Hello LGR fans, if you haven’t done so already, make sure you listen to our Fave Games Played in 2016 two-part special where we all reveal our choices for 5-1. Below you can read all about the games that didn’t make the cut for my own personal top 5. Most of them were a really close call, so without wasting your time further… here is my 10-6, enjoy!
10) Gears Of War 4
I haven’t played all of the Gears games but I have played most of them. I think it’s the game before this one that I haven’t played? But I remember playing the original when it was first released on the Xbox 360. That game was great back then with the enhancements back in the day and they have upped the ante again. I believe this game is kind of a reboot in the series, it does follow on from the previous games but with a new team.
The game is great, they have done a lot with Gears 4 in terms of making it HDR and 4K resolution compatible and it looks fantastic. The multiplayer is always good, however, this is another game I have fun with but I just haven’t put enough time into playing it. One last feature I need to mention, the fact that Xbox added play anywhere deserves a massive thumbs-up because if it wasn’t for this new feature I wouldn’t be able to play with one of my friends. He doesn’t have an Xbox One but does have a powerful PC, so we can play together on both Gears 4 and Horizon 3 which is just fantastic. This is such an awesome feature which I believe needs more attention because it is allowing players to play together who couldn’t previously. Well done MS.
9) Lego Star Wars – The Force Awakens
Well what can I say? I am sure there are other entries in the series that are better but this is the best Lego game I have played. I love Star Wars and I love Lego, so the two combined is great. The funny snippets when they take something from the film and recreate it in the Lego style is great.The way developer TT can take a film and then make a Lego game based on it is inspired. The most fun I have had in a game for a long time. The game plays really well and I cannot believe that some people deem the Lego games as simply a ‘child’s game’ because some parts are really hard. Star Wars + Lego = What’s not to love? 🙂
8) Mafia 3
Mafia III is great and could have been in my top 5, however, I just haven’t had the time to play this game from 2K enough to bump it up. I am a fan of the series having followed these games and enjoyed playing Mafia 1 and 2. That said, there are a few little things missing from this third instalment: a few little animations and touches of polish are missing which you took for granted in previous games. Such as you can’t walk around with a shotgun unless you have a long jacket on and a few other things like this. They have also taken the speed limit away which was one of the hardest things to do in previous games because the moment you are caught speeding the police would be after you.
Other than these small criticisms the game is great and actually due to these little changes, it does mean that the game is far more accessible. The game takes a risk too by looking into black culture in the 60s and 70s and it does it really well. The story is great and everything seems pretty fluid, I just need to invest more time into it.
7) Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Although this was a 2015 release for Xbox One owners, it was a 2016 release for the rest of the gaming community. I loved Tomb Raider the reboot a few years back because the visuals were fantastic and the overall feel of that game is great. The grittiness of being out in the wilderness was captured so well and made you feel like you were really living in this environment.
The Rise Of The Tomb Raider has taken this new foundation and built on it. There wasn’t a great deal wrong in the first game aside from a lack of ‘tombs’ to explore. In this second game, they make up for this in a big way with loads to do and more crafting/survival. It’s a great game and with the added 20th Anniversary content it has drawn be back in to play it again.
6) Uncharted 4
Fantastic game – one of the best looking games this year. It was a shock to me that I managed to get this on launch day ,not having a PS4 until a few weeks before its release. I love the Uncharted games but they are not without their flaws, shooting can be very hard at times which does tarnish the series a little. Having said that, Naughty Dog do some of the best storytelling in the industry and how they managed to put in a small level of Crash Bandicoot was great. Full disclosure, I am still to complete this game but the stunning visuals alone are enough for this to be included in my top ten list. The first time you see some of the open world it’s enough to take your breath away and make you wonder if you are even playing a video game it’s so real.
Lapsed Gamer Radio 