Having spent the better part of the week working on our 2013 Game Geex Awards, I couldn't help but think of what this year was going to bring to gaming.  I admit I sneaked over to the 2014 release list more than once while I was making my picks for 2013.  There's a lot of interesting gaming coming to us this year, and I have my picks for you right here.

First, a little note about my list:  Of course, these are my opinions, and not necessarily those of Game Geex at large.  Also, in the last couple years I underwent some pretty hefty life changes, and said changes had me really rethinking what games I was playing.  To that end there are many games that might be interesting that will not be on this list, nor will they be in my coverage plans for 2014.  Think of me as a gaming vegatarian:  There are some foods I cannot eat, but that doesn't mean I don't still love food.

Broken Age

It's been a lifetime since Double Fine created a standard Adventure title, so I'm eager to get my hands on this one.  Plus, it reminds me of a webcomic I was reading a couple years ago, so I'm interested to see if they "borrowed" from it.

The Banner Saga

The world simply needs more Tactical RPGs.  Plus, vikings.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

I really think this is the game inspired by the Final Fantasy XIII-2 cinematic.  Or someone at Square Enix really wants to play with Lightning Barbie.  

Bravely Default

A lovely JRPG is coming from Square Enix, and it isn't a Final Fantasy title.  The demo is out today on the Nintendo eShop, and I'll be interested to see how it plays.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

I've never been interested in third person shooters, but when this little gem popped up at this E3, it totally grew on me (see what I did there?)  Yes I will shoot zombies, but only after they are slowed by the Snowpeas.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

I don't really have a brain for puzzles, but these days I'm looking for games I can play in short bursts, so hopefully I will be up to the task when the latest Layton lands.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

I admit, I played X-2 twice because I wanted the perfect ending, but I'm a romantic.  Still, I look forward to getting back to some good ol' GF summoning the way it SHOULD be.  Not that I'm bitter. *grumble* FFXIII *grumble* 

The Elder Scrolls Online

This game I will have to hold out on, hoping that it ends up with a lower rating than the expected M.  I wasn't really impressed by what they showed at E3, but the grand promises of this "social MMO" have me praying it lives up to what they say about it in press conferences.

Massive Chalice

Double Fine is not known for doing more serious titles, but the idea of a generational storyline is so intriguing I have to try it out for myself.  Also, this is another tactical RPG, so it has that going for it.

Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey

The Longest Journey was one of those magical adventure titles that captured both my heart and my imagination.  It's wonderful that such a stellar title is getting a second reboot in 2014 so that newer generations can explore Earth and Arcadia along with the intrepid Miss April.

World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor

Yes it was just announced, no I don't expect to wait until 2015 to step back in time to see what the badasses of Draenor were cooking up before the Black Portal opened.  Yes, I will be playing the tar and feathers off of this expansion when it lands. Oh and by the way, I learned at BlizzCon this year that it's pronounced "drah-nohr" not "dray-nohr".  Who knew?

WildStar

I'm thinking I'll roll out in an Aurin Medic following the Settler Path, then pass on over to the Chua Engineer just to see how the evil side lives.  Yeah, I said it.

Below

I know very little about this XBLA RPG, but what I've seen of the artwork, I assume that there won't be many stages with sunny days.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Okay, here's one that I'm already playing in beta.  A lot, like an unhealthy amount of card playing for someone who doesn't gamble.  It's a good thing I'm on a tight budget, because otherwise I would probably be shelling out some major cash to get enough packs to build a deck to SMOKE those punks who think they can dual drop the Gurubashi Berserker on me and then heal up.  Friggin' druids.

Fantasia: Music Evolved

I have been a fan of Harmonix for years now and have been a Disney girl since I was 6 months old, so when I passed by this booth at E3 this year I about passed out.  Yes I hear it has troubles being, you know, good, but that won't stop me from trying it when it launches.

Transistor

Bastion was one of my all time favorite games, and I have been eagerly awaiting what Supergiant next has in store.  It turns out what they have in store is just as beautiful, and this time features a female protagonist.

Project Spark

Most likely it will be a while until I can get an Xbox One, so my love of creating fantastic worlds will just have to wait.  But the moment I can get access to this little game design toolkit, I will first build a really pretty castle, then build a tower defense PvZ clone.  Cuz, reasons.

The Witness

When it comes to indie gaming, Jonathan Blow is the man.  His game Braid set the standard for one-man game design artistry, and he has since been working on what looks like a complicated Myst-like 3D puzzle game.  If it's anything like what I expect, I expect it will be exceptional.

Scrolls

Scrolls is a card battle tacticle RPG, and is currently in open beta.  I haven't had the scratch to get this yet, but I will be looking forward to seeing what the finish product becomes later on this year.