It's the end of the year (almost) and that means it's time for pointless top ten lists, and this one is about my favorite games of 2017. These are purely based on my tastes, and are limited only to the games I've actually played, so if there's an amazing game that you think I'm missing, odds are I just didn't play it (or just didn't like it).
Let's get started with some honorable mentions, a few games I liked but didn't quite make it to the top ten.
Honorable Mention 1:
Blood Bowl 2: Legendary Edition
Everybody knows that I'm crazy about Blood Bowl. It's a strategy board game that I've played for years, and if going by sheer hours put into the game, this most recent pc release would be right at the top of the list. I play in a weekly league, I write blood bowl articles online, I'm really fucking into this game. It's here in honorable mentions because it is also an incredibly niche game that's also very difficult to master, and drives most people to fury and salt.
And just to show off, here's a clip of my current ogre team, The Shrek Allstars, winning the game with an amazing throw... of a teammate holding the ball.
Honorable Mention 2:
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
I'm surprised I liked this game so much. I really enjoyed X-Com and X-Com 2, and while I haven't played the latest X2 expansion yet, I have played this. It's definitely a stripped down and simplified version of the formula, but it's also surprisingly funny and very engaging in it's simple to learn but hard to master gameplay. If you like tactics games I highly recommend giving it a try, it's fast paced and fun.
Honorable Mention 3:
Torment: Tides of Numenera
This game is pretty damn good, but it's got some steep competition ahead of it. This game just barely missed out of the top ten, but it deserves a mention here for being everything I love in an RPG. Lots of dialogue, lots of character development, lots of mystery and intrigue. I'd never experienced the Numenera setting before, but now I can't wait to try my hand at running a tabletop campaign set in that world. It manages to capture the feel of the original Torment while being something new and original. It's a great time for old school rpgs right now!
The Top 10!
#10: Super Mario Odyssey
The only reason this is number 10 is because it just came out and I haven't finished it yet. It could very well turn to shit by the end, but I highly doubt this will happen. If I had to find a flaw in this game, I would say it's not quite as innovative as some other titles I will mention in this list, but not every game has to reinvent the wheel. This game feels like seeing a beloved friend again, and I've been having a blast with it. Also, mastering the hat jump can turn you into a goddamn ninja and keep you in the air for a lot longer than should be possible. Watch out for some insane speed runs from this game.
Also, I mean, they made a live action musical for a trailer. What's not to love?
#9: Golf Story
Four games in and so far three of them are switch games. I'm as surprised as you are. Golf Story is an indie RPG golf game for the Nintendo Switch that I would love to see get a steam release so that more people can play it. I didn't know how much I needed a golf rpg until I played this game, but as it turns out that need was high. It's funny and quirky, combining the essence of Earthbound with Mario Golf as you take control of a young man that comes out of a messy divorce and decides to return to the world of golf, returning to the club his semi-pro dad took him to as a child. I don't even particularly like golf, but I loved this game and look forward to seeing what the developer (who I believe is one person) does next. This game would be higher on the list if not for a few bugs I ran into, one of which was game stopping and forced me to abandon my save game, but I've heard that bug has been patched out, and look forward to returning to this and making it to the pro tour.
#8: Pyre
Supermassive makes amazing games. Bastion and Transistor were both among my favorite games, and this one is no different. What surprises me most about this game is just how much of a departure it is from the developer's previous games. Pyre follows the story of a group of outcasts living in exile, doomed to die in the wastes, and performing rituals guided by the stars that just might lead to their salvation. And those rituals happen to be 3 on 3 basketball games.
... no, I'm serious. It's basically a sports game, where you must dunk your relic into the opposing team's pyre. It sounds weird, but it works well, and the gameplay is surprisingly quick and fun. Combine this with a rich story, interesting characters, and rpg development and management, and you're ready to recreate the mighty ducks in a gothic fantasy setting.
#7: Sonic Mania
Holy shit, a good sonic game? The history of this game is almost as good as the game itself, with a bunch of dedicated people making sonic fan games, eventually coming together under Sega's blessing to make the best Sonic game since Sonic 3. This game is basically the real Sonic 4, a direct continuation of the 2D genesis games, and demonstrating amazing sprite work, music, and level design. If you liked the genesis games, you'll like this, that's really all there is to it. Rejoice in this, because the next sonic game is almost certain to return to the realm of shit.
