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The 50 hottest video games you shouldn't miss in 2017
Whether we like it or not, 2017 is already roaring ahead at full steam.
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And with the ever-present passage of time comes a bounty of brand-new video games. Are you prepared for a brand-new "Mass Effect" game? How about a brand-new Mario game on the brand-new Nintendo Switch console?
That's just for starters — this is 2017 in video games!
The original "Gravity Rush" is a gorgeous, ambitious cult-classic. It was released as an exclusive on Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld — a portable game console that sold less-than-impressively. Though the original game eventually ended up on other PlayStation platforms, fans (including us) are anxiously anticipating "Gravity Rush 2" — a full-fledged sequel to the original, made for the (far more powerful) PlayStation 4.
In "Gravity Rush 2," you are Kat: a woman with the ability to manipulate gravity. Take aim at a surface, press a button on the PS4 gamepad, and that surface becomes your new floor. It's the kind of experience that's fun enough on its own, without all the gorgeous artistry and mysterious storytelling.
Release Date: January 20, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
The latest main series entry in the long-running "Resident Evil" franchise is a bit of a reboot. Unlike the last several games in the series, "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" doesn't focus on third-person action/combat. Instead, it's a survival horror game — that means low ammunition and health, with a focus on survival over mastery. It's also the first major entry in the series to move from third-person to first-person, in addition to being playable in entirety using the PlayStation VR headset with PlayStation 4.
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"For Honor" is a brand-new game from a major studio — Ubisoft Montreal, the "Assassin's Creed" folks — that takes thousands of years of human history and blends it into a fantastical slurry. Imagine battling as a viking warrior against a Japanese samurai! Or as a medieval knight against... one of those two! That's the gist of "For Honor," which arrives just in time to pit you and your Valentine against each other.
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The "Halo" series is loved by millions. The lore of the "Halo" series is loved by a fraction of that overall fanbase, and it's games like "Halo Wars" that help keep that dedicated fanbase loyal. If you love the tales of Master Chief and The Covenant in the first-person shooter series, chances are you'll enjoy the tactical gameplay of the "Halo Wars" series. While the gameplay is a complete divergence from standard "Halo," it's a heavy-hitter in its own genre (real-time strategy games). "Halo Wars 2" looks to carry that torch forward.
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
From the creators of the "Killzone" series comes "Horizon Zero Dawn," an action/role-playing game played from the third-person perspective. You're on a distant-future Earth, where hulking metal dinosaurs seemingly rule the land and humanity has reverted — or evolved? — to some form of neo-tribalism with pseudo-technological underpinnings. If nothing else, it's gorgeous and packed with giant metal dinosaurs. Why do so few games have dinosaurs?!
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
If you're one of the millions of people who left your childhood home, then returned at some point to find it feeling alien, "Night in the Woods" is a game you can relate to. It stars a character named Mae who, after leaving for college and subsequently dropping out, returns to her hometown. Rather than the place she left, she finds it different than she remembers. Also, she's a cat and everyone in the town is some type of speaking animal. This isn't a game about interactivity as systems to master, but a game about exploration and storytelling — it's also critically lauded ahead of its release. Keep an eye out for "Night in the Woods."
Release Date: February 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Mac
"The Legend of Zelda" series is on an amazing run, with nearly 20 titles under its belt and another headed to Nintendo's new Switch console in 2017. This one is the prettiest yet, to say nothing of the sprawling open-world environment.
In case you're unfamiliar, the game follows a fellow named Link as he saves... something or other. It's often a place named Hyrule, but he's been many other places as well, and he's even been saved himself a few times by the would-be diminutive princess, the eponymous Zelda. The game is being heralded as one of the best in years, and it's catapulted the Switch into a strong sales position at launch.
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch
The latest entry in the Tom Clancy-verse takes place in a sprawling, gorgeous open world that can be navigated with cars, boats, helicopters, planes and more. But why? To take down nefarious drug cartels, of course. Put a stop to the cocaine nightmare on your own or with three friends in a four-player co-op mode that looks downright chaotic.
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
One of the best — if not the best — game series on the previous generation of consoles was the "Mass Effect" trilogy. It's an incredible first- and third-person story-based action franchise that enables players to build a character, a crew, and relationships across dozens — and, for some people, hundreds — of hours and three games. The next game in the series, "Mass Effect Andromeda," is set long after the events of the original trilogy, and features entirely new characters.
