The mark of a truly great game is its ability to remain popular, relevant, and continually played long after its initial release. While the gaming industry is constantly moving on to the next big thing, some titles manage to achieve a near timeless quality, hooked into our minds and hearts. For games released back in 2016, only the very best continue to have active player bases numbering in the millions nearly seven years later.
So what gives these games such incredible staying power? Often, it comes down to rock-solid game mechanics that are endlessly enjoyable and rewarding to master. Developers that continue supporting titles with new expansions, patches, and fresh content also play a major role. And dedicated communities of modders and creatives that build upon game worlds help already great experiences become even better.
Here we will explore some of the very best games that launched way back in 2016 and look at why they continue to suck up so much of our gaming time all these years later.
Overwatch
When it comes to competitive multiplayer first person shooters, very few can match the sheer popularity and influence of Blizzard‘s now iconic hero shooter Overwatch. Since first launching in May 2016, this game has amassed a staggeringly large and dedicated community of players across PC and consoles numbering over 50 million strong.
Much of this lasting success comes down to Blizzard‘s continual stream of support in the form of new heroes, maps, seasonal events, balance updates, and more. In the seven years since release, Overwatch‘s roster has grown from 21 heroes to an impressive 37, with multiple additions fitting into each class and playstyle. This keeps the core experience feeling perpetually fresh and exciting seven years later. Frequent tweaks to boost weaker characters and nerf problematic ones also help ensure the meta continues shifting.
It also owes much to its diverse and lovable cast of characters and stellar game mechanics blending FPS action with elements from MOBAs. Each hero plays vastly differently with unique abilities to suit personalities ranging from an eldery power-armored soldier to a four armed alien DJ. Blizzard‘s vibrant character design philosophy makes playing your favorites feel like controlling bonafide superheroes.
Easy to learn yet extremely difficult to master, Overwatch compelling gameplay loop centered around cooperation, coordination, and skill expression means players can sink hundreds or even thousands of hours into honing their talents. An ever-growing esports scene including the massively popular Overwatch League also maintains interest and attention. Major tournaments often offer prize pools in the millions, encouraging top players to keep perfecting their craft.
Safe to say for fans of competitive gaming, this title still delivers one of the absolute best experiences money can buy. While other hero based shooters have arrived on scene since 2016, Overwatch remains the benchmark.
Dark Souls 3
While 2022 saw the release of the monumental Elden Ring, FromSoftware‘s previous effort Dark Souls 3 demonstrates that the brilliant but brutal combat and atmospheric world design of Hidetaka Miyazaki still holds up perfectly fine six years later. As the epic conclusion to the groundbreaking Dark Souls trilogy, this RPG maintained the series‘ signature gameplay established back in 2011 while polishing visuals to a stunning degree and incorporating quality of life improvements.
Like its predecessors, Dark Souls 3 achieved enormous critical praise thanks not just to its incredibly precise and weighty melee combat system but also its minimalist yet grim storytelling and complex, sprawling, intricately crafted gothic environments. Imposing boss battles as well push players to master combat mechanics against lethal foes several times their size. Mods like Cinders also help keep the experience feeling fresh with expanded weapons/spells, new enemies, and custom questlines to enhance replayability.
Meanwhile integrated online components like PvP battles, co-op and summoning allows for endless replayability. Competitive types can spend hundreds of hours just dueling others. Even for newcomers to the notorious but beloved ‘Soulsborne‘ genre, this game offers an ideal entry point before diving deeper into Elden Ring thanks to more refined graphics and UI.
Various mods and cheating tools also allow players ways to fine tune difficulty to their liking if the hardcore nature becomes discouraging. So for action RPG fans, Dark Souls 3 absolutely merits revisiting.
Civilization VI
For over 30 years now, Sid Meier‘s massively influential Civilization series has established itself as one of gaming‘s most enduring franchises. And the 2016 release of Civ 6 certainly continued that storied legacy, evolving the blueprint with smart new ideas. Now benefiting from two groundbreaking expansions and countless updates, this addictive turn-based strategy epic offers players a dazzling array of ways to build their empire across land, sea, and the stars.
Firaxis‘ dedication towards adding new civilizations, scenarios, balance tweaks and improved AI over the years has helped Civ 6 become the definitive edition of the legendary 4X franchise to date. Meanwhile an active modding scene allows for practically endless new ways to experience this epic historical simulation. The Vox Populi mod in particular is like an entirely new game.
Even for newcomers, Civ 6 does an admirable job easing players into learning its intricate systems while presenting veterans ingenious new ideas to master like district placement and developing historic ages. Winning different victory types also encourages exploring alternative strategies across various playthroughs. For fans of strategy and history alike, this acclaimed game remains an absolute essential experience.
Stardew Valley
This humble farming life simulator from solo indie developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has blossomed into a genuine gaming phenomenon since first emerging from Steam Early Access back in 2016. Enchanting millions with its pastoral pixel art visuals, charming writing, heartwarming characters and rewarding progression system, Stardew Valley proves virtual gardening and village life makes for a surprisingly addictive gameplay formula.
