Got a shiny new Xbox One for HanuKwanzMas? Pretty exciting, right? If you're anything like me you're likely looking at the meager launch offerings with disdain and focusing instead on the 2014 calendar to see when the "real" games come out. The Xbox One 2014 games list has got 40 titles on it. Some good, some bad, some barely more than rumor. And while this list is certainly subject to change, here's 100 words on each title on the Xbox one 2014 games calendar presented in (more or less) chronological order. Exact dates are given when applicable, otherwise we have the projected releases according to IGN and Wikipedia.

Xbox One 2014 Games List: Titles On The Calendar

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Jan. 28

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition launches for Xbox One on Jan. 28. It includes the pre-order bonus tomb The Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, plus eight DLC maps, six weapons and four characters for the multiplayer. Is it worth it? Probably. If you're among the gamers who missed the reboot in 2013 (like I did) then this lets you catch up on a game that has received some GOTY honors. Skip it if you're already growing tired of the action/adventure games already on Xbox One (AC: 4, Dead Rising 3, Ryse, etc.) But a next-gen Tomb Raider sounds amazeballs to me.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare - Feb. 18

If you're a fan of the original Plants Vs Zombies format you might want to take a look at this gameplay footage:

So it's obviously not for traditional Plants Vs. Zombies fans but this game does offer a break from the gritty gray drama surrounding just about every other Xbox One launch title. And it's kid friendly, something that can't be said about most of the other titles in the launch window. This is a good choice for anyone looking for a brighter, friendlier zombie killing experience without all the gore and excessive swearing.

Rayman Legends - Feb. 25

Rayman Legends probably should've been a launch title. Described as "spectacularly beautiful" by Eurogamer (which also gave it a perfect 10/10 score) Rayman Legends is yet another title showing us that the platformer genre will never die as long as it refuses to suck. Longtime fans of the Rayman franchise have every reason to purchase this game and newcomers should dive in to experience that new-Super-Mario-game feel without having to buy a Wii U. Another colorful, kid-friendly title to offset the "why so serious?" tone found elsewhere in the launch window. Unless you already bought it on 360, consider it.

Thief - Feb. 25

I saw Thief played live at NYCC and heard some of the devs talk about the desire to keep the game true to its roots. There is no XP, minimal HUD and an underpowered melee combat system designed to dissuade you from thinking with your fists. Sounds good so far. Sure, Thief looks to be a more story-driven first-person sneaker than the standard fare but I think the real question is: how much open-worldiness will players experience? We're in charge of a master thief, after all. It won't be much fun if we can't impulsively steal whatever isn't nailed down.

The LEGO Movie Videogame - February 2014

If the concept of a video game based on a movie about toys from other video games doesn't make your head spin on your smooth, spineless LEGO neck then this title is for you. Another of Traveler's Tales LEGO creations this game is loaded with cameos and exploration and all the stuff you know from all the other LEGO games. Instead of being a superhero, though, you're just a hapless jerk who may or may not be the key to saving the LEGOverse. Gamestop says it's released on Feb. 7 but Amazon says Feb. 28. We'll just call it February.

Titanfall - March 11

Odds are if you own an Xbox One then part of the reason is Titanfall. Easily the most anticipated game on this list, Titanfall took home six E3 awards and enjoyed a runaway hype train ever since. The brainchild of spurned COD creators, Titanfall has the added "good because it's revenge" factor. It will also be our first look at Microsoft's touted-but-unproven "POWER OF THE CLOUD" so Xbox One owners will get to see if those 300k free servers really do eliminate BF4-level f*ck-ups. Titanfall IS an EA game after all, but it's still the must buy title of 2014.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes - March 18

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a standalone prequel to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, a larger game due out later this year. Ground Zeroes is "the gateway that leads into The Phantom Pain," series creator Hideo Kojima told Xbox Wire. It establishes the story, sure, but more importantly Ground Zeroes will allow fans to get accustomed to the open-world stealthing on display in MGSV. Fans have enjoyed sneaking around as Solid Snake for years, but now they'll have more freedom in planning and executing missions. The trailers look great and, honestly, who doesn't love Metal Gear?

