Christmas has been and gone, and Easter is fast approaching. Easter, of course, is traditionally associated with renewed life and hope. So in that spirit, we’re going to run you through our choices of the top 20 games that you should be keeping an eye on in the next 12 months.

Alien: Isolation

Let’s face it - it’s been a very long time since anyone has been even remotely scared of H R Giger’s classic monster. The last game to feature the Alien was last year’s Colonial Marines by Gearbox, and that was only frightening due to how awful it was. For years now, the Alien has been relegated to cannon fodder - wave upon wave of kamikaze warriors easily mowed down with a quick burst of your pulse rifle.

Creative Assembly is looking to change that. With just a single, 9-foot tall alien stalking you in a derelict space station, Isolation is looking like it could rival Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent in the horror stakes. With no real weapons to speak of and an emphasis on stealth and tension, Isolation is one to watch ahead of its release towards the end of this year.

Watch Dogs

Having been in development for some time now and suffering a delay from its originally scheduled release date of November last year, Ubisoft Montreal’s latest open-world adventure is almost ready to be released. Set in a near-future version of Chicago, Watch Dogs allows players to hack into almost any electronic device - whether to gain information, money or manipulate their environment to further their own agenda. In addition to an extensive single-player campaign, a clever assymetrical multiplayer mode allows a player on a tablet to take the role of the authorities and attempt to bring protagonist Aiden Pearce to justice.

Watch Dogs has been wowing gamers since its initial reveal back in 2012. By the end of May this year, we’ll finally know if it was worth the wait.

The Witness

Jonathan Blow’s follow-up to 2008’s Indie darling Braid is not only hugely ambitious, but also gorgeous looking and set to have gamers everywhere scratching their heads all over again. Set on a deserted island, players need to explore and solve a series of increasingly complex puzzles, all while uncovering the reasons behind your presence and just what is going on. With some fantastic stylized visuals and intriguing design choices, The Witness is certainly looking like it could be the Indie hit of the year.

The Witness launches later this year on PC and PS4.

The Elder Scrolls Online

There’s few gaming franchises as big as Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls. For over twenty years, players have been exploring the vast reaches of Tamriel, toppling warlords, fighting in arenas, and holding back demonic invasions. But they’ve had to do it alone.

That is, of course, until now. The Elder Scrolls Online looks to take the open-ended character customization and deep role-playing of the series, combine it with the multi-factional warfare of Dark Age of Camelot, and unleash Tamriel on the gaming world like never before. A series of stunning trailers and developer blogs has steadily trickled out of House Bethesda throughout development; anticipation for this game has reached fever pitch and while early reception from players and the press has been somewhat mixed, you can guarantee that ESO is about to become the next big thing in the MMO space when it releases next month on PC and in June on PS4 and Xbox One.

Titanfall

What is there left to say about this game that hasn’t already been said? Titanfall is going to be massive. When West and Zampella left Infinity Ward to found their own studio, Respawn Entertainment, we waited with baited breath to see what they would come up with, and they haven’t disappointed. We recently published a preview following the game’s Open Beta weekend, giving a narrative account of how it feels to play what is certain to be one of the biggest titles of the year.

A multiplayer-only FPS, Titanfall combines giant mechs, free-running and Player vs Player vs AI matches, all held together by a narrative which plays out from two different perspectives. Respawn claims that you’ll only be able to get the full story by playing the campaign from both sides, and while it’s yet to be seen if their storytelling ability has improved on the rather flimsy setups employed by their previous work on Call of Duty, they’ve certainly nailed the gameplay.

Titanfall releases this month - next week in fact - on PC and Xbox One. You can be almost certain that it’s going to make waves.

Goat Simulator

Simulation games are rather popular. Euro Truck Simulator, A-Train, Farming Simulator… large numbers of people gain significant enjoyment out of performing the mundane. Coffee Stain Studios is about to release possibly the most bizarre game you’re likely to play all year. As the name suggests, Goat Simulator has you playing as a goat. Except this goat has an exceptionally sticky tongue that latches onto objects and drags them all over the place.

Originally created as a joke for a game jam, the internet response was so huge that Coffee Stain gave in to demand and announced that it’s being released as a full-blown commercial title - bugs and all.

Goat Simulator will be released on April 1st for PC, and you know we’re not Kid-ding when we say that we’ll be reviewing it.

Elite: Dangerous

Elite: Dangerous is a game nearly two decades in the making. The original Elite was published all the way back in 1984 and wowed gamers with a vast universe to explore and open-ended gameplay. Two further sequels expanded on the concept, adding the ability to land on planets and faction relationships, among other things. Elite: Dangerous is looking to do all of that, and take things to the next level. With intense space combat, multiplayer support and some gorgeous graphics, David Braben and Frontier Developments are making a game that already looks like something special. While the game is still only partway through its development, Dangerous is already looking like it could surpass the legacy of its forebears - and considering the original game is so intrinsically linked to the historical development of the gaming medium, that’s no mean feat.

We don’t yet know if the game will make a release date in the next 12 months; but even if it doesn’t, you can guarantee that it’s one to keep a close eye on.