In the seven years since, ConcernedApe has continuously improved upon his surprise breakout hit with vast content updates adding new areas to explore, activities to engage in, crops to farm, recipes to cook, animals to raise and villagers to befriend. Mod support also empowers the community itself to build out the world even further with custom clothing/hairstyles, new NPC storylines, alternate locations, and more.
With gameplay than can be as relaxed or efficient as one prefers, Stardew Valley‘s evergreen nature and sheer heart makes for an uplifting escape for gamers of all types to lose countless hours too while retaining massive popularity even against more modern looking farming simulators and life games. Over 12 million copies sold proves the appeal remains universal.
Darkest Dungeon
This brutally challenging Gothic roguelike RPG from indie team Red Hook Studios found enormous success in 2016 by perfecting a distinctly masochistic formula blending turn based combat and dungeon crawling procedural generation with a unique stress management mechanic. Your team of warriors isn‘t just battling eldritch horrors but their own fraying psyches as well.
While frustrating at first, besting Darkest Dungeon‘s ruthless difficulty provides a huge adrenaline rush and immense satisfaction. Even years later, its striking hand-drawn visuals and environments filled with Lovecraftian horrors maintain an unsettling atmosphere still lacking in many AAA horror titles today. Dismal light effects, unnerving music and porcelain mask styled monster design deliver fantastic creepy ambience.
The Crimson Court DLC expansion in particular upped the tension by introducing a vampire like blood plague threatening the hamlet on top of sanity loss and permadeath. Meanwhile excellent later Shieldbreaker DLC and popular class/mechanics overhaul mods provide welcome new ways to suffer. For masochistic players who crave having their skills tested to the utmost extreme, Darkest Dungeon remains perversely rewarding. Just be prepared to watch your favorites heroes go mad or die permanently when you mess up.
No Man‘s Sky
Sure No Man‘s Sky endured an infamously rocky launch back in 2016, with early buyers finding little substance behind the endless procedural generated planets. Yet in one of gaming redemption stories, Hello Games has utterly transformed their divisive space exploration game through numerous massive free updates into something gorgeously compelling and overwhelmingly massive in scope.
Now including enhanced planetary exploration, base building, multiplayer support, underwater navigation, mech suits, freighter fleets, alien languages, virtual photography and so much more, No Man‘s Sky today scarcely resembles its barebones initial form. Review scores over time clearly showcase the astounding turnaround, skyrocketing from scores in the low 50s originally to an admirable mid 80s average today.
That ceaseless ambition to turn what began as an emphasis on endless aimless survival and cataloging into a platform encapsulating so many different gameplay fantasies has paid off immensely, with No Man‘s Sky in 2023 feeling like one of gaming‘s most generous and content rich open world experiences for new players and Day One veterans alike. For anyone who ever dreamed of getting lost among the stars, this adventure finally delivers on its promises in spades.
Resident Evil 7
By radically reinventing itself from its bombastic action oriented entries and returning to true slow-burn survival horror roots, Resident Evil 7 successfully resurrected Capcom‘s venerable but stagnating flagship franchise. Launching the storied series into first person VR compatible perspective for the first time, this installment dialed up the tension to maximum while revitalizing signature elements like creepy mansion settings, macabre puzzles and formidable boss creatures.
Years later, RE 7 remains the finest example of modern AAA psychological horror thanks to its masterful pacing, grotesque Baker family antagonists and overwhelming sense of place. Claustrophobic corridors dripping with atmospheric detail heighten unnerving feelings of isolation. Later DLC additions also nicely expanded upon the gory base game‘s mysterious and sinister saga even further.
While recent efforts like Resident Evil Village expanded the scope greatly with enormous levels, RE 7 remains the intimate, terrifying pinnacle. And with PSVR2 headset support inbound soon, players can experience hair-raising horrors with unprecedented new depth across an entire story campaign designed for virtual reality from start to terrifying finish.
XCOM 2
Global strategy games specialist Firaxis built upon their 2012 reboot of classic alien invasion franchise XCOM in this meaty 2016 sequel putting players in command of a worldwide human insurgency against the extraterrestrial occupational forces who won the first game. Presenting infinitely replayable procedurally generated maps and tactical turn based combat enhanced by soldier permadeaths and randomized mechanics, XCOM 2 utterly perfected the tension and risk vs reward dynamics which make this genre so compelling.
Even just the initial campaign runs 40+ hours easy. But branching Second Wave modifier options allow for added challenge or quality of life tweaks. Then the War of the Chosen DLC feels practically an entire standalone sequel in scope at the cost of a mere DLC. Future soldier customization also enhances personal investment in this war against the alien threat. Altogether, XCOM 2 offers nearly endless strategic satisfaction.
