While some consider 2016 a lackluster year for video games, the truth is there were some incredible offerings throughout the year including games in development for a decade. These are not only some of the best games various genres had to offer, but also my personal favorites. (Listed in order of release date)
EA Sports UFC 2
This is game I undoubtedly put the most time in compared to anything else on this list. Being a fan of MMA and the UFC, “EA Sports UFC” was all the convincing I needed to purchase a Playstation 4. Yet, the first entry in the series proved to be underwhelming and left me less than optimistic. Thankfully, EA listened to complaints & critics and worked on everything to make the sequel better. From the action bell-to-bell to the mode offerings both offline and online, “EA Sports UFC 2” was everything I wanted from the original and then some. Though some of the gameplay has been hindered by patch “improvements”, the core is still great enough to keep me playing at least once a week to test my skills online and preview the upcoming big UFC events.
Uncharted 4
When it was announced “Uncharted 4” wouldn’t be just the first game in the series to make an appearance on the PS4, but would also mark the end of Nathan Drake’s time as a treasure hunter extraordinaire, gamers anticipated the most memorable experience from the franchise thus far; and an argument can be made Naughty Dog completed their goal by producing a story worthy of film full of human emotion and action sequences galore. While introducing new characters, improving on the game play seen in not only previous “Uncharted” games, but also “The Last of Us” both from an offline and online perspective, and some of the prettiest graphics seen on a console, “Uncharted 4” proved to be a defining moment in the world of gaming in 2016. It proved to be the fitting end to a fantastic series that pushed the envelope constantly in regards to what it means to be a game in the Adventure genre during this era. Sony has been claiming that “Greatness Awaits” when referring to the Playstation 4 since the system launched. It’s taken almost three years, but “greatness” has finally arrived in the form of, easily, the system’s most impressive exclusive thus far.
The King of Fighters XIV
Having been a long-time fan of the franchise, the announcement of a new “The King of Fighters” game arriving on the Playstation 4 had me looking forward to embracing the kid gamer in me who only used to dedicate his time to platformers and fighting games. Thankfully, “The King of Fighters XIV” felt like a blast from the past while featuring new innovations, characters, and an art style that didn’t necessarily outdo the simplicity of pixels on a 2D plane, but were impressive nonetheless (especially after some patches focused on graphical improvements). “KOF XIV” still had some rough edges mostly from an online perspective thanks to online connectivity issues and a lacking community compared to its counterparts – “Street Fighter V” and “Mortal Kombat XL”. Thankfully the game is a lot better off now than when it launched, and provided one of the most well-rounded experiences from any game offering 2D style fighting action in 2016.
Watch Dogs 2
In a year featuring countless sequels, none surprised me more than “Watch Dogs 2” by being everything the original isn’t – entertaining characters operating inside a bright, vibrant city; pulling off shocking takedowns of corporations with an unreal knowledge of hacking on a grand level. The thing that really stands out about “Watch Dogs 2” is the amount of things the player can do that all connect to one another including copious amount of side missions that can be as lengthy as main story missions, a variety of distractions that encourage the player to explore the digitized city of San Francisco, and enjoying some online competition based on the simple act of hunting both violently and non-violently. The story does leave something to be desired and the omnipresent AI can prove problematic, but the game’s positives greatly outweigh its negatives while undoubtedly putting the franchise in a better position for success than its predecessor did.
Final Fantasy XV
“Final Fantasy” is the franchise that got me into Role Playing Games, but the latest couple of numbered entries in the series had me worried. While “Final Fantasy XV” didn’t completely alleviate the feeling that the series’ best days are further and further behind it, the fact “XV” isn’t a rotten experience is outmatched by the fact the game is actually very good while being so different compared to its predecessors. Featuring a fantastic action-oriented game play style, four mostly enjoyable lead characters (and one of the franchise’s best villains), and some magnificent visuals, “FF XV” has a level of authenticity not delivered in a mostly human and relatable way compared to all of video games, let alone previous “Final Fantasies”. The game’s biggest flaw unfortunately comes with its story being stretched too far across various mediums. Even with that negative, “Final Fantasy XV” feels like a step in the right direction even if the franchise never reaches the heights of notoriety that had people praising every release during the SNES, Playstation, and Playstation 2 eras.
The Last Guardian
Like “Final Fantasy XV”, “The Last Guardian” suffered from being the product of a long development cycle that had people questioning not whether or not the game would be any good like its predecessors, but whether or not it’d even come out. While it didn’t release on the system it was originally designed for, “The Last Guardian” did witness its ten years of development pay off in grand measure by taking pages from Team Ico’s previous releases and bringing everything together. This is an escort mission style game featuring unique puzzles just like “Ico” based around a lumbering beast that, unlike “Shadow of the Colossus” actually helps the player and the game’s unnamed lead character progress through another simplistic, yet emotionally heavy story that the studio is known for. The amalgamation known as Trico acts incredibly lifelike by ignoring orders and even using the bathroom randomly. Most importantly, it’s the tale of a boy and his pet that slowly becomes his guardian and friend. Technical issues such as a lackluster control scheme and camera issues never ruin the overall experience that almost goes by too quickly and just begs for a second or even multiple playthroughs while reinforcing the argument that video games are truly an interactive form of art.
