With 2015 coming to a close, it’s time to look forward video games releases to anticipate in 2016. Next year looks like a huge year in the gaming world. With so many great titles releasing, you’ll struggle to find the time (and money) to play them all.
1. Mighty No. 9
Originally scheduled to released in April 2015, and then September 2015, Mighty No. 9 is finally coming to a gaming system near you in early February. The development of Might No. 9 was successfully funded through Kickstarter, giving Mega Man fans a “spiritual successor” to the classic series. From gameplay to character and environment designs, Mighty No. 9 looks like it’ll carry on the Mega Man legacy.
Release for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS: Feb. 9, 2016
2. Street Fighter V
Capcom’s famed fighting series returns with Street Fighter V. After the release of Street Fighter IV, Capcom received a lot of flak from fans as the game included on-disc DLC. This time around, Capcom is trying to earn back gamers’ good graces by making all DLC characters free for purchase through in-game currency earned by playing the game or by using actual money (if you’re too lazy to play the game, I suppose).
Release for PC, PS4: Feb. 16, 2016
3. Far Cry Primal
Instead of keeping the next Far Cry game in the present-day world, Ubisoft Montreal decided to take the series back in time to the stone age filled with mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. However, the game looks like any old Far Cry game and seems to reuse several assets and animations from past Far Cry games and even has a similar mission structure, making some fans worry if this game should have been its own release or just a DLC expansion for Far Cry 4. Either way, you’ll trade your assault rifles, rocket launchers and squirrel wingsuits for spears, axes and tamed saber-toothed tigers in Primal.
Release for PS4, Xbox One: Feb. 23, 2016
Release for PC: Mar. 1, 2016
4. Tom Clancy’s The Division
The Division grabbed every gamers’ attention back when it was announced at E3 2013. It has been delayed several times, and as an a Ubisoft game, graphical downgrades can be expected, a la Watch Dogs 2014. Even so, the premise, open world and teamwork-oriented gameplay look like they’ll make the game worth purchasing, if you’re comfortable handing over even more money to Ubisoft.
Release for PC, PS4, Xbox One: Mar. 8, 2016
5. Hitman
Square Enix’s reboot to the Hitman series launches next year with an interesting release model. Instead of releasing the full game at once, Square Enix will publish new content for the game from April to June for purchase. The March initial release can be bought for $35 and the remaining sandboxes can be purchased for $30—or you can take the plunge right off the bat and buy the full game for $60 and wait for each content pack to get released each month.
Release for: PC, PS4, Xbox One: Mar. 11, 2016
6. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The final installment in Naughty Dog’s famed Uncharted series will showcase Nathan Drake as a retired fortune hunter who decides to live a normal life with his wife Elena, but is thrust back into the treasure hunting world when his thought-to-be dead brother Sam shows up in Drake’s life. The gameplay promises more simple third-person cover-based shooting, insane set pieces that rival anything in Call of Duty and crazy climbing. This time around Naughty Dog is implementing player-controlled dialogue options, which may increase the game’s replay value. Who am I kidding—as soon as you finish the story you’ll be consumed by the game’s addicting multiplayer.
Release for PS4: Mar. 18, 2016
7. Quantum Break
Quantum Break stars Shawn Ashmore and Aidan Gillan of X-Men and Game of Thrones fame, respectively, as superpowered scientists after a time travel experiment goes wrong. Each gains time-related powers, which influence the gameplay as players take control of protagonist Jack Joyce. Players will have the ability to stop time, deflect bullets and create a “Time Shield,” among other time powers. If Halo and Gears of War haven’t been enough to persuade you to by an Xbox One, Quantum Break may finally push you to purchase Microsoft’s newest console.
Release for Xbox One: Apr. 5, 2016
8. Dark Souls III
From Software is known for their horrifying and ridiculously difficult games, and Dark Souls III looks to continue that trend. After fans felt disappointed with Dark Souls II because beloved director Hidetaka Miyazaki didn’t oversee its production, Miyazaki is back for the third entry in the series and it promises to deliver one of From’s best games. The big change to DS3 will be faster and more aggressive gameplay as Dark Souls III looks to blend the quick and aggressive combat of Bloodborne with the Souls series’s slow shield-based combat.
Release for PC, PS4, Xbox One: Apr. 12, 2016
9. Ratchet & Clank
Releasing just before the film comes out, Ratchet & Clank will reboot the series that began on the PlayStation 2 in 2002. The story for the game will change to align with the film, but the familiar platforming gameplay will bring back old fans of the original games and welcome new players who have never experienced a Ratchet & Clank game before.
Release for PS4: Apr. 12, 2016
10. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will reboot the original Mirror’s Edge, which somehow came out seven years ago (has it been that long?). Catalyst will be an origin tale for protagonist Faith and will feature the exciting parkour gameplay that gamers fell in love with back in 2008.
Release for PC, PS4, Xbox One: May 24, 2016
11. No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is every aspiring astronaut’s dream. Players will take control of an explorer in a procedurally generated open universe, free to explore the game’s 18 quintillion planets. That’s 1.8 times 10 to the 19th power planets for all you math geeks out there. Concerns have already been raised that No Man’s Sky will become boring and repetitive quickly seeing as how the only gameplay is going planet to planet exploring and also first-person shooting, which looks cut and paste from any other FPS. This game won’t be for all, but for those of us who have an itch to explore a galaxy, this game will be your galaxy-sized back scratcher.
Release for PC, PS4: June 2016
12. Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 looks to build upon what the first game did so well. Gamers went crazy with freedom, assassinating everyone in sight and casting magic spells left and right, or the player could go through the entire game stealthily, not killing a single enemy. This time around, players can choose to play as the protagonist from the first game Corvo Attano or newcomer Emily Kaldwin, which means you’ll definitely be replaying this game at least once.
Release for PC, PS4, Xbox One: Quarter 2 2016
13. Pokkén Tournament
Pokémon fans clamored for this game to hit the states after it released on Japanese arcades last summer. Pokkén Tournament will release on the Wii U sometime in spring of 2016 for Europeans and North Americans as Japan gets the game on March 18, 2016. Now all Nintendo needs to do is release a Pokémon console RPG and my life will be complete.
Release for Wii U: Q2 2016
14. Scalebound
2016 promises some great exclusives for the Xbox One outside of their flagship franchises Halo and Gears of War. Scalebound is an RPG that has players take control of a human character accompanied by a freakin’ dragon. This is as close as you can get to living out your fantasy as Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons.
Release for Xbox One: Q4 2016
15. Mass Effect: Andromeda
Here we are, being reminded again that EA owns all your favorite franchises. Star Wars, Battlefield, Dragon Age, Mirror’s Edge and of course, Mass Effect. The follow-up to Commander Shepard’s trilogy will see players take control of a new character who is rumored to be searching for a new home for the human race in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Release for PC, PS4, Xbox One: Q4 2016
