2017 has been a phenomenal year for gaming. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard and Horizon Zero Dawn started the year off with a bang. Nintendo’s spectacular, awe-inspiring resurrection, with an all-new system, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey, left fans more than pleased. Indie titles, like What Remains of Edith Finch and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, tackled important issues and left lasting impacts on players. We could go on and on about all the awesome titles that released this year, but here are some of the favorites from writers here at The Nerd Stash!
Jordan Baranowski
Game of the Year:Â Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
My pick for 2017’s game of the year has to be Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. PUBG took the world by storm this year; even as a buggy mess some of the time, it became the weekly top seller on Steam. It has even dethroned Dota 2 and Counter-Strike as the top played game on Steam – as I write this, there are currently 1.7 million people playing. That is easily more than double the number of people playing Dota. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds found a huge audience on Twitch, and it provides some of the most intense, hilarious, and exhilarating gaming experiences around. As it continues to improve, hone its eSports viability, and add new content, it seems that it will remain as one of the heavier hitters in the competitive multiplayer scene. Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Runner-up:Â XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
It may be an expansion, but War of the Chosen feels like what XCOM 2 was supposed to be all along. Adding a sneering, cocky, insulting trio of supremely powerful alien adversaries makes the battles feel much more personal. It’s heartbreaking when you lose, and so satisfying when you win. The multitude of other new features make War of the Chosen a must own for any strategy gamer.
Caleb Daniel
Game of the Year:Â Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The original appeal of the Legend of Zelda series was the thrill of exploration. Breath of the Wild brings this element back to Zelda in a bigger and better way than ever before. Even after you grow accustomed to the ecstatic beauty of Hyrule’s sprawling environments, there is always some new adventure drawing your attention from the corner of your eye. Not only is there a huge world to explore and conquer, but players are left almost completely to follow their own desires. The end goal, defeating Ganon, is revealed from the beginning, and anything you choose to do helps make you stronger, both as a player and as an adventurer.
While the numerous side missions and mini-dungeons can be hit-and-miss, Breath of the Wild’s overworld is easily the best I have ever encountered. Even after 200+ hours of play, the breadth of situations and depth of environments keep the experience far from monotonous. Every scenario can be approached and conquered in numerous ways (or not at all), making the player feel more like a veteran explorer with a wealth of skills and assets rather than a tourist hopping from one map marker to the next.
For long-time Zelda fans, the addition of real voice acting lends a new level of storytelling and development to the series. Almost all of the story is optional, however, so players can choose to either dive into Link’s world or basically play as themselves.
Nintendo’s beloved cyclical battle between good and evil is in its most epic form yet in Breath of the Wild.
Runner-Up: Middle-Earth: Shadow of WarÂ
Shadow of War perfects Shadow of Mordor’s engaging combat system while vastly expanding and improving the army-building ideas introduced in the first game. Endless interactions and opportunities abound in the hierarchy of Sauron’s army, and a new siege system gives players a perfect opportunity to put their armies to the test. A largely incorrect story and brutal endgame cannot lessen the endless storm of fun that is Shadow of War.
DJ Kinsey
Game of the Year:Â The Long Dark
In 2017, The Long Dark took the leap from Alpha on Steam Early Access and Microsoft’s Game Preview Program to a full-fledged release. The first-person survival game came with a permadeath sandbox mode, where your only goal is to make it to the next day, and the first two episodes of a story mode titled Wintermute.
The fiction of the game revolves around being stranded in the Canadian wilderness, in the winter, after a geomagnetic incident renders all electronic technology useless. The bitter cold is your biggest enemy as you are in a constant search for warmth, water, food and shelter in that order. What makes The Long Dark so compelling is its comfort in the quiet moments between the action of fending off wolf attacks and raiding abandoned cabins for supplies. Some of my most enjoyable moments with the game are catching a beautiful sunset overtop a mountain pass or that distinctive crunch of snow beneath your feet on a clear yet frigid morning. Sometimes less is more and The Long Dark not only realizes this, it relishes in it.
