The new year is right around the corner and in this list for 2014, I present to you a list of games I really feel you should keep an eye on going into 2014. I've also included the vaporware I can only hope makes it onto next years release schedule (though there is more chance of me winning the lottery).

Coming in 2014

WildStar

Currently in closed Beta and having its servers well and truly tested, WildStar is shaping up to be the MMOG of 2014. Polished, funny and with exceptional combat it really is fantastic to play. The skill system builds very much on Guild Wars 2's limited action set, but adds robust flexibility and creativity.

Although unfairly compared to World of Warcraft (the art styles are a little bit similar) it does draw parallels with the game. Thankfully, it improves upon it massively and has made just enough improvements in all the right areas to brush away the cobwebs and end up feeling fresh.

Developer: Carbine

Status: Closed Beta

Release: May 2014 (estimate)

The Elder Scrolls Online

Having played The Elder Scrolls Online many times since September this year, the game has a long way to go before it's ready for public consumption. Recent Beta tests haven't really assured me it's coming along any better than it was several months ago, but The Elder Scrolls Online has the weight of brand.

Visually the game looks great and offers exactly what the ten bazillion Elder Scrolls fans want. The similarities between Skyrim (and the full Elder Scrolls series) and the massively multiplayer variant is startling and is commendable. While there's a long road left to go, there's every chance Zenimax can pull it around.

Developer: Zenimax Online Studios

Status: Closed Beta

Release: April 2014

EverQuest Next

Sony Online Entertainment's baby has been quiet of late. We still know bugger all about it in the grand scheme of things and Landmark is taking up all the attention at the moment, but the game shouldn't be ignored and it should be well and truly at the top of your “OMG!” list. Sandbox with advanced AI and supported by player created content from Landmark, it has the foundations to be something truly amazing. With unique art direction, console intentions and destructible scenery there's nothing here that isn't worth waiting for.

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment

Status: Alpha

Release: December 2014

EverQuest Next Landmark

The lego of massively multiplayer games and borrowing plenty from Minecraft, Landmark is offering players the ability to create truly beautiful structures and landscapes. You can already buy your way into the Beta if you buy a founders pack and from many of the time-lapse videos released it's clear it works exactly as intended.

The inclusion of enemies and “loot” is a little odd I must admit and it likely falls somewhere into the realms of Minecrafts survival mode but that shouldn't put you off. If you're creative or want to see your creations into a wider massively multiplayer game (i.e EverQuest Next Landmark) it really will be right for you.

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment

Status: Closed Beta

Release: February 2014 (Founders Pack Purchasers)

Destiny

An upcoming action role-playing game from the team behind Halo, is a hub based but also open world game. With still so little known publicly, besides the fact it's set 700 years in the future and is a shared-world shooter, its premise basically strikes me as a mix between Rage and Halo with massively multiplayer elements. With truly stunning visuals and a game world that looks ripe for exploring, this game has seen me firmly follow every ounce of information it has released.

Developer: Bungie

Status: Closed Beta

Release: September 2014

Black Desert Online

Having entered closed Beta in October 2013, Pearl Abyss' Black Desert is visually stunning and as a free-to-play title offering large scale castle sieges there's enough here to capture a wide audience. The ability to climb and the combat is what really caught my attention but also the art style and although it bears similarities to Archage, it really does look fantastic. Sadly for us, there's no concrete date on when an English version arrives on our shores but we can hope that a translation will take less than 10 years. A 2014 release window then, seems likely.

Developer: Pearl Abyss

Status: Closed Beta

Release: October 2014 (estimate)

Pathfinder Online

The child of Kickstart but only of a modest $1 million dollars, Pathfinder Online is making bold claims but also keeping relatively grounded. None of the aims seem overly unrealistic but they do have a mountain to climb. With Beta likely to start in the summer of 2014 it isn't unfeasible to suggest a release later in the year. Of the videos released so far, it's shaping up well. I do get a Mortal Online 'vibe' but it's definitely all positive. There aren't enough sandbox MMOG's out there, so I'm eagerly awaiting Pathfinder Online.

Developer: Goblinworks Inc.

Status: Alpha

Release: October 2014 (estimate)

MMORPG's To Keep Playing

Guild Wars 2

In 2013 Guild Wars 2 has gone from strength to strength. Providing enormous amounts of updates and all for free, without a subscription fee, there's no better time to jump into Tyria. It isn't to say that Guild Wars 2 is perfect (what MMOG is?) but ArenaNet offer more bang for your buck than any competition out there. If that wasn't good enough, you can get the client for super cheap on Amazon or Ebay and having had a preview of the content coming in 2014, it's fair to say that ArenaNet intends to take on the likes of WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online head on.

Developer: ArenaNet

World of Warcraft

Is this still going I hear you ask. Yes, yes it is. World of Warcraft might be nearing its 50th birthday (not really) but it's showing no signs of slowing down. Sure it might be losing players, but it was never going to continue to gain subscribers so late into its lifespan. Sitting comfortably on around 9 million paying subscribers is still more than anything else out there and with that comes a continuous stream of updates. With a massive expansion due in 2014 (Warlords of Draenor) it's fair to say that World of Warcraft has plenty of life left in its old legs and 2014 like every other year before it, should be a good one.

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

The Secret World

The Secret World had a bumpy ride from it's launch. The mistake was made to launch as a subscription only game when it wasn't quite up to the standard players expected and when various other massively multiplayer games at the time were flying the free-to-play flag. Despite this, its transfer to a buy-to-play model has really seen the game flourish. Perhaps not to the dizzying heights of other games in the genre but 2014 should see a heavy dose of additional “issues” and for as little as $15.00 you really cannot go far wrong.

Developer: Funcom

Vaporware

World of Darkness

Where oh where is World of Darkness? Vampires. 3rd person play. From the people who made Eve Online. Permanent death. What is not to love about this beauty? Unfortunately for us, we'll all probably be in the grave before it sees the light of day. As far as I'm aware, the only thing we've ever seen of World of Darkness is an animation test video or two and a few choice pieces of information. There's nothing particularly concrete about anything at this stage and it has only ever been referred to as “pre-production” with a team of around 70 working on it.

Developer: CCP

Status: Lost in a tomb somewhere

Release: Halloween 2016

Titan

Blizzards 'sequal' to World of Warcraft (though massively removed from the fantasy setting) is in a state of limbo. The last news about the game was back in August 2013 where it was revealed the game would be taking a new direction, unlikely to be subscription based and that the product was being re-envisioned. Basically, that means they eyed up the competition (as Blizzard do best), realised the game wasn't going to compete and went back to the drawing board. Lets hope for all our sakes they don't do a Diablo III and deliver a product that's dump, despite years in the making.

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Status: Busily being re-envisioned

Release: December 2016

Star Citizen

Sucking up your money like it's going out of fashion, Star Citizen is a weird one. I'll probably get crucified here for even daring to say it's vaporware, but the likelihood that we'll see a polished and fully functioning game any time in 2014 is slim. The fact that people are throwing money at it even before such a time is also barmy. It's like buying a car now, but not being able to drive it for two to three years. What's the point? Yes I appreciate its to help fund the creation of the game (the whole chicken or the egg scenario being applicable here) but this is madness. I truly hope the game turns out to be something special, but the probability is incredibly slim. Bigger and better companies have failed at producing a modern massively multiplayer game and the likes of CCP have met plenty of challenges along the way, despite years of experience and investment. What makes Cloud Imperium more capable?