Dying Light - April 1

Yes, another zombie game. But Dying Light is born of the same creative juices that spawned Dead Island so it can't be all bad. And it was the only game at VGX that made Joel McHale excited, so there's that. The gameplay trailers look like a coked-up Far Cry 3,with plenty of scrambling and sliding and melee deaths for everyone. The zombies get worse at night, apparently, upping the survival-horror ante a notch. Gamestop lists the release as April 1, but nothing official on the game's homepage. If you live for killing the undead, Dying Light is a sure thing.

Amazing Spiderman 2 - May 2014

A video game based on a movie?!? OMG this HAS to be good, right! Ok, ok, maybe I'm being pre-emptively sarcastic on this one, but this game seems to exist solely for clueless relatives who need to buy presents for children. It's predecessor got medium-warm reviews and no one clamored for a sequel. But it's coming. And it's Spiderman. If you love Spidey or enjoyed the first game then go ahead and purchase The Amazing Spiderman 2. More practical gamers might want to wait and see if web-slinging across Manhattan is worth $59.99. It's cheaper than a cab, at least.

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die - Spring 2014

D4 is, um, interesting. Designed by "auteur" game director Swery65, D4 has a Telltale look but its own unique ambitions. It's going to rely solely on the Kinect for controls in order to "replicate senses," whatever that means. The game focuses on a private detective who gained the ability to travel to the past when he interacts with special items called "mementos." He's investigating the death of his wife, among other intriguing private eye stuff. The look and tone are great, but the real question is if the already spotty Kinect controls will enhance or derail Swerty65's latest gaming experience.

Super Time Force - Spring 2014

Super Time Force is high-octane, low-res platform shooter from Capybara Games. It's not an "exclusive" because it's also coming to 360, but Super Time Force gives us a look at what the indie scene can bring to Xbox One courtesy of ID@Xbox. It's not about the graphics, it's about the fun. The Super Time Force gameplay footage shows a little of how the time-control powers will work but the real question will come down to price. Indie is synonymous with "cheap" in the minds of most gamers so if the price is right Super Time Force should find its fans.

Carmaggedon: Reincarnation - Spring 2014

Carmageddon: Reincarnation wins the title of "Most Likely To Cause A Press Conference" Award. A Kickstarter-funded (with a mystery $3.5 million cherry on top) reboot of the Carmaggedon series, Reincarnation lets gamers design deathmobiles and dismember pedestrians. Oh, and race against other deathmobiles. But really just the dismember part. The franchise rose to prominence when ultra-violence was still a "thing" (see: the late 90s) so current hype levels may just be nostalgia masquerading as enthusiasm. Regardless, Carmaggedon: Reincarnation at the very least delivers a different take on racing than the super-duper-realistic physics and triangle counts currently on Xbox One.

LEGO: The Hobbit - Spring 2014

The title explains it all. "LEGO" means you're getting a little kid-look with a grown-up challenge using familiar controls and designs. "The Hobbit" means the stalwart LEGO games formula is being applied to Peter Jackson's latest movie (based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic prequel.) You either like the LEGO games or you don't. You know this. If you're on the fence this time the big question is if it's open world. There's a real lack of RPG content on the Xbox One 2014 calendar so anything involving wizards and elves and XP will likely satisfy RPG fans for the time being.

UFC 2014 - Spring 2014

EA Sports first foray into the world of next-gen gaming, UFC 2014 will be our first look at what the undisputed sports gaming king is bringing to the mat. The game design is full of EA-isms like "Full Body Deformer" and "Real-Time Exertion." What fans want to know is if UFC 2014 will deliver leg-breakingness as graphic as Anderson Silva's. Because if UFC 2014 can make squirm and groan then EA Sports is doing it right. And as the only XBO fighter besides Killer Instinct this provides an outlet for brawler fans who like their characters on the less-werewolfy side.

Watch Dogs - Spring 2014

Oh, Watch Dogs. The one that got away. Xbox One fans were expecting to have this near-future thriller in their hands on Day One but, alas, it was not to be. A delay until Spring 2014 (unconfirmed March 21) broke some hearts but no doubt the added polish will be worth it. You're basically NSA PRISM personified in an open-world setting and your character can tap into anything with a computer. Gameplay looks solid. It's got an espionage backdrop and a hefty helping of hype so expect your fellow Xbox One friends to have this on their "must buy" radar.

