There have been many great years for video games. Luckily for us, 2017 just happened to be one of the best years in gaming ever and certainly the strongest in almost a decade. I played a lot of titles from the past year and have touched on at least everything I wanted to play. There are some exclusions, of course. I haven't played a few expansion packs or smaller titles. The elephant in the room is Persona 5, a title I had full intentions on playing, but couldn't find the time.
Normally I do a top 10 games of the year and in recent years I've struggled to even fill that list out. I oftentimes found myself settling on titles that didn't quite meet my expectations or I would cheat and include expansions or fan games. Last year proved to be different as I found myself enjoying 15 different games enough to warrant including all of them. Sure, I could have cut the bottom five out, but dang it, these games are just too good!
Here are my top 15 games of the year starting with numbers 15-11. There was one title I wanted to talked about first. One that didn't quite have what it took to make my list, but still managed to be a good time.
Honorable Mention: Yooka-Laylee
Platform: PS4 (Played), Xbox One, PC/Mac and Nintendo Switch
Developer: Playtonic Games
Publisher: Team-17
Release Date: 4/11/17 (12/14/17 for Nintendo Switch)
Yooka-Laylee is a good game. It's a well crafted 3D platformer that made me chuckle at its writing, stare in awe it's beautiful worlds and enjoy a good 80% of what the game offered. The problem lies in the execution and what feels like a game that was too big for a small independent team to tackle.
Yooka-Laylee was obviously rushed to make it's release. The camera is awful. The enemy designs are boring at first and plain lazy towards the end. The worlds are beautiful, but sometimes feel hollow and empty. A lot of the personality that made those old Rareware titles classics is missing. It felt at times incomplete and at others like a massive misdirection that leaned to heavily into nostalgia to sell itself.
I had a blast playing it. I loved exploring every world. I loved the bosses and the characters. I especially loved the soundtrack by legendary composer Grant Kirkhope. Yooka-Laylee even has the great idea of expanding the five worlds you explore. Is it done all that well? Not really, but it’s such a good idea! It's a good game, great even. I just can't bring myself to include it in my top games because it felt incomplete. The game was updated a few months after launch to fix technical issues, but I don't think it will solve the biggest problem the game has, it's horrible first impression on the gaming public.
Give the game a chance. Pick it up for around $20 and just enjoy the title. It's worth it.
#15: Metroid: Samus Returns
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: MercurySteam
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 9/15/17
The shocking disbelief that Metroid Prime 4 was in development had left me in a state of euphoria. The Metroid series was finally back after a 6 year hiatus. Shortly after that announcement it was revealed that Nintendo would also be releasing a remake of Metroid II on the Nintendo 3DS subtitled Samus Returns. The best part? It was releasing in 3 months.
Metroid: Samus Returns is a remake in the sense that Metroid II is the foundation, the blueprint, but everything is being changed to make the game better. And thank god. As cool a concept as Metroid II presented, the game was nearly unplayable by today's standards. Metroid: Samus Returns follows most of the same beats as its source material. Samus goes to planet SR-388. She has to destroy around 40 Metroids total and the entire planet is trying to kill her. Areas are sealed off just like in the original and defeating all the Metroids in an area will unlock the next one.
Samus Returns includes many new quality of life features. Aeion abilities are used to give you new bonuses both for combat, puzzle solving and exploration. A new melee attack can be used to counter enemies right before they attack you. Samus can now freely aim in any direction. All of this on top of completely rebuilt areas to explore and new bosses that will challenge you.
There are some issues, however. The combat has been slowed down considerably to compensate for the new melee counter. Enemies also have more health to encourage the use of the new mechanic. Samus Returns plays like a different beast than it's 2D predecessors. I even jokingly called it “God of Metroid” at times due to how slow combat with enemies could be. There are also some issues with the creative liberties the team at MercurySteam took when recreate the ending. I don't detail anything for spoilers, but it does leave a slight sour taste in my mouth.
The elephant in the room is perhaps that Samus Returns is too little, too late. Last year AM2R (or another Metroid 2 remake) came out and, in my opinion, is a much better remake of the original Metroid II. Samus Returns can still stand on its own, but the fact that Nintendo has been outdone by a fan game showcases one thing. AM2R is just that good.
Normally, Metroid would rank much higher on my list given my love for the series. But Samus Returns doesn't quite hit the same high notes as previous 2D titles. While certainly the best official Metroid game in a decade, I can't help, but wonder if this new, more action oriented Metroid is the future of the series. Hopefully the teased follow up for Samus Returns will show itself soon. I've been waiting for Metroid VI for awhile and can't wait to get my hands on it.
#14: Fire Emblem: Echoes - Shadow of Valentia
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 5/19/17
If 2017 was a good year to be a Metroid fan, then it was even better to be a fan of Fire Emblem. With three releases across three platforms and new title slated for this year, it's time to consider Fire Emblem an A tier Nintendo franchise. The most surprising title wasn't the warriors spin off for Nintendo Switch or the free-to-play mobile release, rather it was the full remake of the second title in the series, Fire Emblem Gaiden. To make things better, the game had never been released outside of Japan until this year.
Echoes is a much more down to earth fire emblem title when compared to its 3DS siblings, Awakening and Fates. Gone are inter-dimensional children and weapon triangles. This time around you're focused on two things: a story about rising to the occasion and smart strategies.
