2017 was a peculiar year, filled with some pretty high highs and some pretty low lows. On one hand, many of my favorite personal franchises disappointed me this year (I’m looking at you, Mass Effect: Andromeda), while on the other I was introduced to some of the best entries in series that were new to me. These new experiences, amongst other titles, were some of my favorite games of 2017.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
Despite being the seventh linear entry in a long and complex series, Resident Evil VII was the first time I truly sat down and played a Resident Evil title, and I loved every second of it. There’s far too much that I enjoyed about this game to mention here, but thankfully I reviewed the game in detail. Spooky, adrenaline inducing and exploratory, Resident Evil VII is probably my favorite title of the year.
Best Moment: When the tone of the game switched from horror to military action, and I went from feeling helpless to feeling godly.
Metroid: Samus Returns
Samus is finally back, front and center, in a Metroid title. Hot on the heels of Metroid: Federation Forces, it’s refreshing to see something of quality and familiarity from the series. Even though Samus Returns is a loose remaster, I found myself engaged until the very end and more excited than ever for the next entry in the series.
Best Moment: Surviving my first battle with an adolescent metroid with only 3hp.
Destiny 2
In many ways, Destiny 2 can be included in my list of personal franchises that have disappointed me, so I nearly knocked it off of this list. However, with an incredibly enjoyable and stylized Raid, an improved story and gorgeous visuals, Destiny 2 managed to stay on my list, but just barely. I’m looking forward to the future of this game, cautiously optimistic.
Best Moment: Watching Calus’s robotic husk crumble after a fully-blind 16 hour raid.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda series is another one that I’d just never given the proper amount of time to appreciate. After hearing all of the hullabaloo about Breath of the Wild, I decided that I just had to play it. After experimenting with it on a Wii U emulator, I was convinced, and I immediately decided to pick up and play the game legitimately on the Nintendo Switch. Breath of the Wild has created a new standard for open-world RPGs and is absolutely breathtaking in almost every moment.
Best Moment: Throwing a torch onto a conveniently placed explosive while simultaneously jump-shotting a bokogoblin, effectively taking out an entire camp in seconds.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re sorely missing out. PlayerUnknown has been refining the rather simple formula of the game since the ARMA 2: DayZ Mod, but has really struck gold with this standalone release. Since its release, I’ve sunk over 500 hours into the game and have secured nearly 100 chicken dinners, each one absolutely making my day. The fear of being taken out at any moment and the satisfaction of being the one or two or four percent of the server left standing is so addicting, it almost hurts.
Best Moment: PUBG’s release on Xbox, where I’m relatively better at aiming than on PC.
