It’s been a great year for gaming in 2016 that will propel the median forward into 2017 with some style. Whether it’s an app, computer, or console game, developers have put out game after game for all to enjoy and escape from reality and daily stresses. This year was especially great because we got some great classics back, even Pokemon Go to Super Mario for phones. Here at the mxdwn games department, we try and provide our readers with the best news coming out of the gaming world. This time, if you so choose, you’ll be able to see our list of the top ten games to come out this year. While not all may be on here the possibly could have been, the plethora of elite games released this year have brought joy to the hearts of everyone. Here are what we at the mxdwn games team feel is the top ten games of the year.

10. Pokemon Go

If you’ve made it this far in the article, you had to know this one was coming, we certainly write about it enough. While being a simple app amongst triple A titles, Pokemon Go brings back some of the best memories of being a kid. The reboot got people out of their homes and roaming the streets in search of the next great Pokemon. Being able to take the game with you on a phone was even better, other than the shortened battery life of playing five hours straight and finding yourself in a sketchy part of town looking for a Charzard. But overall it showed that apps could make the a serious dent in the gaming community, leading the way for Super Mario Run.

-Cody Arnold

9. Quantum Break

Now, Quantum break may not be one of the prettiest of game out there, but the game did one thing that made it reach the top ten for this years list. The was a highly successful game in the context that it was a combining of video game and a tv series. The game allows you to play like in the old days of gaming, while offering up a unique experience to travel through time. The story is well thought out, as it should be, which lands it at the number ten spot.

-Cody Arnold

8. Dark Souls 3

The Dark Souls games are notorious for being punishingly difficult, and the newest installment is no exception. FromSoftware’s action-RPG features an atmosphere that’s both majestic and creepy all at once, as well as an improved combat system that will challenge players like they never have before. Though the unforgiving difficulty can be too much for some players, it can’t be argued against that Dark Souls 3 features some of the grandest boss fights and environments not just in this series, but in any video game.

-Luis Correa

7. XCOM 2

A somewhat unknown game to the general population, XCOM 2 makes it to our top ten. The game features a puzzle, turn based combat game pits you against alien overlords before they wipe out the entire worlds inhabitants. You and your group of soldiers enter battle and find out the truth to the alien plot and find out how to stop it. The graphics are enjoyable and the gameplay is smooth and enjoyable. The game can be picked up on all the major consoles and is a good go to if you enjoy a challenge, well that and taking out some ugly looking aliens as well.

-Cody Arnold

6. Gears of War 4

Marcus made a return in this sequel of the well versed third person game that is Gears of War 4.The game brings to the table what it always does, great campaign story and superb multiplayer content. With a franchise like Gears of War, its hard to not be embraced by the games amazing graphics, story, and well versed multiplayer, its damn near impossible for it not to be on the list. What really sets this game apart from other third person shooters is that the game will kill off a main character in one game, and then bring back their zombie corpse in another… and then let you play as that zombie.

-Cody Arnold

5. Doom

Stuck in development hell for years, and with Bethesda refusing to provide any review copies before release, expectations were low for this newest installment in the famed shooter series. Not only was this a triumphant return to form, it introduced newcomers to the true heart of Doom: kicking (and shooting) demonic ass. The game also introduces “Glory Kills,” allowing players to finish off demons in gory pre-rendered animations in exchange for ammo and health. With the addition of a map editor and multiplayer, this game is a wonderful tribute to one of gaming’s gloriously bloody franchises.

-Luis Correa

4. Forza Horizon 3

Being the third installment of the Horizon series, the game has certainly appeared to have mastered its content. With very few great racing games out there that don’t require you to stay on a track and go around in circles, Forza Horizon 3 lets the player choose where the race is going to be. With hundreds of races and too many cars to count, the game lets players walk their own path so to speak. It takes a lighter side to the racing genre and in doing so created a masterpiece of a game. While not at the top of this list, the game certainly was one of the best racing games to come out this year.

-Cody Arnold

3. INSIDE

What can one say about Inside? To pin point exactly what this game is “about” would require vague answers that wouldn’t give justice to the actual experience you can get until you’ve played the game for yourself. From the get-go, this 2-D puzzle-platformer doesn’t waste time with nonsense introductions or redundant interactions about pointless background stories. You’re simply dropped into the game and you must learn about it as you go. As you assume the character of a lonely boy adventuring a dangerous world, you constantly run across some hauntingly beautiful scenic backgrounds. Inside may look like another dark, minimalist 2D platformer, (similar to its predecessor, Limbo) but it’s more than that. Inside subtly and masterfully is able to captivate players with its gameplay and environment that most sidescrollers never manage. Sure it delves into themes of decay, free will and control, enslavement, and societal division even, but where these themes lead to is where the real treasure to this game is: the ending, which culminates into one whirlwind of emotions. Inside hooks you instantly. Play it and you’ll never forget it.

-Ramiro Gomez

2. UNCHARTED 4

Naughty Dog’s fourth installment to the Uncharted series might be the best one yet. Set several years after the events of the third game, Nathan Drake is living a peaceful, domestic life. But it’s evident that Nathan isn’t cut out for this lifestyle. So, naturally, his situation changes as his brother, Sam, returns to give him an offer he can’t refuse: recover the treasure of Pirate Captain Henry Avery. Uncharted, like its predecessors, is filled with gunplay that is frantic yet pleasing; you’ll find yourself in outrageous action choreographed sequences throughout the game. Indeed, the game does limit that amount of control the player has – the cinematic style of Uncharted comes at the cost of agency. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The narrative is exceptional and the mechanics are great. The game is far from an ‘open-world’ but the gameplay is seamless enough to make you feel like an adventurer departing from any linearity. At its very core, though, Uncharted 4 is about a great narrative that explores character study through themes of regret, love and pride. It’s a masterpiece for anyone remotely interested in interactive storytelling.

-Ramiro Gomez

1. Overwatch

Is there really more to say? The game won huge at the video game wards and even even received the coveted title of Best Game of the year. When playing Overwatch online, you never know whats going to happen in this team based battle royal. Even having been released way back in May, the game is still over and played by millions everyday. This is what makes a game like Overwatch so enjoyable and why it is the best game of the year. Players have content after content to have at their disposal, while also being able to jump in a game with their friends and wreak havoc on their opponents.

-Cody Arnold