Pokemon Go
Say what you will but there is no denying the phenomenon that was Pokemon Go. The mobile game is simple enough as it lets players mimic catching Pokemon in their own backyard.
While the months following the launch were not the best in terms of updates and communication (both have become a lot better recently) the first month or so of Pokemon Go were unlike any game I’ve ever experienced.
Walking around town with friends looking for Pokemon would make 10-year-old me jealous.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
There were quite a few fighting games released in 2016 but Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 took what made the first game great and improved on it. The fighting more crisp and looked great, the roster was increased to include Dragon Ball Super characters and there are a ton of different things to do outside of the main campaign.
While the story of the campaign seems all to similar to the first, and the character creation suite needs some more variation, the fighting of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 puts every player in the high-action anime it’s based on.
Titanfall 2
I’ll admit, I barely played the first Titanfall game. It was a game that didn’t have a single-player campaign mode so playing only online with others didn’t appeal that much to me despite the concept of fighting with large mechanical robots.
Enter Titanfall 2: the addition of a campaign mode was well done, the FPS aspects are great, the controls are smooth and the way you can travel through time on a dime was very cool.
Throw in the hilarious banter between you and your Titan and this game is a great example of a sequel being better than its predecessor.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions: FE
Tokyo Mirage Sessions: FE was one of the few Wii U titles actually worth dusting off your console for. Atlus, the makers of the Persona games, brings their unique JRPG style to the Wii U in a new story that revolves around music and spirits.
Throw in battle mechanics from Fire Emblem and you have a fun and engaging game that actually let me use my Wii U for longer than a week. I’ve spent hours grinding up the level of my characters and never did it get old.
Fire Emblem Fates
Fire Emblem Fates was my favorite game for the first quarter of 2016. The story of two warring families was executed perfectly, making players feel for both sides of the conflict and not leaning towards any one side. The characters are all memorable and the battle system is streamlined, making it easier for newcomers to the series.
Fire Emblem Fates is made even better by having different versions that give two different experiences and a third version that brings it all together. I’ve found myself replaying the same game multiple times to ship off my character to different people and I’m not ashamed to say that.
Pokemon Sun and Moon
I’ve gushed about this game A LOT in the month since its release but it needs to be said: Pokemon Sun and Moon is the best in the 20-year-old franchise.
Sun and Moon not only introduces a new region and new Pokemon, but has some amazing callbacks to previous games to bring back memories from Pokemon players who may have lapsed. This game also changed the, some may say, tired old Pokemon formula and brought the franchise into a new era. There were no more Gyms, no more use of HMs and the games streamlined some of unnecessary aspects of previous games.
Sun and Moon is not the perfect Pokemon game, but it’s pretty damn close.
