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

5. No Man's Sky

Much like the scale of the universe itself, the vastness and ambition of No Man's Sky is kind of hard to fathom. Using the magic of procedural generation, this sweeping space-exploration game promises to contain 18 quintillion planets, brimming with diverse topography, flora, fauna and space stations. The gameplay itself is survival-focused, as you share the universe with other players, gather resources to upgrade your character and spaceship, and engage in space trade and combat. There's something indescribably mind-blowing about the gameplay footage we've seen so far, which shows a player's ship descending from a battle in deep space, down through the atmosphere of a planet, then emerging through the clouds to unveil the surface of a mysterious uncharted land below them - all of which can be landed on and explored. Part of the excitement also lies in the fact that there are plenty of ways in which this game could disappoint. A vast universe is irrelevant if there aren't solid mechanics underlying it all. What will the story be like? Will the worlds really feel unique or will they essentially be different-coloured variations of the same thing? We'll find out soon enough...