8 Awesome Video Games That Have Launched 2016 With A Bang

2. Far Cry Primal

For all Far Cry Primal is being touted as a 'glorified DLC pack', Battlefield: Hardline, this ain't. Primal's story and character motivation definitely takes a step back in comparison to past entries ('Your tribe was mauled by a tiger, go make a new one' is pretty much it), but that allows for an increased focus on exploration, resource-gathering and general in-world immersion across the board. Like Mad Max from 2015, this is a game that excels at giving you an endless list of things to see and do, all residing within a gorgeous world that - for once this generation - runs at a very smooth and consistent frame rate. The best part comes after a few hours when you realise protagonist Takkar can tame creatures of all sizes. Remember the bears from past games that would have your face off within seconds? Now they can be your personal companions, freeing you up to leave them in place for ambushes, stealth kills, or just letting them loose into an outpost and mopping up any stragglers with your bone club. There's a controllable owl with an instant-kill stealth attack, rideable mammoths, wildlife that'll just as soon eat each other as you once they're in close proximity, an absolutely gorgeous world to poke and prod around in, and one of the most unique time periods rarely tapped into when it comes to video games. For what FC Primal loses in modern day trappings, it gains through the ability to lob flame-tipped spears into various cannibal tribes' eyes - all whilst a sabretooth tiger has your back. Brilliant.