Release Date: March 21, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"PaRappa the Rapper," for millions of people, was an early mainstream introduction to hip-hop. The game is simple: mash the right buttons on the controller along to the music. Do it well enough and the game rewards you with a steady, fresh flow. And in 2017, the game is getting re-mastered for the PlayStation 4! There's even a free demo right now if you wanna check it out early.
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
To call the "Persona" series a "cult classic" would be to undersell the seriousness of its fandom. The folks that love "Persona" love it with a depth and loyalty most human beings will never understand. On paper, the hooks sound simple: It's a third-person Japanese role-playing game, with a heavy focus on the bizarre. It's stylish, and memorable, and nigh-inscrutable to non-fans. The long-awaited fifth entry is due out worldwide this year, having already launched in Japan many moons ago.
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Remember the glory days of "Super Mario 64," "Crash Bandicoot," and "Banjo Kazooie"? The folks behind "Yooka-Laylee" sure hope you do — the same folks who created the bear with a bird in a backpack ("Banjo Kazooie") are at it again with "Yooka-Laylee," a 3D action-platforming game. Considering how hard of a time even Nintendo's had making that genre work in recent years, our expectations aren't sky-high for "Yooka-Laylee" — but some clever level design and an evolution of the genre could very well be in the cards. If nothing else, we know the music will be on point: Grant Kirkhope is at the helm.
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac
"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is the second major Nintendo game coming to Nintendo's new console. It's a re-release of the Wii U game, albeit with even prettier graphics and some new content in the form of a revamped "Battle Mode."
More importantly: It's the first major first-party game for the Nintendo Switch following the launch of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" on March 3. The game is a must-buy for most Nintendo Switch owners, not only because of the series' pedigree but also because of the lack of other games.
Release Date: April 28, 2017
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
"Rime" is a game seemingly out of another era of game development, when experimental third-person action games were a normal occurrence. It's a colorful, vibrant puzzle game starring a young boy. After waking up on a mysterious island, your goal is to figure out what the heck is going on. Where are you? How do you move forward past this puzzle? These are questions likely to be answered by the game when it arrives in May.
Release Date: May 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Right at the end of the last generation, in 2014, a new franchise surprised gamers everywhere by taking a long-existing property — the Lord of the Rings — and turning it into something brilliantly modern and fresh. That game was "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor," a stylish and gritty third-person action game in the vein of "Assassin's Creed."
And in 2017, "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" is a getting a big new sequel: "Middle-earth: Shadow of War" is scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on August 22.
Release Date: August 22, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The original "Prey" didn't blow up as a major blockbuster, but it earned a respectable number of early fans when it came out soon after the Xbox 360's launch. The sequel, also named "Prey," is more spiritual successor than direct sequel — it's a first-person shooter with a focus on movement and special powers.
Release Date: First half 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Like "Street Fighter" and "Mortal Kombat," the "Tekken" fighting game series has survived against many odds. While fighting games peaked in the 1990s with the rise (and fall) of arcades, a scant handful of blockbusters managed to make the transition from arcade to home consoles successfully. "Tekken," now in its seventh main series installment, is still putting up huge crowds at Japanese arcades — the home console version arrives this year, and your friends are still going to call your infinite juggle cheap.
Release Date: First half 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
If games like "Blades of Steel" and "Mario Lemieux Hockey" get your blood pumping, "Old Time Hockey" is the game for you. It's an arcade-y take on the sport that likens back to the NES/SNES days of sports games — the focus is on fun over simulation. And hey, you can get into fights! Definitely think "Slapshot" over "Mystery, Alaska" here.
Release Date: First half 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The "Red Dead" series is beloved by gaming fans, for its vivid storytelling as much as its massive open-world. Like "Grand Theft Auto," you're in control of a protagonist from the third-person perspective, and you navigate a massive open-world with missions, side missions, and all sorts of ridiculous characters. "Red Dead Redemption 2" is the long-awaited sequel to 2010's massively popular "Red Dead Redemption," which was on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Release Date: Fall 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The fastest blue hedgehog in the world, Sonic, is making yet another triumphant return. He's got a new game, currently dubbed "Project Sonic," and it's coming to a gaggle of game consoles. The game's being created by Sonic Team, the folks behind the best Sonic games in years — it looks to be the latest in the series' many, many re-boots attempting to create a great 3D Sonic game. Here's hoping it's a success!
