Salt and Sanctuary
We never knew we wanted a side-scrolling rendition of Dark Souls, but we’re glad someone realized our unknown desires for us. Ska Studios obviously took note of FromSoftware’s hardcore action RPG series for their take on the franchise. Salt and Sanctuary throws you into a world rife with strife, as evidenced by all the darkness that enraptures it. Your custom character can adopt one/two-handed weapons, shields, magical spells and other essential tools for battle. The gameplay is deep and expectedly tough to endure. Finally beating Salt and Sanctuary will put you on a high that’s hard to come down from. Multiple playthrough’s of this dark adventure are a must.
Buy a PSN Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Salt and Sanctuary.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars not only hit the big screen in fine fashion once again this year, it also made waves in video game form. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens jams in the usual stud collecting and hilarious inside jokes past games did so well. But it manages to freshen up the experience by adding in surprisingly fun cover shooting sections, multiple ways to solve puzzling situations and official lore for that galaxy far, far away. All those side missions, expansive planets and extra playable characters makes it the perfect pick-up for Star Wars‘ biggest fans and annual Lego game adopters. May the (blocky) Force be with you…
Buy Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens here.
Lego Marvel’s Avengers
For the 2nd Lego game on our list, we’re heading into Marvel Super Heroes territory. Lego Marvel’s Avengers mashes together the cinematic experiences of standout MCU films into your usual Lego video game. Marvel’s take on the city that never sleeps is back and fully explorable, which means a wealth of side missions and comic book Easter Eggs are ready to discovered. With over 200 heroes and villains to collect, there’s a near limitless amount of team-up moves you’ll end up activating as well. Tap into your Marvel Comics fandom with this quality take on the MCU in Lego form.
Buy Lego Marvel’s Avengers here.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Here’s one of 2016’s most overlooked JRPG’s. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II re-introduces its heart tugging plot developments, deep combat mechanics and party member relationship elements to fans of the 1st game. The nation of Erebonia is in disarray, but Rean and his closest allies must come together to fix things. Bringing everything back to normalcy means hopping in giant mech’s for climactic battles, traveling the world in a beautiful airship and properly linking attacks in order to brave the toughest encounters. The 3rd game is on the way, so make sure you dedicate plenty of time to this sequel before you move on to the next one.
Buy The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II here.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is one of the hardest gaming trials we’ve endured this year. Taking on grotesque creatures isn’t the only danger presented to you and your party; the dangers of mental status ailments can bring your warriors down to nothingness real fast. Managing your characters’ stress levels and also making sure they navigate through dangerous dungeons somewhat unscathed are on your to-do list. The art style perfectly reflects the horrific monsters the game’s massive manor and dungeons houses. A true challenge awaits those in Darkest Dungeon, Red Hook Studios’ mind-breaking dungeon crawler.
Buy a PSN Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Darkest Dungeon.