Mitch Jay’s Top 15 Games of 2017
15 games? 15?! Yes, that’s a whole 5 more than I’ve done for the past three years! 2017 has been an incredible year for gaming, and I’ve been playing so much more than I have done in the last few years. There have been several hits each month, and you never had to wait long to get your hands on the next breathtaking experience.
I don’t include remasters or remakes in my considerations, mostly because I want to focus on brand new 2017 experiences, so the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age won’t make the list despite being amazing games. I’ve decided to make the same decision for Pokemon: Ultra Moon and Ultra Sun too, as it’s largely the same game but with some new content. It rated on my top ten last year, and this version is even better so don’t sleep on it!
Some of the games, of course, released in Japan last year, but these games only hit the West this year. Without further ado, have a look at my top 15 games of 2017 below — just so you know, this was painstaking. I’ve never had so much trouble doing my end of year list, but it’s been such a brilliant year. Sadly, I never did get round to Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood…
15. Resident Evil VII
When Resident Evil VII was announced to be first-person, I wasn’t very excited. I’m a big Resident Evil fan, and much of that is thanks to the group of characters who I’ve come to know and love over the years. With no Chris or Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, or the others in sight, I wondered if this really needed to share the same title.
Alas, when it released, I found myself enthralled in its rickety old home, and the Bakers made for delightful villains. Scary, tense and surprising, Resident Evil VII managed to make a fan out of me, and its DLC was a bunch of fun too. I’m interested to see where we’ll go from here!
14. Injustice 2
2018 has been an odd year for fighters. We’ve had some great new contestants such as Injustice 2 and ARMS, whilst big series like Street Fighter V and Marvel vs Capcom stumbled. In any case, NetherRealm, who have been making a desirable name for themselves in recent years, delivered their best effort yet with DC fighter Injustice 2.
An exciting story with spectacular facial animation made this a delight to play through, and the gameplay is solid, accessible and making waves in the pro scene. The DLC just keeps on coming, and with the likes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joining the fray, I don’t think Injustice 2‘s popularity will wane anytime soon.
13. Style Boutique 3: Styling Star
Now now, readers, we all have that one game we absolutely love and adore. This isn’t a joke entry, nor should I have to clarify that it isn’t, but Style Boutique 3 Styling Star is so magical and relaxing that it quickly became a favourite of mine. I’ve followed the series for years now, and the latest entry is the best one yet with a bunch of cool new features and improved visuals. It can become repetitive, but it’s always nice to jump back in and style away.
12. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Ninja Theory have created a few games I’ve absolutely loved – DmC: Devil May Cry, Heavenly Sword and Enslaved among them, but Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is their most important work yet. Opting to publish this brand new IP on their own terms, Ninja Theory created a wonderfully inspiring game about Senua, who suffers from psychosis, who struggles to separate fact from fiction.
You need to play this one with headphones and it’s a chilling ride with phenomenal melee combat, and a whole lot of emotion. Ninja Theory really showed off their skills with this one, and I’m happy that they managed to land on their feet to deliver one of the best, most valuable games of 2017.
11. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
This was one of the very last games of 2017, but it’s also one of the Switch’s best! A sprawling, open-world RPG that can be played on the big screen and on the go? Sign me up! It might not feel as fresh as Breath of the Wild, but it’s a solid RPG with a focus on story, and a lush world worth exploring. It might take a little while to get going, but it won’t be long until it has you in its warm embrace.
10. Gravity Rush 2
Surprisingly, this game exists. Gravity Rush is one of Vita’s strongest titles, but it’s hard to believe that it a sequel got greenlit. Thankfully, it’s even better and there’s so much to do that I’m still playing it now. It has beautiful, distinct art, unique gameplay and an entertaining story, and a huge free DLC released after where you could play as fan-favourite Raven. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a third game, but it’s amazing to have a sequel that doesn’t leave things wide open.
9. Nioh
Nioh is Team Ninja’s take on something fresh, and something heavily inspired by the likes of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and what an adventure it is! Taking place in Japan in a fictional version of the Sengoku period in the early 1600s, British sailor William Adams finds himself in Japan to fight Edward Kelley who stole his spirit guardian, Saoirse, from him.
Yes, the characters are loosely based on real people, but the world is fantastical and brimming with magic. I had sweaty palms more than a few times when playing Nioh, and its world, mission structure and incredible bosses meant that I was never bored. A little frustrated perhaps, but never bored.
