Dustin's Poorly Written Top 10 Games of 2017

2017 was a heck of a year for Video Games. I'm definitely not the only person to say that. Nintendo dominated the year with the release of the Switch and releasing both first and third party games throughout the year. Playerunknown's Battlegrounds took over the PC space and how competitive shooters work and we will see the shockwaves from it for years to come. Like I said at the top of this thing, 2017 was a heck of a year for video games.

Honorable Mentions

• Superhot VR
• Cuphead
• Sonic Mania
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
• HQ Trivia

10 - Life is Strange: Before the Storm

It's rare that I call a performance powerful when it comes to video games. But Before the Storm is one of, if not the most powerful game that have ever played. Before the Storm is Chloe Price's story about loss. The loss of her best friend Max when she moved. The loss of her father in a car accident. The loss of her mother to another man. Throughout this game Chloe tries to hold on to one more thing, her new friend Rachel Amber. Both Rhianna DeVries (Chloe) and Kylie Brown (Rachel) give incredible performances that puts this game into my top 10 games of the year.

9 - Playerunknown's Battlegrounds

PUBG was a force that just overtook games this year. When I first saw a live stream of this game I took it as a “King of the Kill” knockoff. Learning that PUBG is from the same creative director I started to pay a bit more attention. It’s a game with a simple premise that has complex systems surrounding it. Oh, and I am extremely bad at it, but it's quick death and join a new game nature doesn't feel punishing, you learn from each death and hopefully bring that knowledge into the next round.

8 - Assassin's Creed Origins

Assassin’s Creed is a good “podcast game.” Its new combat system is really good. The world is fully realized. I don’t know. I just really like this game.

7 - Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon maybe the best looking game this year. The world that your character Aloy inhabits is gorgeous and full of life. The different tribes feel fully realized. But the thing in the game to me was the mystery of what happened to the “old world.” and it is super interesting and really cool.

6 - Injustice 2

Man, Superman sucks in this game. As a character not a fighter, and I love it. If you want a interesting Justice League story, this is worlds better that the movie that came out earlier this year. The fighting is super solid coming from NetherRealm, and the loot system adds enough to slightly change the strategies and move sets. Also Superman is just the WORST!

5 - Everybody's Golf

It’s a great arcady golf game. I’ve been wanting to play a good one of these for a long time and this scratches that itch real good.

4 - Destiny 2

I talked last year about how Forza Horizon 3 was my “after work game” and Destiny 2 takes that place this year. Destiny 2 has the best shooting in any game this year and that’s kinda the only positive I can say about it. It’s a good time waster, jump in, do a strike or crucible match, turn it off.

3 - Persona 5

Persona 5 is an extremely timely game to come out in 2017. Jumping into the “hearts” of corrupt adults to change them kinds hits close to home this year, in which it’s something we all wish we could do. Persona has always done an amazing job in its small character stories. Tae Takemi, Toranosuke Yoshida and Makoto Niijima and have fantastic arcs and are probably some of the best characters in a game this year. Also Makoto is the best girl.

2 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

So you’re telling me that Nintendo made an open world game with emergent game mechanics and they never made this type of game before, AND is one of the best games of the year? That statement sounds insane but somehow they managed to pull it off. Behind it’s colorful environments Breath of the Wild is a very grim yet hopeful game. The NPCs you come across are hopeful that the Hero will come and save Hyrule. This game is filled with so much to do and so much mystery that it become hard to put it down.

1 - Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey is the definition of joy! The kingdoms are full of color and life. Mario is a joy on control. There isn’t a time in this game when controlling Mario when I’m not jumping. Mario Odyssey is an extremely polished game in every way. The way the game doesn’t bump you out to a traditional over world every time you get a moon is smart. When I load this game up I feel some sort of accomplishment, whether its finding a moon, unlocking a costume, pulling off a platforming challenge, it’s just constantly rewarding it’s players.