Top 10 Games of 2017

It may be mid-January 2018 already, but it felt right my inaugural article here at Star District Gaming should be a round-up of my favorite games of the last year. I should be clear, these are not necessarily the best games of 2017, but my personal favorites. If you’re wondering why certain games aren't on this list, I don’t have a gaming PC or an Xbox One, and I didn’t have time to play some of the other noteworthy releases of the year; most particularly Player Unkown’s BattleGrounds, Doki Doki Literature Club, Cuphead or Nier: Automata.

So, without further ado, my Top 10 Games of 2017 (and one honorable mention) …

Honorable Mention. 

Persona 5; Atlus – played on PlayStation 4

There are many people who absolutely adore Persona 5, and rightfully so. From what I played, the game is bleeding with style all over, and has an interesting story right from the outset. However, I only played about 15 hours of the game, and didn’t get invested enough as I began to play other games that stuck with me more. I hopefully intend to play it through as we go forward into 2018, but that all depends on how releases shake out in the year. It is absolutely an incredible game, and is at the top of the JRPG resurgence going on, but the lack of play time I had with Persona unfortunately keeps it just out of top 10 for 2017.

10. 

Nex Machina; Housemarque – played on PlayStation 4

Housemarque is one of my favorite developers. It’s fitting that this game made my top 10, since it will be the last of its kind from the developer for the indefinite future. Nex Machina is a science-fiction, top-down, twin-stick shooter. Yes, that’s a lot of words to describe this game, but it’s Housemarque’s bread and butter. In my opinion, they are the pinnacle of the twin stick shooter genre in the modern day, and this should be up there in the pantheon of their best games. The gameplay is fluid on every level, and I had a blast getting the right run to get through each stage. The game is challenging, to the point that it can take multiple tries to get through a level, as without a shield, if you get hit you lose a life. That said, each level is segmented into different stages, and unless you run out of continues, you stay on that stage at each respawn. Your mileage can vary though depending on the level of difficulty you prefer. If you go on the lower difficulties, you can more easily get through the game, but if you bump the challenge up, expect to die. A lot. Even with the difficulty spike, there is a lot of fun to be had from this game. There is so much style in every corner, and it has the Housemarque polish and score chasing any fan of the developer expects. It may be on the lowest number on my list, but it’s absolutely deserving of its inclusion.

9.

Sonic Mania; Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games – played on PlayStation 4

I wasn’t an NES kid. In fact, I wasn’t even born yet for the major years of that console’s lifecycle. The first console I ever played was a Sega Genesis, and my favorite games as a kid…Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hegdehog 2 specifically). Around the internet, you see a lot of vitriol towards Sonic games. Some rightly so, and some a tad excessive. The original Sonic games were fun; maybe not very demanding, or doing too much mechanically, but as a child I loved going through the levels and finding every hidden box or secret level. There was always much more to Sonic than “Gotta go fast” that the namesake has turned into, but before this turns into a Sonic opinion piece, my point is Sonic Mania took the character exactly where he needed to be: his past.

While I enjoyed the first two Sonic Adventure games, it’s no secret that after that is where Sonic games begin to drop in quality; to the point where Sonic the Hedgehog (’06) was essentially unplayable for me, and the Sonic Boom games (and even 2017’s own Sonic Forces) are not much more than YouTube joke videos waiting to happen. Fortunately, the nostalgia hit hard playing through the remixed classic levels, and I got pure joy from getting to experience new Sonic levels in this style. There was just enough fan service and thought into the boss design, that didn’t feel like too much, but in a way that felt perfect for a classic-style Sonic game for 2017. I ultimately didn’t play as much of this game as I really wanted to, but from announcement, to playing the game after release, Sonic Mania was exactly what I wanted and disappoint.

8.