I liked the story of echoes quite a bit. I didn't bond with the characters quite as much as I had in past titles, but I did find the villains much more appealing this time around. I also liked the story that instead of featuring world ending cataclysms simply tells a story of warring empires. It's nothing new, not even for fire emblem, but the more realistic tone help shape a much more driven plot.
The gameplay is still just as good as ever. The new 3D dungeons are a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed going through them at first, but by the end they became such a chore that they slowed the game down considerably. The title’s large maps didn't help this as I was often skipping battle animations early on to speed things up.
I don't think Echoes is as good as the other 3DS Fire Emblem titles. It's still an excellent game, however. If you enjoyed the previous titles, give this one a go. I wouldn't recommend it as your first fire emblem, but it's a treat for casual fans or series veterans.
#13: South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Platforms: PS4 (Played), Xbox One, PC
Developer: Ubisoft San Francisco
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: 10/17/17
I was a huge fan of 2013’s South Park game, The Stick of Truth. I was excited when a follow up was announced at E3 a few years ago especially since the series creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, were still involved. The title was subsequently delayed a few times and the lack of the original’s developer, Obsidian, left me worried. Delayed games may eventually be good, but in recent times it's led to lower quality games. Luckily, The Fractured, But Whole is an excellent video game.
Taking place immediately after the last game, the fractured, but whole sends you on a superhero journey through south park to find a missing cat with a $100 reward attached to it. The South Park sense of humor is still here, but it tends to lean much more heavily on the newer seasons of South Park rather than the series as a whole. I found this disappointing as I enjoyed how the first game felt like a love letter to the series, especially as a long time fan. The writing is still top notch through out the entire game. Even the side quests are well written and funny. I love the nodes and winks that long-time fans will get and towards the end of the game there's a massive boss fight that just left me smiling from ear to ear.
The game is no longer a turn based rpg, but instead a turn based strategy game. It works pretty well for the most part although it does come off as a bit odd given the superhero theming. Speaking of the superheroes, I love this take on South Park. I would love to see south park tackle more genres in the future, but only if they can do so with devolving the titles into shovelware. Perhaps a third title (which would wrap things up into a nice trilogy) will take on of the series more risky scenarios.
#12: Sonic Mania
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch (Played)
Developer: Pagoda West Games and Headcannon Games
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: 8/15/17
I played more sonic games last year than ever before. I played good ones (Generations) and I played bad ones (Lost World). Of all of them, Sonic Mania might be my favorite sonic game ever. It's been said before, but this is what a 2D sonic would have been like on the Sega Saturn. It's a whirlwind of fantastic levels, beautiful pixel art and one of the best soundtracks of the year. It almost makes up for the garbage that Sonic Team pumped out in November... almost.
If I had to make some complaints it's that the game still uses lives which just adds an artificial level of difficulty to the game. I'm also not a fan of the final level which goes on for far too long. I would have loved to have seen more original levels in the game if only because the few that made it into the game are some of the best 2D Sonic levels I've played. Press Garden Zone is by far my favorite of these new areas. I'm a sucker for snow levels and this is one that is not only beautiful, but also fun to play through.
Sonic Mania is fantastic. It’s the perfect example of how fans can create new games that are just as good as the originals. I really hope Sega allows the team up of Pagoda West and Headcannon to make a follow up or perhaps just take over development of the 2D sonic games while sonic team tries to figure out how to make a 3D sonic game that doesn't suck.
#11: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: 8/29/17
I never believed the rumors that Mario was going to team up with the Rabbids from the Rayman series. Even after the game leaked I scoffed at the idea.
“This is what Ubisoft is wasting their time on? They're giving Mario a gun and having him team up with the stupid Rabbids yet it's too much to ask for a new Rayman game or Splinter Cell.”
Thank god I was wrong.
Mario + Rabbids is a strategy game in the same vein as the X-Com series. Don't know what that is? Basically you move a character around a massive tile based board and hope to beat the enemies before they beat you. It's a first for the Mario series and Ubisoft does a great job making it feel like a Mario strategy game. Combat might utilize guns and bombs, but movement still includes tons of jumps, kicks and dashes. The game also features light RPG elements that can be rearranged to fit your battling needs. This comes in handy when facing off against many of the game's interesting and bizarre boss encounters.
There are a total of five game worlds with each one following a unique theme. Some are your standard fair. Ice World, Dessert World, Lava World, etc. Luckily the Rabbids do add some personality to these areas and are shockingly funny on occasion. There's just something endearing about looking around in the game and finding a group of rabbids stuck in a hilarious conundrum. The worlds are a little more linear than I would like which means exploring these worlds is more about following the line than finding a unique path.
While the game looks like a Mario title it feels a little too glossy for my taste. It comes off a glossy, almost toy-like, look for the series. It's not a deal breaker, but you can definitely tell that the main teams at Nintendo weren't behind the game. The soundtrack, composed by Grant Kirkhope, definitely feels like a Kirkhope soundtrack, yet lacks that Mario charm. It's these small aesthetic issues that are the only real issues I have with the title.
I had a lot of fun playing the game. With new DLC coming soon, I hope we can continue to see more titles like this from Nintendo and their partners.
That wraps up Part 1. Parts 2 and 3 are on their way! Part 2 will also feature a short look at some other titles that didn't make my top list. What were your favorite games from last year?
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