Broken Sprite

Today Daybreak Studios announced that their game H1Z1 will become two separate games on February 17th. 

One half will be called H1Z1: King of the Hill. This one will be focused on the competitive shooting aspect of the game. It is primarily focused the competitive “fight-to-the-death” game modes. They also announced that this half would becoming off of Early access on Steam and coming to Xbox One and PS4 sometime mid-2016.

The other half is H1Z1: Just Survive. The focus is in the title. You exist in the open world and focus on surviving, building bases and killing zombies. The classic H1Z1 experience. This half has no release date for consoles.

“Last year, we started to notice new player trends emerging – both the initial Survival game and Battle Royale game mode now have strong populations who almost exclusively play one or the other,” said Daybreak in their announcement.

2016 is here and it’s now time to look at all the games that might have us singing it’s praises by the end of the year. This list only applies to games that we believe have the ability to stick to their 2016 release window. Time will tell if they all live up to the expectations, but for now lets get excited!

Mafia III

This game has been on my radar since it’s announcement. I played and loved Mafia II. The art direction and story were amazingly engaging. I have a soft spot in my heart for well told stories about gangs and criminal organizations like the Italian mob. This new entry is doing something I never expected and in a way that intrigues me more than a simple follow up entry like most people were expecting. This game follows Lincoln Clay, a man fueled to take down the Italian mob in New Orleans after they murdered the only family he’d known. Clay is a half black and half unknown man in a time where any type of colored figure brought tension and hardship. The developer Hanger 13 has stated that they are not trying to stand on a soapbox about the social inequalities in the game’s world, but they are staying true to the setting so those racial tensions are present in the game. If Hangar 13 can capture the spirit that the first two Mafia games had with an amazing looking world, with authentic attention to detail, a compelling story and the engaging open world then they can shush all the critics of this new take on the Mafia franchise. So far, everything we’ve seen has maintained my excitement for the game, but time will tell if Lincoln Clay can stand on the same pedestal as Vito Scaletta (who is in Mafia III as well) and Tommy Angelo.

EA Sports UFC 2

I have been waiting for this game since EA Sports UFC was originally released. I loved that game, but it was EA Canada’s first entry in any form of the UFC franchise on modern hardware. That game was obviously a platform of potential for them to build every other entry off of. That next entry is on its way and they seem to be looking to do everything everyone’s been looking forward to from the last game. A dynamic knockout system, revamped career mode, more in-depth male and now female character creator and a improved ground game. Also, the game just looks really nice. I think the EA Sports UFC franchise is slowly taking it’s place as the modern Fight Night of fighting sports games that demonstrates how close we are to that Uncanny Valley. With such a strong foundation laid with the last game i would be devastated if this game failed to deliver on almost all of it’s promises.

Quantum Break

Nintendo’s NX Platform

Ok, so I’m sort of cheating right of the bat here because we have yet to even see Nintendo’s “NX”. But I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t looking forward to this thing or whatever it may be. Everyone knows that the WiiU has not been the smash hit it’s predecessor, the Wii was. Yet Nintendo has not stopped being Nintendo with it’s impressive line up of games and new IP from 2015. Part of my anticipation is rooted in the idea that the Nintendo we knew and loved from the tumultuous GamCube era is still in there somewhere.

Nintendo’s newly appointed President, Tatsumi Kimishima, has already gone on record stating that Nintendo is looking to revitalize the company by utilizing more of it’s IP in more unique ways. To a lesser extent, we’ve already seen some of that in action with Nintendo recently releasing a line of Build-A-Bear plushies. Obviously, we’re all hoping for more software related IP usage like a new F Zero game for example.

I’ve been a Wii and Wii U denier for a long time now, but I am very confident that the NX can win a lot of us back.

The Last Guardian

If you’ve played either ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, you don’t need to read why anyone would be anticipating The Last Guardian. Fumito Ueda, the game’s director, could teach a master class on the artistic merit of video games with just the three games in this trilogy alone. Go play ICO, and Shadow of the Colossus, enjoy them (become hopeful that one day they make a direct sequel to SoTC on modern hardware), and then get excited for The Last Guardian. Enough said.

