10 Overlooked Gems From 2016

Every year, a slew of games fall off people's radars and don't get their due, whether it's for lack of marketing or bad release timing. Therefore, as we close out the year, we thought it'd be a great time to make a list of overlooked games to remind people of releases they might have missed. There's no denying 2016 was a great year for games; so many solid titles released that it was easy for some great experiences to get lost in shuffle. The following 10 titles are solid additions to anyone's gaming library.

Dead By Daylight (PC)
Asymmetrical multiplayer games have seen mixed results, but Dead By Daylight is one of the more exciting and successful ones. The game has already become a popular streaming choice, making audiences tune in again and again to see if people can survive a murderer. Dead By Daylight is structured like a playabe horror movie, having one person play a killer trying to stop a group of four survivors from powering generators and finding a way out. The tense gameplay and thrill of surviving or sneaking up on unsuspecting victims (depending on the role you play) have provided memorable gaming moments. To learn more, read our review.

The Turing Test (Xbox One, PC)
Inspired by the 1950s experiment by Alan Turing used to determine if a machine could exhibit lifelike behavior, this puzzle game makes you think about those potential ramifications at every turn. In the Turing Test, your main character, Ava, awakens on a research station, greeted by an A.I. named T.O.M. To discover what happened here, you must solve puzzles throughout the station that should differentiate man from machine. Most of the 70-plus puzzles require lateral thinking, forcing you to think outside the box. In addition, T.O.M. and Ava have an interesting dynamic, and the story goes to unexpected places, with a hell of a finale that will make you ponder about existence. If this sounds up your alley, you can read our review for more information. 

Oxenfree (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
This charming adventure game hit early in the year, so it was easy to miss if you were still finishing up games from 2015. Oxenfree is basically the closest thing we have to a game like the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. The game takes plenty of cues from scary moves from the '80s, adding in coming-of-age elements that will pull at your heart strings like a John Hughes film. When classmates party at an island, they find more than they bargained for when they accidentally open a rift, leading spirits to infringe on their weekend of fun. You decide who to befriend via dialogue options and select which paths to pursue along the way. Oxenfree has some flaws, especially when it comes to how some of your decisions play out, but it's worth playing for its charming characters and intriguing supernatural mystery. For more, you can read our review.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita)
The Trails of Cold Steel series captures the heart and soul of the JRPG so well, and the time and care Falcom put into its characters and world shows The first game in this trilogy was already impressive for how it combined a school simulation with an interesting political storyline, but Trails of Cold Steel II takes it to even more interesting places. This second entry focuses on how Class VII has changed since we last saw them, as they're forced to come to terms with the war and their place in it. Trails of Cold Steel II adds mech battles, a new overdrive system, and gives you your own airship to recruit former classmates to your cause. It's one of the more interesting JRPGs I've played in recent years. For more, you can read our review.    

Severed (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, iOS)
DrinkBox Studios' latest game proves the developer still has plenty of tricks up its sleeves after Guacamelee! Severed originally launched on Vita (with other platforms to follow), but this caused it to not as make as big of a splash at its initial launch. That's unfortunate, because Severed has rewarding touchscreen combat, fun exploration, and a fulfilling and unique upgrade system. In it, you play as Sasha, a girl on a mission to save her family from deadly creatures. The game utilizes its touchscreen mechanics, allowing you to swipe away at enemies to damage them. Every enemy has weak points, so it never just becomes mindless swiping, especially when you face off against multiple foes at once, forcing you to keep track of all of them while taking advantage of the best windows of opportunity to counterattack. For more on Severed, check out our review.

[Click to the next page for more interesting games, featuring puzzles, platforming, hacking, and bartending...] 

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