Bayonetta 2

Platinum Studios must be feeling pretty relieved that they have the backing of Nintendo. While fans may lament the fact that the sequel to 2009’s superlative action title is exclusive to the struggling Wii U, the funding and support granted by Nintendo saved the game from almost certain cancellation. Sega’s loss looks to be Nintendo’s gain though; with glorious visuals, the same fantastic character design and even deeper combat mechanics than before, Bayonetta 2 is looking to be everything its predecessor was and more. Having played an early demo of the game last year, we can say hand on heart that if you own a Wii U, this should be on your radar. And if you don’t own a Wii U, you should consider buying one.

Let’s just hope that it fares better at retail than the original.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

CD Projekt RED knows a thing or two about how to craft a deep role-playing experience with meaningful choices that have real consequences. The first game introduced us to Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher - a mutant monster-hunter that roams the lands, slaying beasts and solving problems for coin. The sequel took things a step further, with gorgeous graphics and a cast of characters that posed increasingly difficult moral quandries. There’s no good or evil in the world of The Witcher - only shades of gray.

And what a world it is. CD Projekt RED are claiming that Wild Hunt will feature a fully open world some 30 times larger than the previous game and around 20% larger than its nearest rival, Skyrim. Meanwhile, we’re promised that every quest can be completed in multiple ways and the game contains over 100 hours of gameplay - split evenly between the main quest and side missions. In addition, every quest has been hand-crafted, rather than being randomly generated as is the case in Skyrim.

The Witcher 2 was one of the best games of 2011, so anticipation is high for the final installment in Geralt’s story.

Volume

Wes wants to know: “What happens when Robin Hood becomes the Anonymous of a Metal Gear training simulation?”

Volume is a modern take on the legend of Robin Hood, from someone who understands the importance of matching mechanics with story in a way that complements one another. In development by Mike Bithnell, creator of the excellent Thomas Was Alone, Volume sees navigating elaborate mazes whilst trying to avoid being detected by the many guards that roam their halls.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls

Players weren’t particularly kind to Diablo 3 when it released on PC back in 2012. Plagued by problems at launch which saw people waiting days before they could play, and then lambasted with complaints about an unbalanced loot system and the real-money auction house, Blizzard has been consistently under fire from a community not particularly adept at acclimating to change. It hasn’t helped that an increase in the popularity of the ARPG genre - courtesy of games such as Torchlight 2 and Path of Exile - has seen it being compared unfavorably to its peers, not to mention its immediate series predecessor.

That hasn’t stopped Blizzard from trying to improve the situation though. A series of patches over the course of the game’s history has seen additions to the endgame, extensive rebalancing of its core mechanics, and a hugely successful console conversion of the game. More recently, Blizzard released a massive patch in anticipation of the release of the game’s first expansion - completely revising the class abilities and stats, overhauling the loot system, and introducing more character customization via the endgame Paragon system.

This month sees the culmination of those efforts with the release of Reaper of Souls. Containing a new Act, a new character class, fully randomized maps and extensive additions to enhance replayability, Reaper of Souls is an example of Blizzard at their best - looking at what doesn’t work, and not only fixing it, but going right back to the drawing board and starting from scratch. In everything from the significantly darker tone (fans previously complained that the game’s palette was too bright), to a substantial additional story Act (to address complaints about the game being too short), it’s hard to find a single aspect of Diablo 3 that hasn’t been looked at and tweaked in some capacity.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls launches at the end of this month on PC, with a PS4 version coming soon after. Rumors of an Xbox One version continue to circulate, but remain unconfirmed.

The Division

Tom Clancy may have sadly passed away late last year, but his legacy lives on - both in the enduring popularity of his novels and the incredible success of a litany of franchises based upon his concepts. The Division sees Ubisoft taking the Clancy-verse and smashing it to pieces. Envisioning a world torn apart by a viral outbreak, The Division is a massive role-playing game claiming meaningful decisions, branching paths and a huge open world encompassing a number of real-world cities that the player can travel between. Early footage looks stunning and the ambition behind the game is admirable - if you thought Skyrim was big, then you need to think again.

With so much promise, there’s a lot at stake for Ubisoft; if they fail, they could become a laughing stock. But Ubisoft are old hands at open-world adventures now, with Watch Dogs on the way and the excellent Assassin’s Creed IV managing to make up for the ground it lost with ACIII.

Ether One

Indie gaming is absolutely massive right now, and for good reason - for several years now it has been providing evidence that you needn’t have the budget of a small country at your disposal to make a great, original game; and you don’t need to be risk-averse in order to be successful.

Ether One is certainly shaping up to join the growing pantheon of excellent games with big ideas and a creepy, atmospheric story. Players must invade the minds of test subjects - who may, or may not have consented to the procedure - and “repair” their memories. The graphics look lush, with a scattered approach to design that feels suited to the subject of fragmented thoughts and half-remembered memories. Meanwhile, the premise and central mystery is enticing. Ether One has been in development for a long time now, but with every new trailer and snippet of information, it becomes more and more intriguing.

Ether One is due to be released March 25th. Our review will follow shortly thereafter.

