Ground Punch’s Most Anticipated Games: Fall 2016

Congratulations to Dishonored 2 and Arkane Studios, you have officially won the title of Ground Punch’s most anticipated game of 2016. Poised as the sequel to 2012’s excellent Dishonored, Dishonored 2 offers new gameplay mechanics, a more expansive game world, and the chance to play as heroine Emily Kaldwin. For more on why you should be excited for Dishonored 2, let’s see what Ground Punch’s staff had to say: –

The original Dishonored is not only only one of my favorite games of the last console generation, but it is also one of my favorite stealth-action games in the whole genre. When Arkane Studios announced a sequel to Dishonored, I was thrilled to hear that I would soon be returning to Dishonored‘s dark, steampunk world. This time around, however, the game will add both a change of setting, and the option to either play through the game as the Lord Protector Corvo Attano, the protagonist of the previous game; or the young Empress Emily Kaldwin. I cannot wait to see what new inventive weapons and abilities Emily can use to exact her vengeance upon those who wronged her. – Kelson

“The first Dishonored was a triumph of environmental storytelling and level design, and one of the best stealth games ever made. This is more of that.” – Sam

Dishonored 2 is the game I am most excited to play this fall. The first Dishonored was solid, yet flawed. From what was shown at E3, Dishonored 2 seems to be on track to address those flaws. The time travel level that was shown looked amazing. – Timmy

Forza has been an annual franchise since 2011, but unlike most annual franchise, Forza delivers time and time again. This pedigree is one of the reasons why Forza Horizon 3 earns its place as our second most anticipated game, not to mention stunning graphics, a diverse selection of cars realised with painstaking attention to detail, and a fantastic choice of location in Australia.

It’s this fantastic choice of location that helped secure Forza Horizon 3 as my most anticipated game of 2016. Australia is a vast country with a huge variety in landscape: from exotic beaches to vibrant cities, and the infamous outback. Add Forza’s mechanics, modern graphics, and exotic cars to the list, and Horizon 3 is perfectly positioned to deliver an all-time genre great.

This generation is seriously lacking when it comes to arcade racers. Horizon 3 looks gorgeous, promises to bring more race variety to the series than any previous title, and is coming to PC so I’ll actually be able to play it. – Sam

“The first Horizon was a surprise hit, but the sequel was a bit of a let down for me, with a boring structure, and a less than interesting setting. Horizon 3 looks like it’s going to bring back some of the fun that was missing from Horizon 2.” – Timmy

Ever since Sony showcased the game at their E3 2014 Press Conference, No Man’s Sky has intrigued and excited. With the promise of an ever-explorable universe, endless discovery, and the chance to name entire planets and species after Ground Punch, our interests are certainly piqued. Now that the game is finally on the precipice of being released, we are eager to see if the reality can live up to the hype.

“There has been hype for days for No Man’s Sky. Will the game be as ambitious as that which has been portrayed? Will Hello Games be the little engine that could? How many space dinosaurs can I befriend? I can’t wait to find out.” – Kevin

When No Man’s Sky was first announced in 2013, I was blown away by the rich, sci-fi universe that Hello Games created. The announcement of this seemingly revolutionary title promised a massive galaxy holding over 18 quintillion planets, all begging to be discovered and explored. I was even more floored when I learned that up until the point of its announcement, the game had only been worked on by four eager developers at Hello Games. But that was 2013. It’s now 2016 and No Man’s Sky’s release is just around the corner, and I am patiently waiting to see if this game at all lives up to my expectations. – Kelson

Put simply, how could The Last Guardian not make this list? The game was first announced seven years ago at E3 2009, and seemingly disappeared afterwards. For year upon year gamers debated if and when we would ever see The Last Guardian, with even the smallest morsels of details exploding on the internet. Finally, The Last Guardian emerged at E3 last year, and since then we’ve been counting down the days until the game’s release. We are dying to see what on earth The Last Guardian is all about, and more importantly, was it worth the wait—and be honest, so are you.