Resident EVIL: Biohazard; Capcom -- played on PlayStation 4

I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t hate the more action oriented games in the Resident Evil franchise. While they had problems in different areas, they were still fun games, and had qualities that I enjoyed. That said, one thing is clear…they weren’t scary. And they weren’t survival horror. Resident EVIL: Biohazard changed that. It’s isolated, dark, and mysterious. My heart was pounding more times than I could count, and I didn’t even play the game in VR (although when I get a PSVR, I’m absolutely going back). It’s a return to many of the series roots in terms of inventory management, scarce and meaningful enemy encounters, and save points only in a handful of areas, but it also modernizes every aspect of the game to fit perfectly into what a modern imagining of survival horror should be. There’s a bit of a problem with the game’s third act where it leans more on action, but there is enough story development during that time that I didn’t mind. This entry in the franchise will hopefully set a new precedent, for not only this series, but for the genre as a whole. When it was announced at E3 in 2016, no one knew how this would play out, but Capcom is listening, and it showed in one of the best games 2017 had to offer.

7.

Horizon: Zero Dawn; Guerrilla Games – played on PlayStation 4

I will make this perfectly clear, I am still playing Horizon: Zero Dawn, so this entry will be a little more concise since I haven’t experienced nearly of all the game has to offer. I’m about 20 hours in, and about 25% through according in-game statistics, but if the story is as good as I have heard, Horizon could very well end up landing much higher on this list once it’s completed. The world Guerrilla games has created is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is stunningly beautiful at every turn, and the vistas are truly breathtaking. The gameplay works so well, from crafting on the fly, to the sense of accomplishment from taking down a new machine on the first encounter. I do have some small issues with the game such as not being able to save whenever you want, and at times it feels like a “picking-up simulator” when there’s items to loot every few steps. I do enjoy Aloy as a character, and while she is played wonderfully by Ashley Burch, I don't always find the dialogue particularly great for her, and even other characters in the world. Those concerns are minuscule however when compared to playing the game and being lost in its world for hours. It’s an experience I can’t wait to finish, and a world that I believe I will be spending dozens of more hours in. Even with the limited time I’ve put in, if I had to put this game on my list after completing only what I had, it would land right here at number 7.

6.

Injustice 2; NeatherRealm Studios – played on PlayStation 4

I’m not the biggest fighting game fan, but I am a fan of what NetherRealm has put out in the last decade. From DC vs Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 9 and 10, and to the Injustice titles, I’ve enjoyed each and every one. That said, I think Injustice 2 really brought me in more than ever before. After the incredible story the game offers, there is still much more to play and collect. The fighting feels great as a casual fan of the genre, and the characters and their interactions with each other feel right at home in the DC Universe. Aside from the game mechanics, the multiverse mode brings nearly infinite replay-ability, and there are near endless possibilities in customizing your character. Microtransactions and loot boxes are heavily featured in the game, but after not spending any real-word money outside of the initial game purchase, I feel the game offers more than enough value and customization solely through gameplay. In the campaign specifically, there is a major difficulty spike in one of the final battles that I felt was more on the unfair side, but in the same breath, it was never truly insurmountable. This is a game I can see myself playing on and off, and between other games for a long time. A great pick up and play game that doesn’t demand too much of the player, and is simple enough for some quick couch multiplayer gaming as well.

5.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy; Naughty Dog – played on PlayStation 4

I’ve gone back and forth on my ranking of the Uncharted games, and especially where this one fits in. The Lost Legacy has essentially nothing to do with the series main protagonist, Nathan Drake, but instead focus on the playable character of Chloe Frazer and her partner during the game, Nadine Ross. The gameplay is standard Uncharted fare, so it’s the characters that bring this game so high on my list. Throughout the game, I was incredibly invested in both Chole and Nadine’s motivations. I was always a fan of Chole’s, but I didn’t really enjoy Nadine from her time in Uncharted 4. In Lost Legacy however, the interactions between the two, and the voice acting from Claudia Black (Frazer) and Laura Baily (Ross) took the story to the next level. I thought the gameplay design was done in a way where, even I would be stuck at certain points, I still never stopped having fun, and that’s a testament to the years that Naughty Dog has had to refine their gameplay loop for the series. It may not have reached the heights the series sets up for itself, but at the same time, it never drops the momentum the franchise has built over the past decade. It’s a smaller entry, but the quality is still there, and helps continue to hold Naughty Dog up as one of the premier development studios in the entirety of the games industry.

4. 

