The incredible visual polish and sturdy platforming/combat is the obvious draw here, but impeccable writing and imaginative scenarios (both plot- and gameplay-based) were an unexpected delight from the ostensible final entry in this cinematic adventure franchise. But look closer and you’ll find as much wit, nuance and fearlessness in certain AAA (or big-budget) titles as you will among indie developers - with Uncharted 4 as a prime example. It’s easy to deride the annual avalanche of sequels in gaming, which hints that the industry is as creatively bereft at the upper levels as it is experimental in the trenches. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PlayStation 4) Here are the top five games this longtime gamer and sometime-gaming critic played this year - with an equal amount of honorable mentions at the bottom.ġ. The best video games of 2016: Big, little and a few in between – The Denver Post Close Menuįor gamers, 2016 presented a rich and often maddening variety of experiences, from the first real consumer-ready virtual reality titles to increasingly slick mobile games that were every bit as worth our time and money as console entries.