Game of the Year 2016 PS4: Contenders for the First Half of 2016

Well, here we are. It’s already near the end of July, and more than half of 2016 is over. Thankfully for us, publishers have wisely stopped stacking every major game release during the holiday rush, which means that we get quality games releasing all throughout the year.

With that said, we here at PlayStation LifeStyle have rounded up the games which we think are worthy of Game of the Year consideration, Bear in mind that we’re not saying that the games included in the video will win Game of the Year 2016 here at PlayStation LifeStyle, but chances are, they’ll be in the running.

Which games did we pick? Hit play in the video above to find out! And remember, the games included are those voted on by staff.

Do you agree with our picks so far? With big-name games such as No Man’s Sky, Final Fantasy XV, Battlefield 1, The Last Guardian, Titanfall 2, Dishonored, Watch Dogs and the like coming out in the latter half of 2016, it’s certainly going to be interesting as to which games win what awards.

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Upcoming PS4 Games of 2016 & Early 2017

Upcoming PS4 Games of 2016 & Early 2017
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PS4) - June 28, 2016
Resident Evil 5 (PS4) - June 28, 2016
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4) - June 28, 2016

The Star Ocean JPRG series continues with Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness.

PlayStation LifeStyle's Heath Hindman previewed the game during TGS 2015. You can read his his thoughts on the game here.

Click here for all news surrounding this title.
Song of the Deep (PS4) - July 12, 2016
Indigo Prophecy (PS4) - July 18, 2016
The Banner Saga 2 (PS4) - July 26, 2016
Batman: Return to Arkham (PS4) - July 26, 2016
No Man's Sky (PS4) - August 9, 2016

Is there really anything more we can say about No Man's Sky that hasn't been said before? Hello Games' sprawling space sim has captured the imagination of an entire industry with a string of stellar gameplay teasers.

Thrusting players on a mission to journey to the center to the universe, uncovering all manner of alien worlds and exoplanets in the process, No Man's Sky is defined by its sprawling freedom, and the idea of discovering a procedurally generated planet for the very first time is nigh on intoxicating.

Even still, there's a hefty weight of expectation resting on the shoulders of the studio's sophomore title, and a prolonged development hasn't exactly aided the situation. Could we be experiencing No Man's Sky on PlayStation VR?

Check out the No Man's Sky page for all the news surrounding the game.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) - August 23, 2016

While Deus Ex: Mankind Divided might have been featured repeatedly due to its big pre-order brouhaha, people might forget that the first game in the reboot, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a good game that steered the franchise back into relevancy.

Will Mankind Divided fare the same? Based on our preview, Eidos Montreal is on the right track.

Every cybernetic update (latest post/vids) for Adam Jensen can be read here.
The King of Fighters XIV (PS4) August 23, 2016
Attack on Titan (PS4) - August 30, 2016
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X HD (PS4/Vita) - August 30, 2016
XCOM 2 (PS4) - September 6, 2016
NBA 2K17 (PS4) - September 20, 2016
FIFA 17 (PS4) - September 27, 2017
Final Fantasy XV (PS4) - September 30, 2016

It has only been 2 years shy of a dozen since Final Fantasy XV was first announced as Versus XIII, but it looks like it will finally release this year. With a fun combat system and an interesting group of characters, XV is shaping up to be a solid RPG entry.

You can check out all our updates on Final Fantasy XV here.
Mafia III (PS4) - October 7, 2016

Breaking away from the series' traditional setting, Mafia 3 puts players in the shoes of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran wronged by the Italian mob. With his family and lieutenants by his side, include Mafia 2's Vito Scaletta, Clay sets out to seek revenge.
Skylanders Imaginators (PS4) - October 16, 2016
Battlefield 1 (PS4) - October 18, 2016
The Last Guardian (PS4) - October 25, 2016

After all these years, The Last Guardian is (allegedly) set to be released this year on the PS4! Once thought of as vaporware, Team ICO's upcoming game was re-introduced with actual gameplay at last year's Sony E3 press conference with tumultuous applause -- and with good reason!

