The biggest problem with many of these game awards every year is that we haven’t played most of the games. So this thread is awards for the games that were actually played.
What was your three best games of the year that you actually played? No matter the year the games were released.
What was your biggest disappointment?
Anything else you’d like to add about your 2017 gaming year?
Mine:
What was your three best games of the year that you actually played?
Dark Souls 3
Wow. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played and make other games look lackluster in comparison. It makes me sad that so many of FromSofware’s games are PS exclusives. Dark Souls 3 is head and shoulders above everything else I played this year.
Life is Strange
It’s the kind of game I thought I would enjoy and I did. It’s like Telltale games in a way with a rewarding story, lots of choices and it had me gripped from start to finish. The characters were memorable and I really wish there are more games like this out there.
Sunset Overdrive
I was never all that keen on playing it. It looked all colourful and crazy and not like my kind of game at all. Some people recommended it as my next game so I gave it a whirl. And now I desperately want a second one! It’s just pure fun and at times very funny too.
I can’t seem to write this in a way that Discourse doesn’t want to mess up. So I edited it so that it goes from 1 to 3. Silly Discourse
What was your biggest disappointment?
Mass Effect: Andromeda
How could they screw it up so badly? I don’t often pre-order games but I loved the Mass Effect trilogy and Andromeda looked so good. It was fun in the beginning and the further I got the more disappointed I was. I even got angry that they could make such a lifeless piece of shit with no soul. For instance I really liked Dragon Age: Inquisition which I lot of people didn’t. But Andromeda. Man. It’s just sad.
Anything else you’d like to add about your 2017 gaming year?
2017 is a record year for me. I have so far played and in most cases completed 63 games this year. My target was 60. And it included some really big titles! It’s also the year where I got my Oculus Rift. Finally, VR! It’s far from perfect but it changes gaming. I can just imagine what we’ll have 10 years from now. And then lastly, the death of MyGaming. It’s sad. I don’t go and post there that often. I will remember it fondly.
What was your three best games of the year that you actually played?
Zelda Breath of the Wild.
Simply stunning. It took me back to my childhood when i played Final Fantasy VII for the first time. Being grown up and shit the time for gaming has declined. And normally after an hour or two I feel like I’m done. I never had this problem with Zelda. I sat at work during the day and wished the time away so i could get to play more. Not only is it my best game of the year, it has also moved into my second favourite game of all time.
Horizon Zero Dawn.
I started playing Horizon a week before i got Zelda. Then after playing Zelda, Horizon just didnt feel the same to me, so I left it alone for quite some time. One day I decided it’s now the time to start it up again. The story sucked me in and I spent evenings discussing the possiblity of the future they were depicting with my wife. (She did not enjoy that part) The world was beautiful and fun to explore. I really enjoyed the combat and i loved stalking metal dinosaurs. Whether they were big, hulking behemoths or simply small ostrich like fuckers. I kept going out of my way to find more lore about the world (something I never do) and looking for more information.
Dark Souls 3.
I was late to the Dark souls party since Dark Souls 1 made me so angry and Dark Souls 2 was such a fuckup (Sorry @Solitude ) I didnt know if I would survive Dark souls 3. Boy am I glad I started playing it. It feels like i am just repeating myself with every game, but the world and the setting was amazing. (Fuck the Farron Swamp though) I also found it a little easier in the beginning than the other souls games so it made me keep playing it. By the end i fell in love with it and immediately started NG+ to go around again. The bosses, the weapons, the lore, everythign came together to make an awesome game.
Special shout out to Party Hard and Mario Odessey. Both excellent games that just narrowly missed a position in the top 3.
What was your biggest disappointment?
This one is harder. I kind of liked Andromeda. So I cant choose that. Yeah I cannot think of anything at the moment. 2017 has been a good gaming year for me.
Anything else you’d like to add about your 2017 gaming year?
