by Danreb VictorioThese two games were each nominated by five staff members.
Project Setsuna (working title) – PS4, Vita
“An old-school JRPG with a painterly art design and a heavy inspiration from Chrono Trigger? Have you been going through my e-mails, Squeenix? In this age when we seem to be going through a JRPG renaissance, this has a potential to be a jewel in Square Enix’s crown of releases.” – Brandon
“Everybody and their mom is saying Project Setsuna is looking like what a pure, unadulterated RPG is supposed to look like. That alone leaves me excited. Well, that and the fact that there’s snow. I love snow in games.” – Danreb
“Whatever name it ends up with in the west, Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna appears poised to repeat a key moment in history, releasing in close proximity to a new Final Fantasy while being positioned well to surpass it. With Final Fantasy XV wandering so far from home, it’s nice to see Square Enix contribute something to this current groundswell of great traditional JRPGs, and Setsuna looks to be something very special indeed.” – Patrick
“In a little more than a month, Japan will experience the much anticipated Project Setsuna. I am particularly excited to see how Tokyo RPG Factory, a spin-off if you will of Square Enix, works toward their goal of reviving the golden age of RPGs. The 30 seconds of actual gameplay I’ve seen definitely feels familiar but with a new story and new angles. It should be like a whole new season of your favorite TV show. Here’s hoping for a winner right out of the gate from this new studio… and for a speedy North American release, too!” – Theresa Samons, Contributor
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – PS4
“Naughty Dog has been hitting them out of the park since the very first Crash Bandicoot, and their Uncharted series has never failed me. Considering that this may be the last Uncharted game that Naughty Dog makes for a while, it will be interesting to see how they will end Nathan Drake’s story arc.” – Brandon
“Uncharted was, without a doubt, my favorite series of the seventh generation. This is more likely than not going to be Nathan Drake’s last adventure, and I want to be there to send him off the way he deserves to be sent off… in style with stupid one liners.” – Danreb
“The main reason I bought a PS4 was knowing Uncharted was eventually coming. Hands down one of the best series on the PlayStation, Uncharted 4 is expected to end the series (or perhaps just Drake’s adventures) with one last hurrah. With early videos already showing off unprecedented visual power and gameplay mechanics, Uncharted 4 is expected to pull out all the stops and become a definitive system seller for the PlayStation 4. People have come to expect perfection from Naughty Dog and I expect nothing less.” – Josh Schwartzman, Staff Writer
Click ahead for our most anticipated release of 2016.