The 2016 edition of the Johannesburg rAge Expo kicks off in a few hours, and amid the awesome chaos of this three-day long event will be a number of noteworthy upcoming and newly released games we can't wait to get our hands-on. With that in mind, here are eight titles we are itching to play this weekend at rAge.  

Title: Batman VR
Release Date: 13 October
Platform: PlayStation VR  

Why we want to play: We know the chance to #WearTheCowl is reason enough to play Batman VR, but more than getting a close-up view of the Arkham world that developers Rocksteady have created, we want to see if the gameplay from the standard version of the game translates well to VR. 

Title: Eagle Flight
Release Date: TBC
Platform: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift VR

Why we want to play: You get to imagine what flying like an eagle might be like. Simple as.

Title: Final Fantasy XV
Release Date: 29 November 
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Why we want to play: Firstly this is shaping up as developer Square Enix's biggest Final Fantasy title in quite some time. Secondly, the visuals from demos and trailers earlier in the year have been very promising. Thirdly, it's Final Fantasy, do you need any more reasons to play it? 

Title: Watch Dogs 2
Release Date: November 15
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC

Why we want to play: The original Watch Dogs failed to impress as much as expected in the wake of GTA V. Hopefully this follow fares better, with a larger focus on hacking. A demo version of the game at rAge should make things clearer. Chalk this one up to curiosity. 

Title: Dishonored 2
Release Date: 11 November
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC

Why we want to play: Dishonored was amongst the best games of 2012, which has certainly heaped on the pressure for the sequel to perform equally as well. With Bethesda behind the reigns on this one, we're sure it will be in good hands. 

Title: Injustice 2
Release Date: March 2017
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC

Why we want to play: If you didn't like the outcome of Batman v Superman, this game may help correct that. Not to mention the great animations for hero-specific kill moves.  

Title: Gears of War 4
Release Date: 11 October 
Platform: Xbox One, Windows 10 PC

Why we want to play: It's easily Microsoft's biggest title, not just for 2016, but in quite some time. Added to this, its release date is just around the corner, only amping up the anticipation. 

Title: Gravity Rush 2
Release Date: 20 January 2017
Platform: PlayStation 4

Why we want to play: Ever since the first trailer for Gravity Rush 2 dropped at 2015's Tokyo Game Show, it looked great. Unfortunately its original 2016 release date has now been pushed back to January 2017. Nevertheless, the extra wait looks worth it for this unique looking title. 

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