Top 10: Games of 2016 So Far

This year has been a rather explosive one for gaming. Developers are creating more games now days, and the gaming industry stands to get bigger and bigger as the years go by. Money can be tight nowadays and it can be a little overwhelming trying to find the best game to spend your money on. These are the top 10 games of 2016 released so far.

10. “Pokémon GO” (IOS, Android)

Starting off the list is the most recent mobile game that has taken the world by storm. “Pokémon GO” uses the GPS built into your phone, meaning the player must physically walk around to discover called Pokémon that are scattered all over the place. You must then try and catch them using Poke Balls. It’s a spinoff of a massively popular game on the Nintendo 3DS. Truthfully, there is not much too the game. It can get a little repetitive if you’re not a diehard Pokémon fan. There are also a lot of glitches and problems with the game that sometimes make it very hard to play. The only reason it’s on this list is because it broke records as the most downloaded app ever created, having over 100 million downloads in July alone. It has surpassed “Candy Crush”, Snapchat, and even Instagram.

9. “XCOM 2” (PC)

XCOM 2 is the sequel to the reboot of a classic strategy game of the same name, where you command squads of soldiers in an attempt to defend earth from attacking alien forces. Its improvements over the first game make it easier to get into, but also harder to master.” XCOM 2” is also the first entry in the series where the story starts with the aliens already having control over the earth. You must lead a resistance in a struggle to take back your home planet. Don’t worry about not having played the first one, the game teaches you everything you need to know in order to play it.

8. “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Continuing on with another sequel, “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” is the continuation to 2011’s “Deus Ex: Human Revolution,” a super futuristic sci-fi first-person shooter (FPS) role-playing game (RPG) where you play as Adam Jenson, a man turned into a cyborg against his will after suffering fatal injuries while fighting an anti-cyborg terrorist group. After the events of the first game, masses of people start collectively hating cyborgs and it is up to Adam to stop the ones behind everything and to unite humanity once again.

7. “Valkyria Chronicle Re-mastered” (PC, PS4)

Originally on the PS3, “Valkyria Chronicles” is brought back to life on the PS4 and it looks better than ever. It’s another strategy game with heavier emphases on action using a reactionary battle system instead of the standard turn-based battle system seen in most strategy games. Being able to take direct control of your characters rather than just telling them where to go make this game much more action oriented than your standard strategy game. Taking place in a world reminiscent of the 1940s, your main characters, Welkin and Alecia, are dragged into a war between two huge nations when you small nation is attacked by one of the warring factions.

6. “Monster Hunter Generations” (3DS)

“Monster Gunter Generations” is the latest installment in the “Monster Hunter” series. It’s a third-person action game than pits you and up to three friends against giant monsters of all shapes and sizes. You and your friends only have your wits and your weapons to help you take down anything and everything in your path. This game is secretly keeping the 3DS relevant while everyone waits for the bigger games, like “Pokémon Sun” and “Pokemon Moon,” to come out.

5. “Inside” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

A very stylized adventure platformer made by the same creators as the critically acclaimed platformer, “Limbo”. As an un-named little boy stuck in a dark and mysterious world, You must discover what’s going on and figure out why you’re there, all while trying to survive in a twisted world. This is the only indie game on the list, but just because it’s indie, doesn’t mean that it’s lower quality than the rest. If anything, it’s probably had more care and time put into it than some of the other games on the list.

4. “Doom” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

“Doom” is the revival of one of the first ever FPS’s ever created. It’s built just like an old-fashion FPS, focusing on fast paced, over the top action, using a huge variety of weapons and upgrades to pulverize your enemies. You play as a nameless space marine facing down hordes of demons on Mars. Your one objective is to send them all back to hell in the most explosive way possible.

3. “Dark Souls 3” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

The third involvement in the notoriously difficult “Souls” series continues to do what it does best with a few tweaks and improvements here and there. Set in a world similar to the Dark Ages, it pits you against increasingly insurmountable odds as your try to bring the world into the age of fire. How you build your character plays an important part of how you play the game. You can be a classic knight, using a sword and shield to slash your way through enemies, or you can be a spell caster, casting lightning bolts and fire balls to keep them at a distance. This game can be hard on newcomers who haven’t played at least one of the previous games, but it still shows you the ropes just in case you need it.

2. “Street Fighter 5” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

While it might have had a rocky start, after a few updates “Street Fighter 5” became one of the best entries in the series and is still one of the best fighting game series to date. All of your favorite characters are back from 4, along with a few new characters. The creators even added in characters that haven’t been in a “Street Fighter” game since the 90s. This is one of the fighting game series that influenced the creation of Evo, a huge fighting game convention held once a year. The controls are tight, the characters look great, and the online community is as strong as ever. If you ever wanted to get into one of the most well-known fighting games, this is a great place to start.

1. “Overwatch” (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

“Overwatch” is Blizzard’s newest game in a list of successful games. It’s a team-based online FPS that puts you in 6 vs. 6, objective-based matches. Objectives range from controlling areas of the map, to protecting payloads as they move from one end of the map to the other. A large roster of characters let players fit into multiple roles as you battle for control over the map. The game is so well made that even though the game has only been out for about three months, at the time of writing this, there are already professional teams competing in huge tournaments for large prize pools that reach as high as $100,000. The controls are solid, the characters are varied and designed well, and the game is well balanced. While it’s definitely designed to be played with friends, it’s still easy to play solo if that’s how you roll. This is why “Overwatch” deserves to be 2016’s best game so far.