THE EMPIRE
2016 has finally come to an end, so now it is time to look forward to what games 2017 has in store for us.
Here are my top 5 games to keep an eye out for this year.
Horizon Zero Dawn:
Horizon Zero Dawn is a new IP coming from developers Guerrilla Games and exclusive for the PlayStation 4, while also been updated for the PlayStation 4 Pro. HZD is set in a post-apocalyptic world where nature has taken back it’s world and covered the ruins of a bygone civilization, with machines taking over it is now mechanical beasts that populate the wilderness, with humans being pushed back to a more primitive lifestyle with hunter-gatherers. Play as a young hunter named Aloy and go along her quest to find her destiny. With this game being supported on the PS4 Pro, I hope to see some stunning visuals. This is a cool idea to mix advanced tech and a primitive era, though it seems a bit like Far Cry: Primal. Fingers crossed it’s not because Far Cry: Primal was….not that great.
Expected release date: February 28th, 2017
Yooka-Laylee:
From Playtonic Games who were some key creative talent behind the Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country games, comes an all-new open-world platformer called, Yooka-Laylee.
A spiritual successor to the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, and the character conception, (Yooka is a Chameleon and Laylee is a Bat), was done by the same artist who was behind the rebooted Donkey Kong family and the great Banjo and Kazooie. You will use their arsenal of special moves to tackle a huge variety of puzzles and platforming challenges. This game has the look and feel of being back in my childhood playing Banjo-Kazooie on the Nintendo 64, it’s pretty nostalgic but without the “Remastered” label. I’m really hoping this game can stand up and bring life back to the genre of platforming, as there isn’t much that is drawing people in. You still get your notable 3D Mario games on the Wii U and your indie games here and there. Yooka-Laylee looks like a tonne of fun as a new IP but with a hint of nostalgia.
Expected release date: April 11th, 2017
Mass Effect Andromeda:
As we edge into the new year, the great series of Mass Effect feels like it was released so long ago, but don’t fret if you’ve missed the news. BioWare returns with a 4th installment, Mass Effect Andromeda. The game is set to take place in the Andromeda galaxy (the galaxy closest to our very own Milky Way), but 600 years after the events of the first 3 Mass Effect games though your journey to the Andromeda galaxy began around the events of Mass Effect 2. Explore the uncharted galaxy aboard the starship Tempest. Find new planets and explore their surface…ugh now it’s starting to sound like No Man’s Sky. Do not fear though, this will be nothing like that horrendous game, this is a game from a great developer adding on to an already fantastic franchise, so it is definitely one to be keeping an eye on.
Expected release date: March 21st, 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
The beginning of this game has our green clothed, elf like legendary character Zelda pulling out a bow to deal some ass whooping…I’m just kidding it’s Link. It starts off with Link waking up after a deep sleep to find that Hyrule is not what it once was, it has been ruined and reclaimed by nature. An old man tells Link what has happened over the past century and so you travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning open-air adventure. LoZ: Breath of the Wild is an absolutely visually stunning game and not just because it’s the first LoZ game to be developed in HD, but the way the environment moves such as the grass and tress in the wind, the physics of the game looks great and the animations of the animals and creatures within Hyrule, it’s all so breathtakingly gorgeous. So if you want your hands on this game you’re gonna need to get yourself a Wii U or a Nintendo Switch. I would just for this game.
Expected release date: March 3rd, 2017
Red Dead Redemption 2:
Now here’s a game to get your rocks off to. Our favourite open world western returns with a highly called for and highly anticipated sequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption!
Very little of the game has been talked about other than it’s trailer but with an expected release near the end of 2017 it’s still more than enough to put up here. The hype and excitement Rockstar Games caused with their little teasers was insane with just two photos and then the release of the trailer, the announcement of Red Dead Redemption 2 almost broke the internet. It is going to be a lot of fun returning west and being a cowboy. We will surely be posting updates when more info on RDR2 is released.
Expected release date: Late 2017 (October/November)
Now here’s an honourable mention only because it’s not a new IP, prequel, sequel or another game within a franchise.
Yes you’ve probably already yelled at the screen “Where’s Crash?! Why is he not on this list!” That’s because Crash is a remastered/remade version, whichever you want to call it I still don’t like that label, even though it’s probably caused more excitement than Red Dead Redemption 2 did. That is why it made an honourable mention.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy:
The crazy Bandicoot that is Crash has returned with an updated look and in HD. Along with Yooka-Laylee, this remaster could help revive the platforming genre, because everyone wants a piece of Crash. You can just see the nostalgia ooze out of your screen and eyes when this trailer is playing. Even with all the nostalgia from games returning with sequels or spiritual successors, it doesn’t even add up to the nostalgic feels that Crash Bandicoot has provided everyone from 18 years of age to people in their 50s. With the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 being such a rare occurrence these days, it’s hard to return and run through some good ol’ Crash Bandicoot. I don’t need to tell you to look out for this game, you’ve already noted it down.
Expected release date: June 30th, 2017
2017, the year of nostalgia
– Hayden
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