What Were the 5 Best Video Games of 2016?

What were 2016’s greatest video games? We break it down for you into a list of the Top 5 games you need to play.

5. Pokemon Sun/Moon (3DS)

Visit the brand new Alola Region!

2016 wasn’t the best of years for Nintendo fans (we’re just holding our breath for the Nintendo Switch), but at least they respected Pokémon’s 20th anniversary. Pokémon Sun/Moon was the latest entry in the Pokémon video game series, and boy did it take the world by storm. Following the hype and nostalgia surrounding Niantic’s Pokémon GO, expectations were at an all time high for the franchise, but Game Freak did not let us down. The Alolan region replaced Gyms for Trials had hours of challenging endgame content and reimagined the typings of some classic Pokemon, and with a killer story to boot, Pokémon Sun and Moon will go down for many fans as the greatest Pokémon game yet. They certainly have our vote.

4. Titanfall 2 (PS4/XB1/PC)

Titanfall 2 is the FPS we never knew we needed

Titanfall 2’s sales suffered last year as a result of being pitted against Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, but have no doubt about it – Titanfall 2 is a must-buy if you’re a fan of the FPS genre. Titanfall 2’s multiplayer is undoubtedly the game’s greatest strength with its versatile movement system and variety in Pilot and Titan customisation, but the campaign was a particularly welcome surprise for me. Titanfall 2’s campaign hasn’t just been tacked-on to answer complaints that the first Titanfall didn’t have a campaign; this campaign really broadens the world and gives you a protagonist and companion you can invest in and really root for. As if that wasn’t enough, this sequel features one of the greatest video game missions of all time, and all future DLC for the game will be free.

3. The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine (PS4/XB1/PC)

Step into the land of Touissant

Okay, so technically The Witcher 3 was released in 2015 and so doesn’t qualify for a Top 5 lift for 2016, but The Witcher’s 2016 expansion was so huge that it was basically another game. With over 30 hours of content in Blood and Wine, you have plenty of story to sink your teeth into. The land of Touissant is the most beautiful video game world I’ve ever seen, and provides a bright and blissful alternative to the bleak war-torn fields of Velen in the base game. Blood and Wine is the conclusion to Geralt’s story, and what better way to finish his story than with a thrilling Games of Thrones-esque narrative? And the best bit: the GOTY edition of The Witcher 3 is extremely cheap to buy right now and Blood & Wine is included. What are you waiting for?!

2. Uncharted 4 (PS4)

Brotherly love

Coming in at number two is Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Naughty Dog has always been applauded for the storytelling in its Uncharted games, but A Thief’s End takes it to a brand new level. Uncharted 4 is so cinematic that it’s almost like you’re watching a film as you play through the game. If you played the first entry of the Uncharted franchise back in 2007 then you’ll have spent a decade growing up with Nathan Drake, and A Thief’s End is the perfect way to wrap up our journey with him. Stunning visuals and exhilarating gameplay aside, Uncharted 4 also boasts a fantastic multiplayer mode with both competitive and co-operative game modes. Naughty Dog has released their roadmap for the Uncharted 4 DLC, and the good news is that you can get all of it without paying a dime.

1. Overwatch (PS4, XB1, PC)

Overwatch is Small Screen’s Game of the Year for 2016!

Blizzard’s tactical first-person shooter Overwatch takes the top spot as Game of the Year in my mind, despite having no single-player functionality outside an incredibly basic practice mode. As a gamer who primarily plays video games for their story, I never thought I would be interested in Overwatch, but I was completely and utterly hooked. With over twenty heroes to choose from you can play the game in so many different ways, and while the game is lacking in content, Blizzard is constantly updating the game post-release with new maps, heroes and game modes.

There’s no paid DLC so the player base can’t become fractured, and we’ve got a funny feeling that we’ll be seeing a story-based co-op mode at some point in the game’s future. Each character has their own backstory and Blizzard continue to produce animated shorts for Overwatch, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see Blizzard provide players the opportunity to delve into that lore with a story mode at some point. Overwatch is addictive, easy to pick up and a blast to play with your friends, and we can’t wait to see what it’s future holds.

Have you played these games? Let us know what you thought of them, and let us know your favourite game of 2016 in the comments!