You might have though 2015 was a pretty good year for gaming. 2016 could be better.
We are in the middle of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One age. Developers now have a few years of experience with these machines. This is the time when we really see what a generation of hardware is made of. And when you look at some of the best things coming in 2016, it’s clear that we’re in for a great year.
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Above: Cats can ride mammoths too, apparently.
Far Cry: Primal
Release date: February 23
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Far Cry 4 just came out a year ago, but Ubisoft has fans excited about the next installment thanks to a unique Stone Age setting. Seriously, you can’t think of many modern games set in the time of woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats. You can even tame a lot of those prehistoric animals and make them fight on your side.
You also have a pet owl, which you can use to scout out areas and enemies. Move over, Harry Potter and Hedwig. We’ve got a new human/owl superteam.
Above: He’s so graceful.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Release date: March 18
Platform: PlayStation 4
The Uncharted series on the PlayStation 3 helped evolve digital acting and storytelling in gaming, so fans are understandably excited for the franchise’s debut on the PlayStation 4. From what we’ve seen, Uncharted 4 is — almost unsurprisingly — one of the most gorgeous console games ever, with its action mirroring the intensity that we all remember from the PlayStation 3 trilogy.
Naughty Dog has added extra interest by implying that this could be Nathan Drake’s last adventure. Fans don’t just want to play Uncharted 4 for another fix of third-person shooting and cliff-climbing; they want to see what happens to their half-shirt-tuck hero.
Above: In Mirror’s Edge, you can always tell something is important if it’s red.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst
Release date: May 24
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
While most first-person games focus on shooting, 2008’s Mirror’s Edge stood out with its parkour-based action focused on sprinting, jumping, and climbing. It was a kind of platformer that people hadn’t seen before, and its beautiful, minimalist art left a big impression.
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Catalyst is actually a prequel to the original. It retains the previous game’s parkour gameplay, but it throws Faith into an open world that gives the hero the freedom to explore a giant city. Also, after fans criticized the first Mirror’s Edge for including gunplay, Catalyst removes shooting completely, forcing players to rely on Faith’s acrobatics to take down and outmaneuver enemies.
Above: Adam Jensen is back in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided as one of the few augments who didn’t go crazy.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Release date: August 23
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution brought the franchise back from obscurity and gave fans a great role-playing game/first-person shooter adventure. Mankind Divided takes place two years after the end of Human Revolution, which puts it in a fictional 2029.
Like its predecessor, Mankind Divided will let players choose how they want to play. You can try to shoot your way through enemies or use stealth and hacking techniques to avoid conflicts. While some criticized the original for boss fights that made you fight with force, Mankind Divided will give players more options (including the ability to talk themselves out of a big battle.)
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Above: We didn’t have explosions like that 10 years ago in gaming.
Quantum Break
Release date: April 5
Platform: Xbox One
Fans remember developer Remedy Entertainment for Alan Wake, a psychological thriller released in 2010 for Xbox 360. Quantum Break is a third-person action game where the main character has the ability to manipulate time. For example, he can freeze enemies or fast-forward from cover to cover.
Interestingly, Quantum Break also comes with a live action series that focuses on the story’s villains. The choices you make in the game will actually affect what happens in the show. That unique kind of media connectivity makes Quantum Break one of the most interesting games — and one of the Xbox One’s most important exclusives — of 2016.
Above: It’s coming. Finally.
No Man’s Sky
Release date: June
Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
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You’re probably already sick of hearing about this one, but 2016 is when we’ll all finally get to play No Man’s Sky, the super-ambitious space explorer from the small team at Hello Games.
No Man’s Sky promises to let players fly around a gigantic universe filled with unique planets, each with their own features and wild life. Unlike most modern title, No Man’s Sky focuses on discovery. It will try to re-create the awe and wonder that comes with actual exploration, as everyone will get the chance to step foot on an un-touched alien world.