Hyrule Warriors

Ever since the release of the Wii U and that tech demo, the gaming community has been frothing at the mouth for news about what form the new mainstream Legend of Zelda game would take. Earlier this year, they thought they had their wish - only to be confronted with a trailer for a Zelda-themed version of Dynasty Warriors being developed by Tecmo Koei.

But wait! This could actually be rather interesting. Many gamers have long complained that Zelda has been in a long period of stagnation, and the character has long since been known for making use of a wide variety of tools and weapons. In that sense, a combat-heavy game makes perfect sense. Is there a crowd of enemies in front of you? Throw a bomb at them. Need a quick escape? Use your grapple claw. By blending the familiar world of Hyrule with the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors Nintendo may actually be on to something. Gamers have long lamented that Zelda hasn’t grown or progressed as a series (and even more have said the same about Dynasty Warriors), so perhaps by merging the two, something interesting and unique can come of it. Hyrule Warriors may not be the game we were expecting, but it’s certainly different. For that reason alone, it stands taller than yet another Mario Kart as one of our most anticipated games of the year.

Child of Light

Ubisoft may have developed the UbiArt Framework tech - used to incredible effect in Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends - for another franchise, but with their upcoming side-scrolling, 2D RPG Child of Light, they are determined to show that they’re on the forefront of innovation in a mainstream dominated by sequels and endless retreads of old ideas.

Essentially a Metroidvania, characters take the role of Aurora, guiding her through the game and developing her abilities and prowess over time. With the artstyle taking inspiration from Studio Ghibli - known in gaming circles for the gorgeous Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - if nothing else, Child of Light should at least be gorgeous to look at. Gameplay details are still rather thin on the ground, but we do know that the platforming will be broken up with a turn-based active-time-battle system, akin to Final Fantasy. It looks incredibly promising, and it’s heartening to see a major publisher willing to experiment with ideas that would normally be rejected simply for not having enough mainstream appeal.

Wildstar Online

For years, the MMO space has been dominated by a single game - Activision-Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. But for the last few years, WoW has been floundering, suffering from an ever-decreasing playerbase while rivals such as Guild Wars 2 and ESO have been snapping at its heels. Sure, it may still be a juggernaut, but the vultures are circling.

Developed by Carbine Studios and due to be published by veteran MMO publisher NCSoft, Wildstar Online looks at the traditional MMO format of loot, kill, loot, kill, and asks: what if? What if you don’t want to be trapped in the existing genre tropes? What if you want to play the game as a platformer? What if you want to spend your time solving puzzles? What if you just want to slash things to buggery with great big claws resembling a certain Canadian superhero? Wildstar Online is promising a huge amount of freedom to allow the player to spend their time playing the game how they want to play it. If you don’t like combat? Choose a specialty in platforming, or puzzle-solving. Do you want to be a trader? Build up a remote trading outpost and sell goods to other players in the wilderness.

Combined with an attractive art-style which brings to mind the late Jeff Matsuda crossed with Pixar, Wildstar Online is shaping up to be a very attractive prospect indeed. While it remains to be seen whether it can topple WoW - or has the strength to go head-to-head with another entry on this list, Elder Scrolls Online - it still demands respect for at least trying to present something a bit different from the norm in a genre that has become so mired in its own conventions that it can be difficult to find anything genuinely interesting.

The Evil Within

Titled Psychobreak in Japan - which is one of the most menacing game titles we’ve ever heard - The Evil Within is the brainchild of Shinji Mikami, who created Resident Evil. There’s a lot to look forward to as you play Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who must face his fears and his close friends madness. If they bring in the sanity-style fear of Eternal Darkness and the pant-wetting terror of recent horror games such as Outlast and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, then this may create the next greatest YouTube Let’s Play series.

Final Fantasy XV

Square Enix need to up their game. There’s every chance this could be the demise of a series that has offered fond memories for all gamers: Kefka’s laugh, Cloud’s love triangle, and plenty more besides. Sadly the characters of the XIII trilogy will easily be forgotten due to a convoluted story that has been bled out. Perhaps this realistic, darker tone can capture our hearts again. Final Fantasy XV offers seamless free-roaming gameplay and real-time battling with a deep tactical system. First announced in May 2006 as Final Fantasy Versus XIII - 8 years ago now - we’ll be surprised if it’s released in 2014, but we’re looking forward to being proved wrong.”

Super Smash Bros. 4

There isn’t anything quite like playing a Super Smash Bros. game; It’s one of the fastest, craziest, loudest and most hilarious series we’ve ever played. The addition of online play that (hopefully) actually works, a portable version to play with friends anywhere, new characters and levels and whatever else they have up their sleeves has us salivating. Let’s hope that Nintendo doesn’t disappoint.

Below

From two of the three creative forces behind the incredible Superbrothers: Sword And Sworcery EP comes Capybara’s new game, Below. Heavily inspired by games like Dark Souls and Don’t Starve, Below is going to be brutally difficult, with permadeath and combat that relies heavily on the skill and focus of the player. Add that to the a score composed by Jim Guthrie and the beautifully crafted Pixel-art that Capy has become famous for, and Below is shaping up to be one hell of a game. We’re just worried that we will become hopelessly addicted.