We're not ones to shy away from 2016, a universally derided year, because, in terms of video games released, we were absolutely spoiled. There are games of every flavor, and a ton of great games in your favorite flavors.
2016 saw a Renaissance in first-person-shooters, a drastic growth of eSports and some of the most creative and inventive game design in many years.
Without futher ado, here are GameRevolution's Top 10 Best Games of 2016.
Best Games of 2016
-
4. Dark Souls 3
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
rn
rnFor a game in a series that everyone either loves or is too afraid to criticize for fear of being called a casual, Dark Souls 3 has sure been on the forgotten side of 2016, and we think that’s a shame.
rn
rnIt seems as though everyone is thinking about Dark Souls 3 in comparison with other From Software Games, but Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls, Demon Souls and Bloodborne didn’t come out this year – Dark Souls 3 did. While it might not make the cut in terms of other Souls games, it’s a cut above most of the games that came out in 2016.
rn
rnThe thing is that even a slightly disappointing Souls game is still a great game, presenting you with a seemingly insurmountable challenge and asking you to rise above it, while also presenting a wealth of secrets to be discovered. Dark Souls 3 is certainly no exception, and, even in a particularly impressive year, it deserves a spot on this list. -
6. Inside
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
rn
rnInside has been getting lofty praise from both the games press and gamers themselves, and we’re here to tell you it’s worthy of all of it.
rn
rnWhether you are engaged by meaningful stories told in visually interesting ways, or you simply want an innovative puzzle platformer, Inside has what you need. It also showed a marked improvement over Limbo, Playdead’s debut title that launched the studio into stardom. Inside was able to create a tone and carry it throughout the game’s total playtime, while Limbo backed off its macabre subject matter in favor of bland physics puzzles in the second half.
rn
rnInside truly was the better version of Limbo, a game that made no shortage of top 10 lists in its year, so how could it not make such a list this year? -
1. Overwatch
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
rn
rnLook, we really put this game through the ringer. We’re hyper aware of the echo-chamber-like nature of top 10 lists, where a game gets some praise that snowballs into a lot of praise that snowballs into an unwieldy beast that no one dares not give the top spot. We can assure you, though, that this isn’t the case with Overwatch, 2016’s number 1 video game.
rn
rnOverwatch is the genuine article, a game that has all the pick-up-and-play of something like Mario Kart, but all the competitive depth of almost any eSport on the market, and has strong, growing followings in each group.
rn
rnAnd what it has more than anything else is memorable and inventive hero design. This goes for both lore and abilities, where you’ll have heroes that make a meaningful impact whenever they’re in the game but are interesting to learn about when they aren’t. This interplay enriches your experience, but the competitive nature of Overwatch keeps you coming back for more. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s here to stay, and we think it deserves to. -
7. Stardew Valley
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch (coming soon).
rn
rnWe’re as shocked as you are. That we have a farming simulator on our list is one thing – that it’s over that of Uncharted 4 and some games that didn’t even make the list is a whole other mystery entirely.
rn
rnThis mystery is solved by anyone who actually sits down and plays Stardew Valley. While it might just be the popular Facebook game Farmtown on its face, there is a lot more growing in the soil beneath. We’re talking deep RPG elements, a satisfying progression system and dialogue that denotes care when crafting different characters.
rn
rnWhile I’m sure the decision to include Stardew Valley on this year-end list – and in its current position – will be derided by some, I’m willing to bet those people haven’t given it a chance. -
10. Uncharted 4: A Thief\'s End
Platform: PS4
rn
rnUncharted 4: A Thief’s End has the gaming community swooning, and, don’t get me wrong, we are too, but it’s more of a reserved fawning. We recognize everything great about Uncharted 4 – the incredible voice-acting performances, the graphics that were beyond reproach and gameplay that finally took advantage of everything the new console generation had to offer.
rn
rnOn the other hand, we have to wonder how far the series has really come. These games tend to feel samey, and Uncharted 4 was no exception.
