Top 10 games coming to Xbox One in 2016

There are a lot of games coming to Xbox One this year. While some may have been delayed, the list is still quite substantial and a lot of titles will make their way to the console. We have multiplatform releases, console exclusives and true exclusives. We went over everything coming out this year on Xbox One that has been announced or mostly confirmed, and picked our ten most anticipated titles. There was a lot of debate about this list. Titles like Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and Mass Effect: Andromeda had to be left out because our writers enjoy a wide variety of games.

For example, I’m looking forward to Below more than anything else and it’s one of my most anticipated titles. I want to play it way more than Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. While this can be classified as our official list of most anticipated games, we’ll put out another piece detailing the games chosen my other members of our staff. Well, that’s enough of an introduction. Take a look at the list below.

1. Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is the upcoming pirate game from legendary developers Rare. The studio that brought us favorites like GoldenEye 007 and some fantastic Kinect games have gone back to basics and are building “their most ambitious” title yet. This is definitely one to look forward to. All of us are fans of Rare and having them make a shared-world pirate game is a dream come true.

2. Quantum Break

What can be said about Quantum Break that hasn’t been already discussed. The game looks gorgeous and it’s developed by Remedy. Remedy have made classics like Max Payne and Alan Wake. Their games elevate the industry and are known for their quality. It’s a natural fit on this list.

3. ReCore

ReCore has definitely increased its hype factor since it was revealed that the legendary Keiji Inafune was developing it for Microsoft. The fact that Joseph Staten is one of the writers is even more impressive. A lot of us are fans of the Halo novels and having two of our favorites working on one game is just incredible. We can’t wait to learn more about this game later this year.

4. Below

Below caught our eye since it was revealed all those years ago but now that we finally know more about the game, it’s turning out to be something else. Recently Chris Charla revealed in a Meet The Gamer interview with us that the title focused on survival gameplay. For example, if you were injured, you needed to find an object that contained fire to cauterize your flesh to stop the bleeding. Below will be a difficult experience but a lot of us here love survival games so it’s definitely a title we’re looking forward to.

5. Crackdown 3

The Crackdown series has been one of our favorites here at ICXM for many years. We loved the previous games on Xbox 360 and when we heard there was a new one in the works, we went mad. Not only does this game promise to continue its heritage of insane destruction, but using the power of the cloud it will undoubtedly transform the entire industry. Microsoft will even enable the technology in Havok.

6. Gears of War 4

Again, what can be said about Gears of War that hasn’t been said before. The series is legendary and for Xbox it’s on the same level as Halo. People love the story and the multiplayer. Gears of War 4 looks fantastic and seems to be taking a survival horror approach. We’re mostly excited for the fantastic multiplayer though. Given how good Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’s multiplayer is, this promises to be even better. A reveal might be coming sooner than you think.

7. Cuphead

Cuphead was one of the biggest surprises that was revealed as a Microsoft exclusive. The art style is clearly inspired by cartoons of old and the gameplay seems challenging and rewarding. A few of us were lucky enough to play this many months ago and while it’s difficult, it’s one of the most incredible experiences ever. There’s nothing like this on any console.

8. Halo Wars 2

Gamers have been waiting for a sequel to Halo Wars for so many years now. We can’t even tell you how many times we’ve tweeted Phil Spencer and others about this. When it was announced last year we went completely mad again. Our prayers had been answered, so to speak. Microsoft really needs to show us some gameplay now. We can’t wait to play a proper strategy game on our consoles.

9. Inside

Limbo is a phenomenal experience. If you haven’t played it, be sure to pick it up on Xbox One. Microsoft even handed out free copies of the game to Xbox One owners because Phil Spencer believes this is a title that should be experienced by all. Well, the developers behind Limbo are back and they’re making Inside. Inside explores themes like free will and living in oppressive societies. It’ll be thrilling to play for sure. Hopefully we won’t die as much like we did in Limbo.

10. Forza Horizon 3

Let’s be honest. We all know Forza Horizon 3 is coming this year. Microsoft has stated on multiple occasions that the Forza games follow a set release pattern. It’ll be an open world game and according to rumors that leaked many months ago, it might be set in the deep South. There were definitely concept art images floating around. Wherever it might be set, we know it’ll be an awesome game. We can’t wait to explore a new region in the coming months. Hopefully we’ll have an announcement soon but it’ll probably happen at E3 2016.

Which games are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below. Do you agree with our list? Some of us also love fighting games so we were a little sad that Killer Instinct: Season 3 didn’t make it on the list. There were many titles to choose from. The decision to leave many games out was difficult but we feel that the above games capture the essence of the Xbox One and reflect broad tastes.