Project Spark - Spring 2014

Project Spark has been a featured game for Xbox One ever since the reveal last May. As the above video shows, Project Spark is a game that lets you design games. Lots of games. There are loads of features and functions and complexities to help with game design. Just remember that sharing is caring. User generated content will be the backbone of Project Spark's gameplay experience. The quality and quantity entirely depend on how easy it is to use Project Spark and whether it will appeal to gamers beyond the "I have 300 hours to invest in building something" variety.

The Elder Scrolls Online - June 2014

The Elder Scrolls Online is the most ambitious title in the first half of the xbox 2014 games calendar. By the time the XBO version of this fantasy MMO hits, the PC/Mac versions will be in their second month and will hopefully give ZeniMax enough time to iron out the kinks. I played ESO at E3 and found it to be familiar in both the "I Love Tamriel" and "Grindy Ass MMO" ways. Bethesda is going to need to deliver more than fetch quests and spawn camping to justify the (INSANE) $15/month subscription fee. A word to the wise: wait.

Kinect Sports Rivals - Spring 2014

Kinect Sports Rivals is that Kinect game you thought would've been included at launch. Prepare to not be properly detected as you attempt to play tennis and soccer or go bowling, wake racing, target shooting or climbing. Seriously though, The Kinect is far from flawless right now so the Q2 release likely means Microsoft is fine tuning everything to ensure a smooth experience. This is the first game on the Xbox 2014 calendar to rely on the Kinect for a number of features so it should be a good buy for anyone wanting more family friendly or party friendly titles.

The Crew - Summer 2014

Driving games sure do look purty on Xbox One. But the true thrills of Ubisoft's The Crew will come from the open world recreation of the U.S. think Cruisin' U.S.A. on steroids. And, in what seems to be the new standard in next-gen racers, you're racing in an ever-present world alongside others. So it's like an MMO of sorts, and in The Crew you can link up with friends (i.e. your crew, get it?) and challenge other crews to races or time trials or whatever. I need to see more police chase footage before making a call on this one.

Destiny - Sept. 9

Destiny is the MMO to watch in 2014. Bungie's latest has been in development for nearly a decade and is supposed to be a game changer for the genre. At least, those are the expectations. Destiny is a first-person sci-fi shooter/RPG with a story we know little about. But we've heard about a lot of gameplay details. There will be open-world elements and varied landscapes. There will be character classes and customization. There will be a Playstation exclusive beta period, too, but if you can put the butthurt aside Destiny looks to be a serious GOTY contender. Don't miss it.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - Fall 2014

This is an important title for both EA and BioWare. Dragon Age: Inquisition is basically BioWare's attempt to win back fans after the sub-par Dragon Age 2: Shart Stain (unofficial title). All signs point to awesome on this one though, from a heartfelt letter to fans promising big changes to tons of great gameplay footage and an utter lack of competition on the RPG front. Why is the scope of next-gen awesomeness only being realized with FPS games? Seriously? Anyone looking for sandbox adventures inside of a fantasy game that will devour your free time would be wise to pre-order this one.

Halo 5 - Probably November 2014

Halo 5 gets the "probably November" because that's when Halo games normally come out. If you own an Xbox One you are, most likely, a Halo fan. You've been playing since Halo: Combat Evolved and have owned every Microsoft console since. Halo 5 is a big deal. Master Chief is the Mario of the next-generation. This game needs to be an 11-out-of-10 in order to satisfy fans. With Destiny and Titanfall on the calendar it might be impossible. If 343 embraces the hidden gem of Halo 4, Spartan Ops, and improves the multiplayer format Master Chief can reclaim his throne.

Xbox One 2014 Games List - The TBA 2014 titles

The games above have either an exact release date or a seasonal guesstimate. These other titles are not as reliable as games listed as "Q2 2014," which says an awful lot about their arrival in 2014 in general. Still, these are the remaining games that are supposed to come out sometime in 2014.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

I'm quick to complain about the lack of RPG glory on the Xbox One. But I'll shut my fat mouth when The Witcher 3 arrives because it looks as perfect an RPG as you can imagine. I saw it demoed live at E3 and have drooled over every trailer since. A true Skyrim-killer, it has everything needed to unseat the current king of RPGs. It's huge, maybe even the biggest open world on the next generation. It's got sex, vengeance, a badass hero and 100 hours worth of quests. The Witcher 3 will change the RPG genre forever. Buy it.

