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Best of 2017

by beard_of_zeus

Perhaps the best year for video games during my lifetime! Normally I would think that would mean coming up with a top ten would be hard, but I feel like there were some clear next-level standouts that really had an impact on me.

With that said, I think there are some smaller games that are also great and deserve attention, so I'm gonna make this a top 20.

Showing 1-10 of 20 items

NieR:Automata

1. NieR:Automata

For a game I love so much, I feel like I have a hard time articulating my feelings on it. It truly is a story that uses the medium of games to its fullest, and could not be told in any other way. So many parts of the game were so impactful to me.

Yakuza 0

2. Yakuza 0

What a strange, fun, weird, serious, game. It knows how to balance silliness and seriousness with such a deft hand, matched only by something like Metal Gear Solid. And every part of it is just so, so good.

Super Mario Odyssey

3. Super Mario Odyssey

Just pure, distilled joy in an obscenely well-designed game that rewards the player oh-so-generously.

Cuphead

4. Cuphead

Looks amazing, plays amazing, so much fun. It goes for an aesthetic that it executes on so perfectly.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Amazing that Nintendo was willing to change up the mechanics of their flagship series so much. The feeling of exploration and wonder is second to none - I'm especially impressed with their mastery of the physics system in the game that lets you solve problems in unexpected ways. This game would probably be higher if the story and characters were a little stronger.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

6. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

I know this didn't come out this year (well it did on PS4), but this is probably the best stealth game I've ever played. It is designed so well from top to bottom, and gives the player all the tools they need to succeed. On top of that, has a great artstyle, and a familiar but well-told story.

Thimbleweed Park

7. Thimbleweed Park

Nex Machina: Death Machine

8. Nex Machina: Death Machine

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

9. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Pyre

10. Pyre

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