Quantum Break

I have yet to play a Remedy Entertainment game, but I want to play Quantum Break. Remedy is known particularly well for their strong story telling ability and while I’ve seen the praise for their last game, Alan Wake, I’m not quite sure what to expect from this gameplay/TV series hybrid; it sounds brave and unique. I wasn’t too excited about the switch to Shawn Ashmore in the lead role but I’m mainly anticipating the underlying story and how the time controlling ability plays into that. The game is set for release on April 5th.

Yesterday Nintendo announced that Bayonetta along with Corrin would be joining Super Smash Bros for Wii U on February 3rd.

Bayonetta comes with a Clock Tower stage, which can be seen showcased above, along with a costume from both Bayonetta entries. The Mii fighters will also be receiving two new costumes.

Below is a little taste of both new characters. Game On!

HBO has announced that the sixth season of the fantasy epic will premiere on Sunday, April 24th, 2016.

(Note: We know this is SUPER late but I still haven’t said my piece yet. So read on, weary traveler.)

While this year, for me, was one of the most lackluster for video games in recent memory, I did manage to find a few solid achievements that left me wanting more. And yes, we’re very aware that there are games that are still pretty big elephants in the room (Fallout 4, Super Mario Maker, Bloodborne), but simply don’t show up on our lists. It would be completely untruthful for us to list them because everyone else enjoyed them. We want to be honest to ourselves and use this not only as a way to post a Top 5; but to chronicle our experiences through video games in 2015.

I’ll also be perfectly honest in saying that there is but one (technically) indie game on my list. Although, this is nothing to be said for the shear plethora and growing sophistication of the independent video game scene. Games like Rocket League, Her Story, and Undertale to iterations on popular indie games from the previous like Don’t Starve, Hotline Miami 2, SOMA, and Life is Strange. The list of solid indie games continues to get better and better with each passing year. The likes of which could soon surpass that of blockbuster console games. And who knows, next year, our lists will be nothing but indie games and I’m finally at the point where I can say that I feel completely confident about that.

On that note:

Ori and the Blind Forest

Released earlier this year to acclaimed reviews, Ori and the Blind Forest accomplishes what a lot of other indie games do – be strikingly beautiful. And to the game’s credit, it does it in an almost inconceivable way. Playing as the magical white critter-like creature named Ori fills you with what seems like a one-to-one fluidity of movement. The environments, like something out of ancient calligraphy. It’s unlike anything else I have ever played. Coupled with the game’s brilliantly designed Metroidvania-esque levels, a strategic on-the-fly checkpoint system, and emotional story – be warned; this game may bring you to tears. (Of both the good and bad variety.)

Destiny: The Taken King 

What can be said about Destiny that hasn’t already been argued on Bungie forums, redditt subforums, and in critic review discussions over the past year? Without getting too deep into the controversy, every single tweak, buff, subsequent de-tweak, DLC release, event, news story, fan request, and the most recent overhaul that is the Taken King just know that people still play this game for a reason. Destiny is more engaging, more welcoming, consistently evolving and slowly on it’s way to realizing Bungie’s vision as the one persistent online game to rule the home consoles.

Splatoon

How do you do a shooter without bullets? And how do you make that shooter uniquely satisfying? The only answer is Splatoon. In what seems like an impossible feat for the very family friendly, Nintendo; Splatoon manages to be a shooter with infinite charm that still manages to be a very competitive game. Cover the field in your teams ink to win the match, and while you’re at it, take out competing players who get in your way. You don’t need twitch-like reflexes here and everyone can still have a good time. Nintendo not only released Splatoon but followed up by supporting it’s community with free content every month. No other shooter today can claim that.

Now, if only, somehow, we could take Splatoon on the go. Make it happen, Nintendo!

Star Wars: Battlefront

Don’t let the internet fool you, Star Wars: Battlefront is an awesome game. I am not a die hard Star Wars fan. I have yet to see all of the original trilogy. And I’ve only recently come to understand what Midi-chloreans are. Now, that’s not to excuse some of the issues the game has, but with so much vitriol out there about this game I have to talk about it’s strengths. The graphical fidelity on display is far-and-away better than any other online game to come out this year. The sense of thrill from playing on the same maps as some of the most iconic battles in the SW universe is unparalleled. The scale of the game takes hold of you when you’re running along side the legs of an AT-AT (imagine the possibilities in VR!). The other day I saw the Force Awakens and now I’m Darth Vader wrecking shop on Hoth. Your lack of faith is disturbing, Internet.

