Most Anticipated Games of 2016
By UNDED
2016 is shaping up to be another year of spectacular game releases. Titles like Gears of War 4, Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster, Amplitude, and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam are just a few titles that will suck your life away this year. Of all these great games though, I definitely have my favorites. These are my top five picks for the games I’m most excited for in 2016.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India and Russia
Continuing where I left off on my Games of the Year for 2015, the last two installments of the Assasin’s Creed: Chronicles series will hit this year. Chronicles India released on January 12th. Expect to play as Arbaaz Mir with an all new “trident” hidden blade. Not one to make us wait much longer, Chronicles Russia will hit digital shelves February 9th featuring Nikolai Orelov, as you save a princess and protect a coveted artifact.
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
Star Ocean is one of those series that existed well before I knew it was even a thing. Star Ocean first caught my attention when a saw a friend playing it on the 360. Like many massive games before it, it came on multiple disks. There’s something about multi-disk game that I just find romantic. Even today where games can have 60+GB installs, you still only get a 30 hour game. It’s incredibly rewarding to open a game for the first time and see multiple disks. You just know that this game is a huge deal, and you’re going to have to commit yourself, for better or worse, and prepare for one hell of a story to play through. Here’s to hoping Integrity and Faithlessness does the same.
Friday the 13th: The Game
What originally began as a Kickstarter to pay homage to a classic horror series,Friday the 13th: The Game has turned into a full blown gaming experience. Earning the praise of both fans and horror legends alike, series creator Sean S. Cunningham gave the development team his full support for everything they need to make a great tribute, including the license to the franchise. If your pants aren’t wet yet, Kane Hodder, the man behind the mask who is so dedicated to the series he has the word “KILL” tattooed on the inside of his bottom lip, will reportedly be returning to the role, his first time playing Jason in 15 years.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
Since it was first teased at E3 2013, I was hooked. Despite it being two years, and many push-backs, Tom Clancy’s The Division is still to this day one of my most anticipated games. I know how dangerous it can be to wait too long for a game. Gameplay changes, graphics aren’t what they promised, and it can turn out to be a completely different experience than what was first announced. That being said, it’s been a long time since I’ve played a traditional players-vs-objective co-op game that I really fell in love with (I’m looking at you Red Dead Redemption) so I can’t help but be really excited for it.
Ace Combat 7
Ace Combat goes as far back as Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies on the Playstation 2. My love for Shattered Skies and the sequel The Unsung War was so great that in the cruelest example of inappropriate hype, I actually left for college to be a pilot right after high school. I’m a huge fan of flight simulators and Ace Combat not only scratches that itch, it covers it with a smooth, cool, action-y cream. I can’t say I’m too thrilled about the first-person action, lock-on camera of the last game (I feel like it’s a bit much), but it won’t stop me from wanting the newest entry in the series. Set to hit later this year as a PS4 exclusive, it will definitely be a must have for the system.
2016 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for gamers. Triple-A titles are coming out of the woodwork, especially ones promised when the current systems were announced. Along with Sony and Microsoft racing to get backwards compatibility off the ground, there is going to a slew of great titles to play; not to mention your backlog of 2015 games that you haven’t finished or just plain aren’t done with. Regardless of what you end up playing this year, you’re not going to be disappointed.
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