Best Video Games of 2016: Top 5 Critics Favorites, Including 'Overwatch' & 'Uncharted 4' [VIDEO]
Like most other mediums, video games had a strong year creatively, with critics and video game enthusiasts alike being impressed by many titles.
It's the end of the year which means it's time for critics to rank the best in the respective medium they cover, and that includes video games. This year included sequel games finding success critically and commercially, while some original IPs rose to the top gradually.
Here are the top five video games of 2016, as ranked by critics (and compiled by Metacritic):
5. Overwatch (PC)
The PC version of Overwatch (one of the aforementioned successful original IPs) ranks as the no. 5 video game of the year. The game, which is a team-based shooter experience set in the future, has been praised for its cast of characters and gameplay style.
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine (PC)
This expansion pack to Wild Hunt was one of the most critically acclaimed of the year, with protagonist Geralt of Rivia as he tries to save Toussaint, a Nilfgaardian territory plagued by a creature terrorizing its people. LevelUp called it "an exquisite conclusion to a legendary saga."
3. Out of the Park Baseball 17 (PC)
Out of the Park Baseball 17 is the only sports entry in the top 5, but its incredible attention to detail as you play a manager for a baseball team has impressed many. Brash Games calls it a "very deep game that has so much to offer to those who enjoy the strategic and managerial part of baseball."
2. INSIDE (Xbox One)
The Xbox One version of INSIDE is the no. 2 video game of the year for its haunting atmosphere and personal experience. The game centers on a young boy who must solve puzzles as he desperately tries to stay alive.
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
Uncharted 4 for the PS4 tops video game critics' list of the best video games of 2016. The game finds Nick Drake returning from retirement from fortune hunting to save his brother and uncover Captain Henry Avery's treasure. As Easy Allies writes, "'Uncharted 4' is a landmark title that anyone remotely interested in interactive storytelling should invest in."