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus; Machine Games – PlayStation 4

What a game. If it wasn’t for some horrible trophy design on Machine Games’ part, I feel like this would have been my favorite Platinum run of 2017. While I enjoyed their past outings in Wolfenstein: The New Order and The Old Blood a little more overall, I still loved my time playing The New Colossus. I’ve loved how the series as had a fine line between full-out action, and stealth gameplay. The stealth gameplay may not be as refined as something like Deus Ex or Dishonored in modern example, but it is incredibly satisfying knifing and head-shotting Nazis to get that clean stealth run taking out the commanders in any given area throughout the game. The story, while a little more over the top, had some stand out characters in Grace, Spesh, Anya, Sigrun and Irene Engel, and of course B.J. Blaskowicz. Having played the campaign on the second hardest difficulty, there were plenty of moments where the difficulty spike was extremely tough. A certain section about halfway through in particular was near impossible and I had to resort to YouTube guides to find out the best course of action, and I can’t imagine trying to get through that without dying, as you need to do for an optional achievement/trophy.

My only real gripe with the game and its story is how obvious it is as a middle chapter, and how ends somewhat abruptly before the true climax takes place; which is assumedly being saved for the next game. You go through most of the game going after the main antagonist, Frau Irene Engel. She may be the best villain of 2017, and her voice-acting by Nina Franoszek may be one of the most underrated performances of the year, but somehow, I still feel she was somewhat underutilized. The game goes on to tease who will more than likely be its final antagonist in the next sequel, in a way that says to the player that there will clearly be a bigger villain after you finish this game. The scene in question has a lot of humor and is somewhat unnerving while staying entertaining, and overall plays out well. However, it goes on a little too long for my taste. Outside of those small issues I had with the story at large, there are more incredible moments than I could count, from beginning to end. The biggest of these moments, about halfway through the game, was shocking, and changes the game in several ways both narrative and mechanically.

Any gripes I have with the game are more than compensated by with the gameplay. After I finished the main campaign, you can go back through the districts (mission levels) of the game to collect collectibles and level up your character. It may be the trophy hunter in me, but I gladly kept playing to finish up the collectibles and filling up B.J.’s skills. I found the moment to moment gameplay intensely satisfying and fun to play, even when the difficulty had me running through the same area multiple times. Instead of banging my head against the wall, it got me to think out of the box, and try different tactics and routes, which is refreshing in a first-person shooter campaign. From its unforgettable story beats, to solid and engaging gameplay, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus easily deserves its spot in my Top 5.

3.

Super Mario Odyssey; Nintendo – played on Nintendo Switch

If you haven’t noticed, Breath of the Wild has yet to show up on this list. Spoilers, it won’t. Only one game has had me truly in love with my Nintendo Switch, and that’s Super Mario Odyssey. As of writing, I have not gotten every moon. I’m sitting at about 450 I believe, and I think that’s where I’ll end up staying for a while. I’m ultimately more in tune with my PS4 instead of my Switch, but during my time playing Odyssey, I was glued to Nintendo’s newest console, and never wanted to put it down. Through every Kingdom and every challenged I completed, I had a huge smile on my face. The feeling of pure joy I had was unrivaled from any other game on this list. Every challenge I encountered always felt completable. I would be stuck on one, and easily be able to move on to another moon thanks to its incredible game design, and seamlessly find a new place to go throughout each level. No matter where I went, there was always something to see, do, or collect, and that’s a testament to how well, and how much thought went into crafting every piece of this game.

As much as I enjoyed my time with the game, I didn’t cement into my Top 3 until reaching the final boss and the “last” Kingdom. That’s what sold it for me. After defeating the final boss, thinking I would be putting the game down for a bit, I found myself lost in the beginning of the end-game for another few hours. I went into the in-game store, saw how many moons I need for some of the new outfits and I was again on my way collecting more moons, right when I thought I was done. After that and getting deeper into the end-game, I didn’t feel as compelled to keep going after the more challenging moons as I started to have more games to play at the end of the year, but I think I will absolutely go back to collect more if there’s ever a slow time in 2018 or I go on a few trips. For now, I look back fondly on my time with Mario Odyssey, and is definitely my favorite game on the Switch.

2.