Release Date: "Holiday" 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
"Super Mario Odyssey" was featured during the initial Nintendo Switch launch trailer — it's a brand-new 3D Super Mario game (as in "not 'Super Mario 3D World' on the Wii U"). Rumors pointed to it as a potential launch game for Nintendo's new game console, the Switch, which arrives on March 3. Nintendo refuted that rumor in its big Nintendo Switch debut on January 13; the game is actually arriving in "holiday 2017."
Release Date: "Holiday" 2017
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
"South Park" got an excellent video game adaptation a few years ago in "South Park: The Stick of Truth." In 2017, the sequel to that game arrives in "South Park: The Fractured But Whole." The schtick this time around is to marry the world of "South Park" with the tropes of Marvel's cinematic universe, offering a parody of superhero epics like "Civil War" (but with a lot more fart jokes, no doubt). This game was actually bumped out of 2016 to an undated "2017" window.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The newest entry in the "God of War" franchise stars the same bald-headed marauder from previous games, but Kratos looks a bit different than the last time we saw him. Aside from that epic new beard, he's apparently moved on from the Grecian setting of previous games to a more domestic existence in a Norse setting. At the very least, he looks like he'll be playing the role of a mentor — Kratos is a dad now (and there'll apparently be some interaction as the player using both Kratos and his son). This is not the same vengeance-driven hyperviolent demigod we're used to seeing — and, frankly, good — but a (slightly) more reserved family man.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
"Detroit" is a game about artificial intelligence and humanity's future. The game is set in a near-future version of real-world city Detroit, Michigan, where the city is a manufacturing hub for artificially intelligent robots that look exactly like human beings. It stars a robot named Kara — the first robot to "wake up" from servitude and demand freedom.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
The folks behind the beloved blockbuster action series "Uncharted" are creating the first-ever major standalone expansion in "The Lost Legacy." That means you don't have to own "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" to play this game (though if you bought the season pass you'll get it free). Rather than play as Nathan Drake alongside Sully, this time you'll play as Chloe Frazer alongside Nadine Ross. As you explore India, you'll assuredly murder dozens of armed guards, leap from crashing planes at the last possible second, and casually quip while pulling it all off.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Games can look awfully pretty with tons of special effects and high-resolution graphics, but they can also look awfully pretty when hand-drawn in early-20th-century style. That's exactly what two Canadian brothers did with "Cuphead," a beautiful 2D game where you play as the eponymous Cuphead as he fights through boss after boss, while amazing orchestral music rises and falls appropriately in the background.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
The "Crackdown" franchise was a surprising delight on the Xbox 360. It was one of the first superhero games to literally enable you to leap over a building, and it encouraged exploration with a meta-game of orbs you could optionally collect throughout the world — the more you collect, the more powerful your character becomes, so you were probably grabbing all of them. Few games have felt more fun to simply move through than the "Crackdown" games, and "Crackdown 3" looks to be a continuation of that tradition.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, Windows 10 PC
In "Below," players explore a unique world created procedurally by the game itself. That means that each time you play through, "Below" will be completely unique, at least in terms of environments. The main character is known only as a "tiny warrior" battling to survive on a remote island. This game was originally planned for a 2016 launch, but got pushed back to an unannounced date — fingers crossed for 2017!
