10 Most Anticipated Sports Video Game Titles for 2016

Sports gamers were treated to a relatively strong year of releases in 2015. EA Sports, 2K Sports and a few other mainstream publishers and indie developers produced solid games that probably caused quite a few gamers to fake a cold and call in sick from work.

We can only hope 2016 brings even better games.

It all begins on March 29, when SCE San Diego Studio releases the PlayStation exclusive, MLB 16: The Show. The game is consistently one of the best overall sports games each year. I named it the sports game with the best gameplay from 2015 and one of the best sports titles overall. 

The Show is easily one of the most-anticipated releases of 2016. Check out the entire list in the following slides. 

Honorable Mention: Assetto Corsa

Racing games have a niche audience, and even that demographic is divided between sim racers and fans of the arcade style. The former will likely be delighted with the announcement that the critically acclaimed PC racer, Assetto Corsa will be available on consoles on April 26, per Metacritic. The game received an 85 cumulative review score for PC.

Assetto Corsa is published by 505 Games, the same company that delivered How to Survive and Payday 2.

The racing title boasts ultra-realistic tracks, car recreations and driving physics. It seeks to be recognized as the most realistic racing simulation on any console. If it can duplicate the realism it delivered to PC gamers, it could be a sleeper hit.

Release Date: April 26

10. NBA Live 17

Don't laugh.

While EA Sports' NBA Live 16 was rumored to have sold very poorly in its release month of September 2015, per NeoGAF, the game wasn't as bad as those unconfirmed numbers would suggest.

The Pro-Am mode was fun, the face-scanning technology was accurate and the play-calling system was intuitive. Did I mention the face-scanning technology?

In all seriousness, the franchise is in deep trouble with sales that clearly aren't what the publisher had hoped for—even if they aren't as low as the aforementioned link indicates. There's a chance the game could go to an all-digital release as a last-ditch effort to save the brand.

It would be advisable to further develop the Live Pro-Am mode. It was the best part of NBA Live 16. Another potentially smart step would be to reduce the cost of an all-digital release and try to boost profits through in-game advertising.

No matter what direction the NBA Live series ends up going in, it will be interesting to see what becomes of the former king of the virtual hardwood.

Release Date: Traditionally in September, but no confirmed date yet

9. Gran Turismo Sport

Gran Turismo is coming to the PS4.

Gran Turismo Sport is not an official numbered release, but if you're familiar with Polyphony Digital, you know the developers of this esteemed series wouldn't slap the GT name on anything they didn't believe to be worthy.

Per Penrose Tackie pf the PlayStation Blog, a beta release of the game will be made available to fans in the spring, and a full release will follow sometime later in the year. Fans should expect beautifully rendered courses, cars and environments, as this will be the first GT ever on the PlayStation 4 console.

There's also talk of an eSports component backed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Tackie wrote:

"

In Gran Turismo Sport, there will be two FIA online championships running simultaneously. In the Nations Cup, players will be able represent their home country. Whilst in the Manufacturers Cup, players will be driving on behalf of their favorite car manufacturer.

Players will not only be able to race as drivers themselves, they’ll also be able to root for their home country or their favorite manufacturers' teams.

The winner of the championship will be awarded at the FIA prize giving ceremony, alongside real life motorsports champions. This will be a historic moment, the first time a video game will officially be recognized as part of the real motoring world.

"

With that extra piece, the game could attract an even bigger crowd than its normal hardcore following.

Release Date: Beta in spring, full game later in the year

8. NHL 17

After a relatively empty and shallow experience in NHL 15, EA Sports delivered a much more complete game in September 2015 with NHL 16. Most of the core modes were restored, and the gameplay was especially tight after the post-release title update.

Visually, NHL 16 was the sharpest out of all the games in the series, and there were several cool elements of presentation and detail that helped bring it to life. Hopefully, now that all of the beloved features from past versions have been restored, the series can begin to add new concepts.

It would be awesome to see a Draft Champions-style mode—which worked excellently with Madden 16 and decent in FIFA 16—in the NHL series. It would also be great if the commentating was improved and took on a more organic feel.

Based on the game we were given in 2015, the series seems to be moving in the right direction.

Release Date: Traditionally in September, but no confirmed date yet

7. FIFA 17

FIFA 16 was solid, but the game received a Metacritic score (82) five points lower than its competitor Pro Evolution Soccer 2016's (87). The folks at EA Canada will not take that lightly.

While FIFA is still the game of choice if you're most interested in licensing and presentation, many felt PES 2016 was superior visually and in the all-important gameplay department.

What will EA Sports do to regain the momentum the series had established over the past six years?

Tightening up the gameplay as well as player and ball physics would be a good start. Also, some improvements to the Ultimate Team Draft would be welcomed.

It should function more like Madden's Draft Champions mode as opposed to the hybrid feature it was in FIFA 16. World football is a fascinating genre under the sports video game umbrella because it's one of the few that has multiple releases from different publishers every year.

It's also far and away the most competitive genre. That competition is what should have fans waiting anxiously for FIFA's rebuttal in 2016.

Release Date: Traditionally in September, but no confirmed date yet

6. WWE 2K17

Much like NHL 16, WWE 2K16 brought back many of the features that had been omitted in the series' current-generation console debut in 2014. Most of the missing match types were restored, and the MyCareer mode was upgraded.

