Reviews for games published in 2016

Top 12 games in 2016

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine

The Witcher 3 was already an incredible title to begin with, and with Blood and Wine it becomes even better. The new region of Toussaint does not simply bring us more of what made the original game so great but it also expands on it and offers an environment and a plot line that – in some areas – exceeds that of the main entry.

Overwatch

A great package: fun, accessible and extremely well-made. It’s a shooter as much for those pledge their lives to online play, as those chiefly interested in the occasional fun games. It’s an instant classic that, with the kind of good post-launch support Blizzard is known for, could prove the go-to shooter for an entire generation of gamers.

Dark Souls III

In most games there is a simple pleasure of success that accompanies them. The payoff for Dark Souls isn’t guaranteed, but goes somewhat deeper than that. It feels a little more like genuine accomplishment, found in small does along the way and promised in large measure when you finally find yourself skilled at this wonderfully unique little corner of the gaming world.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield 1 is a monumental shooter. Putting “aside” the Single Player campaign (fun, varied and spectacular but very short), the strengh of the production is obviously represented by the PvP. His large-scale battles are an experience that all multiplayer fans should try.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Civilization VI has improved upon nearly every system and mechanic in the game, at no real cost to the experience. It’s the easiest version to play, but it’s also the most complex Civilization to date. There’s enough default automation that you can ignore a lot of the minutia if you want, you will still have all the tedium they can dream of. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as pillaging every single tile in an aggressive neighbor’s civilization.

Forza Horizon 3

Forza Horizon 3 is huge, varied and constantly entertaining. It creates a fine balance between simulation and arcade—bombastic and silly at times, but also an accomplished unique racing game. The Australian landscape is full of things to discover, and it’s so sweet to get lost in such a charming setting.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider is truly a phenomenal game from top to bottom and it has some of the best visuals around. But graphics alone do not make a game great and Rise does not rely on them. Rise of the Tomb Raider is a great adventure game. More exploration, platform zones and stealth mechanics than shooter moments, great plot and full of content to discover.
XCOM 2
It’s a well-founded mix of strategic turn-based battles, resource management, and customization that makes each gameplay unique to its very own player. While XCOM 2 does have some issues with its framerate and loading times, its gameplay overshadows its imperfections and becomes a very small disturbance in a largely enjoyable game.
Doom 4
In the end, Doom is a worthy successor to the original and the creators should be praised on not only paying homage to the original but successfully rebooting the franchise on high-end consoles and the PC. Sure, it’s a little old school at times but that was also the beauty of the original and if you’re looking for a fast paced first person shooter then Doom is the game for you.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
 
There’s no getting away from the fact The Division is the best open-world that Ubisoft has ever created, while the gameplay is consistently entertaining. The deep RPG elements and tactical gunplay just add to that. Plus, the fact you can get so much enjoyment out of being a solo player, with that experience heightened by buddying up, is quite a feat.
Far Cry Primal
 
Far Cry Primal is a healthy, well-designed, immensely impressive experiment within an established franchise. The result is indeed a fantastic experience due to the blending of multiple genres – survival, adventure, action, first-person, strategy, etc. – and the retaining of a familiar, tried-and-true formula.
Hitman
 
Hitman: The Complete First Season is the perfect re-introduction to the third-person stealth franchise, bringing back sandbox game design and player choice to the forefront with six expertly hand-crafted missions with hundreds of opportunities and ways to approach killing targets, and a ton of side content in the form of Escalation contracts and the Sarajevo Six.