#6: Persona 5
Since getting a steam link, this is the only reason I even still have a Playstation, or any console besides the Switch. I haven't played all of the Persona games, and I can't tell you anything about Shin Megumi Tensei (I'm not even going to check if I got that name right) but I can say of the Persona games that I've played, I've enjoyed them all, and this is the best. Being a japanese highschool student is surprisingly hard, having to manage your time between studying for class, hanging out with friends, and delving into the mind palaces of various adults to battle the evils within and change their hearts. Also, waifus.
We're going into the deep weeb here.
#5: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Ninja Theory set out to answer two questions with this game. Can a game explore what it's like to live with psychosis, and came a "AAA" quality game be made on an indie budget, without one of the big game publishers backing it. It turns out the answer to both of these is yes, and what is born from it is a breathtaking, beautiful tale of a Celtic warrior woman on a voyage into literal hell. Senua has lived with a dark curse all of her life, she hears voices and sees things no one else can. Things got better for a time, but then got worse when Vikings raided her village, sacrificing her husband to the norse goddess Hel. Now there's nothing left for her to do but venture into the realm of foreign gods in an attempt to reclaim his soul.
For the best experience, make sure to play this one with headphones for full binaurial sound.
#4: Nier: Automata
It's not a top ten list without something from Platinum, and this time they've teamed up with someone even crazier. I'd never played a Nier game before, and looking at the others, I probably still won't. But I'll play the hell out of this game. This is an action-fighter-mystery-open world-linear-3d-side scrolling-flying-bullet hell-text adventure. ... yeah, I think that sums it up well. This is a game that likes to blend genres and mess with your mind, and when you finish the game, you aren't actually finished.
Also, when the creator of Nier was asked why the protagonist, 2B, is designed the way she is, he said it's because he likes pretty ladies. I can respect that kind of honesty.
#3: Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
We're getting into the top three now, and all three of these absolutely deserve the top billing. I liked Resident Evil 4 a lot, and the other Resident Evil games were all pretty good (special props to 1) but were never my favorite. Also 5 and 6 are pretty goofy, and all of the spinoff games are trash. Ok, maybe only some of the RE games were good, but we're not talking about them. We're talking about 7, which is absolutely the best of them. I could go on for hours about how RE7 learns from the mistakes of current horror games and changes up the formula into something special. When it had become the norm for horror games to force you into a game of hide and seek, RE7 returns to older ideas by allowing you to fight back, even if you probably can't win. It understands the concepts of player agency, and the importance of pacing in a horror story, allowing for an incredibly satisfying cycle of tension, buildup, and then catharsis. Even if you don't like horror games, give this game a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Here, instead of a trailer, have a Dan Bull music video.
#2: Night In The Woods
This game really surprised me, and touched me in a way I wasn't expecting (I almost made a Harvey Weinstein joke here). Night in the Woods is a story based Indie Game that follows Mae, a 20 year old girl who also happens to be a cat, moving back to her small town home after dropping out of college for reasons she won't talk about. What follows is a charming, touching, completely heartfelt story about life in middle america, small town socioeconomics, friendships, mental health, a murder mystery, and also a bit of cosmic horror. Except the real horror is the existential dread of adulthood.
Seriously, I can't sing the praises of this game enough. You will relate to at least some of the characters in this story, and even if you don't personally identify with Mae, odds are high you know someone like her. It was also very relevant to me in a troubling time of my life.
Here's another music video, a vocal cover of one of the songs featured in the game (the game version features only the music, not the vocals)
#1: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
There's more switch games on this list than I was initially expecting, but it turns out being able to take it anywhere means I'm much more prone to play it.
Breath of the Wild is hands down my number 1 game of the year, and might be the strongest launch title a console has ever had. I mentioned that Mario Odyssey didn't innovate as much as other games on this list, and this is what it was referring to. While Mario might take a tried and true formula and perfect on it, BotW throws formulas out the window to create something that is massive and beautiful. This is the most 'different' zelda game since The Adventure of Link, and it creates what I can only call a masterpiece. I've put so many hours into this game just getting lost in the wilderness, and I may have done more cooking in this game than in real life, and I like to cook.
I don't know what else I can say about it that hasn't already been said before. It's good. Real good. Worth buying a Switch for good.
And that's my top 10 (13?) for 2017. The year isn't over yet but odds are I won't get around to playing what comes out, at least not this year. What do you think? Agree with my lists? Have I convinced you to buy Night in the Woods yet? I probably have a Blood Bowl 2 key laying around somewhere if you really want...