Tom Clancy's: The Division

Ever wonder what life is like on day three of an apocalypse? Tom Clancy's The Division puts you in the role of a sleeper agent who's mission is to,uh, do good guy stuff (?) in the recent aftermath of a pandemic in New York City. It's an action title at heart with plenty of open world and RPG elements mixed in so expect inventory systems, character progression and long range exploration. In short, expect a good game. The breathtaking Snowdrop engine delivers some remarkably smooth graphics and gameplay demoes showcase seamless second screen integration. Cross your fingers for a 2014 release.

Final Fantasy XV

It seems weird that a new Final Fantasy game is going to be on Xbox One at the same time as PS4, but it illustrates just how important both consoles are to next-gen developers. Sony's exclusivity loss is our gain because Final Fantasy XV looks epic. Outside of a launch trailer there aren't too many details, but designer Tetsuya Nomura told Famitsu that "Final Fantasy XV is the first action RPG in the series' numbered titles." Expect it late in the year and if you're not already a franchise fan, wait a bit. Those action RPGs are everywhere in 2014.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

This is a tough game to label. It'd be easy to call it a shooter, but it apparently has some significant stealth aspects. There's no multiplayer, a very strange move for any modern game featuring more than one gun. I saw a demo at E3 and liked it, but the game is likely much different now. Does the next-gen really need a steampunkish reboot of a game that had a failed reboot four years ago? Even if it's really good? Wolfenstein has a few strikes against it and faces stiff competition elsewhere on the calendar. A wait-and-see game for sure.

Mad Max

A bit of a sleeper given the pedigree of the company making it (Avalanche Games) and the film legacy it's based on (car-heavy Australian apocalypse), Mad Max sounds like a match made in gaming heaven. If you've ever played the Just Cause series you have an idea of what Mad Max will be like. Well, the parts that don't revolve around vehicular combat among 50 customizable vehicles. It's a complex mash-up and there are a lot of potential design pitfalls. Maybe we're not hearing a lot about it for a reason. Put Mad Max on your "maybe" list for 2014.

Fantasia: Music Evolved

One of the tough things about games writing is being objective about games that you have zero interest in. Fantasia Music Evolved doesn't have a lot of appeal to me. Getting to do hand gestures to classic rock songs in 1080p doesn't sound like much of a "game" to me, but I'm sure it has it's audience. If you like playing with the Kinect and enjoy a more passive gaming experience this is in your wheelhouse. Gamers looking for a more active form of entertainment might get a little bored. After watching 15 minutes of gameplay I know I was.

Child of Light

Child of Light's storybook art style and turn-based RPG combat compliment each other well. Ubisoft Montreal's wistful fairy tale project seems like more than meets the dazzled eye. Gorgeous? Of course. But is the gameplay there? The tone seems serious but not mature and I want to like this game because its different. It even has two-player co-op, a rare feature these days. It might not be the most next-gen looking title on the Xbox 2014 calendar, but Child of Light has its appeal. I don't know of another turn-based RPG for next gen, reason enough to buy this one.

Sunset Overdrive

You may remember this blip on the E3 radar as "that game that looked cartoony." That was my take on Sunset Overdrive, an open-world shooter from Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games. It had a flashy trailer but little else. Not much has changed. There isn't any gameplay footage online and details are scarce, other than that it somehow uses the Cloud to analyze your gameplay. It's an upbeat apocalypse and there is a lot of jumping and climbing amid the vibrant cityscape. How well it plays and where it fits into the crowded Xbox One landscape are big unknowns.

Shoot Many Robots

It's hard to get really excited about a game that was free on Xbox Live in early December, and I'm not. Shoot Many Robots looks like a 2D Borderlands Lite, and has a sub-par Metacritic score to boot. The trailer makes the tone seem meta and funny and the humor holds up well but the Xbox One is a next-gen machine and it's hard to care about a port of a game that was already free for last-gen. So you shouldn't. Unless you already LOVE the game, or it's dirt-cheap and nearly free, skip this one. I know I will.

