1) Gears of War 4
Gears Of War is perhaps Xbox’s hallmark franchise, and the long-awaited fourth title in the series finally arrived back in October. Featuring scintillating third person shooter combat, typically superb multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, and a terrific single player campaign, Gears Of War 4 is WGTC’s very best Xbox One game of 2016.
Gears of War 4 might, at times, stick a little too close to its tried and tested blueprint, but in practice, it still feels fresh. In comparison to previous games, the single player offering is much more varied and engaging, working superbly as a solo and cooperative experience. The online mode, too, is exhilarating, catering to all levels of gamers, from the less adept to series veterans.
With regards to hoard mode, Gears of War has steadily introduced complexities to the basic idea to keep it fresh, and Gears Of War 4 continues that trend with a revamp that debuts new mechanics and encourages more tactical decisions.
Even if it wasn’t necessarily as seminal a title as the original game, we absolutely adored Gears Of War 4. There’s plenty of replayability and the game works in standalone and multiplayer guise. As a total package, there’s just no question that it sits proud at the top of the pile in 2016.