Let's get started with some honorable mentions, a few games I liked but didn't quite make it to the top ten.
Honorable Mention 1:
Blood Bowl 2: Legendary Edition
Everybody knows that I'm crazy about Blood Bowl. It's a strategy board game that I've played for years, and if going by sheer hours put into the game, this most recent pc release would be right at the top of the list. I play in a weekly league, I write blood bowl articles online, I'm really fucking into this game. It's here in honorable mentions because it is also an incredibly niche game that's also very difficult to master, and drives most people to fury and salt.
And just to show off, here's a clip of my current ogre team, The Shrek Allstars, winning the game with an amazing throw... of a teammate holding the ball.
Honorable Mention 2:
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
I'm surprised I liked this game so much. I really enjoyed X-Com and X-Com 2, and while I haven't played the latest X2 expansion yet, I have played this. It's definitely a stripped down and simplified version of the formula, but it's also surprisingly funny and very engaging in it's simple to learn but hard to master gameplay. If you like tactics games I highly recommend giving it a try, it's fast paced and fun.
Honorable Mention 3:
Torment: Tides of Numenera
This game is pretty damn good, but it's got some steep competition ahead of it. This game just barely missed out of the top ten, but it deserves a mention here for being everything I love in an RPG. Lots of dialogue, lots of character development, lots of mystery and intrigue. I'd never experienced the Numenera setting before, but now I can't wait to try my hand at running a tabletop campaign set in that world. It manages to capture the feel of the original Torment while being something new and original. It's a great time for old school rpgs right now!
The Top 10!
#10: Super Mario Odyssey
The only reason this is number 10 is because it just came out and I haven't finished it yet. It could very well turn to shit by the end, but I highly doubt this will happen. If I had to find a flaw in this game, I would say it's not quite as innovative as some other titles I will mention in this list, but not every game has to reinvent the wheel. This game feels like seeing a beloved friend again, and I've been having a blast with it. Also, mastering the hat jump can turn you into a goddamn ninja and keep you in the air for a lot longer than should be possible. Watch out for some insane speed runs from this game.
Also, I mean, they made a live action musical for a trailer. What's not to love?
#9: Golf Story
Four games in and so far three of them are switch games. I'm as surprised as you are. Golf Story is an indie RPG golf game for the Nintendo Switch that I would love to see get a steam release so that more people can play it. I didn't know how much I needed a golf rpg until I played this game, but as it turns out that need was high. It's funny and quirky, combining the essence of Earthbound with Mario Golf as you take control of a young man that comes out of a messy divorce and decides to return to the world of golf, returning to the club his semi-pro dad took him to as a child. I don't even particularly like golf, but I loved this game and look forward to seeing what the developer (who I believe is one person) does next. This game would be higher on the list if not for a few bugs I ran into, one of which was game stopping and forced me to abandon my save game, but I've heard that bug has been patched out, and look forward to returning to this and making it to the pro tour.
#8: Pyre
Supermassive makes amazing games. Bastion and Transistor were both among my favorite games, and this one is no different. What surprises me most about this game is just how much of a departure it is from the developer's previous games. Pyre follows the story of a group of outcasts living in exile, doomed to die in the wastes, and performing rituals guided by the stars that just might lead to their salvation. And those rituals happen to be 3 on 3 basketball games.
... no, I'm serious. It's basically a sports game, where you must dunk your relic into the opposing team's pyre. It sounds weird, but it works well, and the gameplay is surprisingly quick and fun. Combine this with a rich story, interesting characters, and rpg development and management, and you're ready to recreate the mighty ducks in a gothic fantasy setting.
#7: Sonic Mania
Holy shit, a good sonic game? The history of this game is almost as good as the game itself, with a bunch of dedicated people making sonic fan games, eventually coming together under Sega's blessing to make the best Sonic game since Sonic 3. This game is basically the real Sonic 4, a direct continuation of the 2D genesis games, and demonstrating amazing sprite work, music, and level design. If you liked the genesis games, you'll like this, that's really all there is to it. Rejoice in this, because the next sonic game is almost certain to return to the realm of shit.