Lords Of The Fallen

When your RPG's trailer looks like a series of Iron Maiden album covers, you're doing it right. Lords of the Fallen seems like the perfect way to scratch that lingering RPG itch I've been going on about. It's story looks generic in all the best ways but, according to a Joystiq feature, the combat isn't just hack and slash. It's designed to be "tactical" and has more to do with expert timing that amateur-hour button mashing. No gameplay footage yet, which means I'm still withholding a final judgment. Ambitious titles can go sideways easily. But this game has my attention.

Energy Hook

The guy who designed the awesome web-slinging in Spiderman 2 is launching this indie project that is, basically, Spiderman-style web slinging meets Tony Hawk (which he also worked on). Energy Hook takes place in a near-future cityscape where players swing from building to building performing tricks and gaining speed. It looks as fun as it sounds. Energy Hook will have split-screen co-op challenges to add to that head-to-head Tony Hawk feel. Different artists designed all the levels in Energy Hook, which gives the game a high degree of variety. It's definitely different and probably cheap so think about buying it.

The Evil Within

Bethesda's third project for 2014 is also its strangest. Designed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within is a survival horror romp from one of the industry's best. Players control a cop investigating a mental hospital and, as you can imagine, someone has a chainsaw and there's a lot of blackouts. If it feels cliché remember it comes from the man who invented those clichés. The E3 demo didn't impress me much, but offered little more than glimpses of the intro. If it lives up to being the "new old Resident Evil" then buy it, otherwise move on.

Trials Fusion

Trials Fusion is a stunt racer in the vein of Excitebike only a little lighter on the "excite." I think a motocross stunt game on next-gen sounds great, but this isn't one of those. It looks like an upjumped mobile game because, well, it kind of is. Trials Frontier is the mobile version of the game and the two look pretty similar and interact somehow. The Trials franchise does have some fans so they'll likely go after the game when it releases in 2014. Casual gamers might want to hold out for a motocross game that's a little more substantial.

Sniper Elite 3

The Sniper Elite series trademark is killcam gore and the Xbox One installment, Sniper Elite 3, looks to keep the tradition going. If it's like previous installments then expect a game based around patience and stealth and not mowing down soldier after soldier. This time the game is set in WW2 Africa and, in next-gen fashion, goes sandbox style. This means more freedom in scouting vantage points and lonesome sentries but potentially more headaches as well. Good headaches, the kind that come from a game that's maybe a little too hard. This ain't your little brother's COD bloodbath. Pay attention.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Don't let the epic title fool you, Valiant Hearts: The Great War has a delicate tone. A 2D platform puzzler inspired by letters written during WWI, Valiant Hearts looks more graphic novel than graphic war game. For starters, everything in it is hand-drawn. (And there's a cute dog and you can rub his belly!) Valiant Hearts: The Great War comes from the same studio producing Child of Light, so expect a war game heavy on the artful storytelling and light on the manly action. You'll solve puzzles, not crack skulls. The added bonus is that you might actually learn something.

Divekick

Divekick is exactly what it says it is. It's a fighting game where you jump and dive kick opponents. That's it. Two buttons. Any idiot can play, right? The catch is that between those two buttons lies an awful lot of subtlety. Divekick released on last-gen and quickly found a home among e-sports fans. YouTube is full of strategies and matches and analysis. Is it gimmicky for the sake of being gimmicky? Sure. But somehow it's fun, and that's all a game really needs to be. If you like fighters, give it a try.

Guacamelee!

It's always nice to see a port of a game that is actually good. In this case, Guacamelee! is (probably) making its Xbox One debut in 2014. It's a smart move, as a lot of Xbox One owners may have missed the game on Steam/PS3. It's a platformer with a heavy hand in Mexican folklore that features a heroic lucha libre who can conveniently switch dimensions for puzzle-solving purposes. It's great fun and the fact that it's not brand new will likely mean an affordable price. If you haven't played it yet, DON'T! Give yourself something to look forward to.

Nuclear Throne

This independent top-down shooter made waves when it announced an exclusivity deal with PS4 ahead of a planned Microsoft partnership. Nuclear Throne will come to Xbox One, but a month after its PS4 counterpart. It's still in Early Access on Steam, so don't expect a Spring release. Nuclear Throne is a rogue-like set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland teeming with radiation. This means interesting mutations that affect your character and its abilities. It's grindy in a good way. It's not going to showcase "the power of the Xbox One" but if you're a fan of old-school shooters you could do worse.

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