5 Xbox games to look forward to in 2016

If you ever listen to EXP, the video games radio show on Wednesday nights at 6PM on Xpression FM, you’ll know I’m one of a rare breed: I bought and like my Xbox One. I feel people don’t give it enough credit so I thought, as January fades into the past, I’ll show you guys why I’m still going to be playing my Xbox in 2016:

Quantum Break

First on the list is the game I think will be my game of the year. Quantum Break is a game where the main pull is that you can control time, as it’s falling apart around you. Couple that with a live action show that will change depending on what players do within the game, and it easily makes me want April to come soon. This makes me super excited about what gameplay elements and story plot points there’ll be, as it is created by Remedy, the people who made the first two Max Payne games and Alan Wake. While the Xbox is underpowered compared to its rival, you cannot deny that this game looks fantastic.

Halo Wars 2

The first Halo Wars was an RTS done right for consoles with simple controls while still having a little bit of complexity (of course it didn’t come close to Starcraft). And, while the first one sold over a million copies, the studio behind it shut down as soon as the game was released. Luckily, Microsoft answered the prayers of the diehards that still play the game to this very day and a sequel with a CGI trailer was released at Gamescom last year. There isn’t much info into what the story or gameplay of Halo Wars 2 will be. But, what does make me excited is the studio behind it, Creative Assembly; these guys are known to have created some of the best real time strategy games such as the Total War series. I am sure we will see a lot more soon, and I can’t wait!

Recore

Of all the games on the list, this is probably the least known out of all of them. But, stick with me here. Recore is the creation of master game designer Keji Inafune. The concept behind this game is that all companions and enemies have cores inside where the cores can be interchanged with different robotic bodies. With the game set in the future where humanity is dying, it’s set to be an emotional roller coaster, with gameplay also changing thanks to sandstorms that change the map from time to time. This is a game that will probably go under the radar for most, but still a game I can’t wait to play.

Gears of War 4

The series that defined the cover based shooting gaming is back with a much darker tone and, with all new graphics and weather effects, this game is looking to improve on every aspect. It follows new characters, which is a welcoming change, as personally, Marcus Fenix was just getting boring. Though not much of the story is known, I’m sure the gameplay will be top notch and as satisfying as the day Gears of War came out back in ’06. What is encouraging is that Microsoft has put a whole studio into the development of the Gears franchise, hopefully ensuring a polished game as well.

Sea Of Thieves

Sea of Thieves looks like a fun, if not at all a serious game. Although, developer Rare has had quite a bad reputation since Microsoft bought them. It seems as though the studio has had a new lease of life. Sea of Thieves is a pirate discovery game where you and your crew of friends go out to find treasure. This seems to be sort of like a Destiny MMO where you can bump into other pirates who might leave you stranded and left for dead. This game looks like a game where you can just relax and not take anything seriously and the artistic graphics just suits it right.

Honourable Mentions

Of course there are other games coming including: Crackdown 3, Raiden V and The Solus Project to name a few. Crackdown deserves a special mention with it’s totally destructible environment. So there, Sony do your worst to try and sway me to get a Playstation 4 because I’m not budging! (Though to be honest they also have some great games too).