Ten Most Wanted PlayStation 4 Exclusives of 2016

2015 held some amazing video game titles for the PlayStation 4 such as The Order: 1886, Bloodborne, and Infamous: First Light. There are plenty of video game exclusives we can talk about from 2015, but it’s time we start checking out what’s to come in 2016.

We’ve gathered ten of our personal top video games exclusive for the PlayStation 4 that we’re hoping meet a release date sometime in 2016. So whether you own a PlayStation 4 now or hoping to score a console this holiday season, make sure to check out these ten titles you won’t want to miss out on.

What upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive are you waiting for? Let us know down in the comment section below.

#10 Street Fighter V

Release Date: NA February 16, 2016, JP February 18, 2016

Street Fighter V will be the fifth main installment to the Street Fighter franchise and one that Capcom has high hopes of bringing in a new audience and gamers. While Street Fighter V isn’t necessarily an exclusive title to the PlayStation 4 as it will be releasing on PC as well, and yes, there will be cross-platform play available, the game will, however, be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 in terms of console exclusivity. Gamers can expect the game to hold the same style of gameplay the franchise is known for which is side-scrolling where players will fight each other in hopes to knock their opponent out. Although, there are some slight changes added to the overall gameplay as in the introduction of V-Gauge that adds three new techniques: V-Skills, V-Reversals, and V-Triggers. When the V-Gauge is built up, players can access the three new techniques which allow their character to deliver powerful attacks or allow them to avoid attacks from their opponent.

A total of sixteen characters will be available at launch, four of which are new to the Street Fighter series, though we can assume there will be additional characters post game launch. As mentioned, Capcom is looking to bring in new players to the franchise and one of the ways they are doing it is by making Street Fighter V a core release with no additional side releases so don’t expect to see Super Street Fighter V or Ultra Street Fighter V making their way into the market. Capcom is hoping that this will allow less confusion to new players looking to purchase the game but are unsure which version of the game they need. 

#9 Rime

Release Date: 2016?

Rime is another title that we’re hoping is released in 2016 though we’re still waiting for an official word on when the game will be released. What was originally meant to be an Xbox One exclusive title, development team Tequila Works, creators of Deadlight, ultimately ended up on the PlayStation 4 platform. In this platformer, players take on the role of a boy who must make his way off an island and escape a curse. Visually, Rime is gorgeous with a cel-shaded art style that gamers who have played The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, could easily identify with. Here's hoping Rime will meet gamers with a release date next year.

#8 Hellblade

Release Date: 2016

Hellblade is a hack-and-slash title described as an independent AAA video game from Ninja Theory because of the game being developed by a small indie studio though with the level of detail expected from a major AAA video game release. The story of Hellblade follows a Celtic warrior named Senua as she travels through Hell. However, this Hell Senua is seeing is through her own psychotic manifestations because of her mental illnesses.

Development team Ninja Theory has revealed that Senua suffers from hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and depression. Because of these illnesses, Senua must embark on a very personal journey, one that Ninja Theory is taking the utmost care to assure it’s accurate and sensitive. With only fifteen people working on the video game title, we’re still hoping to embark on this journey with Senua sometime this year.

#7 Ratchet and Clank

Release Date: 2016

Ratchet and Clank is the re-imagining of the first Ratchet and Clank video game that released back in 2002 for the PlayStation 2. However, development team Insomniac Games has stated that this more of a new game with brand new weapons, features, and will add more story and background to the upcoming feature animated film of the same name.

As someone who played the original title years ago, I’m sure that there’s a ton of gamers that can’t wait to get their hands on this upcoming release. Also, this will definitely attract a whole new generation of gamers that have never played any of the past Ratchet & Clank platformer games.

#6 Final Fantasy VII Remake

Release Date: 2016?

One title on this list we can’t say for sure will be released in 2016 is Final Fantasy VII the remake. During E3 2015 it was revealed that the remake was in development for the PlayStation 4, but that’s about all the information we have right now. One aspect that the development team is still figuring out is the combat system. Apparently, the developers feel that the old school days of turn-based combat may not be best suited for today. While so many of us are waiting to pick up Final Fantasy VII again on the PlayStation 4, don’t hold your breath on a 2016 release.

