2015 was a really good year for gaming with a very diverse lineup of games throughout the year, including some big surprises like Splatoon and Rocket League. 2016 is already setting up to potentially be even better with a number of great exclusives for our respective platforms, and possibly even the debut of the Nintendo NX. Among those, the majority of game releases will be multi-platform and we have an excellent slate of games to look forward to in 2016.
For the purposes of this list, we are sticking to only announced games, so you won’t find the annual series like Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty here, even if there is a very high likelihood they will have new games this year. We also considered multi-platform on this list as coming to more than one console, so essentially both PS4 and Xbox One for all of these games.
10) Hitman
The stealth based Hitman franchise has been around for years, but IO Interactive and Square Enix are trying something very different with an episodic approach.
Originally, the simply named Hitman was set to come out in late 2015, but to provide more content at the start, Hitman got pushed back to 2016, which certainly makes us more interested in this title.
Beyond the episodic approach, the third-person stealth style is still here, but they are definitely trying some other new things with the setup and reuse of the same maps. This one could end up being a big disappointment, but at least we are intrigued to see how it turns out when it releases in March.
9) Tom Clancy’s The Division
It feels like forever ago when Tom Clancy’s The Division was first announced at E3 2013. This saw the game get pushed out of 2014 and then 2015, with it finally set to release in March.
The setting found in The Division is pretty interesting, with the US government collapsing and everything going to chaos with the spread of disease. Perhaps the most ambitious side of the fact that it is open world, which looks great from what we’ve seen.
Almost following a similar trajectory to the disappointing Watch_Dogs, this one has some concerns, but for now, The Division is definitely one of the games in 2016 that could really surprise us.
8) Far Cry Primal
The Far Cry games have been on a roll in recent years with the absolutely fantastic Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4, along with unique DLC. This made the announcement of Far Cry Primal all the more surprising, as it seemed to almost come out of nowhere initially.
Moving away from the modern setting, Far Cry Primal goes ways back to the Stone Age for the latest adventure. This allows the game to introduce Mammoths and other animals of the period, which should take the animal hunting up a level from the usual wild creatures found in the other games in the series.
Going back to the Stone Age obviously takes away all of the guns and modern weapons, but instead goes with hatchets and bows, which look to be a lot of fun. This is another game that is coming very soon, so we’ll see how Far Cry Primal is this February.
7) Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
Mirror’s Edge debuted during the last generation of console gaming and wowed us with its unique movement and action segments, though lacking in the story department. We had heard talk of a followup for years now and finally it will be here in 2016 with Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.
Interestingly, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is not really a true sequel, as it serves as a reboot instead. With the origin of the lead character Faith front and center, this one should be much more story oriented.
The modern consoles will also allow the gameplay to reach new heights, especially with the move to an open world, which is a major departure from the very linear setup of the first. Prepare to take another leap of Faith when Mirror’s Edge Catalyst arrives this May.
6) Dishonored 2
The first Dishonored had to be one of the most overlooked games of the last generation, even though it reviewed quite well. This often happens with so many different games coming out, but luckily the game is getting a sequel that looks even better than the original.
First revealed at E3 earlier this year alongside the remaster of the original, Dishonored 2 looks to take what was great about the first game and bring us even more to enjoy. One of the most talked about elements is that there are two different playable characters, with the female protagonist Emily Kaldwin actually tying into the original.
Dishonored is still one of those games we haven’t seen a lot of to this point, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising if it got pushed back to the Fall, but what we have seen so far makes us very excited for this title.
5) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
As the game the furthest out with a set release date already, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the upcoming sequel to this growingly popular series.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has you taking control of Adam Jensen once again, which once again combines first and third-person perspectives within an RPG setting. The augmentations will play a major part in this game once again, which plays perfectly into the story where people are getting more against them.
While we had some controversy involving this game a few months ago with the terrible pre-order system of tiers and choices, but thankfully that was done away with and we can move on and get hyped for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided when it releases this August.
4) Doom
With most of the franchises on this list being sequels or reboots, Doom is easily the oldest of the bunch, as it is one of the first and most important first-person shooters ever. For the first time in over 10 years, the series is finally returning with a brand new game in the rebooted Doom.
Doom has been known about for awhile, including the marketing of the game’s beta with 2013’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, but the full reveal came at E3 2015.
The big guns and fast paced action is back in Doom, which looks like it could be propelled to even new heights with the level of multiplayer we have around on modern consoles. Doom is supposed to come out in the first half of the year, so the wait for this one can’t be too far away, though no date is set yet.
3) Dark Souls III
Bloodborne was one of the biggest critical hits of 2015 as basically the next game in the Souls franchise, but 2016 will bring us the next actual Souls title in name with Dark Souls III
Hidetaka Miyazaki is the man behind the Souls series, directing both Demon Souls and Dark Souls. However, Miyazaki was unable to take part in directing Dark Souls II, as it was being developed concurrently with Bloodborne. Luckily, he is back this time around, which makes us even more hyped.
With us just getting the very solid DLC pack for Bloodborne, gamers are ready to die many more times, so it’s a great thing that Dark Souls III will be coming out in only a few months on April 12.
2) Mass Effect: Andromeda
While the ending to the third entry of the trilogy was widely panned, the Mass Effect trilogy of games is still one of the pinnacles of achievement for the last generation of gaming. Shepard’s story may be over, but we are ready to take off once again with Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2016.
The Mass Effect’s franchises mixing shooting mechanics with the RPG genre worked exceptionally well and is bound to be even more refined this time around.Story was perhaps even more important with dialogue choices throughout that shaped your character, so it will be interesting to see how they implement that in this first game outside of the trilogy.
We’ve seen very little of this game, so it’s always possible it could be delayed, but as of now, it’s scheduled to arrive in 2016.
1) Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV is a game that has eluded us for even longer than The Last Guardian, but this is the year that it’s finally supposed to come. Originally unveiled at Final Fantasy Versus XIII years ago, Final Fantasy XV has been changed quite a lot over the years into the game it is now.
Last March, we got our first taste of Final Fantasy XV with the Episode Duscae demo, which seemed to show we were getting close to a release. We were told 2016 before, which was officially confirmed by the game’s director in a blog post to celebrate the New Year.
The goal stated before is for Final Fantasy XV to have a simultaneous worldwide release, so it appears that the 2016 release should be for not just Japan, but also the US and other regions. That means to get ready, because the long wait is about over for our most anticipated multi-platform game of the year.