With that said, there's still a ways to go with the mode. While 2K deserves credit for its sea of in-game customization options—which include a stellar Superstar creation tool—fans are still waiting on the face-scanning technology to be implemented.

That would totally set the MyCareer mode off. A few more branching storylines and improved Superstar logic during the single-player journey would also be appealing upgrades.

For the most part, WWE 2K16 delivered visually and in the realm of gameplay, but it would be nice to see the arenas become more like living worlds. Fighting into the crowd and backstage with the ability to interact with any object would take the game to another level.

And what about introducing a version of MyTeam to the series? Perhaps it could be called MyStable? Construct a team of Superstars with a collection of virtual cards—even with a manager—to do battle with the computer or other gamers online.

That would be amazing. Let's cross our fingers for that or equally awesome improvements to an already solid game.

Release Date: Traditionally in October, but no confirmed date yet

5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2017

Let's face it: The success of Pro Evolution Soccer is directly related to how well it stacks up against FIFA—and vice versa. Based on the aforementioned reviews, you could argue the success and praise PES 2016 received in 2015 has placed it atop the wishlists of virtual soccer fans.

The gameplay was excellent, and there seemed to be a greater level of detail in terms of physics. One example is this amazing goal I scored with Diego Costa.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure this type of ball response is possible in FIFA. But with that said, the pull of the various licenses from EA's juggernaut is significant. Konami does all it can with an excellent creation and customization tool to allow fans to fill in the gaps, but many folks just aren't willing to put in the work, or to go online to download the more authentic rosters and kits from the PES community.

Even still, PES' excellent performance on the virtual pitch has almost everyone excited about this year's game.

Release Date: Traditionally in September, but no confirmed date yet

4. EA Sports UFC 2

The first sports video game release of the year looks brutal...in a good way. EA Sports UFC 2 is set to smack fans in the mouth on March 15. If you take a look at the trailer above, you'll see fans will have nothing to worry about in terms of visual authenticity. 

It's been my opinion that the original EA Sports UFC, which was released in 2014, had the best player models we've ever seen in a sports video game. The early looks at the sequel suggest the bar has been raised in this regard.

It wouldn't be a solid MMA game if the fight engine didn't allow you to disfigure the faces of the superbly rendered player models. Here's what EA Sports said about its new facial-damage engine:

"A new facial model rig, hair physics and improved strike deformation bring a whole new level of detail to the game and work to make every impact feel and look realistic."

The roster is humongous. Per EA, this will be the biggest roster ever in a UFC game. That's always something fans love to see. There will also be a few new game modes introduced, including the ever-popular Ultimate Team.

EA Sports UFC 2 will be the first non-team-sport game to include the mode. It'll be interesting to see how it is executed and how fans receive it.

Release Date: March 15

3. MLB 16: The Show

Perhaps the most consistent sports gaming franchise is SCE San Diego Studio's MLB: The Show. Every year, fans can count on an increasingly realistic gameplay experience with above-average visuals. 

The latter part of that statement might be moving toward becoming just a little outdated. While MLB 15: The Show was far from an ugly game, the player models seemed to be lagging behind other sports video game series, particularly when it came to hair.

It would be nice to see some more realistic textures and an increase in the amount of players who have their faces scanned for the game. Let's not get it twisted, though, The Show is still a must-have for any baseball gamer, as its gameplay and atmosphere best embody the sport the game simulates.

Let's hope the player models take a step forward without any decline in any other areas of the game.

The PlayStation 3 and 4 releases are scheduled for March 29, and I can't wait.

Release Date: March 29 (PS3 and PS4)

2. Madden 17

Madden 16 was one of—if not the best—release in the series' history. That may be a bold statement, but it's true. The gameplay was the best and most logical it has ever been, the visuals were excellent, there was a new and addictive mode introduced with Draft Champions and—above all—the game was fun to play.

There's significant pressure on the team at EA Sports to follow up with a version that is at least as strong as Madden 16.

It would be nice to see the draft process in Connected Franchise mode receive some upgrades. Customizing and sharing draft classes feels like something that is long overdue, as does the ability to create, upload and share logos, uniforms and stadiums for your Madden Ultimate Team squads.

Expanding on the successful Draft Champions mode would also be a smart step to take in the game's development. For the first time in a few years, Madden has some serious momentum. Our fingers are crossed in the hopes that it can be sustained.

Release Date: Traditionally in August, but no confirmed date yet

1. NBA 2K17

MLB 16: The Show had great gameplay. Madden 16 brought us an exciting new mode and a great overall experience. However, at the end of the year, if we looked at each sports video game release and asked ourselves which one was the most complete, the answer would've been NBA 2K16.

The game wasn't perfect—that concept doesn't really exist—but it was the closest thing to flawless we've ever seen in an annual sports video game release.

NBA 2K16 came equipped with seven or eight modes that are so deep, a fan could probably play each one of them exclusively for months without ever getting bored. These modes are fully fleshed out experiences that exemplify 2K Sports' amazing innovation as well as the spirit and attitude of the game of basketball.

No one does pre-release hype like 2K Sports. They are the consistent kings of the epic reveal. Almost every bit of pre-release information is delivered in a way that only increases the excitement for the wildly popular, successful and fun annual release.

Like always, millions of fans around the world will be anxiously awaiting this year's release.

Release Date: Traditionally in October (though NBA 2K16 released on September 29, but there's no confirmed date as of yet.