#6: Persona 5
Since getting a steam link, this is the only reason I even still have a Playstation, or any console besides the Switch. I haven't played all of the Persona games, and I can't tell you anything about Shin Megumi Tensei (I'm not even going to check if I got that name right) but I can say of the Persona games that I've played, I've enjoyed them all, and this is the best. Being a japanese highschool student is surprisingly hard, having to manage your time between studying for class, hanging out with friends, and delving into the mind palaces of various adults to battle the evils within and change their hearts. Also, waifus.
We're going into the deep weeb here.
#5: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Ninja Theory set out to answer two questions with this game. Can a game explore what it's like to live with psychosis, and came a "AAA" quality game be made on an indie budget, without one of the big game publishers backing it. It turns out the answer to both of these is yes, and what is born from it is a breathtaking, beautiful tale of a Celtic warrior woman on a voyage into literal hell. Senua has lived with a dark curse all of her life, she hears voices and sees things no one else can. Things got better for a time, but then got worse when Vikings raided her village, sacrificing her husband to the norse goddess Hel. Now there's nothing left for her to do but venture into the realm of foreign gods in an attempt to reclaim his soul.
For the best experience, make sure to play this one with headphones for full binaurial sound.
#4: Nier: Automata
It's not a top ten list without something from Platinum, and this time they've teamed up with someone even crazier. I'd never played a Nier game before, and looking at the others, I probably still won't. But I'll play the hell out of this game. This is an action-fighter-mystery-open world-linear-3d-side scrolling-flying-bullet hell-text adventure. ... yeah, I think that sums it up well. This is a game that likes to blend genres and mess with your mind, and when you finish the game, you aren't actually finished.
Also, when the creator of Nier was asked why the protagonist, 2B, is designed the way she is, he said it's because he likes pretty ladies. I can respect that kind of honesty.
#3: Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
We're getting into the top three now, and all three of these absolutely deserve the top billing. I liked Resident Evil 4 a lot, and the other Resident Evil games were all pretty good (special props to 1) but were never my favorite. Also 5 and 6 are pretty goofy, and all of the spinoff games are trash. Ok, maybe only some of the RE games were good, but we're not talking about them. We're talking about 7, which is absolutely the best of them. I could go on for hours about how RE7 learns from the mistakes of current horror games and changes up the formula into something special. When it had become the norm for horror games to force you into a game of hide and seek, RE7 returns to older ideas by allowing you to fight back, even if you probably can't win. It understands the concepts of player agency, and the importance of pacing in a horror story, allowing for an incredibly satisfying cycle of tension, buildup, and then catharsis. Even if you don't like horror games, give this game a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Here, instead of a trailer, have a Dan Bull music video.
#2: Night In The Woods
This game really surprised me, and touched me in a way I wasn't expecting (I almost made a Harvey Weinstein joke here). Night in the Woods is a story based Indie Game that follows Mae, a 20 year old girl who also happens to be a cat, moving back to her small town home after dropping out of college for reasons she won't talk about. What follows is a charming, touching, completely heartfelt story about life in middle america, small town socioeconomics, friendships, mental health, a murder mystery, and also a bit of cosmic horror. Except the real horror is the existential dread of adulthood.
Seriously, I can't sing the praises of this game enough. You will relate to at least some of the characters in this story, and even if you don't personally identify with Mae, odds are high you know someone like her. It was also very relevant to me in a troubling time of my life.
Here's another music video, a vocal cover of one of the songs featured in the game (the game version features only the music, not the vocals)
#1: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
There's more switch games on this list than I was initially expecting, but it turns out being able to take it anywhere means I'm much more prone to play it.
Breath of the Wild is hands down my number 1 game of the year, and might be the strongest launch title a console has ever had. I mentioned that Mario Odyssey didn't innovate as much as other games on this list, and this is what it was referring to. While Mario might take a tried and true formula and perfect on it, BotW throws formulas out the window to create something that is massive and beautiful. This is the most 'different' zelda game since The Adventure of Link, and it creates what I can only call a masterpiece. I've put so many hours into this game just getting lost in the wilderness, and I may have done more cooking in this game than in real life, and I like to cook.
I don't know what else I can say about it that hasn't already been said before. It's good. Real good. Worth buying a Switch for good.
And that's my top 10 (13?) for 2017. The year isn't over yet but odds are I won't get around to playing what comes out, at least not this year. What do you think? Agree with my lists? Have I convinced you to buy Night in the Woods yet? I probably have a Blood Bowl 2 key laying around somewhere if you really want...
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