GAMES OF THE YEAR
OUR PICK OF THE TEN BEST GAMES RELEASED IN 2017
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
There’s not a lot to say about a game that has warranted such continuous and unabated discourse, and it is similarly tough to sum up one of the greatest gaming experiences ever conceived in a small paragraph. Simply put, Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece and will serve as the standard by which open-world gaming is measured for years to come.
2. Super Mario Odyssey
It is safe to say that 2017 was a breakout year for gaming and in a year so chockfull of incredible titles, it is a testament to both Nintendo’s dedication and consistency that two of their games occupy the top spots on this list. In a similar vein to Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey seems to be a landmark moment in its franchise. Although acknowledging past games, Odyssey is decidedly forward-thinking with its latest incarnation of the diminutive former plumber. Nintendo celebrates Mario’s nostalgia but - make no mistake - Odyssey is the new paragon of the Super Mario series.
3. Cuphead
2017 has not only been a year of great game releases, it has been a year of epic game releases. It seems that everywhere you look, a new blockbuster title has come out, each with more stunning visuals than the last. What game can claim to have more stunning visuals than Cuphead? A throwback to the rotoscope animation of the early 20th century, Cuphead is a painstaking labour of love and every single frame of this visual masterpiece evidences this. Aesthetics aside, Cuphead is an insanely fun, if not brutally difficult jaunt through one of the best side-scrolling bullet-hells ever released.
4. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Not too long ago, Baldur’s Gate 2 would still be mentioned in every other conversation as the best computer roleplaying game (CRPG) ever conceived, but it is now doubtful that many would dispute Original Sin 2’s claim to this hallowed title. Divinity: Original Sin 2 makes you care about the characters, the world and even the most inconsequential of NPCs. It is a role-playing game in the true spirit of RPGs and will undoubtably be remembered as one of the greats in the genre for many years to come.
5. Nier: Automata
The world of gaming as we know it now unfortunately tends to lean towards what is safe than what is provocative. The wonderment of the bizarre and absurd worlds of the early Final Fantasy and Devil May Cry games is something that very few games have managed to capture and Nier: Automata has not only captured this intangible quality, but has taken it to dizzying new heights. The world of Nier: Automata is complex, serious and exquisitely weird. Titles like this should be celebrated and cherished, because they represent outliers in a gaming world that is becoming increasingly immutable.
6. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a broadly evocative game that draws very strong parallels to our real life issues with climate change. Though, rather than shoehorn in contentious issues, the narrative simply dances around in the form of undertones, letting the game breathe unhindered. And breathe it does. Zero Dawn is a beautiful and thrilling game, brilliantly juxtaposing stunning natural scenery with sentient robotic creatures.
7. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Just as the gaming community gives up on fruitlessly beseeching Ubisoft to eschew their stubborn reluctance to make an Assassin’s Creed title outside of the prescribed and boring formula, they hit us with Origins. Playing Origins evokes the same childlike sense of awe that the original Assassin’s creed evoked ten years ago. A gripping return to form from Ubisoft.
8. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is an unfinished, buggy mess of a game that requires a beefy gaming computer to even put you within the realms of playability - and the upcoming Xbox One release doesn’t show many signs of remedying these issues. Yet, as of the time of writing, there are currently 2.6 million players online. Why? Because it is some of the best fun you are likely to have playing a video game. Surely, Battlegrounds has changed the face of shooter games forever, and heaven knows this is a genre that needs shaking up.
9. Resident Evil 7
Equal parts terrifying and thoughprovoking, Resident Evil 7 is a welcome addition to a franchise in turmoil. The switch to first-person view certainly antagonised long-standing fans of the series, but more importantly, the new viewport amplifies the horror and tension to outrageous levels. Not for the faint-hearted.
10. Persona 5
Persona 5 is a game that can make even the most mundane of activities feel interesting, deeply personal and worthwhile. Everything from making your way home from school to fighting grotesque monsters in an otherworldly dimension feels crafted to make the player feel invested in a world that is as utterly fantastical as it is grounded.