Rise of the Tomb Raider 

The first one that you can purchase now from retailers for $400 is a Rainbow Six: Seige bundle. This bundle comes with a 1tb hard drive, Rainbow Six: Seige and both Rainbow Six: Vegas games, redeemable through included download codes.

At the end of this past holiday season Sony has just released that by January 2nd the PlayStation 4 has sold 35.9 million units worldwide. If that wasn’t impressive enough in this past hioliday season alone Sony has sold over 5.7 units, which is up from last year’s holiday sales of 4.1 million.

"We are absolutely delighted that so many customers have selected PS4 as the best place to play throughout this holiday season and that the PS4 community is growing more than ever," said Andrew House, president and global CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.

This was a great year in video games on all platforms. As the year reaches its end we here have elected to share our Top 5 absolute stand-out games of the year. These are the ones that connected with each of us personally, kept us coming back, and left an impression on us as individuals.

Keep in mind that the only candidates for our lists are games that we actually had the opportunity to play. And trust me not all of our picks are “perfect” (what is really?), but we chose each game based on the impact they’ve had on us and in some cases how they just might be affecting the industry.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

While also being my most anticipated game of last year; Geralt’s final outing was one to remember. The branching quests, characters, deep lore, politics and combat kept me engaged for almost 200 hours! Rarely, do I EVER find a game where I stop to read -- yes, read! I found myself invested in all aspects of this world, a game with such a truly dirty allure to it. Part of that allure presented itself through The Witcher 3′s approach to morale: there is no clear right or wrong, but more countless shades of dark grey. The combat is more streamlined than the previous entries, but still manages to be satisfying. The breadth of content here is almost akin to the overload that could be felt in Skyrim. If you enjoy a mature roleplaying game and only pick up a few games a year then this title should not be missed.

Mortal Kombat X

Evolving on a fighting franchise can be a very tight rope to cross, but Netherealm Studios seems to have struck that balance. Not only did they continue to reinvigorate Mortal Kombat, but still maintain what fans know to be at the core of its Kombat (heh!). They also introduce quite a few new characters and almost all of them go over well. My standout favorites being Jackie Briggs (shown above) and Takeda. This game came when I had nothing else at the moment and I thought I would burn myself out very quickly, but to this day I still find myself randomly hopping back in to get a few more games in because I just love how the game plays. The addition of the three variations to each character really help add the depth and longevity needed for a fighting game. Plus, this game isn't even done releasing characters, there are more coming in 2016! Until the next Tekken, or Injustice, I'll always be going back to Mortal Kombat X.

Massive Chalice

Massive Chalice was one of my most unexpected gems of the year. I knew nothing of the Kickstarter or it’s development history before touching the game. I played it simply because it was one of Xbox Live’s Free Games with Gold for the month. After about an hour I realized this was one of my dream games. A procedurally generated turn based role playing game with permadeath. Building my empire and its hero’s along with fighting the invading darkness was never this fun and interesting. Fighting is only half of what you do. Preparation is the name of the game here. There were just so many “wow” moments that i can truly call mine whether they be good or bad. The world lets you feel as if you are truly shaping it for the better or worse. This is worth a look into at the least if it peaks your interest.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

I was extremely cautious stepping into Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain because I had never played any of the previous entries in the franchise. I played Ground Zeroes and was really interested in the mechanics so I picked up MGSV and I’m so happy I did. I may not really be able drench myself in the story like franchise veterans, but I found myself following the plot points none the less. Although, for me the real star of the game are it’s mechanics. The game just feels like a supreme stealth adventure. From scoping out an enemy camp to sneaking around said camp to watching your plan rise or fall and adapting to every change. You’re always working to get yourself and your base better, and that gameplay loop worked great for me. Lets not forget two really interesting multiplayer modes that really break the mold. This is a stealth and open world enthusiast’s paradise.

Halo 5