Press Start: Top Ten Anticipated Games of 2016

Unless stated otherwise, all pictures are from Wikipedia.

2015 has come and gone, and I think it’ll be remembered as a mixed year. Sure, we got some truly great games, but many big name releases fell flat or failed to meet some basic expectations. For every Splatoon, there was a Star Wars Battlefront. Fortunately, 2016 is shaping up to be much better. With tons of big names like Street Fighter and Uncharted, as well as new IPs like Battleborn and Horizon Zero Dawn, 2016 is looking to have some massive payoff. This list is dedicated to the ten games I’m looking forward to the most. Keep in mind, this is my opinion, and you won’t be seeing a ton of big name games on here. With that said, let’s get started.

Note: All release dates are for the North American releases.

#10: Project X Zone 2

Publisher: Bandai Namco

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: February 16

I know I’m in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Project X Zone. True, it had many problems, but I thought it was an entertaining love letter to hardcore fans of Bamco, Capcom, and Sega. So of course I’m looking forward to the sequel. PXZ2 is shaping up to be bigger and badder than its predecessor, bringing characters such as Vergil (Devil May Cry), Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney), Axel (Streets of Rage), and even several Nintendo characters. On top of that, the game is going to feature customization options for both paired and solo units, as well as a shop that can be accessed in between battles. The game looks like a major improvement from the last one, but still retains that “love letter” type feel, which makes a winner in my book.

#9: Digimon Story- Cyber Sleuth

Publisher: Bandai Namco

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Release Date: February 2

I only have a passing familiarity with Digimon, but I really admire the franchise’s creative spirit and Energizer-like like ability to remain active. However, I adore both Digimon Dawn/Dusk and Digimon World 3, so I’m really excited to see a full fledged Digimon adventure coming to the west. I’m not expecting much from the story, but just the fact that the game comes packing traditional dungeon crawling Digimon goodness makes me happy. It also helps that it’s a turn-based RPG in an era where they are few and far between. This game may not be at the top of my wishlist, but it’s near the top of the games I’m getting when I get my hands on a PS4.

#8: Yooka-Laylee

Publisher: Playtonic Games, Team17

Platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U

Release Date: October

Banjo-Kazooie is one of my favorite games of all time. It has a sense of pure fun that few platformers have matched. So I’m really looking forward to Banjo’s spiritual successor coming from the same people who made the original: Yooka-Laylee. This game looks every bit as fun as Banjo-Kazooie, which is great news in and of itself. With vibrant colors and delightfully silly designs, it looks to be every bit as wacky and fun as the adventures of the bear and the bird. It’s also a 3D platformer in an era where they have all but died out. Yooka-Laylee is looking to be a nostalgic, cartoonishly good fun, and I hope it paves the way to a new wave of 3D platformers for the future.

#7: Star Fox Zero

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Wii U

Release Date: April 22

Star Fox Zero is one of several games that was slated for 2015 that got pushed back a year. And while I was disappointed when Star Fox Zero was delayed, my excitement for the game has not waned. A return to the vehicle based shoot-em-up action is exactly what Star Fox needed. And yes, the graphics leave a lot to be desired, but the improvements made to the fluidity of gameplay as well as the number of enemies present. Not to mention that the various vehicles and their alternate forms all look very fun to play as. Star Fox Zero looks like a much needed update in a series that’s been MIA for far too long, and I anticipate its return.

#6: Ni-Oh

Publisher: Koei Tecmo

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: TBA 2016

You know what’s cool? Samurais. You know what else is cool? Dark Souls-style, brutally hard combat. Put them together and you get Ni-Oh. Taking cues from both the Onimusha series and the Souls franchise, Ni-Oh is a dark and brutal action RPG set in 16th century Japan. Staring a mix-raced samurai, you slice your way through enemies in flashy, savage ways with the various weapons and spells at your disposal. With a great visual style and rewarding-looking combat, this game both panders to my inner weeaboo and my thirst for a stylish and hard hack and slash. This is my number three reason I’m getting a PS4 in 2016.

