Honorable Mention: Ubisoft
Ubisoft had a big year of releases, even if the main series of Assassin’s Creed games were taking 2016 off. They started with a bang by releasing Far Cry Primal, an entry in the series that took us back to the Stone Age.
Far Cry Primal still retained the core formula of the series, but had a bigger emphasis on melee combat, and the Stone Age setting was a marked difference from anything we’d seen. Ubisoft had gone to painstaking lengths to make the setting feel realistic, working with linguists to create a historically appropriate language for the game. It was definitely a welcome variation from the modern entries, despite mixed reception.
We then got the company’s take on a Destiny-style shooter with the release of Tom Clancy’s The Division. Admittedly, The Division had some issues and technical hiccups at launch, but Ubisoft stuck with the game, releasing fixes, new content, and expansions for players throughout the year.
2016 also saw some smaller experiences from the developer, like Just Dance 2017, Trials of the Blood Dragon, and the exciting arcade racer TrackMania Turbo.
The end of the year brought two more big titles for the company, with Watch Dogs 2 and Steep. Watch Dogs 2 was met with pretty positive reception, doing away with the dark and brooding air of the first game in favor of a more vibrant and youthful feeling. The game’s version of San Francisco is surprisingly detailed, and the open world is a joy to explore.
Steep, on the other hand, is an extreme winter sports simulation game. It may not be the new SSX style game you’re looking for, but it’s a good title to kick back and have some fun with.
Ubisoft showed in 2016 that they’re a multi-talented developer. The absence of Assassin’s Creed didn’t hurt them at all, as they were able to replace the slot with other big marquee titles like Watch Dogs. Plus, you can’t ignore the Assassin’s Creed movie hitting theaters this month, a big step for the series regardless of reception.
2017 is looking to be an interesting time for the developer as well, with South Park, Ghost Recon, For Honor and potentially Assassin’s Creed all on the way. Hopefully they’re able to translate what they’ve learned these past months, and make the next even better than 2016 was.
