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And now we’re back with our final collection of awesome games that graced the Xbox One in 2016.
Gears of War 4
The Locust problem may have been eradicated in the world of Gears of War, but a new underground threat has sprung up. Gears of War 4 places you into the COG armor of three new characters who attempt to save their loved ones from that very same threat. J.D. Fenix, Delmont Walker and Kait Diaz are our new counterparts during a violent crusade against the Swarm and the mechanical security forces who were originally meant to protect them. The Coalition refined the cover-based gunplay the series is known for and added plenty of fun new firearms to experiment with. Horde Mode is even deeper than past iterations of the co-op mode, the competitive multiplayer stays intact and braving vicious windstorms makes Gears of War 4 an even bigger adrenaline rush than its predecessors.
Battlefield 1
EA Dice made the right move when they decided to stick a “1” next to its standout FPS franchise. Instead of taking it further into the future of military warfare, Battlefield 1 took it all the way back to the huge scale battles of World War I. Fans knew just how impressive the multiplayer components of this shooter would be before they got their mitts on it, but no one knew just how strong the single-player campaign turned out to be. Battlefield 1 delivered WWI through the viewpoint of different soldiers and let players play out their excursions around the world. 64-players could still navigate huge maps and engage in squad-based battles, of course. The spacious maps, incredibly fun Conquest Mode and varied character classes made Battlefield 1 stand out in a year full of great 1st-person shooters.
Titanfall 2
Taken from Game Review: Titanfall 2 comes out during a very crowded FPS season, but make sure you don’t pass it up just because you’re too deep into the latest Battlefield and Call of Duty entries. Respawn has done an incredible job at including one of the more fun single-player campaigns produced in recent years. And its multiplayer feature set throws a lot at everyone, which means there’s way more life in this sequel over its predecessor. New Titans, weapons, gear and the same flexible maneuvers your Pilot employs all combine to make Titanfall 2 one of the best 1st-person shooters of 2016.
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Dishonored 2
Taken from Game Review: Dishonored 2 excels in every area that made the 1st game so remarkable. Each of the stages you explore within Karnaca are wondrous locales teeming with meaningful activity and beautiful scenery. Corvo/Emily’s otherworldly ability suite feels empowering and makes you feel like a true menace. Most of the fun produced by this sequel comes from exploring every nook and cranny of a level while choosing the more/less violent method for your main objective. The game’s tale of deception, revenge and redemption is all the more involving thanks to the interesting personalities you encounter. The only letdown that comes to mind is the fact that some of the game’s cooler mechanics are only relegated to a single stage. But don’t let that nitpick deter you from Arkane Studios’ latest triumph.
Final Fantasy XV
Taken from Game Review: Lastly, although this strays so far from the usual Final Fantasy formula, there are still plenty of elements that longtime fans will recognize, and things that just give it that feel. Most (if not all) of the monsters will be familiar to series veterans, including the Archons. There’s Chocobo riding, naturally, and Moogles even make a small appearance (if only as decoy plushies). You’ll hear clips of familiar music, such as the victory theme when your experience tallies each night (or when Prompto randomly sings it after battles). And of course, there’s the spiky-haired, brooding protagonist.
Batman – The Telltale Series
We were quite skeptical of Telltale Games’ announcement of an adventure game geared towards Gotham City’s dark savior. But after wading through five chapters of Bruce Wayne/Batman’s taxing fight against the Children of Arkham, we grew to appreciate it. Instead of sticking to the traditional mythos the “Dark Knight” has stuck to since his inception, Telltale Games decided to alter his background. This move didn’t anger the traditional Batman fan in us; all it managed to do was give us a different take on his biggest conflicts and Bruce Wayne’s public image. Each chapter provided awesome action set pieces, clever crime scene investigations and a host of familiar allies/antiheroes. Batman – The Telltale Series closed out on a high note and its ending teaser has us excited for what’s next.
Buy Batman – The Telltale Series here.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
We know, we know – everyone is seemingly tired of Activision’s annual routine of releasing a new Call of Duty game. We were far from excited after watching the initial gameplay reveal trailer (and it seems like we weren’t the only ones seeing as how many dislikes it garnered). But Infinite Warfare surprised us by its quality in two specific areas – the main single-player campaign and Zombies Mode. We enjoyed our time navigating through the far reaches of space, wiping out marked targets during side missions and engaging in hellacious dogfights. Once we were done with that portion of the game, we had a blast with the “ripped straight from the 80’s” take on humans vs. zombies. The multiplayer is what its always been and there’s still a fanbase out there for it. But the other two stronger pillars of Infinite Warfare are what kept us entertained throughout.
Buy Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare here.
Watch Dogs 2
A lot of people who were disappointed in the performance of the 1st Watch Dogs didn’t revisit its concept for the sequel. We figured that was true due to the lower sales figures of this follow up. But we hope that category of gamers finally gives Watch Dogs 2 a fair chance. It leaves the grey, dull expanses of Chicago and takes a bunch of tech-heavy hackers into the more colorful state of California. The main character is way more lively, which lends a more light hearted feel to every mission. The hacking mechanics were even stronger than before; we caused arrests after changing a person’s personal info, took over cameras to survey our enemies, took control of cars we definitely couldn’t afford etc. The gunplay was solid, but we had way more fun causing havoc with our little pocket disrupter. Hacking every bit of sunny ‘ol California gave us the hope we lost with the 1st Watch Dogs.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Taken from Game Review: Shantae: Half-Genie Hero may not throw in a whole bunch of fresh faces/elements to get acquainted with. But there’s isn’t much else to complain about. The most familiar elements of the Shantae series (fun platforming segments, cool transformations, catchy tunes etc.) return along with a beautiful new take on the graphics. The art pops off the screen thanks to its HD presentation, which makes each stage, the enemies you encounter on them and the massive bosses you take on look even better than before. This platformer may have released late in the year, but it stands tall as one of the best 2D platforming experiences of 2016.
Buy an Xbox Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.
Stardew Valley
Eric Barone pulled off a feat that must be celebrated as one of 2016’s highest gaming achievements – he created excellence all by himself with Stardew Valley. This addictive life simulator offered gamers a modern-day rendition of Harvest Moon and then some. Improving our farm never grew old as we spent hours building up relationships with the friendly townspeople. We cooked, we fished, we crafted and we braved the dangers of dungeons in order to nab more valuable loot. These activities threw us into a never ending loop of fun that turned into our end of year obsession. Stardew Valley is getting even better at the time of this writing, which makes an already quality product near perfection.
Buy an Xbox Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Stardew Valley.
