Top 5 Biggest Video Game Successes of 2016

Xbox One S

The Xbox One S wasn’t just any slimline console revision. It may be 40% smaller than the original system and no longer have that bulky external power brick, but the One S managed to do more than just shed a few pounds. It included HDR technology for all content and 4K capabilities when watching movies and TV on your system, came with a revised controller, and the absence of the Kinect port on the back was a sign of a changed Microsoft. This one was all about the games, and bringing the best possible console for playing them to its fans.

On its own, the Xbox One S is an impressive revision for a console many expected to just be a smaller version of the original. Yet, Microsoft capitalized on this further by releasing Xbox One S hardware bundles for Battlefield 1 and FIFA 17 which enabled fans to get early access to the games thanks to EA Access. As a result, the Xbox One S helped to see the Xbox One be the best-selling console according to NPD figures for four months running. Not a bad feat, considering the PS4’s seriously long-term reign prior to this.

Final Fantasy XV

When a game has been in development for 10 years, expectations begin to be built that any ordinary game simply cannot live up to. Combine this with the fact these were expectations for a mainline Final Fantasy title, and Final Fantasy XV had to really deliver. November 29 rolled around and fans around the world breathed one massive sigh of relief. Final Fantasy XV was great and its risky change to real-time combat had paid off.

Even though XV was trying some different things with its free-flowing combat system and open-world, it still managed to retain that classic Final Fantasy feel. Whether it was cruising on a Chocobo across the world, or listening to Prompto humming the victory theme at the end of a battle. Final Fantasy XV had been marketed as a Final Fantasy for newcomers and long-term fans, and it was certainly that. A magical experience from start to finish, and one of the finest gaming experiences you can pick up this year.

PlayStation VR

2016 was VR’s big year. It saw the three big premium headsets get released, as well as a slew of smaller mobile-based headsets at much lower price points. Yet, for gamers, the focus was solely on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR for proper gaming experiences. While the Rift and Vive have certainly had a healthy number of sales and success, it’s the PlayStation VR that seems to have stolen the spotlight as we come to the end of the year.

Coming in at a price point $100 lower than their closest competitor, the Rift at $599.99 (without Touch controllers), the PlayStation VR is considered the most accessible headset of the three. It doesn’t require you to have an incredibly powerful gaming PC, it cost less, and it had a healthy number of games and experiences for players to pick up from day-one. As a result, PSVR has been flying off store shelves. Even two months after release, it’s still pretty tough to get your hands on a PlayStation VR in a store. Supply just can’t manage to keep up with demand, leading analysts to predict the PSVR will outsell both the Rift and Vive in 2016 by a considerable margin.

It may not offer the premium experience that its PC counterparts can provide, but Sony’s VR is definitely not something to stick your nose up at. If Sony continues its strong support as we move through 2017, don’t be surprised to see the PSVR extend its sales lead over the competition.

Pokemon GO

Nothing quite took the world by storm like Pokemon GO did when it first released. Allowing players to literally go and explore the real-world in search of the cuddly creatures, Gyms to battle at, and PokeStops to replenish supplies, Pokemon GO hit 100 million downloads by the start of August.

While the game may have been pretty… well… broken when it first went live on iOS’s App Store and Android’s Play Store, that didn’t stop players from heading out into the great outdoors in search of their favorite ‘mon. And even though the game’s hype has dropped off rather heavily five months on, it still has a dedicated fanbase that log on every day on their quest to be the very best.

Many had expected Pokemon GO to be big, but not cultural phenomenon big. As it brought in dedicated Poke fans and newcomers alike, Pokemon GO was one of the overwhelming successes of 2016, and will only continue to develop and grow as we move into 2017.

Overwatch

Blizzard’s Overwatch has been one of the biggest and best games of the year. Not only did it come runner-up in our own Game of the Year 2016 award, but it won The Game Awards’ GotY, and is being frequently nominated elsewhere across the industry. Pitting two teams against one another in intense objective-focused battles, Overwatch keeps balance at the very core of the experience, and it shows. Heroes all feel like legitimate choices at the start of a round, maps are examples of excellent level design, and the competitive matchmaking system makes for some of the most intense online gameplay you’ll have this year.

Yet, this basis wasn’t enough for Blizzard. Instead, players have received three free festive events for the Summer Games, Halloween, and Christmas, as well as a handful of free maps, a new Arcade set of game modes, two new characters, and a ton of character skins, too. All of this has made for one of the best-feeling team-based shooters in a long time, and one that provides plenty of incentive to keep on playing. Overwatch will go down as one of 2016’s best games and biggest successes, and one you should really play.