#5 The Witness

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Fans of Myst or other open world based video games that require solving puzzles may find a liking to The Witness by developers Thekla, Inc. Releasing on the PlayStation 4, along with PC and iOS, Players in The Witness control an unnamed character who finds himself within island separated in sections around a giant mountain. While exploring the land, players will have to complete sections of puzzles to advance and make their way to the mountain, the overall goal of the game. Developer Jonathan Blow stated that the final game will release with over six hundred puzzles for players to solve, something that Jonathan estimated will take about a hundred hours to solve completely though not all of the puzzles will have to be completed in order to finish the game.

#4 The Last Guardian

Release: 2016

During this E3 2015 we finally got a new glimpse of The Last Guardian, a video game title we’ve been patiently waiting for since it first debuted during E3 2009. At the time, The Last Guardian was slated to be released for the PlayStation 3 and it’s been delayed until 2016, so finger crossed here that The Last Guardian doesn’t end up being another Half-Life 3.

While we don’t know too much about the game, it features a boy and a large animal that appears to help the boy around various obstacles, so why all the hype about The Last Guardian? It's simply because of the development team behind the game. This is another title being directed by Fumito Ueda who previously worked on two very big titles on the PlayStation 2, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Since the game first was revealed in 2009, we’ve learned that the development team was having a real struggle in creating the game with the limited power of the PlayStation 3. Now Sony’s head of game development, Shuhei Yoshida, has stated that the game is completely playable and the development team holds a strong confidence in a launch window.

#3 No Man’s Sky

Release Date: June 2016

No Man’s Sky is a massive indie title that gamers are eager to get their hands on. Developed by Hello Games and console exclusive to the PlayStation, with PC receiving the game at the same time, No Man’s Sky is a video game based around space exploration. Players take control of an explorer with limited supplies at the start such as a spacecraft, where they must help fill The Atlas, a universal database for players to share their discovery. Don’t worry, it’s likely this Atlas will never get filled as No Man’s Sky includes 18 quintillion planets with their own flora and fauna.

As players explore planets they will be able to gather resources to sell with other players or to craft for their own benefit. Speaking of crafting, the spacecraft will have to be upgraded in order for players to reach other planets and solar systems, this could mean upgrading the engines of the spacecraft or how much fuel it can hold. While exploring, gamers may come against other hostile players, creatures, or factions which combat can be played out with their included weapon or through spacecraft battles. Additionally, No Man’s Sky holds a wanted style system, similar to the Grand Theft Auto series. If players kill off too many creatures or take resources then the game Sentinels may attempt to kill the player. This little indie title is bringing a ton of hype and it’s one we can’t wait to try out.

#2 Horizon Zero Dawn

Release Date: 2016

Horizon Zero Dawn was a surprising reveal from E3 2015. This is an action role-playing video game from Guerrilla Games, the development team behind the first-person shooter series, Killzone. To top it off, this is the first intellectual property from Guerrilla Games since 2004 with the first release of Killzone.

The story of Horizon Zero Dawn takes place a thousand years in the future in a more post-apocalyptic world though developers have stated that this isn’t like any other post-apocalyptic video game as the world is filled with lush green lands. In Horizon Zero Dawn’s world, the lands are filled with robotic dinosaurs that the protagonist Aloy, a hunter, and incredible archer, will have to take down for resources and crafting material which can be done by trapping these mechanical creatures or performing various strategic shots. One more interesting aspect to Horizon Zero Dawn is that this video game is said to hold absolutely no loading screens which means we're able to learn the history of humanities downfall and these robot creatures that much faster.

While we don’t know specifically when Horizon Zero Dawn will release in 2016, this is one game we’re keeping close tabs with.

#1 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Release Date: March 18, 2016

Set to be the fourth main installment and the last of the Uncharted series is Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The game is set three years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception that features Nathan Drake as a retired fortune hunter. That is, until his brother Sam, who was long believed to be dead, suddenly appears seeking help. The duo then makes their way into a grand journey that will take them across the globe to a long lost pirate colony.

Naughty Dog is hyping up Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End up for a massive conclusion to the series as it will be the last game to feature Nathan Drake where it will test him in ways never before. While the game was set to release last year, Naughty Dog has delayed the title for further development although, if you’ve never owned a PlayStation 3 and happen to have a PlayStation 4 then we suggest picking up the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection as it comes packed with the first three main installments to the Uncharted series, remastered for the PlayStation 4.