2016: A Year in Preview - Part 4

The list of great games to keep an eye on in 2016 just grows and grows.

The Last Guardian (PS4)
Release: 2016

If all goes according to plan we'll finally get to play Team Ico's third game, a game we've been waiting patientely to play since it was first revealed for PS3 back in 2009 and re-unveiled last year at Sony's rather epic E3 press conferenc, this time for PlayStation 4. As you'd expect from something made by Fumito Ueda and Team Ico it's a game that will play with your emotions as you play it. The beautiful scenery and the growing relationship between a boy and his furry, winged friend Trico, are accompanied by gameplay that according to the developers is more freeform than you'd think as you watch the gameplay footage released.

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For Honor (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Release: 2016

For Honor caught us by surprise at last year's E3. This fantasy hack n' slash pits The Legion (knights), The Chosen (samurai), and The Warborn (viking) against each other. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal the game will offer a solo campaign as well several multiplayer modes (Dominion - a Domination-like mode was shown at E3). While this sort of medieval melee based game has been popular on PC it will be interesting to see if Ubisoft can streamline and make it more accessible for a broader audience (including console). Our early impressions are positive, and we're looking forward to seeing more of it after a brief hands-on session during E3.

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Dishonored II (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Release: 2016

We've only seen a glimpse of Arkane Studios' sequel to 2012's accomplished stealth-action adventure, Dishonored. This time around players will be able to choose whether to play as the protagonist from the first game, Corvo, or Empress Emily Kaldwin. We suspect there to be an emphasis on stealth once again and hopefully we'll get to explore more of the wonderfully imagined world, but thus far details about the game are scarce.

Mafia III (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Release: 2016

2K Czech and Hangar 13 are combining to create a new entry in the popular action-adventure series. This time around we're being treated to a game about organised crime in 1968 New Orleans. Offering a blend of stealth, and cover-based action, we've yet to see any proper gameplay footage of this the latest game in the series first created by Illusion Softworks. Still we have a lot of faith in the franchise and as the new game is being overlooked by industry veteran Haden Blackman there is no doubt a ton of talent at work on it.

Halo Wars 2 (PC/Xbox One)
Release: Late 2016

Having closed down the studio responsible for the first Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios) following the conclusion of the project, Microsoft and Halo guardians 343 industries had to shop around for an outfit capable of delivering a satisfying strategy take on Halo. They could certainly do a lot worse than Sega-owned Creative Assembly, whose work on the Total War franchise and Alien: Isolation rank them among the industry elite. We still haven't seen a whole lot from the new game (really, nothing except for a teaser), but as ever we predict the challenge here will be in providing strategy players with enough complexity and depth while allowing for the lower resolution and necessity for controller optimisation on console. If that obstacle can be cleared there is every reason to be hopeful. And hopefully there will be a Covenant campaign this time around.

Homefront: The Revolution (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Release: 2016

You may not have heard of Dambuster Studios, but they do come with a bit of pedigree. Dambuster is what remains of what once was Free Radical Design and that was later renamed Crytek UK. They were initially tasked by now bankrupt THQ to reinvent the Homefront franchise - the ailing publisher's attempt to take on Call of Duty by presenting players with a fictional scenario where North Korea had invaded America. It's been a rocky road towards completion, but there is a great deal of promise in what is now being pitched as an open world shooter with some interesting tactical options.

Recore (PC/Xbox One)
Release: 2016

Keiji Inafune has been involved in a lot of co-operative efforts since departing from Capcom, not all of them entirely successful, but this one where he is teaming up with Armature Studio (founded by former members of Retro Studios) sure looks promising. As with quite a few titles in this list we've yet to see proper gameplay footage, but in this case the concept itself is promising enough to warrant our anticipation.

Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)
Release: 2016

The original Gravity Rush still stands as one of the best titles released on PS Vita (and a remaster is heading to PS4 prior to the release of the sequel). Literally turning the concept of open world exploration on its head, in this sequel Kat will have three different gravitational options on offer that she can transition between seamlessly, which should make for varied combat. While it is a little saddening to see a PS Vita exclusive franchise migrate to PS4, a sign as good as any that Sony have truly moved on from their portable machine, we're still excited to reunite with Kat.