Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Joel Szerlip
I’ve been a big fan of Naughty Dog going back to the days of Jak & Daxter. But what they were able to do at the start of the Playstation 3 era redefined not only Naughty Dog but all of video games. I believe that the Uncharted series and later on The Last of Us are the pinnacles of video games. They are what other developers strive to become. As we near the end of the Uncharted series I can’t help but be overwhelmed with excitement to see what they have in store for Nathan Drake’s final adventure. If their track record is anything to go on, we are in for one hell of a ride.
Persona 5 – Chris Jepsen
Considering my all time favorite game is Persona 4, this is an easy one for me. I simply can’t wait to jump back into the world of social links, dungeon crawling, and persona fusion. Considering that this latest installment will feature a cast of characters that are more proactive than Personas past, that the game will be running on the same engine as their puzzle game Catherine, and that it will feature new exploration mechanics, I have no doubt it will be a great game. Who knows, maybe it will even dethrone Persona 4 as my new all time favorite game.
The Witness – Jordan Hurst
Since The Witness was released on January 26, it’s already out now. Regardless, while there are other 2016 games I’m excited for, none of them have gripped my curiosity the way this one has. For years (it’s had a long development cycle), I didn’t even bother researching details about the game; I just thought that when the man who kickstarted gaming’s indie boom makes a new game, you play that bloody game. But now that I have researched it, it looks to be as subversive, ambitious, and beautiful as Braid was in 2008.
Final Fantasy XV – Grant Gardiner
Final Fantasy XV has been in development limbo for ten years now… ten years! Starting as another ostentatiously titled Square Enix game, Final Fantasy versus XIII evolved over the years from a PS3 exclusive aiming to be a spin-off title in the Final Fantasy XIII universe, into a gorgeous PS4/XOne title rife with flashy summons, Kingdom Hearts inspired combat, and boy bands. Even though I’m somewhat apprehensive about Final Fantasy XV after playing the demo, I’m still hopeful. Hopeful that this will be the next great Final Fantasy that I’ll lose myself in for weeks or months, right up there with VII, IX, or even X (oops, my preferences are showing). The active combat seems promising, the camaraderie between the main characters feels authentic, and did you see that Ramuh summon in the demo? How can you not be excited after witnessing that?
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma – Jonathan Paris
After stumbling upon Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors a few years ago, I have been a huge fan of the Zero Escape series. Zero Time Dilemma is set to be the third and final game of the series and will hopefully answer all of the many questions fans have after Virtue’s Last Reward crazy cliffhanger. The very fact that this game was even announced completely caught me by surprise. For some inexplicable reason, Virtue’s Last Reward didn’t sell well in Japan which resulted in Zero Time Dilemma being banished to the depths of development hell. I’m very curious to see how puzzles are implemented this time around as well as seeing the new cast of characters that will be joining the game. I’ve played plenty of visual novel’s, but I haven’t been this excited for one in years. Summer can’t come soon enough.
The Legend of Zelda (Wii U / NX) – Charles Wilson
The original Legend of Zelda for the NES is one of the earliest games I can remember playing. I always get excited when a new one is on the way, and this time is no exception. The game looks absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait to explore a vast Hyrule once more. Going through the dungeons, progressing and acquiring new items to go back and re-explore areas is always one of my favorite things and I really hope this one stands up to the expectations.
