The 15 Most Anticipated Games of 2016

2016's Most Exciting Games

2015 was a great year for games, possibly the best since the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But while the past 12 months saw gamemakers finally coming into their own on the latest consoles, 2016 looks to push creators and players into uncharted territory, making major fresh steps in beloved franchises. From the innovations in virtual reality offering a new way to play, to the biggest blockbusters bringing back famed characters, to ingenious indie creations pushing the boundaries of storytelling, 2016 is hyped to be another banner year for gaming. Read on for the 15 titles we're most excited to get our hands on, and let us know in the comments which 2016 games you're eyeing.

The Witness

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows (iOS in development)

Release Date: Jan. 26

Jonathan Blow delivered a thoughtful, impressive experience in 2008’s Braid, and since then has been crafting and expanding his upcoming title The Witness. The first-person adventure finally arrives next year, and EW’s recent preview with the game indicates it could be one of the most intriguing titles of 2016. Players find themselves on a mysterious island, where they can explore and solve a host of various puzzles. The one basic way to solve the game’s initial puzzles becomes increasingly and variously complex, tasking players with truly paying attention to their actions and the world around them. There’s history and secrets of the island to uncover, but Blow has crafted an ingenious way to let players dive as deep into the beautiful island as they want.—Jonathon Dornbush

Firewatch

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac, Linux

Release Date: Feb. 9

Firewatch is as visually striking as its premise is unique — players control Henry, assigned to monitor fires at Shoshone National Forest in 1989 Wyoming. Henry only communicates with his supervisor Delilah via his radio. Players can explore the area around them while defining Henry and Delilah’s relationship. With gorgeous art from Olly Moss and developers from Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Klei’s Mark of the Ninja, the impressive pedigree of developer Campo Santo combined with Firewatch’s unconventional setup will hopefully come together for a memorable journey.—Jonathon Dornbush

Far Cry Primal

Platforms: PS4, Xbox One

Release Date: Feb. 23

Ubisoft nailed the Far Cry formula with the third game in the series, but the company also hasn’t been afraid to have fun with the franchise while sticking to its core mechanics. 2013’s Blood Dragon expansion was a hilarious send-up of ‘80s action blockbusters, while 2014’s Far Cry 4 featured extra content that let users take on yetis. Primal takes the franchise even further, placing players in the Stone Age, a world full of wooly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers and other giant beasts that you must tame in order to become the ultimate predator. Sounds like a prehistoric party.—Aaron Morales

Street Fighter V

Platforms: PS4, PC

Release Date: Feb. 16

After nearly seven years and four iterations of SFIV, Capcom is finally ready to release the next numbered sequel in the world’s most popular fighting series. SFV will launch with 16 characters — including four brand-new World Warriors — and additional characters will be introduced over the course of the year through purchases with earned in-game currency or real money. SFV is a console exclusive on PS4, but for the first time, it will feature cross-platform play with the PC and Linux versions, so gamers can proclaim online supremacy across all platforms (well, except Xbox One).—Aaron Morales

'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'

Platforms: PS4

Release Date: April 26

Nathan Drake’s fourth adventure reunites the character with his long-lost brother — and pairs up gaming’s two biggest voice actors, Nolan North and Troy Baker — for Naughty Dog’s final game in the series. A trailer at the Playstation Experience revealed that the game will feature branching dialogue options, though not much else is known about the campaign. This being Uncharted, expect lots of big action setpieces, frantic globetrotting, and great character moments. And does the game’s subtitle hint that this could be the end of Drake? Or brother Sam? Or — sob — Sully?!—Aaron Morales

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Release Date: May 26

Mirror’s Edge wasn’t a commercial hit at the time of its 2008 release, but those who found the game have sung its praises for years, and EA finally listened to them in the form of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. The game will wind back the clock on protagonist Faith, while reintroducing the first-parkour exploration that so many players (a few EW staffers included) adore and yet has only been adapted into a few other titles. The hints shown of the game so far are gorgeous — its minimalist art style evolved from the original game, which holds up surprisingly well. But most importantly, it looks like it could recapture the magic of rooftop hopping that so few games have even attempted. —Jonathon Dornbush

No Man's Sky

Platforms: PlayStation 4 (also coming to Windows in the future)

Release Date: June 2016

The seemingly limitless potential of No Man’s Sky can sound like an incredible dream fully realized at times and at others like an ambitious game that will have to fall short of its reach. But the Hello Games-developed title looks poised to deliver on its massive, open adventure that lets players explore the vast reaches of space with few restrictions. Users can go from the bed of a river on one planet to its surface to the sky to another planet filled with dinosaur-like creatures without skipping a beat. The universe is so expansive the developers boast it would take a player five billion years to visit every planet. Yes, billion. But for everyone who’s wanted to jet off on their own intergalactic adventure, No Man’s Sky might just be the game to play next year — and every year thereafter.—Jonathon Dornbush

