Over the last few years gaming has come a long way. The advances in technology and the way games and gamers are now perceived means that there is more emphasis when a big release is incoming. Adverts on TV/online are forced in front of our faces on a daily basis which makes the hype surrounding the newest titles massive. In my own personal experience waiting for new game can be summarised by my wait for Skyrim. I loved Oblivion and kept an eye on Bethesda and so I heard pretty much straight away about their new game. I agonized over it for months watching everything I could on repeat. Now there are a few single players games coming out that are touching on the lofty heights Skyrim obtained pre release.

No Mans Sky

I think even people living in caves will have heard about Hello Games space exploration title. I am trying not to be too bias when talking about it because I literally cannot wait to get stuck in. It’s first on my list because it’s the game I am most looking forward to, but also because it’s going to be released over the next few days. For those that haven’t seen as much as I have on the game, it is a space exploration/survival title set in a universe with 18,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets. I could have just put quintillion but the 0’s seemed to be more dramatic. You can fight, trade and fly through the various galaxies all in a quest to get to the centre of the universe. I would advise anyone to go check out the various trailers and videos on the game. It looks like it could be something special.

Developer: Hello Games

Release date: 10/08/2016

Trailer:

The Last Guardian

I’ll start by saying, this game looks beautiful. It has the same kind of art style as Journey and Ico with the latter being made by the same studio. From what I’ve gleaned from various articles and trailers it’s a fantasy game centered around a young child and a giant bird/dog creature as you travel the land avoiding guards that seem to be chasing both of you. The game was originally set to be released in 2011 for PS3 but like all good things it was subject to numerous delays and is now being released on October 2016….maybe. We all know how this could change any moment.

Developer: Team Ico

Release date: 25/10/2016

Trailer: 

Watchdogs 2

The original title was released a few years ago now and was subject to a massive hype before it came out. Like so many other games before it didn’t live up this hype. I only sunk a few hours into the game and liked a lot of elements but it over promised and under delivered which really did make me sad. The underlying concept is a good one and so I hope the sequel will deliver on more of the gameplay features that were missing from number one. Watchdogs 2 has a different protagonist which I feel is a good move owing to the fact the first one had about as much personality as a chair rubbing against other chairs. I felt no sense of attachment and so didn’t really care about the story. Watchdogs 2 is all about joining a group of hackers trying to bring down a corrupt system. I hope it turns out to be more original than it sounds.

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Release date: 15/11/2016

Trailer: 

Dishonored 2

I never actually played Dishonored but I’ve seen a lot of reviews and articles all saying how great it was. The first and indeed second title looks incredibly stylized much like other stealth action adventure role playing games with instant kill stealth moves and elements of parkour creeping in. This is all done however in first person which makes it all the more brutal. It looks incredible graphics wise and captures the steam punk vibe extremely well, the trailers that I’ve seen remind me a lot of Bioshock Infinite which is never a bad thing. It is set to be released in November 2016 and certainly looks like one to watch. A standout moment in the trailer is part where you are some kind of ominous shadow monster grabbing unsuspecting guards by the ankles. Creepy.

Developer: Arkane Studios

Release date: 11/11/2016

Trailer: 

Mass Effect Andromeda

When I first heard that there was going to be a new Mass Effect game I wasn’t taken over by excitement. I liked the previous games but they never grabbed me the same as other similar titles. I then watched the various trailers that are out there and tried to punch past me in the face. It looks like the developers are taking the franchise in a different direction one more focused on open exploration than a simpler and more linear shooter. I really liked the E3 trailer that was bought out showing the connection between the artists and developers and the in game characters, it added a “humanity on the verge of extinction” feel and showed how we are all screwed if that ever happened. Fans of Mass Effect will love this as I’m sure it will be fresh but more of the same, but I think Mass Effect Andromeda will draw in a larger crowd of new players.

Developer: BioWare

Release date: March 2017

Trailer: 

Final Fantasy XV

I felt like I couldn’t leave this one off the list. I’ve never really been a fan of the Final Fantasy series…please don’t kill me for that. The series has such a massive fan base any new release will be a sure fire way to create hype. I have to say after looking into it a bit more it seems to have changed from long walks and turn based combat to a much more fast paced game. The trailer shows cases some of the more, shall we say impressive fights with towering enemies looking down on you to teleporting into helicopters, killing a few goons and teleporting out again. I’m not sure how more traditional fans will react but I know it’s certainly going to be a big release when it does eventually come out.

Developer: Square Enix

Release Date: 30/09/2016

Trailer: