I'm posting a little early this year, just to get our annual ritual out of the way. 2017 was a great year for 30-100 hour epic games that I don't have time for, there were surprisingly few 5-10 hour games that caught my interest. But the big ones that I did make time for were genuinely amazing, superlative experiences.
(LATE EDIT: Added "Night in the Woods". Removed "Picross S" since its only technically a new game.)
Also, bonus list!
"The Best Old-Ass Games I Played for the First Time in 2017"
Showing 1-10 of 10 items
What is left to say about this game? If you’re on this website checking some random dude’s GOTY list then you either loved playing this game as much as I did or you’re sick of people gushing over it. Maybe both. In any case, it’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed a Zelda game since “A Link to the Past”, and the most fun I had exploring an open world in years. Whatever frustrations or misgivings I’ve had with the game are thoroughly overshadowed by its strengths. Its gorgeous to look at, a joy to explore, with deep systems to learn and master. Its the best game I played all year.
Hollow Knight clicked for me on every level. I love the combat. I love the art-style. It has the best music I’ve heard in a game this year. I love the background lore, and the way its slowly revealed to you over time. What I love most of all is that its open-ended. Most modern metroidvanias lead you by the nose to the next upgrade. They become very rote: get the new upgrade, revisit the old areas for secrets, move to the next area, repeat. But Hollow Knight isn’t like that at all. Once I reached a certain point, I opened my map and realized I had roughly eight different directions I could potentially explore. I’ve seen videos on YouTube showing how I could have gotten the upgrades in a totally different order and had a different experience. That world map is BIG. Almost too big. This is a long, meaty game and it maintains its high level of quality right up to the very satisfying end sequence. If I would criticize anything, it would be that the game does have a bit of a slow start. It requires a lot from the player and won’t be for everyone, but I haven’t enjoyed a metroidvania this much in a VERY long time.
The main campaign is freaking incredible. Nintendo at its best. And now, after seeing the credits, this has become a perfect 'comfort food' game. I have no burning desire to 100% this, but whenever I have a shitty day I'll load it up and get 3 or 4 or 40 moons. I'm taking my time to savor it.
I didn't get so crazy into PUBG as some people, but I put a good 20 hours into it and upgraded my PC because of it. Its tense and exciting in a way no other multiplayer game has been for me. Every kill is the best thing ever. Hopefully they sort out this cheating shit soon and optimize the performance a bit.
I've yet to beat this, but I'm thoroughly impressed so far. They really nailed the look they were going for and the level of challenge is just about perfect for me.
This is a very late entry (1/3/2018): I avoided playing NITW for a long time because it looked like some uber-cringey Michael Cera bullshit. But its really not like that... Its somewhat twee, but it mixes the twee with grungey real-life shit in a way that feels genuine and refreshing. As much as I was impressed with the writing and the aesthetic, I was even more impressed with the design. I've been gradually losing interest in Adventure games lately, but NITW represents a fresh modern direction for the genre. The daily trips into town, the side content hidden at the edges here and there, the nightly outings and the mini-games all provide good variety and a solid sense of place. I'm excited to see how NITW influences the Adventure genre going forward. I've had enough pixel-art throwbacks and Telltale clones. I thought this would be higher up on my list, but the ending felt like a whiff to me. Good endings are hard to make, I ain't mad, but the last hour or so dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit.
A really solid metroidvania. Its not too short, its not too long. Its got that old Diablo-style loot grind going for it. And the art-style is really charming with characters that grew on me. Great soundtrack too. (Can we come up with a better name for this genre please? "Metroidvania" is too many syllables. What if we called them 'Troid-likes or something?)
This has come a long way since its Early Access launch (three freakin' years ago). Its not perfect, but I chopped a man's head off in mid-air while riding a motorcycle... For me that's a pretty good Saturday.
A great story and a very unique use of the medium.
Awesome sense of speed. Finally something to scratch that F-Zero itch.