2016 might not have been the best year for a lot of people. With politics, celebrity scandals, and the utter horror that comes with any sort of adult responsibilities for millennials, this year has been a hot mess. But, with the new year comes new hope and new things to be excited about. One of the most exciting has to be the slew of new video games that are set to come out in the near future. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing prospective new games with what looks like an actual story behind them. So, in an attempt to carrel people into being as excited as I am, here are the video games you should be jazzed about.

1. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

Now, in all honestly, I've never played the other Resident Evil games. The franchise is rather successful, with over 20 games under the name and six movies related to the franchise, I’d venture to say it is a well loved classic amongst the gaming community. I never felt the need to play anything regarding the popular horror games, however, when I first viewed the trailer for the upcoming game, my mind was immediately changed. From what creators have released about the game, it will be a story that doesn’t require previous gameplay or knowledge of other Resident Evil games, but will include similar weaponry and hint at other events from previous stories. The game will take place in Louisiana and will focus on the protagonist, Ethan Winters, as he tries to find his wife and is lead to a decaying plantation. The antagonists of this game is the Baker family; an insane group of people with only an agenda for murder and creating utter fear. You’ll be able to come face to face with the horrifying Baker family on January 24th, 2017.

2. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier

Personally, I am a HUGE fan of the Telltale series for The Walking Dead. Anything that has to do with the emotionally charged universe is usually very well done, but in this case, even more so than could be thought. Telltale has a way of ripping your heart out like few creators know how to. Fans of the games know that the company loves to make everyone wait and will often refuse to set a real date on when they will release the games. However, the first two episodes of the beloved series was released in December for audiences to play. Without giving away any plot points, the game centers around a young man named Javier and his struggle to survive with his family. He meets a young teenager named Clementine (if you have played the previous games, you have come to love Clem) and they are forced to fight to survive for those they care about. The game largely centers around family and the lengths that people are willing to go in order to protect the people they love. As I mentioned, the game comes out in a series of episodes, and luckily the first two are currently out for audiences to play!

3. The Last of Us Part II

NaughtyDog…you have really out done yourself this time. The gaming community fell in love with the story of The Last of Us: an embittered father struggling to survive in an apocalyptic world after the loss of his daughter, traveling with a young girl named Ellie who somehow is immune to the violent virus. The game was long and at times, difficult to get through, however this only brought the player in closer to the characters that the story was so artfully crafting. The characters made us cry, gave us hope, and taught us how far a grieving person would go in order to protect someone they cannot lose again (I STILL can’t deal with all the pain that Joel displayed). The company that developed The Last of Us gave a teaser trailer for the second part in the same universe; with Ellie being much older and angrier than she was previously and a very vague idea of what Joel has been up to or even looks like. No date has been set for this exciting installment, therefore fans will have to watch for any further updates on the game.

4. Death Stranding

Death Stranding is the game all of us have been waiting for from video game creator Hideo Kojima. After one of the most disappointing cancellations of a prospective game (yes, I’m talking about P.T.) and the split between Hideo Kojima and Konami, fans were left with not much to be excited for. And that’s when Hideo Kojima announced Death Stranding that would include Norman Reedus as one of the protagonists. The trailer was released and audiences rejoiced as they were somewhat appeased by having a game with quality similar to the demo was for P.T. A few months later, another trailer was created and added more for fans to speculate about as far as plot and potential symbolism. Added to the cast was Mads Mikkelson and Guerillmo del Toro. The game has already obtained a massive following of fans and appears to be the game everyone has been waiting for from Kojima. Unfortunately there is no set date for release, however fans wait patiently for any new updates on the development of this game.

With 2016 behind all of us, there are a lot of things to be excited about in the upcoming future. The hope for creative new games and riveting storylines is at an all time high as more and more games start to evolve both technologically and plot wise. Here’s to hoping for quick release dates and quality gameplay!