Batman: A Telltale Game Series

Platforms: Unannounced (home consoles, Windows/PC, and mobile expected)

Release Date: 2016

Of all the games on this list, Telltale’s upcoming Batman series is the one shrouded in the most mystery. Other than an initial teaser trailer, there are almost no details as to what’s in store for the Caped Crusader in the hands of Telltale. Still, the studio has proved itself (save for its nagging technical issues) on The Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands, and other series. There’s an opportunity to explore Bruce Wayne and detective facets of Batman, which have fallen by the wayside in the Dark Knight’s recent gaming and movie incarnations, and with Telltale’s knack for world-building and characterization, Batman’s best adventure in 2016 could appear on a console near you.—Jonathon Dornbush

Crackdown 3

Platforms: Xbox One

Release Date: 2016

The original Crackdown was a surprise hit but its sequel was a big disappointment, so a lot of pressure is on Crackdown 3 to return the series to glory. Microsoft is banking on the power of its cloud servers, which can increase the computational power of the Xbox One by as much as 20 percent, to deliver fully destructible environments in the online multiplayer mode. Big explosions are great, but we’re counting on the series’ superhero take on the GTA formula (and its fiendishly addictive collectible orbs) to lure us back in.—Aaron Morales

Cuphead

Platforms: Xbox One

Release Date: 2016

Cuphead doesn't look like any other game out there, and for its art style alone the game has captured our attention since its announcement. The upcoming indie title looks like a classic Disney-esque cartoon that you can actually control, as players take on the role of Cuphead on a mission to repay a debt to the devil. Fighting through a series of foes on the quest to fulfill that debt, Cuphead's hand-drawn animation and jazz soundtrack could come together to create one of the most aesthetically arresting games of 2016. Hopefully it will be as fun to play as it is to see in motion.—Jonathon Dornbush

Gears of War 4

Platforms: Xbox One

Release Date: 2016

The next game in the popular cover-based shooter series is the first on Xbox One and the first since Microsoft acquired the franchise from Epic Games in 2014. New developer The Coalition showed a demo at May’s E3 that focused on two new characters facing a new breed of enemy (and a serious lack of lighting). It remains to be seen whether series hero Marcus Fenix will return after three tours of duty or if he’s passing the Lancer to a new class. But fortunately you can still chainsaw hideous creatures in half, and that has us excited enough to re-enlist.—Aaron Morales

The Last Guardian

Platforms: PlayStation 4

Release Date: 2016

Long thought dead, Sony reintroduced The Last Guardian at E3 2015 after first debuting it in 2009, revealing the game is finally coming to the PlayStation 4. From the acclaimed Team Ico, makers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, the gorgeous world of The Last Guardian remains full of mystery, but Team Ico’s knack for players discovering story, world, and more on their own means much of the game will likely stay mysterious until it’s out. But the few glimpses of the central boy and his bird-dog-cat-hybrid friend suggest the wonder of Team Ico’s previous games is in high supply this time around, as well.—Jonathon Dornbush

The Legend of Zelda (Working Title)

Platforms: Wii U

Release Date: 2016

In a November Nintendo Direct video, the company showed a 10-second clip of the next Zelda, and it was enough to whip the Internet into a frenzy. Nintendo also confirmed that the still-delayed, still-untitled project will release on Wii U in 2016, although it’s unclear if it will also release on Nintendo’s next console, code-named the NX — much like the time when Twilight Princess released simultaneously on Gamecube and Wii in 2006. Basically, we know virtually nothing about this game that will allegedly ship in the next 12 months...and we couldn’t be more excited, because it’s Zelda. —Aaron Morales

Pokémon Go

Platforms: Mobile devices

Release Date: 2016

Pokémon Go is, at this moment, all about the promise of what could come in 2016. Letting fans hunt for Pokémon in the real world will be a joy for young franchise fans, but will also ensure that you'll likely see a number of grown adults running around with Pokémon watches on the hunt for Mewtwo. Will the game be able to deliver the epic CGI battles showcased in the first trailer? Probably not, but the appeal of becoming a real-life Pokémon master will be tough to deny for generations of fans.—Jonathon Dornbush

Tacoma

Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One

Release Date: 2016

From the makers of one most intriguing games in recent years, Gone Home, Tacoma is another exploration-based title from The Fullbright Company. But rather than the familiarity of a suburban home, Tacoma transports players 200,000 miles from Earth to a space station, tasking them with uncovering a mystery with the added complexities of zero gravity sections and more. Little else has been revealed about Tacoma but Fullbright’s impressive, experiential storytelling in Gone Home is a strong foundation on which to build hopes for the studio’s next title.—Jonathon Dornbush