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Who doesn't want to pit Batman against Superman, and for it to not be terrible? The "Injustice" series nails that — it’s basically a “Mortal Kombat” game where you can battle as different superheroes from the DC comics universe. The comparison makes even more sense when you learn who makes the "Injustice" series: The developers behind “Mortal Kombat,” NetherRealm Studios. Surprise! Think of "Injustice" as off-year "Mortal Kombat," but with even more recognizable characters. In that vein, it's hella-violent — beware that this isn't the series to buy for your eight-year-old.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Stop me if you've heard this one before: In "Gran Turismo Sport," you race cars against other cars. Indeed, "Gran Turismo Sport" is the latest entry in the long-running simulation racing series, and it's no doubt going to be another graphical showcase for the PlayStation 4. Though the series has dedicated fans, it's most notorious for being the most expensive commercial for whatever Sony's current game console is.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
"Agents of Mayhem" is an open-world, third-person action game from the same folks who created the absolutely ridiculous, delightful "Saint's Row" series. In that respect, "Agents of Mayhem" seems like it will serve up the same wacky, over-the-top style characteristic of Volition's previous hit. Strictly speaking, it's another open-world, third-person action game with a tongue-in-cheek attitude and a focus on fun over challenge.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The upcoming "Friday the 13th" game isn't about an unlucky Friday as much as it is about surviving an encounter with Jason Vorhees, the infamous hockey mask-wearing serial murderer from the film series of the same name. Jason's armed with a machete and supernatural angst, and all you've got is false teenage hope that you'll escape. (Spoilers: You probably won't!) To that end, it's a survival-horror multiplayer game pitting seven Camp Crystal Lake counselors against one very powerful Jason, where everyone is controlled by human players.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Gorgeous, right? "Pyre" comes from Supergiant Games, the folks behind new-classics like "Bastion" and "Transistor." Supergiant's games are notorious for being gorgeous, their use of environment in storytelling, and killer soundtracks that are custom-created for each game. "Pyre" looks to continue the tradition.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Following on the massive indie success of "Gone Home," the development team at Fullbright is focusing on another story-based first-person game in "Tacoma," which follows one person's exploration of a space station named "Tacoma." Expect a fascinating story, great dialog, and tons of storytelling through environmental cues. And if "Gone Home" is any indication, expect to feel some pretty serious feels.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Like the "Final Fantasy" series, the "Dragon Quest" franchise is a classic Japanese role-playing game with a dedicated fanbase and very traditional gameplay. In this case, that means turn-based battles that rely more on your wits than your quick reflexes; it means party members with varying abilities and carefully sneaking around dungeons. It also means, unfortunately, that the text-heavy game must be translated from its native Japanese to English before worldwide release. Color us surprised if this one arrives in any Western regions in 2017.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
Remastered versions of "Crash Bandicoot," "Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back," and "Crash Bandicoot: Warped," originally released on the first PlayStation, are coming to PlayStation 4! These are the same 3D platforming games that originally launched on the first-ever PlayStation console, only the graphics have been completely re-done.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
In the same vein as Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros." series and Warner Brothers' "Injustice" franchise, "Marvel vs Capcom" pits Marvel superheroes and villains (Iron Man, MODOK, and many more) against Capcom's most famous faces (Mega Man, various Street Fighter characters, and many more). The "Marvel vs Capcom" series is known for over-the-top everything — it's most well-known for being hard to keep up with, between fast-moving action and many, many moving parts within that action. "Infinite" is the latest take on that formula.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
We'll be honest: There's no announced "Destiny 2" at this point, but it's a confirmed project expected to launch in 2017. We're talking about a full-on, honest-to-goodness sequel to the first-person blockbuster "Destiny," from the folks who made the "Halo" games (Bungie Studios). Expect an announcement before E3 2017 in June, the game industry's annual trade show in Los Angeles, with a potential September launch window.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"Nidhogg" is a ridiculous game. It does one thing: swordfighting. You can raise your sword up, you can lower it, and you can jab. You can throw it if you'd like. But the fight — every fight — is one-on-one swordfighting. Sounds ridiculous, right? Because it is. It's also very fun, especially against a friend. "Nidhogg 2" takes the same ridiculous madness of the first game and adds to it. What do you do in "Nidhogg 2"? You swordfight, one-on-one. Obviously.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Mac
The "Ni no Kuni" series takes traditional Japanese role-playing game tropes and combines them with the gorgeous art of Studio Ghibli, the iconic film studio behind "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke." Though its gameplay is simple, its story is rich with characters and its world is bursting with color. Like "The Secret of Mana" and "Chrono Trigger" were for young Super Nintendo gamers in the 1990s, the "Ni no Kuni" series is for young PlayStation gamers with a penchant for Japanese RPG trappings.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
