Game Of The Year 2017
A few months ago I listed the games I’d beaten in 2017 but of course, not all of them were actually from last year. In fact, a majority of them weren’t. While my trophy list shows a varied year with a fair share of games, very few were 2017 titles. Here is the brief list of games I played last year:
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
- Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite
- Nex Machina
- Nier Automata
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Tekken 7
- Uncharted: Lost Legacy
Now, it’s easy to whittle down some items. Neither fighting game will win, Nier Automata didn’t convince me in the few hours I played it so far and FFXII is a decade-old remake. That doesn’t leave much else. Oh, Nex Machina was fun, but by no means was it the year’s best.
So we’re down to Horizon Zero Dawn, RE7 and UC. The latter was fun that trimmed a lot of excess out, but UC4 won GotY in 2016.
Horizon Zero Dawn already not once, but twice. The open-world, third-person genre may be overdone, but I’m rather selective in the games I end up playing. Therefore, I’ve skipped out on a lot. In any event, the entire game was a remarkable experience. Its deep gameplay, gorgeous world and genuinely-interesting story kept me intrigued and curious up until the very end. Aloy was well-written and likable and the support cast was fun. I loved getting this game’s platinum trophy.
However, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard was an insane experience. Its claustrophobic first-person view created a tension unrivaled in most games. The entire Mia introduction was insane, gloriously unsettling and most-importantly, memorable. It joins my other favorite moments in gaming and my review began simply with my repeated sentiment, “This is terrifying.” None of the game’s follow-up DLC really compelled me to return and beating Mia is the only thing between me and the game’s platinum trophy, but that’s OK. RE7’s experience was a worthy follow-up to the series’ legacy while not suffering from that loyalty to its history. The game was a phenomenal addition to the convoluted canon and represents my 2017 Game Of The Year.
It’s worth noting in my full listing that Horizon Zero Dawn still received the New IP GotY recognition.
It’s also worthy of mention the games I missed in 2017. Chief among them is Super Mario Odyssey which, according to reviews, looks like it’s right up my alley. I may have to come back to remedy this list at some date in the future. It may be a few years though.
Finally…2018. Here’s a list of potential GotY winners based on hype alone. I’ll put them in order too of potential best-to-worst, with no basis whatsoever. Wow…there are some good games coming up!!!!!
- God Of War?
- Red Dead Redemption 2?
- Ghost Of Tsushima?
- The Last Of Us: Part 2?
- Days Gone?
- Far Cry 5?
- Metal Gear Survive?
- Crackdown 3? (Haha, we all know that’ll never come out)
- Darksiders III?