15 video games that will make 2014 awesome: #5-1

2013 is coming to a close. The year went by far too quickly, but that's good in some ways. For instance, it seemed like we didn't have to wait as long to get the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to release. With that in mind, we should look to the future. 2014 has a ton of games to look forward to, and if we use 2013 as an example, these games will be on us before we know it. 

Be it new titles for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, or games to help the Wii U break out of its funk, here's 15 games that will make 2014 awesome…

#15-11

#10-6

#5 Super Smash Bros.

super smash bros. wii u

A lot is riding on Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U. A lot of people think it could be the game that gamers have been waiting for before buying a Wii U. We'll see if that's the case when the upcoming fighting game releases this year. It's being developed by Namco Bandai for the 3DS and Wii U, but the Wii U needs it to succeed for more than the 3DS does.

Details, such as characters have trickled out, and with each Nintendo Direct, we learn a little more. Joining the typical stalwarts of the series are Zelda, Rosalina and Luma, Mega Man, Wii Fit Trainer and the Animal Crossing Villager. Nintendo needs this to be their most exciting game to-date. They need kids to go crazy about it. Here's to hoping it's as good as we all expect and want it to be.

#4 The Order: 1886

the order: 1886

The Order: 1886 takes the knights of the round table and puts them in a alternate history, Steampunk-based Victorian-Era London where they use advanced technology to battle an ancient foe. It's an amazing plot that has you playing as Sir Galahad as you protect humanity from half-breeds. The Order: 1886 is full of potential, and a lot of it surrounds the visuals. The awesome trailer was said by Ready at Dawn to be in-game renderings. That's right, those gorgeous graphics are what we'll see when we're playing. Ah, the power of the PlayStation 4. There's no release date yet, but The Order: 1886 will release exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in 2014.

#3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

the witcher 3: wild hunt

If you consider The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to be the number one game to look forward to for 2014, I don't blame you. CD Projekt RED has something really special on their hands as we continue the story of Geralt of Rivia. Its nonlinear open-world is ripe for exploring and features a multi-thread story. For every choice there is a consequence, and the new REDengine doesn't sacrifice the design of the world. Even more exciting? The Witcher 3 has been described as 20% bigger than Skyrim and approximately takes 100 hours of gameplay to complete the main story and open-world side quests.

This may be the biggest RPG of all time. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q2 2014.

#2 South Park: The Stick of Truth

south park: the stick of truth

There were two games I was most impressed with at this year's E3, and one of them was South Park: The Stick of Truth. Written and voiced by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, The Stick of Truth stays true to the show's humor and love of playing video games. Like every fantasy RPG game, you'll have attacks and spells, but they have a very South Park way of being performed. When we saw the game, we laughed the entire time. It looks and feels like an episode of South Park, and it even ties into the show. South Park: The Stick of Truth was delayed out of 2013, but it will release on March 4, 2014 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

#1 Tom Clancy's The Division

the division

When I think of what a next-gen game should look and be like, The Division is what I think of. I'm praying it doesn't see the delays that Ubisoft's Watch Dogs saw. The Division revolves around real-world events that revealed how vulnerable our society has become. As a member of the “Strategic Homeland Division, called “The Division” for short, it is your mission to combat the threat and do whatever it takes to save what remains. Taking place in New York City after a disease was spread on Black Friday, causing the United States to collapse in five days, you, your friends and AI will have to prevent the fall of society.

Even more amazing than the story is the visuals. In an online world like this where you fight with and against real players, it's amazing the detail and realism that is present in every ray of light, shard of glass, drop of water and stray bullet. This is all thanks to the Snowdrop engine, which allows dynamic global illumination and procedural destruction. This is next-gen gaming. The Division will release in 2014 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at [email protected]