THE EMPIRE
2017 has been a bit of a big year. There’s been some huge triumphs of gaming, and, frankly some staggeringly large disappointments. I have been fortunate enough to be able to play a fair amount of these games, some to excess, some not nearly as much as I’d like to have. I was talking about what games I would recommend to someone looking to pick up a console this year, and so, I present to you my top 5 games released in 2017.
5) Destiny 2
Okay, so this one’s a bit controversial right now. If you’re already playing the game, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to have problems with microtransactions, disappointing DLC (no sugar coating it, it’s utterly dismal from Bungie), and general balance issues in the game world. I’ve still played this game on both Xbox and PC to excess. I love space-magic and shooting aliens, so the core of this game (a bloody amazing shooter) still resonates strongly with me. I think that Bungie could do a lot more to improve this game, and the community around it is passionate enough to help steer them towards where this game should be. This game is strongest on PC, but it’s available on PS4 and XB1, with 4K & HDR support in recent updates. If you’re a fan of alien shooting MMO-esque adventures, this is a good place to spend some time.
4) Forza Motorsport 7
In my mind, Forza has overtaken Gran Turismo as the definitive console racing experience. Yes, it’s not quite as sim-focused as GT, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun to pick up and thrash out a few laps of your favourite circuit. This was also the first Forza Motorsport title to be released on Windows 10 PC this year (Yes, Horizons 3 was PC too, but it’s an open world car adventure), and this is where I’ve been spending most of my time with this game. Despite having an array of titles to be able to play in the racing genre, I still turn to this one when the mood to race takes me.
3) Nioh
I wasn’t expecting Nioh when a review code showed up in my Inbox earlier this year. Team Ninja’s excellent take on the Souls variety of game was both a surprise and a challenge to take on. It’s a beautifully crafted game with a serious difficulty curve, unforgiving yet satisfying gameplay, and some genuinely scary and atmospheric moments mixed in there. It’s also had a series of DLC released for it which has since made its way into a ‘definitive edition’ and is now available on the PC to boot, so if you’re looking for a great game and you enjoy a challenge, Nioh should be high on your list.
2) Horizon – Zero Dawn
For me, Horizon – Zero Dawn has proven to be one of this year’s great games. Whilst you can see its DNA in a few other games, such as Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, and Monster Hunter, this game takes the highlights of those offerings, and wraps them in a compelling and interesting single player experience devoid of bullshit, or the cynical micro-transaction fuelled greed that some other games have exhibited this year. They’ve just released an expansion for it, called the Frozen Wilds, that reminds me of the DLC for the Witcher III – substantial, actually worthy of being called an expansion and devoid of any additional monetization. It’s a beautiful, beautifully realised game that will reward your investment and time with a great gaming experience. If you own a PlayStation 4, you really should be playing this game!
1) PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
How do you destroy every concurrent player record ever recorded up to this point in time? Simple, you just have to be this game. It was so popular, that its TEST server was number 5 on Steam’s top 10 most played games list a few months back (this game was, and still is at number 1). It’s not officially been released in a 1.0 format (although I’ve heard rumour that it’s due, any day now), so I was a bit iffy about putting it in as a top 5 entry, but they’ve started selling it on Xbox One now (which means that people don’t care if it’s unfinished), so it gets a spot. My best evening gaming this year has been on this game. Every time you jump from the plane, what follows is up to 46 minutes of pure intensity, and more than a few laughs if you’re fortunate enough to play with mates.
So there you have it, the top 5 games I’ve played this year. You’ll notice that there’s no Nintendo games in there, at all. Well, we don’t have the switch at this time, so we don’t get coverage of the system and its games.
I’m sure that 2018 will continue to provide us with plenty of thrills and spills in the world of PC and console games. Stick with us on the Empire and we’ll keep smashing it out for you!
– Dave
Dave
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