12 Most Hotly Anticipated Video Games You'll Need To Play In 2016

By Robert Zak /

2. Dark Souls III

Can a third Dark Souls game really offer players enough freshness and new mechanics to give the legendary dark fantasy series the send-off it deserves? Bearing in mind that legendary designer Hidetaka Miyazaki, who was behind the original Dark Souls and Bloodborne, has returned for Dark Souls III, that answer looks set to be a resounding 'yes'. The gameplay footage hasn't so far shown us much in the way of what's new. There are bonfires, crumbling castles and a couple of spectacular-looking boss battles, but really Dark Souls III looks like it'll be the perfection of a near-perfect gameplay formula, rather than an unnecessary overhaul. To that end, we know that there'll be new stances, more focus on developing weapons, and a refinement of the timing-oriented and highly skilful gameplay that has made the series so revered. Bloodborne has already shown us what the Souls engine is capable of in the current generation, but it's the more established Dark Souls that fans have truly been waiting to see realised. With Miyazaki leading the way, it's in the nuances of world design, story and atmosphere that Dark Souls III should take the series to new heights.