Game of the Year 2016: Ken's Personal PlayStation Picks

It's time once again for the indomitable staff here at Push Square to share their own personal Game of the Year picks. Every year, we herd our writers together and force them to spill their opinions on their five favourite games of the last 12 months. Usually, this involves poking them with a stick until they come clean. Below, you'll find the personal PlayStation picks of reviewer Ken Talbot.

Fifth Choice: Street Fighter V

This took a long time to worm its way into my affections. A mere skeleton of a game on release, it was months before the slow trickle of content became a steady flow of additional fighters and a truly bonkers story mode. Still the best all-rounder in the fighting business; just a shame that this instalment left a lot of casual fans wanting.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

Fourth Choice: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

The story is ham-fisted, fails to engage, and ends abruptly - but what makes Eidos Montreal's amber-hued future noir shine isn't the writing. Precision stealth mechanics combined with the welcome excision of frustrating boss encounters combine to create a worthy sequel, and it has gorgeous environmental design to boot.

Third Choice: Titanfall 2

The multiplayer is bigger and better than before, but it's the solo game that really blew me away. Developer Respawn met the campaign criticisms of the first game with one of the most innovative and exciting single player experiences since the Modern Warfare days.

Second Choice: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

I am so emotionally invested in Naughty Dog's characters by now that this ranking high on my yearly list was inevitable. The gameplay is largely unchanged, and aside from a fresh lick of (admittedly astonishing) paint, it's the same old Drake. It remains to be seen whether this is the final mainline title in the series, but it feels like a fitting swansong to one of the greatest action adventure series in gaming.

First Choice: Final Fantasy XV

It released in the second last month of the year, but it made it right to the top of the list. I was hooked and reeled in by that beautifully understated opening, and have enjoyed a few dozen hours in Final Fantasy XV's idiosyncratic world. Goofy as hell in places, it carries with it the legacy of its predecessors and also the myriad influences of other releases across a lengthy development cycle. The adventures of Noctis and his crew are a triumphant return to form for the series, and my personal favourite game of the year.

What do you think of Ken's personal picks? Are there any games on this list that would make it into your own top five? Spill your own opinions in the comments section below.