The Best Games of 2016
You could be forgiven for thinking that this year has not been as strong a year for games as previous years. Last year at this time we were debating how to rank Metal Gear Solid 5, Fallout 4, and The Witcher 3. This year we don’t have titles quite as strong at the top, but we did have a wider variety of terrific games to play all year. Thus, while this is a tough year to identify a single game that is clearly the best game of the year, it is a year to celebrate the wide-range of titles that kept us gaming all year. To be fair, we excluded expansions and DLC for previous titles (e.g., The Witcher and Destiny) when writing this list; this is 2016 games only. Here are our favorite games of 2016.
11. Firewatch
Walking simulators are interesting games to play. Stakes are usually pretty low and there’s often no way to die, but – at their best – the games provide meditative and fascinating experiences. Our favorite this year was Firewatch, a game in which you play as a ranger in a park, solving small problems and flirting with another ranger. Gradually a mystery gets introduced and the game gains some momentum, but we really enjoyed the ability to simply explore, hike, and climb through the beautifully rendered outdoors. It helps that the writing is so strong and the voice-acting is also so well done. With beautiful environments, strongly realized characters and interesting themes about regret and loss, Firewatch was a singularly great experience this year.
Wherever you go in Firewatch, it’s gonna be beautiful.
10. Uncharted 4
Uncharted 4 epitomizes the games that came out this year: it’s a great sequel that is fun to play but not terribly memorable. The game lets you return to the world of Nathan Drake (allegedly for the last time) as you lead Sully and Nathan’s long-lost (and never mentioned) brother on a quest to find a lost treasure. The levels are well-designed, but the clear standout is a caravan chase sequence that delivers one of the best experiences we played this year. However, the hints at innovation (particularly a new lasso mechanic) quickly disappear into repetitive gun battles against waves and waves of enemies (Nathan Drake’s kill count has nearly surpassed Pol Pot’s). Uncharted 4 delivers a good experience but it doesn’t take any real chances and thus it never really becomes a title you’ll remember a year from now.
We’re gonna miss our favorite archaeologist/serial killer Nathan Drake.
9. Batman: The Telltale Series
Telltale provided a terrific Batman experience this year. The Telltale game told one of the best Batman stories we’ve seen in years. More than anything, Telltale deserves credit for being bold in re-imagining the Batman story, changing Bruce Wayne’s background and re-interpreting his villains. Telltale accomplished a nearly impossible feat by making us care as much about Bruce Wayne as we did about Batman, and playing as Wayne was actually more fun. As Wayne, you try to preserve your parents’ reputations, navigate your personal relationships, romance various women, and investigate a series of terrorist attacks in Gotham. Not every chapter is great, but the gameplay, story, and archvillain in the game are all extremely well done. Telltale had some great games this year, but their take on Batman was their strongest offering and got us excited about what they could do with other superhero franchises out there.
Well, if I go as Bruce, I’ll have to iron some shirts, while the Batsuit is ready to go….
8. Inside
Inside was such a subtle and beautiful game that haunted us for weeks after we finished it. It’s a creepy, dark, minimalist platforming adventure that makes Limbo look almost cheerful. As a relatively defenseless boy, you traverse darkened woods, mysterious factories, and undersea bases on a mysterious quest. We still don’t quite get the story, but we were impressed with the game design throughout. The best moment of the game comes in the last act, when the story truly goes off the rails and delivers one of the most jaw-droppingly surprising final levels we’ve ever seen. It’s a good game that becomes truly special in those final moments; it goes from being a Limbo-knock off to an evolution in minimalist storytelling. It’s a great experience that everyone needed to have in 2016.
There’s a lot of creatures to encounter in this game and none of them like you very much.
7. Watch Dogs 2
We debated whether we could include Watch Dogs 2 on the list because we’ve only played a few hours at this point but we love what we played. Sure, the game plays like a Grand Theft Auto clone but the superpowers you obtain make for some memorable experiences. Last time we played, I used my hacking skills to frame a random stranger who was walking her dog for murder. The police showed up, arrested the wrong person, and my target’s dog attacked the officers. They all started shooting, she started shooting, and suddenly cars all around us started exploding. This kind of chaos is reminiscent of the GTA but heightened by the crazy hacking skills you can upgrade. I’m not sure where the game is going, but I can’t wait to see what happens next time we head back into that world.