Wintermute, the episodic story mode, is also nothing short of a revolution in gaming, in my opinion. Hinterland Games has crafted a deep story with interesting characters and has woven it into an open world. Wintermute shows that episodic gameplay deserves its rightful spot in a deep, open and engrossing world.
Runner-Up:Â Middle-Earth: Shadow of WarÂ
What put Shadow of War on my list is the sheer epic scale of how it portrays the Tolkien universe. You fight mammoth beasts that are ten times taller than you, you lead large armies of orcs into battle and you tackle an onslaught of enemy waves that can feel overwhelming at times. In short, the game conveys that while you may be just a small cog in the forces of good, you can have a monumental impact in the world.
Shelby Royal
Game of the Year:Â Horizon Zero Dawn
Guerrilla Games truly knocked it out of the park with Horizon Zero Dawn. It is a beautifully epic tale full of diverse, interesting characters, landscapes begging to be explored, excellently designed robotic dinosaurs, and so much more. From the moment I popped Horizon Zero Dawn into my PlayStation 4, I was immediately engrossed in Aloy and her world. Our brave, fiery heroine has quickly become one of my all-time favorite gaming characters due to her strength and her heart for others. Because Aloy cares so deeply for those around her, it forces the player to care as well. This is one of Horizon’s greatest strengths.
While playing, it took forever for me to actually finish the main storyline of the game due to its challenging and captivating side missions and tests of strength. There is so much to see and do in the post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Zero Dawn; despite the countless hours I’ve poured into it, I still haven’t discovered it all. Pair all of this with fun combat that just feels so right, Horizon Zero Dawn just can’t be topped. I, personally, can’t wait to see what is next for Aloy.
Runner-Up:Â Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Being the horror-buff here at The Nerd Stash, there’s no way I could let this article go without one horror title. Resident Evil 7 is a grotesque and challenging title that any horror lover will absolutely love. It is a shame that it was so overlooked at the awards this year because this title really started 2017 off with a bang.
Joel Schanke
Game of the Year:Â Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is more than just the best Zelda game since Ocarina of Time; it’s a great game, plain and simple. The graphics are smooth, crisp, and displays the world of Hyrule like you’ve never seen it before. Not to mention that the title looks—and feels—just as good on the handheld mode of the Nintendo Switch compared to playing on the big screen. One of the highlights of Breath of the Wild is being able to play on the go, wherever and whenever players want, bringing me to my next point: there’s so much to do.
In a world that’s overrun by Bokoblins, Guardians, and Lynels, Hyrule is created perfectly by Nintendo in Breath of the Wild. It’s an expansive terrain, yet doesn’t feel too difficult to navigate since players can fast travel. There are a number of enemies, ranging from easy to hard, that they can challenge, making the journey to defeat Calamity Ganon exciting at every turn. Boredom is impossible when traversing the extensive landscape of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, which is fueled by a strong story and an array of engaging puzzles. Nintendo balances old ideas with new ones in an elegant fashion, maintaining their dominance in the RPG, action-adventure genres.
Ellen Ward
Game of the Year:Â Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
I could not be part of the Game of the Year article without mentioning one game that has taken over the gaming market: Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. PUBG is in the top sellers on steam and there are even rumors of this game to be played in eSport tournaments. What is even more surprising, is the fact that it is still in Early Access. The game is tactical, fun to play alone or with a group of friends, and every single game has a different outcome. It may not be the smoothest game for those that do not have the best desktop computer, but it is definitely one of the most engaging of games. The fan-base is huge and over 5 million people have downloaded this game this year. It will be interesting to see where this game will be at this time next year, and I 100% recommend this game to anyone.
There you have it! Do you agree with some of our top picks? Or are there games you would recommend? Let us know in the comments below!