We're not hardcore gamers (especially me), but there's three games we're really looking forward to in 2016:
First up is Manifold Garden. If you've already played Antichamber, then Manifold Garden may look familiar to you, though it seems to take the mind-breaking physics and optics even a step further. Of course, the fact that I have studied mathematics probably helps but I was already a huge fan of Antichamber (in fact, it's probably my favourite video game to date) and this one looks equally promising. It reminds me of Antichamber enough for its similarity to be a treat but it looks unique enough at the same time. Games like this are what transcend the medium of video games to a whole new category of art, achieving impressions and building immersive worlds that were never possible before. Just imagine how this is going to feel like with VR - probably dizzying, but in an awesome way. In conclusion, I can't wait to play this game and in case you haven't checked out Antichamber yet, I definitely urge you to do so.
Next up is Mass Effect Andromeda, which is of course an entirely different genre but who says you can't like more than one thing? I played Mass Effect 1 and 2 in 2014 and Mass Effect 3 in 2015 and I loved the immersive world-building and deep mythology behind the worlds, the cultures and the species living in them. Of course, the shooting part was fun, too, but I wouldn't be nearly as or at all interested in Mass Effect if it didn't have all the story. Unlike some people, I'm also a great fan of Mass Effect 3 and its endings (in the Extended Cut DLC) - this said, I'm also a firm believer of the Indoctrination Theory, which probably helps a lot in appreciating the ending, or rather the three different possible endings (another of the things I love most about Mass Effect is how it gives you room for your own decisions and its fairly non-linear gameplay). Mass Effect Andromeda won't be a direct sequel to Mass Effect 3 and it won't star Commander Shepard as the protagonist, but it takes place in entirely the same universe so there's plenty to look forward to.
Lastly, another game we're looking forward to is Mirror's Edge: Catalyst. We discovered the original Mirror's Edge in 2012 and I played it again last year. I'm a pretty great fan of the game's aesthetic (including the animated cut scenes, which didn't seem as popular and unfortunately won't be there in Catalyst) and music. Catalyst seems to improve on some of the key game mechanics and changes the aesthetic subtly enough to look distinct from the original game but still similar enough to make it clear they're related, which is a good thing in my eyes. Let's see if the game will know to deliver - maybe it will bring a more compelling story, too.
So I think that covers it. What video games are you looking forward to in 2016?
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