by Alex Quevedo
We can say tons about the type of year 2016 was, but let’s stick to games for right now, yeah?
2016 proved to be an interesting gaming year for me. Granted, it wasn’t too much unlike any other year in terms of how many games I played; event coverage still dominated a majority of my SmashPad content this year. Otherwise, this year was very heavy between sequels and more indie-type games. Turns out, the sequels won me over.
I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of sequels over the years, but many of the sequels I played this year brought a different sense of quality to them. Whether they were packed with fantastic stories, great characters, or highly engaging gameplay, they all brought some fantastic package to the table. Maybe next year will bring in some more originality for me, but I’m glad this year provided me so much quality in sequels.
So, Top 5 Games of 2016 – let’s do it!
5. Titanfall 2 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
My biggest gripe with Titanfall was that it had an insulting single player campaign and Titanfall 2 addressed that in spades. It provided legitimate single player campaign and made your Titan connection much more meaningful, all while improving the already exciting multiplayer experience.
4. Batman: The Telltale Series (X1, 360, PS4, PS3, PC, Mobile)
I was glad this series wrapped up just in time to make this on my 2016 list, as Telltale really delivered on the Dark Knight. It created some newer types of storylines that really changed up the Batman universe and provided some great characterization of not just Batman/Bruce Wayne, but also Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Catwoman, and Vicki Vale.
3. Overwatch (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
I’m not usually one for strictly multiplayer games, but Overwatch just has too much fun seeping from it for even me not to enjoy. With fun characters, great styling, quick and zippy gameplay, it’s an adorkable package right for most people.
2. Watch Dogs 2 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
While I had quite enjoyed the first Watch Dogs, I didn’t necessarily expect to like Watch Dogs 2 as much as I did. Despite some issues I covered in my review, it was really engaging and provided a lot of fun hours of playing, proving that you can change the tone of a game and have it work out for the better.
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)
At some point while playing Uncharted 4, I tweeted out that I couldn’t count the times I got stupid excited about the action that was going on in the game. I hadn’t had so much fun with the series since the first Uncharted, and probably not that much fun with any other game this year.
In all, 2016 was a pretty solid gaming year for me. I’m excited to see how some of these games could be made even better with expansion content, or how they may have set up their franchises for more success in the future.