Immensely deep yet accessible with enough difficulty settings to make losing campaigns less painful for new recruits, contemporary strategy fans across PC and console owe it to themselves to dive into Firaxis best game. Seven years later, even having charted hundred of hours liberating Earth across countless campaigns against the aliens, coming back for yet another round remains just as appealing.
Battlefield 1
After entries set amid fictional near future conflicts, EA Dice brought innovation back to their military FPS franchise by embracing the catastrophic early 20th Century mayhem of World War I. Leveraging the FrostBite engine to new vividly violent heights recreating battles from a century ago with modern flair, Battlefield 1 managed to stand apart from contemporary shooter competition with antique arsenals and beautifully rendered recreations of sites like the French countryside and Middle Eastern deserts.
With comparably less automatic weaponry in The Great War, combat feels distinctly weightier and more intimate compared to subsequent Battlefield titles while still facilitating franchise hallmarks like enormous maps, extreme 64 player counts and destructive vehicles. Weather effects like thick fog or torrential rainfall only compound the gritty atmosphere. Meanwhile a bevy of post launch DLC expansions further enhanced BF 1‘s breadth over the long term.
Today in 2023, this immersive period piece shooter remains populated thanks to its sheer atmosphere and historical hooks. In fact, the community has explicitly asked DICE not to tinker with BF 1’s satisfying gameplay formula! With 2018‘s Battlefield V rather underwhelming success by comparison, many series veterans seem to consider BF 1 the definite pinnacle for the 2010’s era of Battlefield.
Killing Floor 2
Tripwire Interactive struck bloody gold with this cooperative survival horror shooter releasing from Steam Early Access in 2016 and continuing to thrive today courtesy endless horde based action. Players must work together while leveling up specific perks to eliminate waves of warped violent monstrosities and freakish experimental specimens unleashed by the shadowy Horzine Corporation.
Landing precise shots against so many fast moving grotesque threats makes landing the perfect headshot intensely satisfying. Successfully surviving all 7 lengthly waves also rewards teams with random cosmetic loot drops, encouraging coming back for ‘just one more game‘. New seasonal events like Twisted Christmas or Monster Ball keeps map hazards dynamic too.
With additional enemies, weapons, maps and limited time seasonal events continually updating the mayhem since launch, this visceral extreme splatterfest only gets bigger, bloodier and more ridiculous with age. While the emergent stories and camaraderie from coordinating defenses as a squad against the odds are rewarding enough, KF 2 complements the kinetic core combat loop with plentiful voicework and appropriately pulpy visual design looking like a hi-rez grindhouse film print. There‘s simply no better virtual undead-massacring survival horror power fantasy out there.
Honorable Mentions
Beyond just these 10 titles, 2016 saw the release of numerous other fantastic games that likewise demonstrate incredible staying power years later. Clearly it was a momentous time for long-lasting virtual entertainment across a wide span of genres. Lets explore a few honorable mentions that also deserve acclaim:
Gears of War 4 – Microsoft‘s hardware showpiece shooter franchise returned to impressive form with this sequel continuing the saga of humanity‘s survival against subterranean monstrosities. Slick 4K visuals and refined cover shooting mechanics ensures battles remain intensely cinematic. With a substantial player population today and mouth-watering Series X|S upgrades, Gears 4 holds up wonderfully.
Hitman – After a brief detour into quasi open world territory, IO Interactive‘s Globe-trotting stealth assassination sandbox came roaring back in 2016 with meticulously detailed locations and endless murderous experimentation opportunity. Constant content updates only expand the wealth of death dealing options. This franchise pinnacle keeps perfecting player creativity and problem solving freedom.
Dragon Quest Builders – Merging light RPG storytelling with the boundless creativity of open-ended voxel crafting gameplay, this niche Square Enix spinoff found resonance with millions seeking a childlike Minecraft-esque experience tempered with quest structure. Its heartwarming message, charming aesthetic and refined building tools make this darling franchise a comforting escape for all ages.
Watch Dogs 2 – Following a disappointing debut, Ubisoft rebounded this ambitious techno-thriller open world IP by amplifying personality, customization freedom and emergent hijinks potential. As controversial as some of its themes and tone proves in 2023, WD 2’s vibrant world brimming with possibilities still thrills.
The Test of Time
The staying power of these acclaimed games just goes to show that compelling gameplay withstands the test of time far better than pure graphical showcases dependent on strongest hardware to impress. Great art direction also holds up wonderfully. Of course new players going back may need to adjust expectations around modernization, but the countless hours of joy on offer make adjusting well worth it!
Now over seven years removed from 2016, these titles clearly showcase what helps good games become enduring classics. The best titles featured here retain strong communities not just thanks to developer support but also fan passion pushing these hits into the future for new audiences to discover and fall for just like we first did so long ago.
Gamers looking for timeless and unforgettable adventures need only dive into these classics to understand their enduring reputations. And with some new to so many players, now offers an ideal time to experience them with fresh eyes.