Mass Effect: Andromeda; BioWare Montreal – played on PlayStation 4

Mass Effect: Andromeda really has no right being this high on my list, and I contemplated for a while on where this would ultimately fall. It also feels surreal that a Mass Effect title released this year, and its not right at number 1, like past iterations. In the end, I thought about how much time I spent with this game (over 150 hours), and thought about how much I enjoyed myself in that time, or if I regretted spending that much time in a game that I had such a love/hate relationship with. My answers were: I did enjoy that time, and no, I didn’t regret that time for a moment. I may be biased, with Mass Effect being, not only my favorite gaming series, but my favorite series in any entertainment, but that makes my love/hate with the games all the more interesting.

Going into this game, I was incredibly excited. I had heard about the glitches, the animations, the lack luster characters, and more flaws about the game. I was hoping that it’s better qualities would help me look past any of its issues, and for the most part, it did. Problems still persisted throughout the game however, especially for a one bearing the Mass Effect title. Limited decision making, plot issues, and an overall lack of Mass Effect polish was noticeable throughout. Between that and it’s odd graphical and technical hiccups, there was plenty that could have ruined my experience. The moment to moment gameplay may have been its saving grace in the end. I absolutely loved the combat in this game. Not being able to pause and select commands like the original trilogy took some getting used to, but the addition of the jump pack gave more fluidity and momentum and made the gameplay incredibly fun. The addition of choosing different playstyles on the fly also kept things fresh if at any point your abilities started feeling stale, or you needed a new strategy against certain enemies.

It was strange trying to connect with the new cast of characters, and honestly, they were hit or miss. The characters that BioWare Montreal nailed though, knocked it out of the park. Drack and Jaal, I would argue are two of the best cast members in the entire series. Between emotional moments, and character design, there was much to love about them. Even in the characters I didn’t think worked as well, I was still invested in their story beats and where they went throughout the story. The main story never realized the grand ideas the narrative tried to set-up, and many plot threads are left hanging with the series going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. That said, even if the narrative as a whole was underwhelming, I was still invested and genuinely intrigued, when a plot point I didn’t see coming would play out. Whenever I felt that I was losing some interest, there was always something that would happen, whether character-driven or narratively, to pull me back in.

I feel as if I have much more to say about this game, and may have a proper discussion after a second playthrough to give a fresh perspective. For now though, despite its issues, and a rough start, I genuinely enjoyed my time playing Andromeda. There’s much to love about the game, even if BioWare Montreal didn’t live up to the potential this new entry built up for itself. It’s by no means objectively better than the majority of the games on my Top 10, but I can say that I enjoyed it enough to warrant being the runner-up on this list.

1.

What Remains of Edith Finch; Giant Sparrow – played on PlayStation 4

When I finished playing What Remains of Edith Finch in May of 2017 I told myself at the time it was my Game of the Year so far. 7 months later, at the end of the year, it still was. No, there’s not much there in the way of gameplay, although there is more than most other so-called “walking simulators”. What Remains of Edith Finch tells the story of a young woman who journeys back to her childhood home, filled with memories of her loved ones; all who have passed away due to an alleged curse on the Finch family. I enjoyed Giant Sparrow’s last venture, The Unfinished Swan, fine enough; it was a great game, but it didn’t stay with me long after I played it. On the opposite side of that, I can still vividly remember each story of the Finch family’s demise, and how poignant each story was as it replayed in Edith’s flashback. It’s an incredible work of art that is as chilling and haunting as it was beautiful and satisfying. By the end of its roughly 2-3 hour playtime, it felt eerily complete. The story was over, and I felt the ending was perfect. It didn’t leave me wanting more questions answered, or feeling it was either too short or too long. It’s a good feeling to see a developer tell the story they want to tell and see them execute in spectacular fashion. It’s not a huge open world game. It’s not a 100-hour RPG. It’s not a bombastic action game. It’s not another entry in a beloved franchise. There’s nothing wrong with any of those, and as you’ve seen on this list, I love those games. That said, no other stayed with me, and got raw emotion out of me in the way What Remains of Edith Finch did, and that is why I definitively have it as my number one game of 2017.

If you made it to the end here, I want to express my greatest gratitude, and thank you for giving my first article a read. It may be rough around the edges, and if you have any critiques or advice, feel free to comment, or contact me through any other social media.

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