Will The Last Guardian live up to the hype? We can only hope, but Team ICO's track record has been solid so far.

Make sure to read our preview, and our in-depth feature on The Last Guardian leak (by us) for more on the title.

For every news and update we have for The Last Guardian, go here.
World of Final Fantasy (PS4/Vita) - October 25, 2016

Square Enix looks to be going the path of cute collector with World of Final Fantasy for the PlayStation 4 and Vita. The game will feature many characters from Final Fantasy series past, along with what looks like Pokemon styled gameplay.

Check out all our updates for World of Final Fantasy here.
Just Dance 2017 (PS4) - October 25, 2016
Titanfall 2 (PS4) - October 28, 2016
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (PS4) - October 28, 2016
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) - November 4, 2016
Dishonored 2 (PS4) - November 11, 2016

Announced at E3 2015, Dishonored 2 is a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2012 title. The upcoming stealth game takes place 15 years after the events of the original story, and allows players to choose between Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin. The coastal city of Karnaca already looks beautiful and promising, making Dishonored 2 one to watch out for this year.

For everything on Dishonored 2, hit up our page for updates.
Watch Dogs 2 (PS4) - November 15, 2016
Gran Turismo Sport (PS4) - November 15, 2016
Ark: Survival Evolved (PS4) - Holiday 2016

Don't know what Ark is all about? It's an "open-world dinosaur survival game." Heck, that alone is very, very intriguing. Add in our glowing hands-on time with it, and well, it's perfectly understandable why we're excited to see how we'd survive during the prehistoric era.

You can read up on all our Ark: Survival Evolved news and updates here.
Persona 5 (PS4) - February 14, 2017

The Persona series has been a staple of RPG excellence in recent years and it looks to continue that trend with the latest entry; Persona 5. With an interesting art style, a great looking cast, and some gameplay tweaks, this looks like a possible RPG of the Year candidate.

For everything on Persona 5, hit up our page for updates.
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - February 28, 2017

Horizon Zero Dawn not only looks interesting from a gameplay perspective, but it's also Guerilla Games' first big game outside of the Killzone universe. While that alone might be enough hook us in, what we've seen so far, and what we've previewed, has us very, very excited for Guerilla's upcoming title...let's just hope it doesn't get delayed.

You can check out all our updates on Horizon Zero Dawn here.
Dead Island 2 (PS4) - TBA

Originally in development by Yager, Dead Island 2 now is being worked on by a as-of-yet-unknown studio. While this leaves a big question mark on whether Dead Island 2 will keep its original 2016 release date, we're putting in the list for now.

Read up on all our Dead Island 2 updates here.
Outlast 2 (PS4) - TBA

Confirmed for release this fall, Outlast 2 looks to continue where the first one left off in terms of scares, though not in story.

According to Red Barrels, players can expect the game to "test their faith."

If you've played the first one, then you're no doubt, looking forward to see what Outlast 2 will bring to the scare party.

Check out all our updates for Outlast 2 here.
Hellblade (PS4) - TBA

After working on solid action games like DmC: Devil May Cry, Enslaved and of course, Heavenly Sword, Ninja Theory is now working on a new IP from scratch in Hellblade. While Ninja Theory's last few games did well critically, it didn't do as well commercially. Will it finally change with Hellblade? We can't say for sure, but hey, it does look action-packed!

Check out our existing and all future updates to Hellblade right here.
Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4) - TBA

We already know Rise of the Tomb Raider is a good game (read our sister site Game Revolution's review here), but the big question here is: is it good enough to withstand the Uncharted 4 juggernaut launching this year as well?

It's certainly a good year for action-adventure fans and Rise of the Tomb Raider will no doubt add to the plate of must-plays this year.

You can read up on all our Rise of the Tomb Raider updates here.