2016 Game of the Year Awards — Console Awards

The next-generation consoles are struggling more than ever to keep their own personalities. Xbox One and PS4 are the least distinctive consoles out of past iterations. They are not as iconic as they used to be as both have nearly identical features and hardware. The Xbox One did better this year with exclusives thanks to Microsoft’s own game studio pumping money into projects, however, I couldn’t even gather 5 whole games that made the system a must sell. What we did get was pretty good, but here’s to hoping 2017 yields better exclusives.

Forza Horizon 3

Forza Horizon 3 proved to be the best bet on Xbox One thanks to the series new open-world design done right. We get the unique Forza simulation experience in an open world that’s actually interesting to drive in. It’s the best value for your buck and for buying a shiny new Xbox One. It was a toss-up between this and Gears of War 4 which was also great but is something we have seen before. Quantum Break was decent but didn’t deliver the console selling blockbuster Microsoft had hoped.