If you’re anything like me, you like third person shooters because you have wild dreams of becoming the ultimate action movie cinematographer you’ve always known you could be. You try to your best to get the awesome money shots that show the action and emotion of the character in the middle of all the action. I say try because more often than not, you screw up the perfect shot by getting killed. If your a normal person you like playing third-person shooters because you get a good sense of your environment and surroundings. Luckily, 2016 is shaping up to be a good year for third-person shooters. Here’s a list of ten third-person shooters released or scheduled to be released in 2016.

Uncharted 4

Let’s just go ahead and start with the elephant in the room: Uncharted 4. Uncharted 4 released to critical acclaim from pretty much all major gaming outlets. Rightfully so, as Naughty Dog’s latest masterpiece is a new bar set to which all story based third-person shooters will be held. The story alone is enough to pull you through. You play as Nathan Drake (Duh!) as his thought to be dead older brother drags him back into the dangerous world of treasure hunting he barely escaped from. Naughty Dog take’s the incredible storytelling it learned from The Last Of Us and applies it to the Uncharted formula with astounding success and for the first time in the series the gameplay is actually on par with the rest of the game. Although some may argue the shooting is still loose, I felt that the shooting is the best in the series. The shooting is precise and distinct to each gun. I quickly found guns that I was better with than others and that matched my ideal shooting experiences. Something I had trouble doing with in the third entry of the series. This is especially evident in the multiplayer.

Having logged several hours into the multiplayer I found it to be simple but addictive in a way i did not expect. I kept playing more and more matches to unlock more gear and weapons to customize my favorite characters (Tenzin for the winzin!). The multiplayer is also going to have free updates throughout it’s life cycle adding in new modes, characters, gear and maps. What I’m getting at here is; if you are looking for a great third person shooter that is the whole package then Uncharted 4 is the game you are looking for… unless you have an Xbox One… or PC… or Wii U.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

Ubisoft’s latest IP The Division, busted out of the gate setting a sales record for most copies of a new IP sold in the first week. With a heavy emphasis on loot, a la Destiny and Diablo 3, and a solid multiplayer focus, this game is perfect for people looking for a third person alternative to Destiny. While the story fizzles out rather quickly, the overall atmosphere and setting add an extra level of intrigue to keep you playing. Set in a virus ravaged New York City where baddies run amok, you and your crew are sent in to help diffuse the situation and maintain control. Obviously, this is just a means to an end and the gameplay is ultimately the meat and potatoes of The Division. Since this game is a multiplayer focused game, it is at it’s best when you have a group of friends to play with or a group of well meaning randoms.

Quantum Break

Quantum Break is a story focused third-person shooter released earlier this year for Xbox One and PC. It was developed by the talented folks at Remedy, the creators of classics like Max Payne and Alan Wake. If that last sentence made you a little excited, (yes in THAT way) then it’s time to pour some metaphorical cold water on yourself.

While created by by the same people who made the revolutionary Max Payne, Quantum Break is more Alan Wake than Max Payne, for better or worse. It has a solid story with actors like Shawn Ashmore (X-men and The Following) and Lance Reddick ( The Wire and Destiny) to keep things heavy. The story centers around Jack Joyce as he attempts to stop his old friend from doing evil villain stuff after a failed time travel experiment gives Jack Time Powers. While the story is more interesting than a one sentence synopsis shows, there is one thing that really stands out in Quantum break; A live action TV show spread throughout the game. Yeap, A live action TV show that is effected to a small degree by your actions in the playable sections. Interesting for sure, but I’ll let you decide if it’s effective or not. On the gameplay side, the shooting, while not particularly offensive on it’s own, leaves a bit to be desired. Mostly due to the rather generic weapons. But this is more than made up for by the unique and helpful Time Powers. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market for a good story and solid, if not  somewhat generic, gameplay.

Ratchet and Clank

Taking a break from the serious third-person shooter, Ratchet Clank is just pure fun. Insomniac decided to remake their classic third-person platform shooter as a tie in for the big screen movie based on the series. This is one case where the game is actually better than the movie. While the movie flopped upon release, the game actually set a record for fastest selling game in the franchise. Pretty impressive for a 50 dollar movie tie in. Regardless, this game more than stands on it’s own as a quality game. The story is mostly the same as the original with some things changed to better fit with the movie but overall gives us the classic Ratchet and Clank experience. With a slew of creative weapons, fun and goofy characters, and solid platforming, the Ratchet and Clank remake impressed early in the year and scratched the platforming itch that never seems to be satisfied.

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warefare 2

Didn’t see this coming did ya?! I’m putting this on the list because this is a silly fun game that all ages can play and have a good time with. If you have played the original then you have a good idea of what to expect from the sequel. The concept is expanded on with more game modes and better characters, not to mention more polish on the gameplay. For those who never played the original, it is essentially a third person shooter with tower defense elements mixed in. Set in the same world as the mobile games, your goal is to defend your respective base while trying to survive waves of enemies by using a combination of third-person shooting and planted defenses (literally if you play as the plants). It’s a solid concept that actually works quite well in the Plants vs Zombie world. It has local split screen co-op, which is a rarity now a days, as well as online co-op. It also has a campaign and an interesting take on a horde mode. There are quite a few options for micro-transactions but not enough to feel cheated or at a loss if don’t use them. Overall this is a fun game that would be perfect to play with younger siblings and family members or even just buddies when you want a goofy fun time.

