The AAA ‘scene’ is looking pretty awesome for 2016 already – Uncharted 4, The Division, Gears of War 4, Quantum Break and The Last Guardian to name just a few. But, there are also a load of awesome looking indie games coming along. I’ve decided to compile a list of some of the most interesting looking ones that you might want to keep an eye on.
I will just mention that they might not all be technically ‘indie’ games though so don’t shout at me if they aren’t – it’s more just going to be games you might not know about.
Escape from Tarkov
Developer: Battle State Games
Release: TBC (Closed Beta early 2016)
Platform: PC
Will the survival genre boom never end!
Take the survival elements of a game like DayZ, add in top notch visuals with wonderful looking environments. Plonk in the gun play from the STALKER series and you would be on the right track for thinking what Escape from Tarkov will be offering you.
Escape from Tarkov is a story driven MMO set in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed off and is now an overgrown urban battleground that you have to try and escape… surprisingly enough.
The game will feature RPG elements, weapon customisation, looting – pretty much what you’d expect from a survival MMO game.
It’s still early in development but I have to say it’s looking pretty polished and very impressive right now, let’s hope it can live up to the hype.
Eitr
Developer:
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PS4, PC (Steam)
Eitr is an action RPG with a randomly generated loot system, procedurally generated skill trees and a focus on tactical combat all brought to life across nine Norse worlds created in a wonderful looking 8-Bit style.
“The Shield Maiden, as with all mortal Norsemen, was to have her fate determined by the three fate-weaving Norns and their sacred loom before she even entered the world. However, her destiny was shattered when the mischievous god Loki interfered, dripping spots of the wretched substance Eitr into the unwoven loom, forever altering the Shield Maiden’s path and engulfing the great tree Yggdrasil in darkness. Now the Shield Maiden must venture into the nine Norse worlds connected by Yggdrasil and unravel the mystery of her fate.”
It all sounds very interesting and is shaping up to be a great looking game.
Hyper Light Drifter
Developer: Heart Machine
Release: TBC Spring 2016
Platform PS4, PC, Mac, Xbox One
Another awesome looking 8-Bit action RPG is Hyper Light Drifter from Heart Machine. Explore huge crumbling structures and deep caves that hold hidden treasures. Take on hordes of enemies and massive bosses both human and machine whilst engaging in brutal yet fun and responsive combat.
I was initially drawn in by the games amazing visual style and when I looked in to it more it just kept on sounding better and better.
EVERSPACE
Developer: ROCKFISH Games
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PC, Xbox One, (PS4 version probably later on)
Games set in space seem to be the next big thing. Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen have been at the forefront of this space genre boom. EVERSPACE is another one looking to enter the genre and it is looking like it will be a real contender.
The difference is, is that EVERSPACE doesn’t want to go down the hardcore space sim route. They want their game to be accessible and easy to pick up with a captivating and non-linear story. It looks pretty stunning too!
Whilst playing you will be exploring, hunting for resources and trying to uncover secrets. ROCKFISH are also taking a slightly different approach to death as well, with death being rewarded. Ever time you die you’re going to be rewarded with better gear – sounds intriguing!
Riot: Civil Unrest
Developer: Leonard Menchiari, IV Productions
Release: April 2016
Platform: PC
RIOT: Civil Unrest is based on real life events such as the Tahir Revolution and the Indignados movement, where you will be able to play as either the Police or as the rioters themselves. Each scenario has its own background with a number of different police units available to help you deal with the situations at hand. It will also feature an in-game level editor allowing players to create their own scenarios and share them with other players.
I actually got to play this briefly at EGX 2015 and whilst I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing – I started where someone had left off, I still enjoyed the game and I’m eagerly wanting to play more of it!
The fact that it is based on real life events is a really interesting concept and I’m hoping that it will have a similar emotional draw to games like This War of Mine.
