Why 2016 Will Be A Strong Year For The PS4

Let’s be honest here, Sony has been dominating the home console market this generation. So far, the PS4 has been outselling both the Wii U and Xbox One on an almost monthly basis, and judging from their 2016 lineup of exclusives, Sony seems determined to keep that trend going. It doesn’t really matter what genre you enjoy, the PS4 is almost sure to have a gorgeous-looking exclusive from a quality developer that will appeal to you.

Platformer

One of the best announcements for platforming enthusiasts to come out of E3 2014 was the remake of the original Ratchet & Clank. The Ratchet & Clank series is one of the most beloved platforming series out there, and has only ever been released on Playstation consoles and handhelds.

While the tight gameplay and entertaining characters are sure to remain as great as they ever were, you can expect the graphics to get a major overhaul due to the power of the PS4. The Ratchet & Clank remake is going to be released in early 2016 alongside the movie.

Adventure

When talking about the most highly anticipated games of 2016, it is impossible to avoid mentioning The Last Guardian. Of course, one of the biggest reasons for this could be the fact that we’ve all been waiting for Team ICO to finish this game since it was announced in 2009. Thankfully, all of the rumors of its demise have finally been put to rest as Sony and Team ICO have confirmed that The Last Guardian will launch for the PS4 in 2016.

The Last Guardian is almost guaranteed to have both an amazing aesthetic and powerful storyline when you consider its predecessors, ICO and Shadow of The Colossus. The game will follow your character, a young boy, and his friend, a giant feathered dog-creature that somewhat resembles a griffin with stubby wings. From the trailers, you can see that the game will focus quite a bit on teamwork between you and your giant friend to traverse the environment, as well as a lot of heartwarming interactions.

Action

The action fans out there are sure to be thrilled with their PS4 exclusive this year, the next game in the Uncharted series. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has to be one of the most beautiful games shown for any console so far, with the trailers released thus far resulting in quite a few people staring at their screens with jaws dropped. In particular, the car-chase sequence that has been released astounds with its amazing visuals and the use of physics as you see debris and other items being flung about the environment as you tear through a city.

This is definitely one to look for in March 2016, even if you have never played an Uncharted game or are not a fan of action/adventure games. Every game in this series has had fantastic writing, smooth combat, and amazing visuals, so it is very unlikely that developer Naughty Dog will release an Uncharted game that is anything short of amazing.

RPG

2016 is a really good time to be an RPG gamer on the PS4, mostly because the selection is staggering. With all of the great PS4 RPGs coming out, you may not see your friends, family, or the sun for months…

Games in the Star Ocean franchise are often overlooked in favor of bigger Japanese RPG franchises, which is a shame as the Star Ocean games have often had some very engaging storylines and fun combat systems. In addition, the space/fantasy hybrid setting is a nice departure from the standard RPG settings. The next game in the series, Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness, will follow swordsman Fidel Camuze on the planet Faykreed, and is set between the events of Star Ocean 2: The Second Story and Star Ocean 3: Till The End of Time. While no exact release date has been announced, the game has been confirmed for a 2016 release date.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a complete HD remake of the 2007 fan-favorite from Vanillaware. This game should have any action-RPG fan reaching for their wallet as Vanillaware has released some of the most entertaining action-RPGs out there, such as Muramasa Rebirth and Dragon’s Crown. All of Vanillaware’s games consist of fantastic artwork and fast-paced combat, alongside interesting protagonists and great settings. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir will allow you to play with five protagonists, each with their own weapons, play styles, and storylines in a Norse-inspired setting. This game will be released in 2016 for the PS4, PS3, and Vita.

One of the most entertaining and intriguing game to be added to the PS4’s 2016 lineup is Horizon Zero Dawn from Guerilla Games. Guerilla Games is the studio behind the fantastic Killzone series. Horizon Zero Dawn is set on Earth after some event has caused humanity to revert back to rather primitive state. The protagonist, Aloy, is a hunter that will discover what caused humanity to fall to its current state. Speaking of hunting, you will get to control Aloy as she goes hunting for new technology and parts to supplement her arsenal. Where will this gear come from? Robot dinosaurs. Yes, you heard that right, you get to hunt robot dinosaurs in 2016.

Fighting

The PS4 is getting what is undoubtedly the biggest fighting game of 2016, Street Fighter V. Set for a March 2016 release, this game will be bringing a roster of familiar and new characters that are still being announced a bit at a time. In addition, this game promises to bring with it all of the frantic fighting action that we all know and love from the series. While PC gamers will be able to enjoy Street Fighter V, the PS4 is the only console getting the game.

Exploration

Finally, the PS4 will also be the home of a new game from the art director behind Journey, Abzu. Like Journey, Abzu puts you in control of a character whose sole goal seems to be to simply explore the environment and enjoy the breathtaking sights and discoveries without having to worry about combat or danger.

Abzu will put you in control of a diver on an ocean world who will be traveling ever deeper into the depths of the world. As you dive, you can expect to see all manner of amazing visuals, such as massive creatures, alien vistas, and more. If that isn’t enough to get you excited for this game, consider this: Austin Wintory is handling the soundtrack. This is the person who gave us the amazing soundtracks for The Banner Saga, Journey, and flOw.

With this amazing lineup of games, Sony’s competitors should be quite nervous going into 2016. If you do not have a PS4 quite yet, 2016 is shaping up to be the perfect time to consider picking one up. If you already have one, then there will be plenty of fantastic games to keep you busy and happy throughout 2016.

Let us know if you think 2016 will be strong year for Sony or not in the comments section below.