“It’s been 11 years since my favorite game came out, Shadows of the Colossus. It’s finally time to see what Ico has been up to.” – Evan

The Last Guardian is my second most anticiapted game for 2016, mostly because it has been in development for so long that my curiosity is through the roof. How the hell can this game turn out good? Most games delayed do turn out good, but those delays are a few months—this has been years! Can’t wait to see what happens with this game. – John

The long awaited arrival of The Last Gurdian is just around the corner. First announced in 2009, The Last Guardian found itself in a bit of a developmental purgatory. In fact, many people, myself included, wondered if this game would ever even see the light of day. But here we are. The Last Guardian is ‘supposedly’ releasing this Fall, and I’m sitting here morbidly curious as to whether this game can live up the hype, and the high standards of its creator Fumito Ueda. If it’s anything like its predecessors, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, this game should be yet another amazing addition the the PlayStation catalog. – Kelson

DICE’s signature first person shooter series has been in a bit of a rough patch the past few years, with Battlefield 4 suffering from horrific multiplayer issues at launch, and Battlefield: Hardline widely considered as one of the franchise’s weakest entries. Thankfully, Battlefield 1 looks set to be a return form for the beloved series, with a bold setting in World War I, and outrageous graphics. Will Battlefield 1 do the heart-breaking stories, and horrific scenarios, of World War I justice? Can it recapture the FPS crown Battlefield wore for so long? Only the final product can tell, but suffice it to say we are hopeful it can.

“Each year I really only pick one shooter to stick with, and I’m fairly sure it will be Battlefield this year. The setting looks super rad, and I finally have a beastly PC to push the graphics to the max!” – Evan

Choosing my most anticipated upcoming game of 2016 was a tricky one, but I am super pumped for Battlefield 1. Going to WW1 sounds really intriguing. Not to mention Battlefield has always had great multiplayer, and from everything I have seen from Battlefield 1, it looks gorgeous and the gameplay is still on point. – John

And so that’s a wrap on our top five most anticipated games for the remainder of 2016. Congratulations to all of the winners and their respective developers. But don’t go anywhere just yet! Ground Punch’s writers submitted a total of eighteen games when I asked them to list the titles they were most excited for, so be sure to check out the other thirteen below!

Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2

The first Cook, Serve, Delicious! was surprisingly fun on both PC and mobile. The sequel promises to bring more recipes, more events, and improvements to every feature from the first game. Looking forward to sinking more hours into building up my restaurant again. – Timmy

Destiny: Rise of Iron

As a huge Destiny fan who has been playing since the beta, I’m pretty hyped for the next expansion. We don’t really know too much about the system level changes that they are making, but the opportunity to dive into the lore of the Lords of Iron, and learn more about these legendary guardians is something I’m looking forward to greatly. – Nikhil

Dues Ex: Mankind Divided

“There is a Witcher-sized hole in my heart, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided looks like it may be the perfect supplement to heal those wounds. From the poignant themes and the intense combat, to the gravely tones of Elias Toufexis, Deus Ex appears to have all of the right bits to break through.” – Kevin

I’ve been a massive stealth fan since my early days playing Metal Gear with my dad. Deus Ex: Human Revolution scratched that itch, and also came with a really interesting narrative and setting. I can’t wait for the follow-up. – Evan

Final Fantasy XV

I’m not really the biggest fan of Final Fantasy to begin with, but with the games intriguing premise, as well as Square’s willingness to drastically change a well-worn formula, my interest in the latest game in the franchise is thoroughly piqued. – Jordan

Gravity Rush 2

When I played Gravity Rush: Remastered earlier this year, it quickly became one of my favorite gaming experiences ever. With the sequel on the horizon, made from the ground up for PS4, as well as an anime on the way, I honestly can’t wait for December 2^nd to get here. – Jordan

Jenny LeClue

Narrative games are an exceptional form of escapism. A sort of “interactive film,” if you will, narrative games allow the player to participate and directly influence the narrative as it unfolds in realtime. Put in the shoes of a young detective—named Jenny LeClue, obviously—you have to solve a particularly perturbing mystery. What looks like a farcical adventure turns awry, and Jenny LeClue is thrust into the throes of a harrowing case. Not too much has been reveled about this game just yet, but adventure game tropes are prominent. Mografi has crafted a compelling game in Jenny LeClue, one I hope lives up to the expectation I have for it. – Jeremy

