No matter the platform of choice, all gamers have been gifted a terrific year’s worth of gaming goodness in 2017. Sony’s PS4 has been home to god-tier exclusives, Microsoft’s Xbox One X pushed console performance to the maximum, Nintendo’s Switch combined portable and home console gaming in one, and PCs continued to push for higher resolutions while maintaining high frame-rates. Hell, even mobile gaming had its moments of greatness!
Now it’s time to condense those 365 days of epicness into a top 10 list. Take a deep breath, and then dive into (what we think are) the top 10 video games of 2017!
10 – Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Set within a sinister plantation mansion in modern day rural America and taking place after the dramatic events of Resident Evil 6, players experience the terror directly from the first person perspective for the first time in the Resident Evil series. Embodying the iconic gameplay elements of exploration and tense atmosphere that first coined “survival horror” some twenty years ago, Resident Evil 7 biohazard delivers a disturbingly realistic experience that will define the next era in horror entertainment.
Wow, what a return to greatness! Resident Evil 7 leaves behind the action-heavy Resi 5 and Resi 6, returning to its roots of tense horror. Guaranteed to scare the socks off you, especially when combined with a PS VR headset and headphones! Fantastic from start to finish, and the DLCs are great, too.
9 – Destiny 2
Destiny 2 provides an unprecedented combination of cinematic storytelling, thrilling solo adventures, and cooperative, competitive, and public gameplay — all seamlessly woven into an expansive online world. Rally your friends or venture out as a solo player. The choice is yours.
If you enjoyed the first game, then you’ll love the sequel. Destiny 2 offers more of the same polished FPS action, only this time with a tighter story, new loot, and more ways to play during the endgame. A must-play for those with a committed group of friends!
8 – Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII—a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for the gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war.
Returning to the World War II, the latest Call of Duty installment fuses a great campaign, zombies mode and multiplayer together into an awesome package. Despite the launch week hiccups, Call of Duty: WWII‘s multiplayer is now much more stable, and offers hundreds of hours of content.
7 – Fortnite
DON’T SEEK SHELTER… MAKE IT! The Storm came without warning. 98% of the world’s population vanished …then came the monsters. Lead the world’s remaining Heroes in the fight to hold back the Storm and rescue survivors. Explore the large, destructible world where no two games are ever the same. Build huge forts, craft exotic weapons and find loot. And be sure to invite your friends. Welcome to Epic Games’ new Action Building game, Fortnite.
Epic Games has clearly been paying attention to popular gaming trends, as their mix of looting, crafting, zombies and battle royale has made for one hell of a surprise hit. Fortnite basically does it all, and the battle royale portion is free!
6 – Nier: Automata
Nier: Automata is a brand new dream project by Square Enix in collaborations with world renowned developer Platinum Games and many progressive creators including those from the original NIER game, such as YOKO TARO. An extra-terrestrial invasion has left mankind exiled on the moon. Androids are sent to the deserted ruins of our home planet in order to remove the menacing Mechanoids. The Yoho 2B, the latest infantry model android, is tasked with the perilous mission to rid of the invaders from the surface of Earth. Where will the on-going proxy war between Androids and Mechanoids lead to?
Combining elements from all gaming genres, Nier: Automata offers gameplay that never gets old, and a compelling story that kept us playing into the early morning. Don’t let the name or unconventional visuals put you off, as this is undoubtedly one of the greatest games of 2017.
5 – Persona 5
Persona 5 is a game about the internal and external conflicts of a group of troubled high school students – the protagonist and a collection of compatriots he meets in the game’s story – who live dual lives as Phantom Thieves.
The incredibly stylish Persona 5 takes a unique aesthetic, combines fantastic familiar and new RPG elements, which results in a 100+ hour adventure that left us feeling thoroughly satisfied by the end. If you’ve never played a Persona game, this is a great time to start!
4 – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is a last-man-standing shooter being developed with community feedback. Starting with nothing, players must fight to locate weapons and supplies in a battle to be the lone survivor. This realistic, high tension game is set on a massive 8×8 km island with a level of detail that showcases Unreal Engine 4’s capabilities.
Yes, it’s as good as they say! PUBG gives players the tools needed to fight to the death in epic fashion. There’s an island, 100 players, and a load of weapons with which to deal out destruction. The hunger for top spot is addicting and unlike anything else out there!
3 – Mario Odyssey
Join Mario on a massive, globe-trotting 3D adventure and use his incredible abilities to collect Moons so you can power up your airship, the Odyssey, and rescue Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans. This 3D Mario adventure is packed with secrets and surprises, and with Mario’s moves like cap throw, cap jump, and capture, you’ll have fun and exciting gameplay experiences unlike anything you’ve enjoyed in a Mario game before.
Mario makes his return in a huge way, bringing a must-play exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. Mario Odyssey takes everything you loved about previous 3D Mario games, introduces Cappy and his gameplay-altering mechanics, and lets players loose in a huge world, with plenty to do.
2 – Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn an exhilarating new action role playing game exclusively for the PlayStation 4 system, developed by the award winning Guerrilla Games, creators of PlayStation’s venerated Killzone franchise. As Horizon Zero Dawn’s main protagonist Aloy, a skilled hunter, explore a vibrant and lush world inhabited by mysterious mechanized creatures. Embark on a compelling, emotional journey and unravel mysteries of tribal societies, ancient artifacts and advanced technologies that will determine the fate of this planet, and of life itself.
Releasing earlier this year, but sticking in our minds ever since, Horizon Zero Dawn delivered an open-world RPG experience in a genre that we feared had become tired and saturated. It nails it all, and looks fantastic while doing so. Got a PS4? Go play Horizon Zero Dawn.
1 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking game in the acclaimed series.
As if the Nintendo Switch needed more system sellers! Well, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the ultimate exclusive, and is exactly what Nintendo needed to convince gamers that the Switch is to be taken seriously. It’s everything that makes a Zelda game a Zelda game, and much more! This is an open world that offers constant surprise, things to do, and just joy after joy after joy. If you can only play one game this year, make it Breath of the Wild!