Maybe the best year in gaming we had in a long time. The best thing for me was the Switch. I fucking love my Switch. Nintendo hit it out of the park with the device itself and they followed up strong with the games as well.
Actually, the best games I played this year all are 2017 releases:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What is there more to say about BotW that hasn’t already been said. It was the first game in more than a decade that actually excited me like all those games of old. It is the first game ever that I actually felt challenged Deus Ex as my favourite game of all time. It’s just that good
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is the perfect game. It almost feels like the game literally does not have any flaws. It is just pure unadulterated video game fun. But then, why is it only second if I give it such high praise. Well, while SMO is an incredible video game, BotW is an unbelievable experience.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Such beauty I did not know existed. The story and acting in-game is amazing, the gameplay complex and fun, the game is riveting and griping in every good way. Plus, on PS4 Pro, in 4K, the game is a visually stunning treat
The biggest disappointment was EA ruining Star Wars Battlefront 2. I really looked forward to the game, but I stayed far away with the whole controversy of it all. I just wasn’t looking forward to that whole debacle. I really want a good Star Wars game, and I actually liked Star Wars Battlefront (the one from a few years ago)
2017 will go down as one of, it not the absolute best year for gaming ever. This year the Switch came out, and I absolutely love that console. In fact, I’ve played more on my Switch than any other console I have. It is truly a game-changing console
The death of MyGaming is also extremely sad. I really hope that its legacy can live on with this site and this community.
This is also the first year that I got a PlayStation. It is my first PS I’ve ever owned. I’ve only ever loaned a PS from friends, I’ve never owned one myself. But after winning a competition I was given a PS4 Pro, and it is glorious. I now get to play and work my way through the PS exclusives I’ve missed.
This thread serves to remind me of how I’ve only enjoyed 1 game this year and that also Dark Souls 3. It killed gaming for me, nothing will come close to it.
1. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
There is a reason that this is my most played game this year and of all time. The main reason is that for me this isn’t so much a game I play but rather a sport. I haven’t been involved in a physical competitive sport for quite a few years and this scratches that itch. I love the tension, the drama, the strategising, the having-to-make-split-second-decisions, the moments when you exceed your own capabilties and pull off amazing shots and clutch the round.
Added to that, this year’s operation (extra maps and game modes) provided some enjoyable game modes.
Sure the are the downsides, suspected cheaters (not too often), smurfs (the bane of CSGO in my opinion) and the sting of a loss where you should have won. But these are all outweighed by the positives and so most evenings I am drawn to playing a few rounds of CSGO.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
In all respects, DE:HR is my kind of game. I love getting immersed in an interesting world, taking my time, striking up conversations, reading logs and articles. A world that I can explore while I stealthily sneak through. DE:HR was for me the best kind of game where it ceases being a game and becomes and experience. The “Missing Link” section was definitely one of the best sections in the game for me, eclipsing the main games finale. Overall it was a great experience.
3. Hexcells Series (Infinite in particular):
This year I admitted to myself that I love logical puzzle games. I’m one of those people who learned to play and enjoyed Minesweeper and Hexcells is the better game in every possible way. Clicking away at a puzzle trying to figure it out was very engaging and relaxing at the same time. Hexcells was my game of choice to while away the hours I should have been working! The puzzles got better with each iteration and Infinite provided some really tricky levels. To add to that there are the millions of generated puzzles to keep me busy forever, although they do not quite measure up to the handcraft levels, but it’s more Hexcells and that’s a good thing.
Biggest dissappointment:
That I still haven’t made time to play The Witcher 3. If the Witcher 2 is anything to go by I know that I will love playing this game, but also know that I really want to dedicated some serious time to fully immersing myself in the game. Fortunately my sabbatical is coming up next year so I hope to tackle this mammoth game (GOTY edition and all) then.
The only other disappointing thing was that none of my online buddies really got into PUBG so I haven’t played much Duo or Squad games, which seem to be the most fun way to play the game. Maybe I can still get them into it.
