We’re half-way through 2016, and it’s been a big year in gaming so far. Plenty of fantastic games, but certainly no shortage of disappointments.
We’re primed for a big second half of the year with the likes of Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2 and No Man’s Sky, to name a few, still set for release. I’ve had a blast so far in 2016 playing some of the best games this generation has to offer. Here are my favourites and not-so-favourite games of 2016 so far.
Best Of 2016 So Far
Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls fans probably couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to the trilogy. Dark Souls III is a marvel in game design, and while it still suffered from the same shortcomings of its predecessors in framerate, level design and other technical issues, it reached and then surpassed with brutal force the standard of difficulty and challenge that those before it set.
Overwatch
It might lack the depth of a Call Of Duty or Battlefield, but where Overwatch surpasses its main competitors is in the sheer addictiveness of its gameplay and variety of its character roster. With competitive modes still set to come, Overwatch promises to be a force in gaming for years to come, and is yet another home run from the gaming juggernaut that is Blizzard.
The Witness
This satisfyingly challenging, highly intelligent and aesthetically pleasing puzzle game doubles as one of the surprise packets and all-round best games of 2016. Few puzzle games match The Witness for wittiness and elegance. It’s a special game that’s managed to meet and then surpass the high expectations surrounding its development.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
It was a long-time coming for PlayStation fans, but Uncharted 4 finally landed on PS4 to thunderous applause from gamers and critics alike. The final chapter in Nathan Drake’s story, Naughty Dog’s first major release designed specifically for the console demonstrated just how much important the studio is to Sony, and how beloved it is by PlayStation fans the world over.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Blood and Wine
Sure, it’s an expansion, not a full game, but Blood and Wine could have been release as a separate entity and it still would have been a home run. CD Projekt RED continues to set the standard for DLC, releasing a 20-hour add-on that is the perfect way to end Geralt’s memorable journey.
XCOM 2
Reaching the heights of its fantastic predecessor was always going to be a challenge, but Firaxis once again proved that it is the premiere strategy developer. XCOM 2 disappointingly skipped console, but its PC exclusivity led to a better all-round game. XCOM 2 is an instant classic, expanding upon and evolving the best traits of the series and genre proper.
Unravel
Compelling and beautiful, Unravel is one of the must-have indie games of 2016. It might be incredibly short at only six hours long, but the mostly wordless tale of love is a memorable exercise in emotion and adventure. Few games are able to say so much without saying much at all quite like Unravel does.
Honorable Mentions …
- Far Cry Primal
- Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
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Worst Of 2016 So Far
Homefront: The Revolution
Homefront: The Revolution has some great ideas, and the gunplay and customisation works in parts, but it’s mostly a broken, sluggish experience that fails to tell a compelling story. Despite a strong lore built around invasion and revolution, The Revolution‘s development struggles hold it back on both the story and gameplay front, making it mostly a chore to play.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan
Hopes were relatively high for this PlatinumGames-developed action game, especially after the modest success of the studio’s Transformers: Devastation. The idea of a fast-paced brawler from a studio that excels in exaggerated action seemed like the perfect recipe for a Ninja Turtles game, but the outcome is a jarring, frustrating and erratic experience.
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Most Disappointing Of 2016 So Far
Star Fox Zero
Star Fox Zero is ambitious, sure, but it gives up gameplay coherence for what feels like a mesh of demos to showcase different control schemes. At a time when the Wii U was in dire need of something — anything — to give it some value, Star Fox Zero released to mixed reviews, even if it did fulfil the nostalgic cravings of Nintendo’s most passionate fans.
Quantum Break
Quantum Break isn’t a bad game by any means, and it is actually the technical marvel that developer Remedy promised it would be. However, while its storytelling techniques and time-bending gameplay features are both innovative and engaging, the game struggles to really stand out as much as it wants to. Strong characters save it from complete disaster, though, and while it’s not quite the system seller Microsoft may have wanted it to be, it’s still something every Xbox One should check out.
Mighty No.9
After countless delays and an endless stream of criticisms, Mighty No.9 has finally released, unfortunately to a thunderous clunk. It lacks personality, and doesn’t quite offer the same sort of fun and aesthetic excitement that the Mega Man games that inspired it offered. Mighty No.9 tries hard to be its own game, instead stumbling down a trek to mediocrity, and disappointing a legacy of fans that had clung to its development like sticky bombs.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst‘s fundamentals work just as well as they did in the original, but it’s additional gameplay features and a muddled plot drag it well below the quality of its predecessor. EA held off commissioning this sequel, concerned there wasn’t much of a market for it. In eventually signing off, DICE seemed forced to “reboot” a game that was already drowning in character and intrigue. They somehow managed to turn an empowered and likeable female hero into a dry, emotionless one, while also throwing in tedious gameplay features that undermine the brand’s parkour roots.
Battleborn
Battleborn seemed the goods at E3 2015, but its release was met with a collective “meh”. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good, either. Battleborn is just “there”, struggling to form an identity. That’s strange, because the game is drowning in Gearbox’s and Borderlands’ DNA and humour. It struggles in the areas of map design and team dynamics, forcing it down the pile of multiplayer shooters, and well below that of Overwatch.
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Most Surprising Of 2016 So Far
Tom Clancy’s The Division
I, along with many others, probably didn’t expect to enjoy The Division that much. I’d argue that it’s Ubisoft’s best open-world game yet, and while the side missions and lone-wolf gameplay can be repetitive and too grinding for its own good, The Division is certainly one of the better multiplayer games of 2016, if not this generation so far. Post-launch issues have plagued the game and dropped it down the rankings, but it still clearly demonstrates that Ubisoft knows how to do open world.
DOOM
Bethesda and id Software for whatever reason kept a lot of DOOM‘s single-player campaign under wraps until only a few days before release, which led to concerns the game wasn’t going to be very good. Thankfully for DOOM diehards, the end result is a brutal, scary and deep campaign, an experience that arguably over-shadowed the heavily publicised multiplayer offering.
Ratchet and Clank
It probably shouldn’t be surprising, as Insomniac Games’ Ratchet and Clank games are consistently good, but I’m not sure anyone expected Ratchet and Clank to actually rank as one of 2016’s best games. It sets a new standard for what a “re-imagining” should be like, nailing all the core components of its historical predecessors while also managing to evolve and innovate platforming fundamentals.
Honourable Mentions …
- Alienation
- Superhot
What have been your favourite games of 2016 so far? Your most disappointing? Sound off in the comments below!