oprainfall is proud to present our annual lists of Most Anticipated Games. Just like last year, we will be publishing one per day as we move closer to 2016. Today, we have Anime Manager Justin Guillou.

It’s that time of the year again! You know, where we as a site beg for your attention by shoving in your faces titles that we think will come out and be cool. 3/5ths of my titles from last year’s list got delayed to 2016. So you know what, NONE of those will be here. Yes, Persona 5 is off the list! I’m sure it will be good, but I’m not writing about it again. So without further ado, HERE WE GO:

Fire Emblem Fates

Fire Emblem Fates | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

So, for a very long time I did not care for the SRPG genre. I had Sacred Stones but could not get into it. It felt slow and overly grindy to me. I just wasn’t in the mood for it when I originally played it all those years ago. It would not be until last year when a friend of mine came over to my house and we played Ogre Battle on the SNES that I considered giving this genre that I avoided a second chance. Eventually, I would review Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters, and at that point I knew I wanted to give this genre another shot. So I went out on St. Patricks day, fought my way through the crowd of drunks and bought Path of Radiance from a used Game shop. It only cost me 6 games and $30. I loved it. Now I am eagerly awaiting this new entry in the series. The ability to build your castle and manage it sounds like a lot of fun. If the character reveal in Smash is any indication, this game should be quite the enjoyable timesink.

VA11-HA11-A

VA11-HA11-A | screenshot | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

This is an interesting one. We are talking about a CyberPunk Bartending game. You play a bartender and you make drinks for several different types of people. Based on that, you learn about the setting and all the stories going on within the environment. Its an interesting concept and I am curious to see where it goes. This will definitely be a game worth checking out. The demo is free on their website for those of you who want an early taste of what to expect.

Senran Kagura Estival Versus

Estival Verus | Miyabi | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

The fun beat-em-up returns with new characters in glorious 1080p 60fps — that is, if you get the PlayStation 4 version. With new characters, features and levels, this should be the best one of these games yet. Shinovi Versus was a pleasant surprise as it offered a nice pick up and play experience along with solid fighting mechanics. The best part is that the levels never overstay their welcome so the game moves along at a brisk pace. Combine this with the large variety of fighters and fighting styles and you have a game that can keep you occupied and entertained for a long time.

Trillion God of Destruction

Trillion God of Destruction | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

Admittedly, I have not played much of Idea Factory’s library. Trillion, however, looks really fun. This is a game where the goal is to defeat a boss that has a trillion HP. You have several characters for you to get to know and train until they become strong enough to take on the final boss. Apparently this game has permadeath, so if you are not careful, they may fall in combat.

Yakuza 0

yakuza 0 | pic | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

Yakuza is a series I missed out on when it started on the PlayStation 2 and I regret that. Yakuza 0 looks kind of like what would happen if Sleeping Dogs and River City Ransom were put together. It’s a Beat ’em up with RPG-style elements such as level ups and experience. The graphics look incredible and it is a prequel, which means it is a great place for newcomers to jump in.

Last but not least, I will let this picture speak for itself:

Zero Time Dilemma First Promo Art | Justin's Most Anticipated Titles of 2016

Zero Escape Volume 3: Zero Time Dilemma

The Zero Escape series is incredible. It is home to one of my favorite fictional stories in any kind of media. I am not kidding when I say that 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward have plot and story that is far more interesting and better written than most books I read. Do yourself a favor, get 999, play it and be blown away, then pick up a 3DS or a Vita and play VLR. You are welcome.

Those are just a handful of titles we can expect to see next year. I don’t know about any of you, but I have plenty of games pre-ordered already. 2016 is looking to be another promising year for video games. Hopefully, the games I am most excited for don’t get delayed to 2017….

Justin Guillou
Justin joined Operation Rainfall to share his passion and knowledge for some of the more obscure video games out there.