Rain World
Developer: Videocult
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PC
Rain World is a survival platformer set in an industrial world that has been ravaged by a shattered ecosystem. The rain falls so hard that it makes it almost impossible to live in, but there are a few brief periods where it stops, allowing you go out in the alien world and search for food.
You play as a Slugcat and act as both predator and prey, you must hunt enough food to survive the next period of hibernation.
With Ori and the Blind Forest blowing me away last year, I’m hoping and thinking that Rain World will be the 2016 version of it.
Fortnite
Developer: EPIC Games, People Can Fly
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PC, Mac
Fortnite is a co-op survival game that centres around scavenging and exploring for supplies to build and fortify structures that will enable you to defend yourselves from waves of monsters. The game is being billed as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead – which could be a winning combination.
It does feel like this game has been coming forever as it was first announced way back in 2011, but we should be seeing it sometime this year! Personally I think it’s definitely one to watch out for as I think it could provide some great fun when playing with friends. Plus the options for what you can create look pretty immense, so in theory it should keep you busy for quite a while. Let’s just hope the gameplay is varied enough too!
Tacoma
Developer: Fullbright
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One
From the minds that brought you Gone Home, we have the space exploration adventure game Tacoma, which will feature VR support and makes use of some new mechanics that being in space allow – i.e. gravity, or the lack of.
Tacoma takes place 200,000 miles away from earth on a lunar transfer station called Tacoma. Little is known about the game, but we do know that you take on the roll of Amy Fellier on her first day on the ‘job’ at Tacoma station. When she arrives she finds that all of the crew have gone missing. It is now up to Amy to explore the station to find answers.
Gone Home was a cult hit for Fullbright and many people are hoping that Tacoma will be another hidden gem like its predecessor.
We Happy Few
Developer: Compulsion Games
Release: June 2016 (Early Access coming too)
Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One
You live in a dystopian English city called Wellington Wells. It’s 1964 and all the residents are drugged up on ‘Joy’, you’re part of an underground resistance trying to escape the city.
This is the premise of the first person survival game We Happy Few from Compulsion Games. You must scavenge for supplies whilst pretending to be drugged as to not arouse suspicion of your ulterior motives.
I think this game sounds brilliant and mad in equal amounts, from the look of it I think it’s a fair assessment too.
At the moment it’s unclear if the June date is for the early access or the full release – my money is on the early access part.
Inside
Developer: Play Dead
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: First on Xbox One (PS4 and PC launch very likely)
From the developers who game us Limbo, Inside is the companies next project and it is looking just as good as their last game. It’s another game that we don’t really know a lot about.
You will be playing as a young boy making his way through a depressed looking world. The residents of this world look very oppressed – but we don’t really know why. I’m assuming that as the boy you will either need to escape the world you’re in, or try to help free the people trapped in it but working your way through various puzzles and platforming levels.
To be honest if it’s anything like Limbo then it’s an instant buy for me!
Rime
Developer: Tequila Works
Release: TBC 2016
Platform: PS4
Rime is a third person puzzle adventure game where you will control a boy who must survive on a mysterious island.
I doubt this will actually be a game I will be getting – as I don’t own a PS4, but I know a lot of PS4 owners are looking forward to this one a lot and I have to say it does look very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8qu_tsYbbM&feature=player_embedded
So there we have it, eleven games you’re probably going to want to keep an eye on over the next year. The reality is, is that this list isn’t even half of the best looking games for the year. I haven’t even mentioned games like Cuphead, OXENFREE, No Man’s Sky, Firewatch, The Solus Project… the list goes on and on, and even on a little bit more. 2016 is certainly shaping up to be an excellent one for gaming!
P.S Don’t forget to check out the plethora of MOBA’s & MOBA style First person shooters coming along too like Overwatch, Battleborn, Gigantic and Paragon to name a few. This certainly seems like another genre that is going to take off in 2016 in a pretty big way – not that MOBA’s aren’t already popular….
-Will
