From Hyrule to the farthest reaches of space, these are the games we cannot wait to play this year.
2015 was an excellent year for games, and now, with the recent knockouts Oxenfree and The Witness, 2016 is shaping up to be just as good, if not better.
With the year now in full swing, we present to you Geek Outpost’s 10 most anticipated games of 2016.
This list is composed of the games the whole team is excited for, and the titles are presented in alphabetical order.
Additionally, these are games that currently have tentative 2016 release dates, so excluded are unannounced titles like Pokemon Z, and far-off games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Let’s get started.
Doom (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
The FPS that started it all is finally coming back for more. While id Software’s last game Rage wasn’t quite the revolution it was touted as, the developer appears to be going back to their roots with over the top guns/violence and demonic foes. Plus, we have a robust multiplayer mode to look forward to as well.
Outside of Wolfenstein: The New Order, this generation has been lacking fun and zany single-player FPS experiences, but it looks like Doom will deliver the goods, and more.
Final Fantasy 15 (PS4, Xbox One)
There is perhaps no other game on this list, or ever, that is as long-awaited as Final Fantasy 15. Seriously, this game’s development time is starting to rival that of Boyhood. Known for years as Versus 13, this title was an enigma of the gaming world; often believed to be vaporware, or a failed Square Enix experiment. However, E3 2013 blessed us with the confirmation that FF15 is real, and now, it’s coming soon. This game has years of hype to live up to, but if recent trailers and the excellent Episode Duscae demo is any indication, 15 might be worth the wait.
Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4)
Two words: Robot Dinosaurs.
All right, there’s obviously much more to this post-post apocalyptic RPG, but that’s enough to get us hyped. Revealed at last year’s E3, Horizon surprised everyone with an incredible trailer, showcasing stellar visuals, flexible gameplay, and yes, robot dinosaurs. If Killzone developer Guerrilla Games can craft a game that expands on what that trailer/demo promises, we might not just get a great game, but also the start of a great new franchise.
The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)
To say we know nothing about this game would be an understatement. Nintendo, who have drilled in our heads that this game will come out 2016 for the Wii U (although a simultaneous launch with the fabled NX a la Twilight Princess is almost a given at this point), the company hasn’t shared anything new about this game in months. Well, besides Amiibo integration…hooray.
We may know nothing, but if that means the first open-world Zelda will be as fresh and innovative as Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time, we cannot, and will not, complain.
The Last Guardian (PS4)
Like Final Fantasy 15, this game was long considered dead, as we heard little about the title since it’s announcement in 2009. But like the phoenix, The Last Guardian rose from the dead with a rerelease trailer showcased at last year’s E3, and it looks incredible. From the team behind the PS2 classics ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian puts you in the role of a young boy teamed up with a gigantic griffin creature, and together, you must solve puzzles and traverse a mysterious world. Like its PS2 ancestors, the game looks deceptively simple, but undoubtedly, there will be great emotional depth as the relationship between a boy and his bird-dog is explored. It may have taken years, but The Last Guardian is (hopefully) almost here, and we can’t wait dive in.
No Man’s Sky (PS4, PC)
No other game on this list encompasses the scope and scale of No Man’s Sky. Touting an absolutely ginormous procedurally generated open universe, the player tasked with exploring and discovering what lives beyond the stars. Although it’s being developed by a small indie team, and we haven’t seen or heard recent news of it, No Man’s Sky’s absolute ambition and allure has made this game a giant blip on our radar.
Overwatch (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Blizzard Entertainment have mastered MMOs and strategy games, but can they make a character-based team shooter? Probably. Most likely, yes. The answer is yes.
With their first new IP in years, Overwatch looks like an absolute blast from the masters of multiplayer-action. The characters all appear to have distinct play styles, and the level of cooperation needed in order to win a match looks refreshingly necessary.
We were excited to try out Overwatch when it was a PC exclusive, but now with the console Origins Edition, color us super hyped.
Pokémon Go (Mobile)
2016 is the 20th anniversary of Pokémon. There are plenty of celebrations planned to honor the second decade of Pocket Monsters, but we’re most excited for Pokémon’s first big outing on mobile. This AR-based game promises the ability to train, battle, capture, and trade virtual Pokémon in the real world. How exactly this will be done remains to be seen, but the sheer idea of it is enough for a place on this list. Plus, the possibility of real life Pokémon Gyms is all too enticing. Down with Gold’s Gym, but with Brock’s!
Quantum Break (Xbox One)
The Xbox One exclusive we’re looking forward to most doesn’t star a Spartan or a beefy Lancer-wielding solider; instead it’s Iceman from X-Men!
Remedy Entertainment’s upcoming action game features interesting time manipulation mechanics, but most intriguing, is the accompanying live action series. Few games have successfully cross-promoted their IP through two separate mediums, but Quantum Break’s polished gameplay and the series’ great cast (including Dominic Monghan and Aidan Gillen) could prove successful.
Quantum Break is unique, and it’s shaping up to be the shot of energy Xbox One, and the industry as whole, really needs.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)
Last, and certainly not least, is a game that doesn’t need much of an introduction. Developer Naughty Dog has delivered masterpiece after masterpiece with the Uncharted sequels and The Last of Us on PS3, so now, we have nothing but high hopes for their first outing on the PS4. Will this really be Nathan Drake’s last adventure? Will the game end with a Last of Us tie-in? There are so many questions, but the proof is in the pudding, and we want that damn pudding.
What games are you excited for? Any obvious picks we missed? Let us know, and may 2016 deliver excellent games on all platforms.