Additional comments on gaming in 2017:
I can say that the MyGame challenge has been a highlight for me this year. It has encouraged me to actually get around to playing some of the games in my backlog and I have really enjoyed quite a few of them. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of Mordor are some of the best games I played this year. Even though I didn’t join in the Discord chat that often, I still enjoyed seeing the bits of discussion on the current game. It also helped me decide on dropping some of the games when I heard how grindy they got.
Sorry I’m not going to write an essay about it, but:
Personal Games of the Year
Nier: Automata
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Prey 2016
Biggest disappointment
Wolfenstein 2 : It wasn’t bad, in fact I enjoyed it quite a lot, but I really think they could have done a LOT more with it. I feel like it drags in all the wrong places and doesn’t have enough everywhere else. I hope the next one will be awesome, if they make one.
On mobile, so not able to flesh out as much as I would like. But… drumroll…
Best 3 games I have played this year :
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Totally unexpected! I went into this game completely blind. I was feeling jaded by the series and therefore didn’t really have particularly high hopes. But what a game it has turned out to be! Fantastic atmosphere, Magnificent graphics, superb voice acting, excellent gameplay loop, interesting side quests, and so much more. This game has made me want to travel to Egypt for my next holiday!
Dark Souls 3
What more can be said of the absolute perfection of the combat engine ? When I play Soulsborne games, I don’t really give a toss about the lore. It’s all about that sweet combat!
Steamworld Dig 2
Unexpected gem that I am totally digging! #DidYouSeeWhatIDidThere? But seriously, this is one of the best Metroidvania games I have played in a long while. And I have a soft spot for this genre. Loved Shadow Complex, Ori, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, etc. SWD took a little while to get warned up, but once it did the feeling of exploration was intoxicating.
Honorable mentions :
Prey - incredible immersive world and fantastic story
Zelda - I am still busy playing this. It’s growing on me slowly.
Disappointments of the year :
Wolfenstein 2 - Just felt too contrived and forced. New Order was brilliant. Old blood less so. This game has sadly continued the downward trajectory. Preposterously plot, along with cringeworthy moments conspire to make this game pretty underwhelming.
Super Mario Odyssey - Not the worst game I’ve ever played, but I just got bored with about a third of the game left. I can see how this gameplay loop of hunting moons could appeal to some people…I just don’t think I’m one of them.
That game is the best FPS i have played in years, it is the prime example of what a game should be: FUN. For it has been a long time since i have had a game that had made me want to play it from as soon as I woke up untill I pass out from sleepyness. The hours would roll by when playing that game, it would already be dinner time and i would still be busy with my morning coffee. Definitily the best game i have played in years.
I don’t have any money Wlad. Just these bars of gold I don’t know what to do with and some magazine called Action Comics Issue 1. I am desperate I tell you.
PUBG - Yes, I know, technically it is not complete and there are some real serious bugs still, but I love this game. Even bought it on XBOX so my B-Team friends can join in. Its a mess on XBOX so my #1 is PC only.
Fortnite - played this game on XBOX before the Battle Royale mode launched and its really cool with friends. Battle Royale was a great stopgap while we waited for PUBG. I guess we will enjoy it much longer while we wait for PUBG to sort itself out.
Mass Effect 3 - finally got to play and complete ME3. It got a lot of flak when it launched but I actually had a great time with Femshep and the gang
Unturned: a free to play survival game, and the best survival game i have ever played, simplistic, fun, and since the day i had it since early access I have never once encountered a bug, or a game crash, also it is getting updated regularly adding new maps and content, almost every week, one map sofar has working pc’s with quest lines, and he just added another map, and npc’s with quest lines will be coming in january 2018 according to the patch notes, also SA servers, and yes I said “he” because one guy is developing the game, and only every now and then does he get people to help with map creation.
This game deserves a reward in my eyes, forget rust, arc, and all those buggy early access games, I will choose Unturned with its simple design and playstyle, over any of those.
