2015 is just over month in, and gamers everywhere are gearing up in anticipation of the the current gen consoles finally reaching their initial promise. 2014 had some great games, for sure, but 2015 is shaping up to be one of the best years in gaming. We decided to do a little internal poll of what the staff’s most anticipated games of 2015 were and here are the results!

5.  Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Bryan Boshart – “I’ve loved the Metal Gear Solid series ever since I first played it on the Playstation, so MGSV: Phantom Pain has been one of the games I’ve been impatiently waiting on. I am interested to experience how it feels to bring a functional A.I. companion on my stealth missions, and if the demos that show off Quiet are any indication, then it will be awesome. I’m ready to explore the massive open world with the gameplay that I got a taste of in Ground Zeroes. I loved the soldier capture mechanics from the PSP Metal Gear games and am glad to see it return. I can’t wait to play Metal Gear Online again, as it was one of the games I spent the most time playing at the beginning of my PS3’s lifespan. The world of the Phantom Pain looks stellar as well thanks to the new Fox engine. Most of all, I’m excited to get another game featuring Kojima’s brilliant (and crazy) storytelling. While I have no idea exactly how long I’ll have to wait for this game, rest assured, I’ll have some money and time set aside for the day it does release.”

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

John Newby – “The Witcher 2 was one of the best games of the last generation, but it suffered from a steep learning curve early in the campaign. The combat was difficult at first, and the “tutorial” didn’t properly explain how to fight the combination of monsters and humans. Thankfully, The Witcher 2 did have the benefit of a deep, engaging story with constant choice and meaningful consequences. This story introduced fun characters and drastically changed depending on Geralt’s choices. The Witcher 2 would completely lock out specific stories and characters if you chose the wrong NPC to side with, which made you want to play through the campaign multiple times.

Luckily, The Witcher 3 promises to have an even better campaign than The Witcher 2, complete with the addition of better combat. CD Projekt RED added more magic abilities, streamlined combat, and stronger potions. However, The developers promise that the combat won’t become “dumbed down” in the process. Even better, CD Projekt RED will also be working on the world and side quests. The Witcher 3 will have a wide-open world to explore and a crazy amount of side quests. Random stories will appear throughout The Witcher 3, and Geralt’s choices in these matters will affect the entire world in an unknown way. The sheer thought of exploring the world and discovering these side quests is very exciting.

To be completely honest, I am anticipating The Witcher 3 simply because I get to explore Geralt’s world on a MOTHERF*&KING HORSE! Nothing else matters.”

3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Sean Mesler – “Naughty Dog has been on one hell of a roll lately, and in 2015 that looks to continue with my most anticipated game of 2015 – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Some of our more cynical readers might wonder what there is to be excited about regarding the 4th console entry into a series that is reaching it’s 8th year. Well, for me it’s pretty simple – In Naughty Dog I Trust. What began as a deep enjoyment of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, soon evolved into a falling madly in love with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which I declared as my favorite Game of the Generation. While I will admit that Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was a mild disappointment – if only because it didn’t quite pass the heights of Among Thieves for me, it was still an incredible game. Naughty Dog followed that up with what many see as their masterpiece, The Last of Us so they’re going into A Thief’s End on an incredibly high note, but also under a lot of pressure. Many may think they can’t possibly top The Last of Us, and they may be right. However, A Thief’s End is being headed up by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, who are both responsible for  The Last of Us. As such, I have the utmost faith that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will be something truly special.

2. Tom Clancy’s The Division

Lazar Odic – “It’s exciting to not know, is it not? Think about why we get excited about events like E3? It’s not because we want to see the game we’ve already been introduced too, it’s because we want to know exactly what it is we don’t know of yet. Too many games today we know so much about by the time we get it into our hands, it kind of ruins the excitement sometimes. That’s why I’m hoping [Tom Clancy’s] The Division stays with this little mystery.

Ever since E3 2013 when Ubisoft pulls the curtains on The Division my eyes were glued to the title. Besides the obvious of it looking stunning, the gameplay really stuck out to me. This wasn’t just another third-person shooter, this was something special. We would learn that later that The Division is an open-world RPG that’s always connected. While some might think this to be a problem, I think it just adds to the excitement. The real excitement though is the fact Ubisoft & developer Red Storm Entertainment have been pretty tight lip on the details of the game. How long is it going to be? How many weapons? What are the skill trees like? How’s the co-op? How’s the PVP? Can I play entire game solo? Are there vehicles? Daily events? The list goes on, but from the reveal trailer I was hooked and the less I know, the better I think the experience will be. Why am I excited about The Division? Because I have no idea what I’m getting myself into.

 1. Batman: Arkham Knight

Eric Gerson – “In a world where licensed games–or more specifically, superhero games–were synonymous with cheap movie tie-ins and a very low standard of quality, Batman: Arkham Asylum was a revelation–a serious breath of fresh air. By taking the writer from the comics and the voice actors from the DC Animated Universe, and applying a fresh, mature coat of paint, Rocksteady Studios produced a title that was at once familiar to fans, but also new in its approach to the source material. Add to that game mechanics that truly fit the universe–brutal combat with an emphasis on timing, gadget-based “Metroidvania” exploration, a “silent predator” system that perfectly emulates Batman’s signature approach to picking off foes–and the end result was one of the best, and most surprising, games of 2009. This formula was perfected in the superior sequel, Arkham City, where the game world was expanded into a much larger, more open area full of secrets. And while the third entry, Arkham Origins, may have been a low point, the series is still a high watermark for quality for both licensed games, and modern videogames in general.

So those are our most anticipated games of 2015. Let us know what yours are in the comments below!