#5: Mario and Luigi- Paper Jam

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: January 22

The Mario and Luigi series is home to games with a boatload of charm and addicting gameplay. Its games are usually fantastic, and I look forward to every new installment. Paper Jam is no exception, but this time the new gimmick has me really excited. In this installment, the legendary brothers team up with Mario’s 2D counterpart from the Paper Mario series. A crossover between the two big Mario RPG franchises alone is great enough, but the game actively tries to tie in elements of both series in both its combat and puzzles. This looks to be the best Mario and Luigi game yet, as it’s brimming with the series’ charm as well as its great concept.

#4: Battleborn

Publisher: 2K Games

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Release Date: May 3

Battleborn was originally slated for 2015, and I was disappointed to learn that it had to be pushed back. However, after viewing several gameplay videos, my excitement for the game has not waned in the slightest. Battleborn looks to be every bit as outlandish and intense as the Borderlands games. Bursting with action and personality, this MOBA-like shooter looks to be some of the most fun you can have with a multiplayer driven game. This game is my number two reason I’m getting a PS4 in 2016 thanks to its hectic and colorful fun, and I look forward to dishing out punishment as Caldarius and Benedict.

#3: Dragon Quest VII and VIII

Source: Nintendo Everything

Publisher: Square Enix/Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: TBA 2016

For the longest time, it appeared certain that the Dragon Quest remakes would never make it to the west. And now that they are, I cannot wait. Not only has VII gotten a much needed graphical facelift, but tons of new content was added to VIII, including two new party members. Both games bring classic Dragon Quest titles to the 3DS, promising huge adventures to carry with you wherever you go. As a Dragon Quest fan, it makes me very happy to see two magnificent titles finally come to the west, and I can’t wait to experience them again.

#2: Fire Emblem Fates

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: February 19

Fire Emblem is one of my favorite franchises, and I am ecstatic that Fates is finally coming to the west in early 2016. Fates involves a branching storyline, where you can either side with the Japanese-influenced Hoshido in Birthright or the European-influenced Nohr in Conquest. Each side offers a unique experience. For example, Birthright includes a world map and chances to engage with wandering armies, and Conquest have stronger enemies to fight. Top that off with vastly improved combat animations, and you have a game I plan on getting the moment it comes out.

#1: Ratchet and Clank

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: April 12

Much like Star Fox and Battleborn, I was disappointed when Ratchet and Clank was delayed. However, after seeing new gameplay videos, I can say with certainty that no other game in 2016 can distract me from this game. It has everything that makes the series as great as it is, and looks gorgeous to boot. It has the same great weaponry the series is known for, and I am very interested in where the creator’s will go with this new universe. Ratchet and Clank is hands down my most anticipated title for 2016, both because I’m a huge fan of the franchise, and because what they’ve shown me has truly impressed me.

Honorable Mentions

Genei Ibun Roku #FE

Horizon Zero Dawn

Nights of Azure

Doom

Pokken Tournament

Press Start: Top Ten Anticipated Games in 2015

2015 is right around the corner, and while it will be a while before I start writing “2015” instead of “2014”, I am ready to accept the new year with open arms. 2015 will bring a lot to the table, especially in terms of gaming. Tons of big titles are already slated for 2015, and there a good number of them I’m looking forward to. These are the top ten titles that I’m looking forward to the most:

10. Super Robot Wars Z 3.2

The Super Robot Wars series involves giant robots from all sorts of anime coming together to do what they do best: blow stuff up. Oddly enough, the games are turn based strategy games, not a giant fighting game franchise. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The series is not only strategic fun but also filled with flashy attacks guaranteed to make your jaw drop. In fact, if the games don’t make your jaw drop, the game developers will personally give you your money back (to this day, they have not have to give any refunds).