There’s a lot of weird, wild experiences to have in Watch Dogs 2.
6. Doom
Doom (along with Titanfall 2 later on the list) was among the bigger surprises of the year. The franchise that’s experienced more than a couple failed reboots delivered one of the most enjoyable games of the year. By incorporating game mechanics that rely on varying your play style between run and gun and ripping through demons with your trusty chainsaw the game never gets old hitting that infamous “30 seconds of fun” idea pioneered by Halo. This formula clearly works and we’d love to see the developers go crazy in a sequel with new monsters and an original story.
Wow. If we didn’t have our chainsaw this would be somewhat intimidating.
5. The Division
The Division is a well-designed cooperative looting campaign that we thoroughly enjoyed at the top of the year. The premise that nearly everyone in New York is a sleeper agent for a dormant but all-powerful military force just in case the world came to an end is ridiculous, but if you can look past that you’ll find hours of loot grinding that thankfully does not take place in a post apocalyptic desert wasteland. Ubisoft blew the end game that was basically nonexistent on launch and gunplay wasn’t as visceral or fun as something like Destiny, but you wouldn’t complain about that for at least a dozen hours.
With the city deserted, you might actually have a chance at Hamilton tickets.
4. Love You To Bits
Love You To Bits has to be the most underrated game of the year. This beautiful point-and-click adventure is a heartfelt experience that even non-gamers should enjoy. You play as a young astronaut trying to reassemble your android girlfriend whose pieces have been scattered across the galaxy. Each planet you visit offers a very different adventure. There are aliens, there is time travel, and there are monsters, and the graphics and music adapt to each situation to deliver memorable, varied experiences. I loved how the graphics remain bright and beautiful while telling a story of heartbreak and loss. This was easily our favorite handheld game to appear this year (though we haven’t tried Severed yet!) and one we recommend to anyone who’s a fan of point-and-click adventures.
3. Titanfall 2
If there was a bigger surprise than Titanfall 2 this year, we didn’t see it. Titanfall 2 delivered one of the best single player games we experienced this year, with well-crafted levels, creative gameplay, and a concise, interesting storyline. However, the bigger draw for us was BT. BT – your robotic, titan-sized suit – is a powerful companion with a wry sense of humor. From within BT, you become an unstoppable killing machine, but jump outside the titan and he becomes a powerful protector, laying waste to your enemies without needing your instruction. BT comes to your rescue in the nick of time before hurling you into your next adventure. Sadly, our time with BT was all too brief as the campaign runs a tight six to eight hours. But Titanfall is now on our map and we can’t wait for the inevitable sequel (meanwhile if you see it going for $20, pick it up!).
No NPC has your back as consistently and powerfully as BT. He’s the ultimate wingman.
2. Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 is a great game. The gameplay is rock solid. As Emily or Corvo, you sneak or slash your way through a some of the best levels we’ve seen in any game. There was no game that gave us as empowering an experience as Dishonored 2. Against strong odds, numerous guards, sinister witches, murderous robots, and powerful bosses, you never feel overmatched if you employ your powers creatively. The game also offers a realized world that exists around you, populated by your character’s citizens and beautifully realized at every step. Some of the levels in this game should be taught in gaming textbooks, particularly the clockwork mansion and the time shifting mansion. If we had any complaint, it was that we didn’t really feel anything throughout the game; the story, characters, and plot were all so surface-level that we never had any emotional experience. But it’s hard to complain about the feels when we’re having this much fun.
I tell you, lining up dominos and knocking them over never gets old.
And Our #1: The Last Guardian
It was a tough decision choosing between The Last Guardian and Dishonored 2 for our top spot, but we had to give the edge to The Last Guardian. Sure, it’s a little bit rough and there are control and camera issues that make playing more challenging than it needs to be in portions. But I’m willing to allow for some difficulties when I think about the moments of The Last Guardian that blew me away. Moments when Trico saved me unexpectedly – smashing through armies of guards or snatching me out of the air – or turned surprising playful and affectionate. The Last Guardian is a game we waited a long time for and while it doesn’t reach the transformative heights of Ico or Shadow of the Colossus, it was easily the most unique, beautiful and heartfelt experience I had this year. It’s a game that’s bold and different and powerful, and when I think about the games I played in 2016, The Last Guardian is the one that I will remember.
Yeah, Trico could drive us crazy at times but this was easily the most memorably experience of the year
