Some Open World Games Coming In 2016

Nothing screams 'time sink' quite like an open world video game and they've led to some huge franchises that make wallets tremble in fear and an explosive rise in 100% completion addiction. 2016 is no different so let's see what will hold us hostage this year...

Love 'em or hate 'em, there's practically an open world for everyone out there. Let's look at what sprawling adventures await us.

"Welcome to the Stone Age, a time of extreme danger and limitless adventure, when giant mammoths and sabretooth tigers ruled the Earth and humanity is at the bottom of the food chain. As the last survivor of your hunting group, you will learn to craft a deadly arsenal, fend off fierce predators, and outsmart enemy tribes to conquer the land of Oros and become the Apex Predator. "

The Far Cry universe is back but it's going all spin-off with a trip back in time to the cave-dwelling days of our knuckle-dragging ancestors. Primal puts us in control of Takkar who has a powerful way with animals as he can tame them to serve. Ever wanted to lead a tribe in the Mesolithic period of man in central Europe? Well Ubisoft has you covered. A vast and dangerous world awaits.

"In No Man's Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you'll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before - and perhaps never will again."

You can't get much bigger than a whole freaking galaxy for 'open world' and that's before you consider going down to each planet to explore its unique ecosystem. The procedural generation system is key to No Man's Sky and it's going to lead to some real interesting creations, most of which people will never get to see. Thanks a lot human lifespan.

"The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game that takes place in a fully connected overworld, similar to the original The Legend of Zelda, with less emphasis on defined entrances and exits to dungeons. The game allows the player to have more freedom over previous titles, allowing them to decide their destination and method of travel."

A sprawling world set in the Zelda universe to gallop around in? Nintendo have themselves an instant hit here as they plan on squeezing every last ounce of power from the Wii U's hardware. Apparently Link's trusty steed Epona will automatically dodge obstacles so we can concentrate on the fight. There's no concrete date yet for The Legend of Zelda.

"An unprecedented chance to live your own deep space adventure! Star Citizen places you in the middle of a living, breathing science fiction universe populated with friends, enemies and the unknown. You decide how to make your way in the galaxy, whether you’re a simple merchant trader, a fearsome pirate or a badass mercenary… and anything in-between."

This gets a little complicated because while single-player Squadron 42 is officially now separate from Star Citizen, the space MMO arguably does launch - sort of - this year and not. What's not in-dispute is its open world credentials of zipping about systems trading, pirating and bar crawling. More and more of Star Citizen is switching on as the months roll by. It's most likely going to slip into 2017.

"Black Friday – a devastating pandemic sweeps through New York City, and one by one, basic services fail. In only days, without food or water, society collapses into chaos. The Division, an autonomous unit of tactical agents, is activated. Leading seemingly ordinary lives among us, these agents are trained to operate independently in order to save society."

This has been in the press circles for a while now and it's been ramping up testing with closed and soon-to-be open beta sessions. The Division has players assume the role of agents in an open-world of New York City post-epidemic where paper money was contaminated. Our job is to try and carve out a piece of civilization again and get things back-on-track. This is an MMO shooter with RPG elements.

"A living, breathing, open world responds to your actions - you and your Resistance Cell can inspire a rebellion on the streets and turn Occupation into Revolution, as oppressed civilians take up the fight. But your enemy has the advantage - superior technology, firepower, heavy armour and air support. You must learn the art of guerrilla warfare – ambush, sabotage, infiltration, deception – and fight a running battle through the war-ravaged suburbs of Philadelphia."

Stoke those revolutionary fires in Philadelphia as the American people struggle to form a strong and wide-reaching resistance movement to help topple the oppressive regime of the Greater Korean Republic. This open world is a trapped-filled sandbox but one that you can carefully turn to your advantage. You're out-manned and out-gunned, but not out-smarted.

"A new adventure awaits in the Mass Effect universe. With stunning visuals and a new galaxy to discover, BioWare delivers the next generation of space exploration."

The Mass Effect franchise is back and it's going to the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy - no biggie. There's a huge emphasis on getting back to the RPG series roots of planetary exploration, which was a big feature in the original - albeit a bit bland. This time we've got a new ship, a new crew, a new MAKO and some fresh galactic drama to tackle with old favourite and new alien species to discover.

"It’s 1968 and the rules have changed. After years of combat in Vietnam, Lincoln Clay knows this truth: Family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you die for. Now back home in a reimagined New Orleans, Lincoln is set on escaping a criminal past. But when his surrogate family, the black mob, is betrayed and wiped out by the Italian Mafia, Lincoln blazes a path of revenge and redemption through the Mafioso responsible. It will take more than a few friends to make it in this new world. Intense gun fights, visceral hand-to-hand combat, white knuckle driving and street smarts will all be needed. But with the right crew, tough decisions and some dirty hands, it’s possible to make it to the top of the city's underworld. It’s time to create a new family on the ashes of the old."

Building a criminal empire in the deep south during the height of the civil rights struggle? That's a recipe for some tension right there, especially as we'll be playing a mixed-race and former Vietnam veteran who's looking to belong. 2K Czech brings back their open world Mafia sandbox and we'll finally be in charge calling the big shots, and not just dancing to the tune of others.

"Take your fight for freedom to the next level with unique in-game items. Change how you appear in other players' worlds with the combat-themed Projection Shader. Stand out in the leaderboards with a Runner Tag. Plus, customize your Screen Hacks with a unique background."

Freerunning at tremendous heights and violating construction site health and safety ordinances is what Faith does best and now she's having her wings unclipped. DICE returns to Mirror's Edge and is opening up the futuristic city to explore at a whim, as well as correcting the quite disastrous combat system in the first game. Let your spirit soar, but remember to land somewhere soft.

• Far Cry: Primal (Game)
• No Man's Sky (Game)
• The Legend of Zelda (Game)
• Star Citizen (Game)
• Tom Clancy's The Division (Game)
• Homefront: The Revolution (Game)
• Mass Effect: Andromeda (Game)
• Mafia III (Game)
• Mirror's Edge Catalyst (Game)