First announced back in February 2016 at the event where he streamed the entirety of "The Life of Pablo," Kanye West's first game is called "Only One." It's about his mother Donda's journey to heaven, and it shares a title with a Kanye single from 2015 that was written from the perspective of his mother. Little is known about the game other than its developer's name: Encyclopedia Pictura, known less for game development than for music video animation.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Unknown
Technically speaking, the "new" version of "Unreal Tournament" has been out for a few years in a "pre-alpha" state. In English, that means the game is still very much being worked on, even while it's playable. To be completely clear, the reboot of "Unreal Tournament" is a free-to-play game made by the same company that was in charge of the original series. It's a super fast-paced first-person shooter, and its primary purpose is to showcase the development of the studio's game engine, Unreal Engine 4.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PC, Mac
Here's hoping you're all about flashy reboots of aging first-person shooter franchises — "Quake Champions" is doing for "Quake" what 2016's "DOOM" did for the "Doom" franchise. It's the same arena-based, hyper-fast, hyper-violent first-person shooter you remember from your childhood (or perhaps have never played?). Bethesda Softworks, the company behind the reboot, is focusing on the PC side of things with this one, so don't expect the same kind of polish and single-player campaign that "DOOM" enjoyed.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PC
I hadn't heard of "Mr. Shifty" until I started putting together this list. Then I watched the trailer for it and was blown away by how stylish and fun it looks. It combines the over-the-top, isometric ultra-violence of "Hotline Miami" with the style of something like "Killer 7." If that all sounds like a bunch of gibberish to you, allow me to explain: "Mr. Shifty" is a top-down game where you play a murderer who can shift through space and time. An enemy spots you, and you "shift" through them, to directly behind where they're standing, and take them out. Still confused? Don't miss the trailer — this game looks like a real delight, and words don't do it justice.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The Sega Genesis is loved for many reasons. Some will cite "Sonic the Hedgehog" with cementing their love, or more obscure classics like "El Viento" and "Shining Force" — for millions, it was a pair of rapping aliens that did it. And for those folks, the reboot of "ToeJam and Earl" will assuredly come as a delightful surprise. The game features the eponymous aliens as they rebuild their spaceship and encounter a bizarre, surrealist world in the process — all through the lens of A Tribe Called Quest-esque hip-hop culture, naturally.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PC and unnamed consoles
Outside of boxing games (of which there are very few), games rarely focus on one-on-one combat. "Absolver" aims to solve that problem with a stylish 3D action game where you primarily fight one-on-one with another (human) opponent. According to the game's debut trailer, there appears to be a hidden story behind the basics of the game — we expect to learn much more about that when the game arrives later this year, the debut from a Paris studio named Sloclap.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac
Picking up where the first game left off, "State of Decay 2" is a much more fully-realized version of the survival game that first debuted on the Xbox 360. In the sequel, you're controlling survivors from a third-person perspective as they scrounge for resources amidst a non-stop barrage of zombies. It's stressful, and very pretty, and often violent.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, Windows 10 PC
In the same vein as "State of Decay 2," the upcoming "Prey for the Gods" is a survival game steeped in mystery. You awake on a mysterious island with few resources, and you must survive long enough to fortify yourself and, ya know, not become prey — there are some monstrous creatures in the debut trailer that we're assuming are the "gods" spoken of in the title. One of them looks like a dragon, several looks like angry clouds of dust. Little is known about the title thus far beyond its debut trailer, which is very pretty but light on information.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"Wild" is a gorgeous third-person game set in a prehistoric world full of wild beasts and magical demigods. It's coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 from creative director Michel Ancel, the French man behind the "Rayman" series and critics' darling "Beyond Good & Evil."
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Look, we'll be honest — it's totally possible that "Beyond Good & Evil 2" doesn't really exist anymore. Though the game's creator has come out and said it does still exist, the game's been rattling around in development hell for the better part of the last decade. So, uh, what is it? A sequel to the cult-hit "Beyond Good & Evil," a Zelda-esque third-person action game starring a tough young lady and her porcine friend. The latest rumors put it on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo's upcoming game console, as an exclusive.
Release Date: 2017
Platforms: Unknown (Nintendo Switch rumored)
But hey: You have an Xbox One, a PlayStation 4, and a PC.
You don't care too much about mustached plumbers or saving Hyrulian princesses. You care about power. Maybe you care about virtual reality? Microsoft's got a solution for you: the upcoming Project Scorpio console. It is, by a large measure, the most powerful home game console ever made. It's capable of powering VR. It's capable of powering games in 4K resolutions. And what does all that mean? It means that Project Scorpio is going to be more expensive than the current Xbox One. How much more? We're betting in the $500 range.
Microsoft hasn't even shown off what the console looks like just yet; the company released a video showing the chip powering it (seen above). Expect to learn much more about Scorpio as the year rages on, likely around June during the annual game industry trade show ("E3").
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