Second Runner Up: Gears of War 4
Not many were sure what to expect from Gears of War 4. When it was first revealed during E3 2015, many fans still had some sour memories from Gears of War: Judgement and there was the fact that a new team, The Coalition, would be handling this major exclusive. Yet when it was finally released, all of the worries and fears were assuaged. What you had here was a fine title with tons of content that fans could easily get lost in.
Passing the torch to new heroes isn’t always easy, but by using JD Fenix, son of the previous saga’s lead protagonist, and a new band of friends, Gears of War 4 manages to re-instill that feeling of camaraderie and a unified goal of stopping some sick alien beast that would like nothing more than to devour your entire race. The same action that fans have come to know and love was on full display, and after a somewhat slow start, the story really picks up and you can sense dread around every corner.
The content outside of the main campaign is great too. Multiplayer is still as hectic as ever with its third person, cover-rushing action. And horde mode will have you mowing down DeeBees and Swarm enemies. Surviving 50 rounds isn’t a small task, but you’ll find yourself entrenched in long battles with up to three allies as you prove that humanity still has what it takes to survive.
The Coalition had a lot of weight on its shoulders handling one of Microsoft’s exclusive flagship franchises, but they delivered without breaking a sweat. It’s intense campaign and equally engaging multiplayer content should not be missed by anyone with a Xbox One.
