The early months of a year is generally one of the slowest times for gaming, however, that’s certainly not been the case in 2017. Just four months into the year and we already have a number of serious Game of the Year contenders, not to mention an absolutely staggering amount of releases.
In truth, it’s near impossible for anyone to keep up what with releases like Nioh, Yakuza 0, Halo Wars 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Gravity Rush 2. Besides those number of releases, there’s been a few incredible standouts. We’ll be going over the handful of games that already have a shot at that coveted GOTY award.
2017 truly is one remarkable period for gaming, as we’ve had this many phenomenal releases with so much more on the way. Throughout the rest of the year we’re still looking at the release of Prey, Shadow of War, Call of Duty WWII, a new Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Red Dead Redemption 2, and much more. One thing’s for sure, there’ll be some tough conversation to have once December and award season rolls around.
Resident Evil 7
After the divisive entry Resident Evil 6, the series decided to both return to its roots and try something entirely new. For the first time in the main series the game put things in a first person perspective, really giving Resident Evil 7 a unique feel.
The key here, however, is that Resident Evil 7 doesn’t make you some amped up soldier. You’re just an ordinary guy put into a crazy situation, struggling to make it out alive. The title gave Resident Evil that creepy feeling again, as you poked your way around the decrepit old Baker mansion in Louisiana. Along the way you’ll need to content with mysterious monsters known as the “Molded,” as well as the terrifyingly insane Baker family, who make for some seriously nail-biting boss battles. On top of everything, the game also offered the option of playing in VR, only increasing the horror astronomically.
Resident Evil 7 may have done new things for the series, but it still felt like a return to form. It was once again terrifying, atmospheric, and moody, something Resident Evil has been lacking in as of late. It certainly made Resident Evil 7 stand out among the horror genre, and one heck of a way to start the year out with a GOTY contender. Make sure you take a look at our review of it here.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Developer Guerrilla Games is well known for their FPS franchise Killzone, but Horizon Zero Dawn is a bold new direction for them, and a move that worked out brilliantly. Horizon is easily one of the most massive and breathtakingly beautiful games released on the PS4, with an action-packed combat system.
Horizon delivers an expansive new post-apocalyptic world unlike what we usually see, humanity has recovered and created unique tribal civilizations. There’s an engaging mystery to unravel about what really happened to the world, and what role the protagonist Aloy plays in everything. The real attraction in Horizon, however, lies in taking down its various mechanical beasts. Each of the hulking metallic animals are incredibly different, and you’ll need to employ specific strategies to take them down. Fights can be long, arduous, and demanding at times, presenting a true challenge to players that want it.
It’s not every day we get a huge new IP from a company like Sony, but Guerrilla Games really got it right with this one. Aloy is a charming protagonist, and Horizon’s world is one that hopefully we’ll get to return to some day. Even more impressive is that a brand new IP already sits squarely in the conversation for GOTY. If you want to see more about Horizon Zero Dawn, make sure to take a look at our review.
NieR: Automata
The original NieR was an overlooked cult classic that seemed unlikely to ever get a sequel. Luckily, that didn’t hold true, and Automata easily surpasses the original to become one of the best games of 2017 so far. The title is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, putting you into the shoes of 2B, an android fighting for the survival of humanity.
NieR: Automata shines on two different levels, its fast and fluid combat system and dark, emotional story. Platinum Games helped to co-develop the title, adding their signature style to the game’s combat. Meanwhile, like the original, Automata features multiple endings that each reveal a different layer to the title’s story. There’s some truly shocking and heartbreaking moments to be had across the 50 hours the game runs.
NieR: Automata managed to beat all expectations, delivering on almost every aspect from combat to characters. It’s definitely a success story, and sure to pop up on a few people’s GOTY lists. You can see what we thought of the title here.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
There are few series that have as much of a legacy as The Legend of Zelda, making Breath of the Wild the perfect launch title for Nintendo’s new console. Even in a series packed with high praise, Breath of the Wild managed to stand out, and set a new standard.
For the first time in the series, Breath of the Wild truly gives you an open world to explore, dropping you right into the experience with little build up. Exploration is the name of the game here, and it’s incredibly satisfying to just wander the wilds, finding new quests, towns, and secrets. Breath of the Wild doesn’t hold your hand, yet still manages to give you meaningful rewards at regular intervals. Zelda’s core gameplay has also been changed up a bit with things like weapon degradation, runes, and climbing. However, absolutely everything in Breath of the Wild is in service to that feeling of exploration and discovery, even the main story which can be tackled in the order you want.
Breath of the Wild may have just been the best launch title Nintendo could have released with the Switch, and it really shows off the capabilities of the system. Even more impressive, Breath of the Wild has now become one of the highest rated video games of all time. It’s easily one of the best games of 2017, and sure to be a top contender when it comes time to give out awards. See what we thought of Breath of the Wild, by reading our review.
Persona 5
It’s been years since the last mainline Persona entry, but Atlus certainly didn’t disappoint with the latest installment. Persona 5 is an absolutely massive JRPG clocking in at over 100 hours, and it’s easily one of the most stylish games ever released.
Everything about Persona 5 screams style, from its darkly thematic main story to the way menus flow with animation. Like previous entries, the battle system is entirely focused on exploiting enemies’ weaknesses, but it’s faster and more fluid thane ever before. The Persona series’ unique blend of every day life simulation and dungeon crawling feels better than ever before as well. Social Links, now called Confidants, fit well into the main story, and ever piece of side content feels like it matters in achieving your main goal. Meanwhile, dungeon design has grown leaps and bounds for the series, with each dungeon feeling wholly unique and engaging.
Persona 5 really is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and one of the best JRPGs we’ve gotten in years. It could easily set a new standard, and has a real chance at taking home that GOTY award. Despite being from a rather niche series, Persona 5 has already sold over 1.5 million copies by the time it launched in North America, and it’s one of the highest-rated PS4 games of all time. See more about the title in our review.
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