Every year, there’s a handful of games that come out of nowhere to knock us off our feet. Sure, some of ’em might be AAA, big budget titles, but no one expected them to be this good.
In this post, we award the under the radar PS4 games that were just flat out awesome that no one expected. Yep, it’s the most surprising PS4 game of 2016, which means you should give every game in this list a go if you’re a fan of great gaming experiences. Just a disclaimer: the nominees and winners are based on scores and are picked by the staff (not just the highest review score).
Don’t forget to check back all throughout the month for our other “Best Of” picks of the year! Be sure to follow PlayStation LifeStyle on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and YouTube for the latest in PlayStation coverage.
You can check out the other Best of 2016 winners here!
Essential Reading:
- Top 5 PS4 Pro Enhanced Games
- Short PS4 Games Worth Playing
- PlayStation Move Games That Are Actually Worth Playing
Best of 2016 Game Awards - Most Surprising
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Best of 2016 Game Awards - Most Surprising
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Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 is the new king of the FPS hill. Controls are tight, action is fierce, maps are intricately designed, and Titans are badass. The cherry on top is a campaign that is genuinely enjoyable, and one that fans of the first game are likely to be satisfied with, which expands upon the universe of the series. Group all of this together with an ambitious free DLC plan, and the choice of which shooter to buy this holiday season becomes obvious. Titanfall 2 is second to none.
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Overwatch
So many big games unintentionally put up a wall, implying through their communities, marketing or even gameplay, that they are only for one kind of player or another. Overwatch, on the other hand, makes no mistake in identifying its audience: anyone and everyone that wants to take a shot. It’s ironic to imagine a title about a fragmented team fighting amongst itself serving as a big unifier, but that might just be what we need. At a time when the division between our hobby’s constituents seems more visible than ever, Overwatch reminds us that we’re more alike than different — if we let them, games can bring us together. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s something well worth fighting for.
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Watch Dogs 2
While tthe best from Watch Dogs is still to come, Watch Dogs 2 is a solid step up from its predecessor. Getting to be a hacker is phenomenal fun, but the game tends to stumble when it becomes a sub-par third-person shooter. If you’re willing to put up with a story that doesn’t always jive with the lighthearted feel of its characters, then you’ll experience one of the most interesting open-world games in years.
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Valley
Valley exhibits the finest balance of gameplay and story I have ever experienced in this genre. It’s not a walking simulator, it’s not a platformer, and it definitely doesn’t have a story that is thrown together. Valley won’t speak to just one type of gamer; it will strike a chord with all walks, especially since gamers can make it as challenging as they wish. It's this amazing balance, as well as gorgeous environment and deep story, that warrants Valley a nod in the game of the year discussions.
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The Witness
The Witness uses an asset long available but largely forgotten to most developers: the player’s mind. It requires discovery, perception, and real power of the mind, something decidedly missing from modern gaming as we gain more and more technological capability. This primordial approach is The Witness‘ biggest asset."
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DOOM
Defying the odds, id Software has made DOOM not only a relevant series in 2016, but a great one. They’ve also managed to create three distinct modes that all have their own appeal and feel to them. It’s an amazing package, and one that has continued to bring gamers back to over the year.
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And the winner is...
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Winner - DOOM
Who'd have thought that DOOM would be this good? Really? Oh, c'mon! Everyone expected it to be an OK, middling shooter. What they didn't expect was an awesome campaign, paired with fantastic post-launch support for multiplayer.
Go get this, everyone. Trust us!
