Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2014

The next generation has begun-  your guide to its major hitters, right here.
Twelve months ago, gamers were more than content with their current-generation hardware in the form of the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Now? Well, in fairness, a decent few of us are still more than content with those consoles, despite the release of the (substantially priced) Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

2014 should be an intriguing period for the industry, then, as its fanbase appears split in the middle over the prospect of next-gen gaming. Make no mistake, some technologically enhanced products will remain exclusive to the One and PS4 this year, but with this split now a prominent conflict, developers may have to recall the limits of last-gen hardware more frequently than they might have originally envisioned. Perhaps by December the playing field will have shifted, but for now, the old refuses to simply make way for the new.

Here, then, are On-Screen's picks for their Top 10 Most Anticipated Video Game Releases of 2014:

10. GAME OF THRONES- Telltale shocked the world earlier this month in their revelation of a fully-fledged digital episodic Game of Thrones project that one of their countless development teams have in the works. Based on the hit HBO TV series, although at present inhabiting an unknown window in George R.R. Martin's vast mythology, expect nothing short of greatness from the staff behind the acclaimed The Walking Dead episodes (which, incidentally, will continue in 2014 too!). (Autumn)

9. ASSASSIN'S CREED V- This mainstay annual franchise is now always a given entry in the Autumn of Gaming, and short of Ubisoft having mastered the art of deception themselves, their survey released to the press on future AC instalments all but confirms a sixth consecutive yearly release is on its way. Black Flag was the closest the franchise has come to matching the heights of ACII and Brotherhood in some time, and we see no reason why ACV shouldn't take that all-important final step back onto the throne of action-adventure video gaming! (November)

8. METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES- The first multi-generation Metal Gear Solid chapter, Ground Zeroes is a prequel to the core MGS V experience, The Phantom Pain. Teasing many of the gameplay elements set to be integrated into the full open-world experience in 2015, this prologue of sorts brings its protagonist into the year 1975, where a global conspiracy threatens to destabilise governments and revolutionise terrorist factions- same old, same old in other words, for Solid Snake...(March)

7. THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT- Geralt's journey as a Witcher began on PC, then transferred over to Xbox 360 for The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, and in 2014, it reaches its end with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Aptly enough for a saga which has frequently pushed the aesthetic boundaries of its respective hardware, Wild Hunt is a no-question-asked next-gen exclusive, launching on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC next year- prepare to be dazzled, provided the tough-as-nails RPG gameplay sustains your interest. (Spring)

6. BROKEN AGE- Brutal Legend's Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions return for a brand new indie experience which threatens to enter the big leagues of mainstream appeal. Broken Age stars Elijah Wood and Jack Black, taking the form of  a sci-fi/fantasy 2.5D epic where the animation style eclipses just about any hand-drawn Disney classic that fans can think of, and the gameplay itself could prove to be one of the most innovative experiences of the entire year! (January)

5. HALO 5- To be brutally frank, 343 Industries' first solo foray into the world of the Master Chief with Halo 4 was, in hindsight, a little underwhelming. That said, the developers have clearly demonstrated their respect for the franchise with their acknowledgement of virtually every comment and criticism laid before them on the forums, and with that in mind, the prospect of their return via the next chapter in the Reclaimer Saga, Xbox One-exclusive Halo 5, is absolutely thrilling...(Autumn)

4. DESTINY- And speaking of Halo developers, ex-helm Bungie are also returning to the limelight, albeit with a totally isolated project published by Activision. Marking the commencement of an entirely new franchise of video games, Destiny could be an MMORPG like no other, and in its premiering on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC should ensure that Bungie have the opportunity to take the broadest demographic of gamers possible by storm once more. (September)

3. LEGO THE HOBBIT- LEGO The Lord of the Rings remains one of this writer's personal highlights of TT Games' LEGO video game adaptation franchise two years on from its release, and thus the opportunity to reenter the developers' envisioned Middle-Earth is a pleasure, no less. LEGO The Hobbit chronicles the events of both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug, from the Shire to Erebor, and if handled with as much aplomb as its predecessor, it has every right to become the perfect prelude to December's release of the film franchise's finale, There and Back Again! (Spring)

2. SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH- Twelve months ago, as well as remaining content with the current-gen hardware, we were also eagerly awaiting the March 2013 launch of South Park: The Stick of Truth. Come the dawn of 2014, we're still waiting for the March 2014 launch, and the product has switched publishers with the fall of THQ. Nevertheless, the E3 and VGX teasers for Stick displayed potential in multitudes, so counting this frequently-delayed title out should be our last priority right now, with our anticipation instead remaining high for a game which should at the very least be a gem in the rough, and at most a Game of the Year contender...(March)

1. WATCH DOGS- The victor of this list is another unexpectedly delayed project which nevertheless remains one of 2014's most anticipated video game experiences. Were it not for some lurking issues in the gameplay framework detected at Ubisoft, Watch Dogs would have made it to shelves in time for the launch of next-gen consoles, yet in pulling out and reverting to a Q1 2014 release window, the publishers and developers essentially put many gamers off next-gen hardware for another half year. As such, the pressure is on for the team at Montreal to deliver, but if Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is anything to go by, and this experiment with a new engine pays off, then Watch Dogs may be exactly the video game that the next-generation is currently searching so desparately for in vain. (Spring)