spawn and how aggressive they are. Lionhead has big plans for Fable Legends, saying it has a 5-10 year lifecycle. We're very interested.
Project Spark
Maybe not strictly an Xbox exclusive as it is heading to the PC as well, but we couldn't help but include something that could be a contender for game of the year if things go well. Basically, Project Spark is a game creation tool, and the possibilities for original and inspiring designs really are endless.
You can build your games from the ground up, and any genre - be it racing, shooting, platforming - is creatable if you have the time and know-how. Check out the video below to see a selection of games made in the beta.