The latest game in this long running series will be Dai-3-Ji Super Robot Taisen Z Tengoku Hen, or 3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Heavenly Prison Chapter. This game will feature robots from over 40 animes, as well as new attack animations for returning robots. The game will also be the debut of Diebuster, an anime I wanted to be featured in SRW ever since I discovered it. With such a cast and with such blood boiling animations, this game looks like one that will melt one’s brain (this may or may not be covered by your insurance, so check before you play).

The game will be released in Japan on April 2nd.

9. Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires

I am a huge Warriors fan. I love the concept of wiping out armies as a single general. It may not be the most intricate series, but it's mindless fun I’ll never get tired of. In 2014, we got Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends, an expansion of Dynasty Warriors 8. 2015 will bring yet another expansion in the form of the oddly strategic Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires.

DW8E still features the “run into a horde of soldiers and kill them all with a single combo” gameplay that the series is known for, but will include several new editions to make the game (slightly) less mindless. Battles this time around can be won with stratagems, in-battle spells that can bolster your forces or cripple your opponent. Stratagems can stack up for extra effect or can be used to lessen the blow of opposing stratagems. The expansion also allows for empire management, allowing players to do things like arrange political marriages.

All in all, this sounds like a creative expansion of an action centric franchise and one I can’t wait to play. The game will be hitting North America on January 27th.

8. Dying Light

Zombies are everywhere nowadays. From TV shows to movies to video games, its hard to escape the zombie craze, which is fine, since I’m all about the undead menace. Zombie games may be a dime a dozen these days, but there’s still one that has me excited to crack some decomposing skulls: Dying Light.

Dying Light drops you in the middle of a quarantined Turkish city overrun with zombies. The game has you do the regular zombie survival routine- gather supplies, set up traps, rescue survivors. Alongside all that, however, comes a whole lot of interesting mechanics. Your primary mode for exploring the city? Parkour, of course! What do you fight the zombies with? With homemade weapons made of stuff lying around! The game even features changing weather and a day and night cycle, both of which affect the zombie’s AI.

Dying Light looks like a interesting and brutal twist on the typical zombie game. It will stagger into stores on January 27th.

7. Splatoon

When I say “Nintendo”, you don’t usually think of shooters. Nintendo really only has one franchise it can call a shooter (Metroid), and even that’s a stretch. However, Nintendo is planning to release a team based shooter of their own that’s very, well, Nintendo.

Splatoon is not like your typical shooter. At all. How so? Well for one thing, you use paint based weapons as opposed to assault rifles or rocket launchers. Your team’s goal is to cover as much of the stage as possible with your color as possible. Players can change from human to squid form and swim through the areas that your team painted over, allowing for quick travel across the battlefield (I’m not making any of this up).

Splatoon looks like Nintendo-style fun mixed with a crazy concept. A firm release date is not known, but it will be in stores by the second quarter of 2015.

6. Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker

Shin Megami Tensei is a long running RPG series which involves you taming demons and shaping a new world with your own actions. Devil Survivor, a spin off of the SMT franchise, involves you taming demons and shaping a new world with your own actions with strategy. Might not sound like much of a difference, but Devil Survivor’s strategic gameplay gives it its own identity over its parent franchise.

An update of Devil Survivor 2, Record Breaker, is coming out for the 3DS. The game features the same solid gameplay of the original, with tons of new content. The game will include 3D cutscenes, new characters, new difficulty levels, new story scenarios, and a full English dub. All are perfect additions to an already exceptional game, I can’t wait to save the world yet again with the help of my demon buddies.

Record Breaker will crash into stores on April 7th.

5. Mighty Number 9

Capcom may have cancelled all things Megaman related, but he isn't quite dead. He has appeared as a playable character in the new Smash Bros game, and his fan community is still alive and well. As a fan of Megaman myself, I was elated when Keiji Inafune, the man behind the Blue Bomber, announced he was developing a spiritual successor to the legendary franchise.