Mafia III

Next up we have Mafia III. Mafia III is an open world third person shooter being developed by Hanger 13. I’ll admit I haven’t played much of the Mafia series but the upcoming sequel has definitely piqued my interest. Set in a fictional New Orleans called New Bordeaux, you play as a biracial (more on this in just a bit) Vietnam vet by the name of Lincoln Clay returning to a transitional America after serving in the aforementioned war.

Upon your return, your mob family, the black mob, is wiped out and you are left to rebuild and wade through the muck of the the late 1960’s to get vengeance on the mafioso jerks who destroyed your family. The premise is definitely attention grabbing and new studio Hanger 13 has said they are not shying away from the painful growing pains America was going through during this time period. I’m curious to see how they handle playing as a half black, half white character in the context of history and culture during this era as there are several points to be examined and further explored in the world of video games that just haven’t been before. Hanger 13 is in a good spot to shed some light on the world of the time. Having said that, this is still a video game and all heaviness aside, “if that game ain’t got no play, then that game will go away?” or something like that. The game up to this point is looking great from everything I have seen. The setting is unique, the characters are interesting and the open world looks like a place I really want to explore and be apart of. With a release date set for October 7th, we don’t have much longer to wait.

Gears of War 4

What would any list of third-person shooters be without Gears of War. The Coalition is setting out to bring Gears of War back to it’s glory days by revamping the gameplay and introducing a refined Horde Mode. While The Coalition is actively trying to create the best story in the series with new characters and relationships to explore, it’s in the gameplay where the game will shine most.

One thing I’m particularly interested in is the ability to pop out of cover for a quick melee kill. Hopefully this will help my hiding behind cover forever approach to competitive multiplayer. Speaking of which, Multiplayer is getting even more attention. With a better versus mode being set up for Esports play and both online and split screen co-op you will have much to do outside of the single player campaign. Back to the story, Gears of War 4 is set 25 years after the events of the third entry. You play as Marcus Fenix’s son J.D Fenix as he and his friends, Kait and Del, try to deal with a new threat to mankind. The game is trying to capture the same tone and feel of the original while still trying to maintain it’s own identity. The game is shaping up to be the ultimate experience for a Gears Of War fan and just third-person shooter fans in general. I for one am excited to see what The Coalition has cooked up for us on October 11th.

Watch Dogs 2

Here we are at yet another Ubisoft game. Ubisoft often gets a lot of flack for releasing sequel after sequel and having consistent themes throughout their open worlds, but Watch Dogs had some interesting themes and ideas that could be better implemented or improved upon in the inevitable sequel.

From the look of things they have tried to do just that. Changing protagonists from the brooding Aiden to the younger more upbeat Marcus Holloway and moving the setting from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay area, the sequel is looking more colorful and enticing than the original. Obviously, an interesting setting and protagonist is nothing if the story is bland. Unlike the cliche original, Ubisoft is putting a little more thought into the story this time. As Marcus you join a hacker group known as DedSec. DedSec is a vigilante group set out to “free” the people of the Bay Area from their ever connected lives by taking down the thing that connects them all; ctOS 2.0. What is ctOS 2.0? I’m not exactly sure but it is bad news bears. As Marcus you will be able to hack into people’s phones, cars, and much more by manipulating ctOS 2.0. There will obviously be gun fights abound, but it looks like Ubisoft is putting a lot more options for you to approach missions giving the game some more variety overall. I wasn’t really a fan of the original but the sequel looks like everything Ubisoft promised with the original and failed to deliver. I guess we shall find out on November 15th.

Drawn To Death

Drawn to death is a free to play multiplayer only title for PS4. It is being developed by David Jaffe’s new studio The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency. David Jaffe is best known as the creator of Twisted Metal and God Of War. His latest title is definitely fitting in with those franchises quite well.

The central theme behind this game is it all takes place in a notebook of a high school student. The art style is very representative of this as everything is made to look like it was made with pen, notebook paper and markers. This is a very unique and creative art style that is really fun to look at. Especially since it is gory in the best of ways. There isn’t much of a story outside of a neat little intro that puts you inside the teenager who’s notebook you play in as he sits in class. The intro allows you sit in class for as long as you like before you open up your notebook and jump right in. Once you’re in you get a quick tutorial with the four basic characters and off to the races you go. The characters are really awesome with designs like a psychopathic furry and my personal favorite: Johnny Savage, a punk rocker who uses his guitar as a sick weapon. I did get the chance to play a bit in alpha and i gotta say i had a lot of fun with it. It’s fast paced, the shooting feels nice and arcade like, and its just a really unique idea. I thought the character designs and art were really fascinating, although it does gets a bit samey in some points. Overall, i really enjoyed my time with the game. There are some micro-transactions but TBJSDA has adamantly said it is not pay to win. The game doesn’t have a solid release date as of now but is tentatively scheduled for 2016.

Paragon

Bringing up the rear is Paragon. Paragon is Epic games take on the MOBA genre. It has all the basics of MOBAs like lane play, creeps, and very distinct characters each with their own abilities and compliments to each others characters. The game as a whole is pretty much exactly what you would expect from a MOBA. There is a neat card system that introduces new items that you pick before match into the shop throughout the game. This could be an added layer of strategy on top of an already strategy heavy genre. There’s so much strategy in this game that Sun Tzu is gonna have to come back from the dead to write a new Art Of War. All kidding aside this might be a good option for those who are interested in a MOBA for PS4 or who aren’t interested in LOL, DOTA, or Smite. Paragon is already in early access for PC and PS4 for those who are curious.

So there you have our Third Person picks for 2016. Have you played any of these or looking forward to something we haven’t mentioned? Let us know below.