Top 10 most anticipated Xbox One games of 2016

With Christmas and the New Year out of the way I’m sure there are plenty of new Xbox One owners who are wondering just what they are going to spend their money on this year. That means it’s time for a run-down of the top 10 most anticipated games of 2016.

Just a quick disclaimer before we begin, I have based this list on my personal excitement for each game so you may completely disagree with me. That’s okay, it’s just my opinion and I’d love to hear yours!

So without further ado, let’s get stuck in.

10) Unravel (Coldwood Interactive)

Release date: February 9th

I’m always a sucker for fast-paced, interactive side-scrollers and Unravel will be a great addition to the genre. You play as Yarny, a small being made up entirely of red yarn and head off on an adventure in which you use your own body to solve brainteasers and interact with the impressively realistic-looking world. The gameplay looks like a lot of fun and the story appears to be interesting too, perhaps set to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster which isn’t something you see in every side-scroller. Overall, Unravel will be an exciting addition to a genre already populated by some truly excellent and memorable games.

9) ADR1FT (505 Games)

Release date: TBA Q1 2016

Put bluntly, ADR1FT is essentially Gravity: The Video Game and this is not an insult in any way. The game is set in space, naturally, and puts you in the shoes of an astronaut who’s not quite having their best day of work. A disaster has left your space station critically damaged, forcing you into a fight for survival, with no recollection of what has happened. From what we can see from the gameplay trailers and screenshots, this game looks fantastic and the idea is something we haven’t ever really seen in the video game world before. It is because of its innovative nature that I have put it at number 9 and I personally cannot wait for ADR1FT to hit in a couple of months. Some however may prefer to wait until the Oculus Rift is released to get the complete immersive experience.

8) Doom (id Software)

Release date: TBA 2016

When it comes to reboots it always pays to be a bit wary, no matter how exciting it may be (I’m looking at you Duke Nukem). The most recent iteration of the franchise was Doom 3, back in 2004, and id Software did a pretty good job back then to bring the series into the modern era. This time around we are hoping for bigger and better things with more demons, gunfire, explosions, gore and fast-paced combat akin to the original Doom. Who cares about tactics when you’re smiting monsters at point blank range with a massive minigun. Doom is going to be an all guns blazing escapade and will be a nice break away from the seriousness of other first person shooters.

7) Mirror’s Edge Catalyst (EA DICE)

Release date: May 24th

I can’t be the only one that thinks the original Mirror’s Edge was quite underappreciated. Sure it had problems, but it was revolutionary since no-one had ever created a first person parkour game before. You could even argue that it inspired the mechanics of more recent games such as Dying Light and Titanfall. Catalyst will likely make significant gameplay improvement over its predecessor, whilst retaining the vibrant and colourful world that was so fantastic about the original. Step into Faith’s shoes once more and take to the rooftops to learn about her background and origin, oh and you also have to take down an authoritarian group of corporations who rule the city. If you’re even remotely interested in parkour or just want something a little bit different then take a look at Mirror’s Edge Catalyst this year.

6) Quantum Break (Remedy Entertainment)

Release date: April 5th

The long awaited and anticipated Quantam Break is only a few months away and offers an innovative and refreshing IP that is going to look and play great on the Xbox One. As protagonist Jack Joyce, you have the power to manipulate time and use it to your advantage in combat by controlling the environment around you. When not in combat, there are also puzzle and platforming sections in which you will use your abilities to help you accomplish objectives. Graphically speaking, the game looks fantastic but we obviously can’t wait to see that for ourselves when the game drops in April.

5) Gears of War 4 (The Coalition)

Release date: TBA 2016

The award winning third person shooter franchise is back with new developers at the helm. The Coalition has taken up the task to bring Gears of War into the current generation of consoles and from what we’ve seen so far (which to be fair isn’t a lot), it’s going to be a good one. We know it’s a direct sequel with new characters but the E3 2015 trailer didn’t give us a whole lot to work with, however the game does look pretty great from a graphical point of view. I am extremely excited to see where the story goes and hopefully it will tie in well with the previous plot and characters from Gears 3. Either way, this is most certainly on my ‘must have’ list for 2016.

4) Far Cry Primal (Ubisoft Montreal)

Release date: February 23rd

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live 10,000 years ago. Well now you can as the Far Cry series is taking a break from AK-47’s and sniper rifles in favour of stone tipped spears and bows and arrows. The combat is going to be more violent and primeval than ever and it will create some truly memorable experiences when trying to take down some of the largest and most deadly animals the world has ever seen. You’ll also be able to tame these beasts, such as the legendary sabre tooth tiger, to help defeat your foes. You’ll also be fighting people from other tribes which will add to the already primitive and hostile feeling of the world. Far Cry Primal is a must have for all gamers this year.

3) Recore (Comcept and Armature Studio)

Release Date: TBA  2016

Recore is perhaps one of the more controversial games on this list since we don’t really know a whole lot about it (I’d forgive you for completely disagreeing that it should be at no.3). What we do know so far is that the female protagonist, Joule, believes that she is the last human in the world of Far Eden. Joule must enlist the help of machines, powered by blue coloured cores, to accomplish her goal of reviving the human race. Hopefully more information will be released in the next couple of months but the innovative idea that the game revolves around, namely the reusable power cores, as well as the impressive graphical style has got me really excited to see the final product.

2) Dark Souls III (From Software)

Release date: April 12th

The infamously unforgiving franchise is back with Dark Souls III. Hidetaka Miyazaki is back at the helm after only supervising the development of DSII and this means good things for fans of the series. Although similar in design to DSII, fans of Demon Souls and the original Dark Souls will be happy to hear that some aspects of those games will return in DSIII. The magic meter returns from Demon Souls whereas the combat feels much more like DSI. A lot of diehard fans complained that DSII was too easy but they should be perfectly satisfied when the new game hits. From what we have seen so far, from the demo and gameplay trailers, the game is going to be more brutal than ever and I personally can’t wait to die over and over again.

1) Mass Effect: Andromeda (Bioware)

Release date: TBA Q4 2016

Bioware are pushing the boundaries of the final frontier even further with Mass Effect: Andromeda, giving gamers an entirely new galaxy to explore. Who knows what awaits you in the unknown of the Milky Way’s closest neighbour? We’re sure to discover new worlds, peaceful and hostile alien life, new technologies and new people to romance (it is a Mass Effect game after all!). Although it’s set well after the original trilogy, it would be awesome fan service to include some links to the events of the first games. Whatever happens, ME: Andromeda is my most anticipated game of 2016 and it will be fantastic to see where the adventure takes us this time around. I’ll definitely be playing through the first three games again to get myself completely hyped up!

There are a number of other notable games that didn’t quite make it onto the list that we are also looking forward to:

• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Battleborn
• Overwatch
• Dishonored 2
• Inside
• Tom Clancy’s The Division
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Very exciting stuff! Do you agree with the list or do you think something else deserves a spot on the top 10? Let us know in the comments below!