If one thing is certain in the gaming industry, it's that there will be a slew of first person shooters available year after year. A staple of gaming that props up several major publishers and developers, the FPS genre is frequently criticized for releasing an endless stream of titles with little innovation.
While the core mechanics may remain the same, 2016 will see its share of interesting and unique titles in the FPS genre that offer up something different. Of course, the flagship titles will be there as well if you prefer something more tried and true. From smaller free-to-play titles to the biggest AAA blockbuster, these are the 11 first person shooters we're most looking forward to next year.
Doom
Franchise reboot? Check. Long-awaited sequel? Check. Contender for goriest shooter of all time? That's a major check right there. The single player elements will satisfy those who want to chainsaw apart demons rampaging through futuristic Martian structures, while the alpha footage revealed so far on the multiplayer front makes it look like a serious attempt is being made to overtake the frantic fun of the classic Unreal Tournament shoot outs.
It remains to be seen whether the changes in the formula will be heralded as much-needed or maligned by a rabid fan base ready to tear this apart if it doesn't deliver, but either way it's a good bet there will be a strong reaction one way or another when Doom drops in 2016.
Infinity Ward's Call Of Duty 2016 Title
Debate is fierce as to just what this game will actually be – in fact we've got a whole article dedicated to laying out the arguments for each option! While it seems most likely we'll be getting a sequel to Call Of Duty: Ghosts, it's always possible there's more Modern Warfare action in store, or even something entirely different in a new series kick off.
Either way, the end result is likely to be high quality, as before all the jet-pack mayhem of Advanced Warfare and many other shooters thinking in multiple dimensions, Infinity Ward was always at the top of the pack producing the best Call Of Duty material.
The Modern Warfare series is responsible for bringing up a whole generation of shooter enthusiasts, and no matter which direction Infinity Ward goes, this one is likely to make a big splash when it's finally confirmed.
Homefront: The Revolution
The original Homefront put a spin on the shooter franchise, keeping all the basic elements there, but putting us just slightly into an alternate future where America is occupied by a more technologically advanced unified Korea. Engaging in Guerrilla warfare to take back the homeland led to some interesting story elements and gameplay.
For the sequel we're headed to Philadelphia, a place that has a whole lot of history when it comes to America and rebellion. Some definite stylistic changes are in place, and it should be a load of fun to drive dirt bikes across a blasted cityscape while strapping explosives to drones and remote controlled cars to cause all sorts of mayhem.
Overwatch
After moving in on the MOBA craze and dominating with Heroes Of The Storm, Blizzard is also jumping on the teamed-based, arena shooter train with Overwatch. Meshing a cartoon style with frantic combat and a ton of different play styles that clearly echo the large cast of character from Heroes Of The Storm, it's a good bet this one is going to steal a whole lot of hours from shooter fans.
Battlefield 2016
Following the typically modern war-themed Battlefield 4 and follow-up “war on crime” entry Battlefield: Hardline, EA revealed another Battlefield entry will in fact arrive in 2016... but not precisely what form that would take.
While it's expected to return to a warzone rather than a crime-ridden city, not much more than that is currently confirmed at this point. Let us know where you think the story will take place and what you'd like to see changed in Battlefield 5 when it lands next year!
Shadow Warrior 2
Oh yeah, this one's going to be a good time. A wise-cracking samurai named Wang will slice and dice his way through a world populated by demonic beasts, and when necessary, pull out the SMGs, rocket launchers and of course wild magic powers. There's reportedly more than 70 different weapons to choose from to dismantle a wide array of enemies in this very tongue-in-cheek first person entry.
Battleborn
The first game on this list to actually have a confirmed release date, Battleborn is due to drop on May 3rd, 2016. This Gearbox-developed title has some very clear similarities to Blizzard's Overwatch both in terms of style, gameplay and the huge number of characters available. It remains to be seen which will come out on top, but Gearbox may have a leg up here if the dark humor and outrageous characters of the Borderlands series manage to shine through.
Far Cry Primal
The Far Cry series has gone all over the map in terms of story and locations, from the island theme of the original title that bizarrely went sci-fi halfway through to the groundbreaking third entry that introduced the stronghold assault elements and serious interactivity with local wildlife.
Far Cry: Primal is going way, way back in time to a prehistoric era where you can chase down mammoths and rival tribesmen with a spear. If you've ever wanted to play an FPS in 10,000 B.C. then this will be the game for you in 2016.
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
Since there's no Arma title confirmed for 2016, Rising Storm 2 is the one to look out for if you prefer a more challenging, realistic shooter environment. Forgot about jetpacking around the battlefield or using sci-fi powers that are all the rage in most shooters these days, because Rising Storm 2 is taking us back to the jungles of Vietnam for a gritty historical experience.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3
Moving to an open world model, this title in the Ghost Warrior series puts you in the role of a special forces operative behind enemy lines where he shouldn't be.
The environment looks like it will play a huge role in this game, as you have to deal with adverse weather affecting your equipment, use ropes to scale up and down cliff faces, and activate drones to survey the area before heading out and getting killed by hidden obstacles.
There's no specific release date or trailer for this one, but 24 minutes of gameplay footage have come online and can be seen below.
Lawbreakers
Another team-based arena shooter, this PC-only title is set to drop sometime in 2016 and is notable for being free to play. 5 vs 5 combat is the name of the game here, with each type of character changing up the play style from melee to advanced maneuverability to slow moving tank, and from the trailer it looks like some extra elements will get thrown into the mix.
We've been burned by promises of interesting skills in FPS skirmish matches before (remember the ill-fated Shadowrun shooter for the Xbox 360?) but hopefully Lawbreakers manages to keep up with the bigger names found earlier on this list.
Of course more shooters will likely land next year (and some of these may get pushed back), with Titanfall 2 possibly the biggest question mark. While news is supposed to land early next year about the title, it seems likely 2017 is a better bet for the actual release date on that franchise.
If you're also wondering just where Deus Ex: Human Revolution was, it's sitting solidly over on our list of most anticipated RPGs for next year instead.
What did you think of our upcoming shooter picks, and what FPS game are you ready for in 2016?
Published: Nov 11, 2015 12:36 pm