Mighty Number 9 is practically a Megaman game, right down to the very concept. You play as a mechanized hero on a quest to pacify eight evil robots, all the while collecting new weapons and powerups. The gameplay looks frantic and action packed, something the Megaman franchise is known for. While essentially Megaman, Inafune's new brainchild is exactly what we Megaman fans need.

Mighty Number 9 will be released worldwide in April.

4. Ratchet and Clank

I have been a Ratchet and Clank fan for many years. In fact, its one of my favorite franchises, and quite possibly my favorite video game series. The zany weapons, the intense action, the great humor, the memorable characters- its a tremendous piece of art. So imagine my excitement when Insomniac announced that a new Ratchet adventure was coming to the PS4- a reboot of the first game to go alongside the movie.

Not much is known about the game. What has been revealed is that both the gameplay and visuals will be overhauled and the story would be reimagined. The lack of information doesn't bother me; I’m just happy that my favorite galactic duo is coming to a next gen console. I personally can’t wait to blow me up some Blargs.

The game is slated for a first quarter or second quarter release.

3. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles is regarded as one of the best RPGs last gen had to offer. With a huge world to explore and a creative story to experience, the game found many fans in the west. It did so well that a sequel is in the works, which I personally can’t wait to get my hands on.

Xenoblade Chronicles X tells the story of a group of human refugees as they try to carve out an existence on a hostile alien world. The world itself looks gorgeous, and the worlds look like a treat to explore. However, the biggest draw for me is the fact that you can pilot a giant robot into battle. That alone makes me giddy with excitement. A huge open world RPG with mecha is like my dream game (well, one of them at least).

The game will touch down sometime in 2015.

2. Battleborn

Borderlands has already established itself as one of my favorite shooters. With a great sense of humor, excellent gunplay, tons of loot to collect, and frantic co-op action, it is a true gem among the FPS genre. Gearbox’s new project is a MOBA-like, team based shooter that looks as every bit as stylistic and action packed as the Borderlands series.

Battleborn features multiple heavily armed factions fighting over the last habitable solar system in the universe. Each faction sports a number of colorful and creative characters, all with their own personalities and play styles. As each player tears up the battlefield with their character, they level up and gain perks, offering longer life spans and more destructive power. The level of customization, alongside intense firefights and team based battling, makes Battleborn one of the best looking games coming in 2015.

Battleborn will be released sometime in 2015.

1. Code Name STEAM

Intelligent Systems has earned my respect as a developer. With franchises like Paper Mario, Fire Emblem, and Advance Wars under their belt, it's hard for me to dislike them. Their newest project, Code Name STEAM, is my most anticipated game of 2015, not only because of its creator, but also for the potential is has.

Code Name STEAM looks like a cheesy B-movie, and I love it. With a comic book art style and featuring characters like Tom Sawyer, Tiger Lily, Henry Fleming, and the Cowardly Lion, this game looks ridiculous in the most glorious way possible.

Code Name STEAM looks like it has the gameplay to back its concept and presentation. The gameplay mixes real time strategy, third person shooter, and turn based combat elements into one awesome looking battle system. Each character has their own set of weapons and abilities, making for satisfying and strategic battles against an alien force. With special loadout options and reactionary tactics, STEAM looks like the must have strategy game of 2015.

Code Name STEAM looks like it has every element of a great game in its hand. It will fly into stores March 13th.

Honorable Mentions

Star Fox- a reboot of a franchise that I hold dear. It would have made the list had I known more about it.

Evolve- a great concept that looks fun, but couldn't make the cut due to being multiplayer only.

Tales of Zestiria- a great looking RPG that would have made the cut if I was a bigger Tales fan.

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition/DmC Definite Edition- remasters that I’m looking forward to, but not enough to be consider more anticipated than games like Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires.

Mortal Kombat X- a exceptional looking fighting game that would have easily made it if I was into fighting games more.