rn
rnThat’s not enough to knock it off our list, entirely, but we feel 10 is the right spot. -
2. Dishonored 2
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
rn
rnIf you want to talk depth and imagination in 2016, as we have been this entire list, that conversation starts and ends with Dishonored 2. The level design in this stealth-action title is alone enough to put it on this list. You have a mansion that reconfigures with the push of a button. You have a home through which you can only progress by going back and forth through time and space. These are the sort of things that you can’t make up.
rn
rnAnd I mean, you can’t make it up. I can’t make it up. But the folks at Arkane Studios can – and they did. Dishonored 2 is truly the high-mark of imagination in 2016, and even that’s not all they having going for it.
rn
rnYou have levels that are infinitely re-playable in a thousand different ways, both in routes you can take and in the strategy in which you take those routes. You can leave a trail of bodies strewn in your wake, or you can make it so no one ever knows you were there. And you can do so with two different, equally interesting characters. Dishonored 2 outdid itself in almost every aspect. -
Best Games of 2016
-
3. Titanfall 2
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
rn
rnWhat is perhaps the most criminally underplayed game of 2016, Titanfall 2 is a high mark in first-person shooters, of which this year has a wealth. This is the series that fundamentally changed the likes of Call of Duty, which scrambled to add double jumping and wall running after the original game’s success.
rn
rnDespite adding all the superficial elements that Titanfall had, Call of Duty still couldn’t pull it off. Enter Titanfall 2, a game that truly understands what made the first so great and improves upon every way it didn’t. Its large, hectic environments are the best playground for these futuristic elements to play out.
rn
rnDid we mention Titans? They’re back and better than ever, with a heartfelt campaign to give them more – forgive me – weight. We’ve said it before and we will say it again, the disappointing sales of Titanfall 2 is the biggest gaming travesty in 2016. -
5. Civilization VI
Platform: PC rn rnEvery time a new Civilization game comes out, I’m convinced the series has peaked – there’s nothing more the series can do – grand strategy is dead – it’s all downhill from here – only to be confronted with the next installment and find we are once again embarrassed with riches. rn rnThis was certainly the case with Civilization VI, which feels more and more like a tour de force for the series. Civilization VI is addictive, intricate and thin on frustrations. No serious element in the series wasn’t improved upon in the sixth installment. rn rnWhat’s more impressive about this is how many 4X games are out there, every one of which wants to be what Civilization is. We’ve seen time and time again how the king of any given series can be dethroned by a worthy competitor, but Civilization’s reign seems unending, and, if they keep churning out sequels like Civilization VI, then I say “long live Sid Meier.” -
8. The Witness
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS
rn
rnThe same thing we criticized Uncharted 4 for not having – imagination – The Witness has in spades. Being a puzzle game, it sure as hell better, but I’ve played more than a few fly-by brain teasers that could have used a little more.
rn
rnThe Witness has all different kinds of puzzles you could possibly think up and then some, including, of course, its famous perspective-based line puzzles – those alone are likely what put it on this list and others like it.
rn
rnBut the attention to detail overall is what makes The Witness an easy choice – creating an environment where there’s almost always something more to find, another mystery to solve, or a puzzle so difficult, people actually marked The Witness down. Get good. -
9. Forza Horizon 3
Platform: Xbox One, PC
rn
rnThe question going into this game concerns the richness of racing game soil. How much can you mine out of open world racing games at this point? Apparently that wasn’t an issue with Forza Horizon 3.
rn
rnIt was a brilliant exercise in development more than anything else. With all these other similar racing games, Forza Horizon 3 was able to pick out the best parts from each of them and smoosh them together into one project. Playground Games then created a cohesive game with all the qualities of other racing games and almost none of their drawbacks.
rn
rnForza Horizon 3 also had some of the more practical benefits that many multiplayer games are missing – a co-op campaign, the ability to play with people on other platforms, etcetera – which removed any barriers that could prevent one from enjoying the game.