8. Little Nightmares
I’m a big Tim Burton fan, and Little Nightmares was ticking all the right boxes when it was revealed as Hunger. Featuring a unique aesthetic where you play as a tiny child in a world where everything is enlarged, stretched and creepy, Little Nightmares managed to keep my rapt attention through several playthroughs. Wonderful audio work and a claustrophobic atmosphere make for an experience which is hard to forget, and its ending left me theorising for months.
7. Sonic Mania
A good Sonic game? In 2017?! Yes, it’s not Sonic Forces I’m talking about, but Sonic Mania! Sonic Mania began life in the hands of passionate fans Christian Whitehead and friends, and Sega picked up their pitch to create it into an official game. It harks back to the original 2D games and is just as good as them, leaving me in a state of awe as I played through a game both nostalgic and fresh. You can bet that a second game is in the works, especially as this is the blue hedgehog’s most popular game in a long time (with good sales numbers, too!), and I can’t wait to see what the team do next.
6. Splatoon 2
Splatoon was one of the Wii U’s many gems, but its sequel is even better – it helps that it’s on a system that’s universally sought after, too! The inclusion of co-op mode Salmon Run, a more fleshed-out single-player and a bunch of new and old maps means that there’s a lot of fans new and returning, and the constant free updates is nothing to snuff at. Splatfests too! Splatoon 2 has a superb community and seeing people’s characters and their art is always a great time.
5. Hatsune Miku: Future Tone
I love vocaloid, and the Project Diva games have given me dozens of hours of playtime. When Future Tone was announced for Japan, I’d already made peace that it wouldn’t come to the West. When Sega announced that, actually, they were bringing it over, I was ecstatic. Over the moon. Over 200 songs (and only a small handful of songs that I would’ve loved to have seen included) and eye-catching music videos, Hatsune Miku: Future Tone came to be the ultimate rhythm game of 2017 — it’s going to see a lot of playtime in 2018, too!
4. Blue Reflection
This one really took me by surprise. I’m a big Gust fan, but never has one of their games taken me in the way that Blue Reflection did. Its consistently bittersweet atmosphere, bringing back warm Summer nights, is one that tugged at my heart. It’s Persona-lite with its own social link system and turn-based combat I never grew tired of, and I ended up earning the Platinum trophy. I’d happily go through it again, but it is a shame that the DLC is so expensive!
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild took the tired open-world genre and gave it a refreshing makeover. The world is overflowing with secrets and although it may seem barren at first glance, you can’t take a few steps without coming across something interesting. An incredible atmosphere, an excellent use of stamina and climbing, and nail-biting challenge makes this one of the finest open-world games out there.
I’ve enjoyed a fair few this year such as Horizon and Shadow of War, which are both very good titles too, but their worlds and gameplay mechanics feel a lot like what I’ve been experiencing for years. Nintendo managed to give the genre a breath of fresh air, and once you’re playing it it’s easy to see why this is at the top of the genre.
2. Yakuza 0
Look, before I talk about Yakuza 0, have you played the cabaret mini-game? That’s worthy to be in the top 15 games of the year alone, but the rest of the game is just as good. Yakuza 0 is one of the funniest games I’ve played, but it also boasts a story rife with drama and intrigue – I even got a little teary eyed at the end.
A variety of engaging mini-games, a lengthy story with brilliant characterisation, and exciting combat make Yakuza 0 (and its sequel, Kiwami) nothing short of a joy to play. This is a series that many have slept on for too long, so it’s nice to see it finally get the praise it deserves from mainstream media.
1. Persona 5
Persona 5? My game of the year? No way! I’m sure this shocks none of you though, as I’ve been pretty outspoken with my love for Persona 5 on Twitter and Rice Digital. Such a high level of polish is rarely seen in a video game, and there’re no micro-transactions as far as the eye can see – only paid for outfits and music, which are mostly throwbacks to previous games in the series.
Despite being 100~ hours, Persona 5 never slows down and there’s no filler, just great, engaging gameplay and an engrossing story which’ll keep you enraptured until the credits roll. And then, despite its length, you might find yourself straight back in for a second playthrough. I knew this would be something special, and I’m far from alone in that.
And that’s that! 2017 is over, but its games are not. What are your favourite games of the last year? I’ll be back again at the end of 2018 of course, and this year is shaping up to be just as outstanding.
- Super Mario Odyssey Celebrates its One Year Anniversary - October 28, 2018
- Dragon Ball Z KAI Final Chapters Review (Anime) - October 28, 2018
- Resident Evil 2 Remake Gets a Steelbook Edition in Europe - October 24, 2018
