We gamers got one hell of a year in 2015. So many great titles came to into our lives! Fallout 4, The Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid V, Life is Strange, Bloodborne?! What an incredible year. Well now that we’ve rung in 2016 it’s time to start looking forward to the hype train ride that is this new year! Here are the 5 games I’m most excited to get my hands on this year. Some of them I’ve played bits and pieces, and some we’ve only seen concepts and trailers. But all of them have me very pumped for another year of great games.
5. Uncharted 4
The Uncharted series was one of the first things to put the PS3 back on the map for a lot of burned gamers. Not everybody remembers the horrific launch of the third generation of PlayStations, with a huge price tag and horror stories of CPUs melting after just hours of game time. But Naughty Dog really helped make the PlayStation great again when they kicked off their amazing exclusive that felt like playing through an Indiana Jones movie. Well now we are going to see the conclusion to that beautiful piece of gaming art. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is shaping up to be one of the best in the series. While our team here wasn’t overly sold on the multiplayer, there is no doubt that we’re going to get a great single player story campaign. After all, that is what we really want out of Nathan Drake!
Uncharted 4: A Theif's End releases April 26th on PS4
4. Kingdom Hearts III
This would be higher on my list, but I’m a little skeptical if we will indeed get it in 2016. Every time Square Enix has announced a new trailer is coming out, they totally miss their deadline. You’ve burned be Square… I loved you and you burned me! I am a huge Kingdom Hearts nerd, and I’ve been anxiously anticipating a third entry (along with everyone else) since the second the credits rolled on Kingdom Hearts II. I’ve been able to whet my appetite on okay-ish handheld spin-offs and HD re-releases. But it is time Square Enix! We need ourselves a fully fledged sequel! Everything about the new Kingdom Hearts is looking absolutely gorgeous. The new worlds looking stunning and like a blast to play in. The returning worlds have a shiny new coat of paint that make me excited to go back. I want this game so very badly, but I’m not going to hold my breath that we will see it by year’s end. I look forward to Square Enix proving me wrong.
Kingdom Hearts III is slated to release in 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One.
3. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
We haven’t heard much from DICE and EA Games since E3 2015 on their upcoming sequel to the somewhat cult hit that was Mirror’s Edge. Personally, the first game was one of my favorites from the previous generation. The art style is so stunning that it still totally holds up, despite coming out in 2008. DICE and the Mirror’s Edge team have openly said that this upcoming sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, is the game they originally envisioned when they released the first title. Knowing how much I love the original, and the hands on demo I played at E3 over and over, I can honestly say I can’t expect anything but greatness from this new title. I look forward to returning to the rooftops and free-running around the glossy dystopian future Faith inhabits.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst releases May 24th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake - Part 1
For years we’ve wanted it. Craved it! NEEDED IT! There are those out there that think the game shouldn’t be touched and just remain what it was. I loved the original Final Fantasy VII, and I agree that it is dangerous to mess with something so beloved. But, I’m an optimist. Everything we have seen up to this point of the Final Fantasy VII Remake has gotten me more and more excited. Square Enix has brought back the majority of the original team that worked on the project, and sprinkled in some from the Kingdom Hearts III team, which makes me very hopeful about the new combat system. True, it is going for some big changes and change can be hard to digest sometimes. But I think if we approach this as a re-imagining of FFVII, perhaps a retelling of a story we all love so much, then maybe it will be even better than we could have hoped.
Final Fantasy VII Remake - Part 1 is slated to release in 2016 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
1. Unravel
I know, I know. Not your average number one. It’s not a huge blockbuster, or a sequel to a much beloved franchise. However, I’ve been singing Unravel’s praises since I first got my hands on it at E3 2015. This is one game that is unlike any of the other major titles coming out this year. At its core it is a 2D puzzle platformer. Beyond that, it is so much more. Unravel promises to be less a simple game and more an emotional experience. Yarny is an adorable character traveling through an unbelievably beautiful world collecting lost and forgotten memories. It promises a wide variety of very in depth exploration of themes such as family, love, and loss. I absolutely can not wait to get my hands on this stunning game! Do yourself a favor and get excited for this one too.
Unravel releases February 9th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Those are my top 5 most anticipated games of the year. What are you most excited for? I know some on my list are a bit unorthodox, so I can’t wait to see what everybody else is looking forward to!
