Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The Resident Evil series has had quite a lot of ups and downs since its first title released back in 1996, mainly due to the inconsistent tones and genres the franchise has explored. Now, over 20 years later, the seventh core installment looked to bring survival horror back in full force. Given that the horror genre has been wavering within the triple-A space for some time now, Resident Evil 7 marked a possible return for more studios to produce terrifying games.
Thankfully, Resident Evil 7 was both a financial and critical success, as the latest entry was hailed for its return to the roots it helped to define in the original Resident Evil game. This could also spark the return of other classic horror titles such as Silent Hill or Alone in the Dark, which has been rather dormant of late. Horror has always had one of the most unique libraries of titles in all of gaming so who wouldn’t want to see more from it? Who knows, maybe a sub-genre about terrifying backwoods families will also come from this.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn has been a title that Sony’s been promoting for some time now as it’s appeared in virtually every Sony conference since it was announced back in 2015. While Sony has had other big exclusive titles released this year like Nioh and Gravity Rush 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn has certainly been their main focus. Given that Sony cannot rely on titles such as Uncharted to always be there action/adventure flagship, Horizon’s success is critical for Sony to keep a foothold in offering the best exclusives for modern consoles.
Critically, Horizon: Zero Dawn is already succeeding as many major outlets are praising this title for its fun gameplay, unique world, and lovable characters. While this title has not released to the public yet, there is little doubt that the extremely positive reception will directly affect sales. There’s clearly a lot of money behind this game, so it being successful monetarily could spell another bi-yearly exclusive series for Sony.
Crackdown 3
Speaking of exclusives, Crackdown 3 is a game that many may have forgotten about since its reveal way back in 2015. Since then this title has only offered scattered information and videos with very little actually known about the game besides some base features and very early gameplay. Given Microsoft is currently lagging behind when it comes to exclusive content, especially after the loss of Scalebound, having Crackdown 3 release in 2017 is necessary.
There are almost no exclusives for Xbox One set to release this year, so there is a lot of pressure on this game to deliver. It’s important to note that Microsoft so far has no plans to release a core Halo or Gears of War game this year, meaning that a lot of the weight is on Crackdown this year for Triple-A titles.
NieR: Automata
While there may not be a lot riding on NieR: Automata’s success at first glance, this action/JRPG hybrid title could mean big things for the JRPG genre going forward. Its predecessor was released back in 2010 and now, 7 years later, players are finally getting a sequel. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the original game gained a rather notable cult following. Automata marks a chance for this title to step from the shadows and become one of the biggest names in the action/JRPG genre.
A lot of this is due to developer Platinum Games, as they are known for taking on insane projects and turning the dial up to 11. NieR: Automata has the chance to encourage players to try out other, fringe JRPGs that may have been overlooked by Western audiences. NieR may seem like a simple hack n’ slash game at first glance but it’s a title that molds together various ideas from a plethora of different sub-genres such as bullet hell. This helps NieR not only have it’s own identitiy, but allows it to not conform to one single idea for how its gameplay is perceived.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo’s latest entry in The Legend of Zelda franchise is only a few weeks away and it will certainly be a large factor with regards to the sales of Nintendo’s newest console. Since the Wii U suffered from rather low sales numbers, it’s imperative that the Switch performs well this generation. Much of this system’s success around launch will rely on their big launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Since this is the first next generation Zelda game since Skyward Sword, there’s a lot of pressure on Nintendo to deliver another stellar title in this franchise.
It also doesn’t help that there is a ton of hype surrounding Breath of the Wild, as the concept of an open world Zelda game is brand new. This title’s success could determine whether this franchise has a chance to move in a different direction and explore a more open style of world with future titles in the series. Then there is also the infamous timeline to consider, which does have a chance to even merge together into something more consistent. Not only would this help the franchise form a narrative standpoint, but it would make any new Zelda game easier to understand and follow.
2017 may only be two months in, however, it’s clear that there are some seriously important games releasing this year. While every title has a chance to be extremely successful, these are the five games that could have a major impact of the gaming community and development moving forward. Now all we have to do is try and wait until they release, which is the real challenge after all.
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