If the titles on offer for the start of 2014 are any indication, gamers have another bumper year to look forward to.

inFamous: Second Son

21 March. PS4.

One of the smoking hot exclusives coming to the PS4 is inFamous: Second Son. Departing from the events of the previous two entries, the game sports a new superpowered protagonist, Delsin Rowe. Unlike Cole McGrath though, all indications are that Rowe gleefully revels in his smoke and fire-based abilities, as he contends with the Department of Unified Protection, which is dedicated to eliminating ‘supers.’ The setting has also changed, taking players to the picturesque Pacific Northwest of Seattle; what hasn’t changed though is our anticipation for an open world environment in which to wreak mayhem.

Titanfall

14 March. Xbox 360, XBox One, PC.

The Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC similarly have their own heavy hitter exclusive, with Titanfall smashing its way onto Microsoft’s consoles and the PC early in the year. The game has a serious pedigree, coming from Respawn Entertainment and key developers behind Call of Duty. In it, players will engage in online multiplayer first person shooter action from within mech-like Titans. Instead of being clunky and slow, the gameplay is expected to be fast, agile, furious and quite possibly, a breakthrough for first person shooting action. If it pans out as hoped, our money is on it being the next Halo on the Xbox.

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2

28 February. PS3, Xbox 360.

A title we are particularly looking forward to sinking our teeth into is Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2. The first point in its favour is that its vampires don’t sparkle, or look like they raided their girlfriend’s makeup bag. Instead Dracula is a dangerous, predatory but conflicted sort, aware of both his lambent humanity and the monstrous power he wields as one of the undead. This should set the stage for some fine drama and storytelling.

Thief 4

28 February. PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, XBox One, PC.

Another highly anticipated title sneaking its way into the early part of the year, intent on stealing away our leisure time, is Thief 4. After a too long absence, players will finally be able to reacquaint themselves with Master Thief Garret, who is thrust into The City, a locale on boiling point that is ruled by the corrupt and controlling Baron. More importantly, and staying true to its roots, it looks as though stealth will rule supreme in Thief 4, with shadows and water being taken into account and made a part of the gameplay itself. Particularly interesting is the focus feature, which enables Garret to zoom in on enemies, and track their location through walls.

Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Returns

14 February. PS3, XBox 360

Despite the fact that previous entries in Final Fantasy XIII haven’t quite blown us away, we are still hoping that Lightning Returns will deliver some fine Final Fantasy fare and return the franchise to its almost forgotten glory. The premise looks interesting enough, with Lightning charged (no pun intended) with saving a world on the brink of its own destruction, and being given a mere thirteen hours to accomplish this (now that is what you call a deadline). Players’ choices will either shorten or lengthen time depending on their actions.

Dark Souls 2

14 March. PS3, Xbox 360, PC

If you like your games visceral and daunting, in which death waits around every corner, and taunts and sneers at you at every turn, then Dark Souls 2 is definitely up your alley. Known for dispensing with hand-holding or mercy, the Demon- and Dark Souls franchise could be personified as a beautiful dominatrix who is strangely alluring, ensuring players keep coming back and begging for more. The reason for this is that when you do prevail, the victory is all the sweeter for being hard earned. The game will see you playing a character who has been cursed and is desperately seeking a cure.