King of Fighters XIV

Another series I’m not too familiar with, my interest in this latest entry is driven by the fact that I am currently overwhelmingly disappointed in Street Fighter V, as well as seeing some of the praise for early builds of the game coming from the FGC. After watching some of Maximillian’s (Also not an SNK fan) videos on the game, it has quickly sprung to the top of my most anticipated games for the year. – Jordan

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8

I need something to hold me off until Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out in 2,000,000 years (Square Enix please!). I’m glad that we get a small preview of Kingdom Hearts 3 in the form of the new BBS chapter that will use the same engine and similar gameplay as Kingdom Hearts 3. – Nikhil

Night in the Woods

Much like Jenny LeClue, Night in the Woods is a narrative game. Night in the Woods is a jovial affair: consisting of nothing but anthropomorphic animals, and is charming and delightful in all the right ways. (Sans all the cute animals, of course.) However, don’t let the cuteness fool you: this is a forlorn tale about acceptance, discovery, and fear. Developed by indie studio Infinite Fall, Night in the Woods looks like it’ll tug at the heartstrings in good ways and bad ways. – Jeremy

Pokémon Sun & Moon

When I got around to playing Pokémon X last year, it reminded me that Pokémon is the undefeated king of the handheld genre. With this year being the 20^th anniversary of the series, Sun & Moon look set to consume countless nostalgic hours, with the same non-stop fun that consumed my childhood.

“I’ve played every generation of Pokémon and I expect that trend to continue. I’m pretty excited to check out a new region and brand new Pokémon, as well as to see what new changes they make to keep the game exciting and fresh. I was a big fan of the Mega Evolutions from X & Y, so I want to see where they go from there.” – Nikhil

ReCore

ReCore’s puzzle come platformer come shooter gameplay seems to be inspired by the ideas behind PlayStation 2 era 3^rd person action games, coupled with a heartfelt and emotional story that have become the swansong of most modern day masterpieces. Provided the developers can deliver on the game’s promise, I have no doubt that ReCore will be a journey to remember.

Titanfall 2

“I spent far more time with Titanfall than I had ever imagined I would initially, and it was time well spent. Titanfall 2 looks bigger and better in practically every single way, and I can’t wait to play.” – Kevin

When it came out, Titanfall was a fun, critically acclaimed game that was forgotten quickly by players thanks to a few crucial missteps. Its sequel seeks not only to right all of those wrongs, but to improve on the strengths of its predecessor. Oh yeah, and it’s coming out on both consoles this time. – Sam

WATCH_DOGS 2

You know, as much as I hated protagonist Aiden Pearce for his stoic, emotionless demeanor, WATCH_DOGS was a breath of fresh air. Inserting a new IP in their regularly scheduled franchise release window, Ubisoft took the open-world formula, grounded it in a quasi-reality, and gave us an invigorating power: the ability of hack everything. (Well, sort of.) Yes, WATCH_DOGS was severely disappointing, but I had hope for the IP. So, take two. Marcus Holloway is in no-way hollow like previous protagonist Aiden Pearce, and San Francisco is much more lively than the dreary, windy city of Chicago. With new parkour mechanics, a revamped driving system, and expanded hacking abilities, WATCH_DOGS 2 looks promising. Sometimes the sequel ends up better than the debut; if everything looks as true as it does, it seems WATCH_DOGS 2 will significantly outpace the original. – Jeremy

“I had a lot of fun with the original WATCH_DOGS so when I heard ubisoft was making another I got excited. After watching the reveal and the gameplay trailer, it seems this is another case of Assassin’s Creed to Assassin’s Creed 2, where they took everything awesome about WATCH_DOGS and improved on it, whilst adding some much needed tweaks to the crap that didn’t work.” – John

So there you have it, an extensive list of our most anticipated games for the remainder of 2016—and damn does the rest of 2016 look good. Fingers crossed that all of the above games can deliver on our oh so high expectations. So what do you think of our selection, are there any games we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments!