Top 5 PC games of 2016

1. Civilization VI

The best game of the year should be a complete on release and not need DLC to make it feels like the full experience, it should feel fresh and new, if it’s a sequel it should improve the franchise, and it should innovate its genre. Civilization VI does all of those things and it does it brilliantly and it is the best strategy gaming experience in a year filled with amazing strategy games.

Granted, strategy games isn’t as an open genre as multiplayer shooters like Overwatch, it might not win and GOTY awards across all platforms due to its player base limitations, but anyone who has tried Civilization VI will agree on it being the most innovative game in its franchise. Everything from war to science and culture to buildings to religion to diplomacy has been changed to make it a much more immersive experience.

Besides Civilization VI improving on basically everything there is to improve on it is also a great game on its own. The new and improved features adds further depth to an already deep strategy game, this combined with smoother gameplay and more logical building placements makes Civilization VI the greatest gaming experience on PC of 2016.

I could go on and on about why Civilization VI is so great, but that would make this article too long so check out our review of it instead.

Surprise Hit: Owlboy

Usually when a game gets stuck in some kind of development limbo and then gets released 8 years after it was first announced it is often not a good sign. But Owlboy turned out to be an exception to this rule.

Owlboy is an old school style Metroidvania-style 2D platformer which at first glance doesn’t look as much but don’t let it fool you. As of now, it has a Metascore of 89% and the general consensus is that Owlboy is a truly amazing game. What makes Owlboy so great is not just level design, art, and gameplay, but also the attention to detail and how the story and lore behind it is explained.

Most critics who loved it says it’s a game that must be experienced first hand and talking too much about the mechanics would ruin the game for anyone new to it. Owlboy truly surprised the gaming world.

Best DLC: Legion

Some gaming magazines and sites file the latest World of Warcraft expansion “Legion” as a game on its own, but we here at GameZone decided to file it as a DLC and as such it is the clear winner of “Best DLC” of 2016.

The previous expansion, Warlords of Draenor, was not considered to be the best of expansions according to players. Player numbers dropped a whole lot, they even dropped so much during Warlords of Draenor that Blizzard stopped sharing World of Warcraft subscription numbers. Then Legion came out and righted a whole lot of wrongs and managed to get old players back into the game but also to bring in new players into the fold.

Legion brought back the World of Warcraft feeling that many players know and love. The new story is actually something to care about and the new content has a great balance for both those who enjoy the single player experience and those who love playing in large groups. Legion is the most completing piece of DLC this year and brings the most and highest quality content to its game.

Honorable Mention: Quantum Break

Quantum Break got some mixed reviews for various reasons but it truly is a great game that dares to try something new, something that isn’t that common in gaming. Daring to try something new is something that should be praised and actually making a great game while trying something new is something that deserves an honorable mention.

Quantum Break is a great action adventure game that plays smooth and feels great and each chapter of it ends with 25-minute long live action episode, something that works surprisingly well. These live action episodes do not feel forced or squeezed in, it all just works fine and it all creates a really great gaming experience that really deserves at least an honorable mention when talking about the best games on PC 2016. If this list was a few numbers bigger then it would definitely take a number spot, but since it's not Quantum Break gets a very honored Honorable Mention.

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Well, there it is, the best games to come out on PC in the year of 2016 anno domini, a year that has turned out to be a great year for PC gaming. If you want some more ideas on what games from 2016 you should play on PC then check out our handy "PC Gamer's Gift Guide". Now we look forward to what the future and 2017 holds!

The gaming year of 2016 is coming to a close and the time has come to rank the best games that were released on PC this year, a tough task indeed.

Every PC player that loves strategy games probably had a blast in 2016, it was a pretty great year for that genre. This year alone saw the release of X-COM 2, Stellaris, Total War: Warhammer, Hearts of Iron IV, and Civilization VI. There were also a lot of great AAA titles like DOOM, Battlefield 1, Overwatch, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Even a number of indie games hit it big on PC. The question is, what games were the five best of 2016?

Check out the list below to see what five PC games we here at GameZone thought were the best of 2016, what the best DLC was, what this year's surprise hit was, and what game deserved an extra honorable mention.

5. DOOM

The re-awakening of the DOOM franchise took the world by surprise. Many were skeptical towards how a new DOOM game would fare. Yes, the original DOOM games were classics that shaped the FPS genre,  but how would a new DOOM do and what would it bring to the table? Well, it turned out to be one of the best FPS games of 2016.

The new DOOM re-invented its own franchise with higher paced gameplay, more metal music, and more gore filled action. The Video Game Awards had DOOM in the running for the Game of the Year and while it didn't win that award, it did win the award for best audio. With DOOM, the developers decided to not add all of modern gaming’s features like magic regenerating health, all to give the game its own unique feel. DOOM is the perfect example of what game developers should do with nostalgia.

It is only fitting to have a game as great as DOOM on our Top 5 list, after all, it is the franchise who shaped PC gaming.

4. X-COM 2

Firaxis had their tentacles in two of these great strategy games this year, X-COM 2 being one of them. X-COM 2 can be a hardcore strategy game – even on the lower difficulties. It has a steep learning curve, but that doesn't take much away from the game – it is amazing. X-COM 2 puts players in charge of defeating the world from invading alien forces and it is done magnificently. X-COM 2 is not the kind of game that holds your hand, it forces the player to figure almost everything out on their own.

X-COM 2 does a great job of putting the player in control while not really being in control. Players control the soldiers, customize them and placing them, but it is still up to the individual soldier to hit his target (or up the how the dice roll), something which feels really great.

X-COM 2 is a great and deep strategy game in a year with a whole lot of great and deep strategy games, it takes something extra to stand out from the others.

3. Stardew Valley

Some of the best games aren't always the most action-packed, sometimes they can be a little bit slower, like the farming RPG Stardew Valley.

At first sight, the spiritual successor of Harvest Moon might not look like anything special, but this is the first time since the SNES release that any game has managed to hit this spot that Harvest Moon managed to hit all those years ago.  Stardew Valley that took the already established formula and perfected it.

The game is mostly based around farming and dungeon crawling might not sound super exciting, but this is a “you have to experience it for yourself” kind of game. There is no one way to build the best farm in Stardew Valley. What this title provides is options, there are a whole slew of options on what to do next, how to do it, and why you should do it.

Stardew is a calm safe haven where you can just play and enjoy yourself. You have to try it yourself but this is definitely one of the best games this year.

2. Overwatch

Like the game or not, Overwatch is a great multiplayer game and it has become this year’s multiplayer behemoth with its large character roster, many maps, and balanced games modes. It is relatively easy to pick up and play, but Overwatch still has a deep competitive side it. Overwatch is a great mix of casual fun and competitive action and Blizzard got everything right with Overwatch, like Blizzard usually does with any game they produce.

Blizzard is supporting the game by working on keeping Overwatch balanced and fresh with both bigger and smaller updates. So far, no content update has been paid DLC, everything new in terms of maps and characters has been free.

Honestly, it is Overwatch we are talking about, do I really have to explain why this grabs the number 2 spot on our Top 5 PC games of 2016 list? It probably even one of the most successful, influencing, and talked about games this year.