There’s loads of promising-looking titles coming to the PS4 this year, so we thought we’d compile a month-by-month list of what should be the games you’ll be enjoying throughout the year. We’ve listed all our top picks by month if they have confirmed release dates; below a roundup below of titles that are still just listed as ‘2016’ by their publishers, we’ll update these into full entries as we get confirmed release dates. We’ve tried to be fairly genre neutral here and include games from all across the gaming spectrum Starting from this month, there’s plenty to get your teeth into from the off.
February
(9th) Firewatch
We don’t know an awful lot about Firewatch but I do know I’m really excited about it. This mysterious adventure game puts you in the role of a forest ranger tasked with keeping an eye on a huge stretch of pristine forest, alone. With an art style that draws from the classic 1930s posters for American national parks, along with a strong sense of character for a first-person adventure. It looks absolutely stunning and the trailer suggests a much darker story to contrast with its bright and breezy presentation. I can’t wait to get out and explore the wilderness.
(16th) Street Fighter V
Only last night I attended the Street Fighter V launch event in London and it reinforced for me just how big a release this is. If you’ve ever enjoyed a fighting game then you should seriously give Street Fighter V a go. There’s not much in terms of single-player content of course (the main story mode isn’t available until June), but seeing fans of the game playing it against one and other reminds just how strong the community is for this title and how much fun it is to play.
Yes, you might eventually feel the need to buy a big-ass joystick and yes there’s some practice involved getting up to speed but a new ranking system should pair you off against similarly-skilled opponents as you improve. As to the game itself, it looks great, it hits hard and the roster of characters mixes classic fighters, with long-forgotten ones and some new faces. Give it a go and you might just find a hobby for life.
(23rd) Far Cry Primal
Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4 were both great games but they did feel a little samey. Ubisoft has attempted to address that by setting its latest title in the past, the very, very distant past. Primal is set in prehistoric times, or rather a slightly fanciful and fantasy version of prehistoric times. You're tasked with protecting your tribe from its warlike neighbours, with the aid of spears, bows, pyromaniac tendencies and a nifty line in animal control magic. With both fire and animals playing a big role here it’s not as far removed from previous games as you might expect (yes, there’s a map and yes it’s covered in icons). Worth keeping an eye out for our full review then.
March
(8th) The Division
We’ve all been talking about The Division for years now, but it’s finally coming out. If you’ve been living in a cave, here’s the short version: The Division has long been the poster child for next-gen gaming. It’s closest to Destiny in terms of design, with seamless single- and multi-player gameplay, letting you play with your friends but also mixing in other players online at the time. Set in a still recognisable, but post-viral-disaster, New York it’s something of an NRA fantasy with regular citizen called up to take control of the city from vicious gangs - all with the help of some very big guns of course. It looks, and plays, excellently but we’re concerned whether it has enough content to prevent it suffering the same fate as Destiny, where many players never got to grips with the best parts of the game. For more information read our The Division article.
(11th) Hitman
The assassination series is back with this simply-titled game. Huge and realistic environments are the first draw, each packed with characters and information that you can use to your advantage. Each hit will provide a myriad of options about how you kill your target from the direct and brutal to the subtle and silent. Crowded areas are common here and there’s numerous ways to turn them to your advantage, using them to cover your activities. The environments are interactive too, you can sabotage items such as gas cookers, or set off a fire alarm to clear an area. It’s all looking rather smart, the thinking man’s alternative to the usual shoot first, shoot later and shoot some more approach to gaming.
April
(29th) Uncharted 4
There’s not a lot I can say about Uncharted 4. If you have a PlayStation 4 it’s the game most people have been waiting for, the biggest exclusive series that Sony has to offer. From previews it looks to be the game we know and love, but they’ve finally managed to blend the platforming and combat sequences, so you can scale up behind people and pull them off cliffs or swing down from above and take them out in a single blow. There’s driveable vehicles too and huge levels to drive them through. If this isn’t the biggest game of 2016 I’ll eat my hat - an indy-style fedora of course. For more information read our Uncharted 4 article.
May
(13th) Doom
Tired of hiding in cover all the time and occasionally popping up to off a bad guy, me too? Doom takes a more traditional approach to shooting, with in-your face action and constantly movement. Circle-strafing is back, alongside brutal melee attacks and weapons that simply blow your enemies into bloody gibbets. There’s a meaty single-player campaign, with devious and ingenious levels that will kill you over and over again, plus multi-player as well. It’s looking devilishly good too.
June
No Man's Sky
No date on this one but we’ve been promised it in June, which could mean a launch on stage at E3 in order to create a big splash for Sony’s event and push it straight to the top of the download charts. The game itself procedurally generates millions of star systems and worlds, from their geography to their flora and fauna. The art style is taken straight from a Roger Dean http://www.rogerdean.com/ 70s concept album cover. The only questions remains the gameplay, which is notably undefined, just what will we be doing in this huge world and how will we interact with each other?
August
(23rd) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
The follow-up to the excellent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the latest game follows closely in that one’s footsteps, blending stealth, combat and the ability to hack and control tech in your local environment. This time around the developer has promised to improve the combat, to try and make it as fun as the usual stealthy approach. It certainly looks upgraded with hectic firefights punctuating the preview footage. There’s a shadowy international conspiracy of course, and lots of cybernetic implants to upgrade your character and make things miserable for his opponents. For more information read our Deus Ex: Mankind Divided article.
No date confirmed
Also coming this year are these beauties, but we can’t write them into our diaries quite yet as the publishers are being tight on giving out exact dates. Expect at least some of these to slip into 2017.
Destiny 2
Dishonored 2
Final Fantasy XV
Battlefield 5
Mass Effect Andromeda
Horizon: Zero Dawn
The Last Guardian
