Fall 2016 is either a great time for gaming or a really rough time – and it all depends on your stance regarding competitive multiplayer shooters. If you like them a lot, great! Have we got the season for you, which includes the back-to-basics Battflefield 1, the criminally underselling Titanfall 2, the finally humorous Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and even the surprise hit of 2016 Overwatch, which is still going strong.
But, if you don't like shooters, you may be wondering what's out there for you. Never fear: here is a list of the best new and upcoming games that aren't shooters – all of which can be reprieves from the constant onslaught of frag grenades and weapon attachments.
Best New & Upcoming Games That Aren't Shooters
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Civilization VI
If you want not shooter, this is about as far away as you're going to get. You don't even play from the perspective of a person. And, luckily, it's also one of the best. Aside from our glowing recommendation, Civilization VI has also already eclipsed 1 million copies. -
Dead Rising 4
This may have all the trappings of a first-person shooter - mainly the hordes of undead trappings - but it truly offers its own unique experience. Anything to make us forget Dead Rising 3, right? -
Dishonored 2
Despite a shady review policy change, all signs point to another hit by Bethesda. With extensive gameplay being shown already, nothing short of a complete technical disaster will make Dishonored 2 a disappointment. Add in its day-one integration with PS4 Pro, and its fate is almost guaranteed. -
For Honor
Yes, this game takes the framework of a first person or third-person shooter, and it did disappointingly drop split-screen, but, having played the game at PAX West, I can assure you that the simple subtraction of guns and replacement with medieval weapons changes up the pacing so much that it feels completely new and original. Add that with the fact that even the closed Alpha featured the most impressive display of balance in any multiplayer game recently, and you gotta be excited for it. -
Friday the 13th: The Gane
Friday the 13th: The Game might be arriving just in time - while the balance problems of its most obvious competitor, Dead By Daylight, are still plaguing the title. A delay to a tiered 2017 release only boosted its excitement, adding several new features. You like 1v4? Well this one features 1vs7 gameplay. If they manage to avoid the same balance issues, they'll be well on their way to reviving asymmetrical multiplayer. -
Outlast 2
Outlast and its DLC expansion Outlast: Whistleblower both created what was and is one of the scariest games in many years - doing so before the famed P.T., I might add.
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rnThe playable demo on Steam and consoles only goes to show that the folks at Red Barrels haven't lost their touch. -
Owlboy
In what could be deemed the surprise indie breakout of this year, Owlboy released recently from D-Pad studios, and it seems to be a pleasant surprise at that.
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Resident Evil 7
An early 2017 release won't stop this hype train. This is the game that may finally drag the Resident Evil series out of the hole into which it dug itself. A complete reinvention was desperately needed, and, if this is the game that can finally inject some top-notch polish into the post-P.T. horror genre, we'll all be better off for it. -
Pokemon Sun and Moon
Pokemon Sun and Moon may simply be riding the coattails of Pokemon Go, which reinvigorated interest in the series, but the word on the street is that these games are the genuine article. Perhaps they are even the best entries into the series since the Fire Red and Leaf Green. I said it. -
The Silver Case
If you're a fan of Suda51, you likely know this game very well - or at least the legend of this game. The Silver Case has existed in Japan for a while, but was never successfully translated into the English language for Western audiences until just recently. From what I've played, it's every bit as harrowing a murder mystery, told in the format of a visual novel, as anything we've concocted on this side of the pond. rn rnIf you like Suda51's work, be sure to purchase this one. If it sells well enough, Suda51 has said that he will remake the sequel in the english language as well.
