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Post by OdanUrr on Jan 1, 2018 9:04:18 GMT -6
Let's do this!  I shan't do a Top 10 this year for the pure and simple reason that I haven't played enough games to pick out 10. I must've played (to completion) 15 or 16 titles this year (about twice as many if we count to-finish games), so picking 10 would feel a bit like cheating. Having said that, there are a few other categories that I'd like to introduce. Bear in mind that not all of these games were released in 2017. Without further ado... Best aesthetic This is a no brainer for me. Abzû, released in 2016, is an absolute beauty to play, combining wonderful pastel colors under the sea with a mesmerizing soundtrack composed by none other than Austin Wintory ( Journey, The Banner Saga). The game takes about 2-4 hours long to complete, depending on whether or not you decide to take your time and playfully explore your surroundings or simply stop and meditate to the zen-like music. This is a gem of a game that everybody should play so go and play it. I'll wait. A category I created for my Games of 2016 list that picks the games that didn't deliver according to expectations. Whose expectations you ask? Mine, since this is my list. I'm sure any number of games could fall under this category but, for me, there was a clear winner this year... No, it's not BF2, I'd already guessed it'd be more of the same which is why I havent bought it.  For a game that was intended to reboot the series and a company that had three titles under its belt already (different studio, yes, but same company) Mass Effect: Andromeda was a letdown. It wasn't bad, I'd probably give it a 7/10, but the words that come to mind when I think about this game are "wasted potential." Andromeda could've been so much more than it was had it told a better, more coherent, story, and reconciled gameplay with the story they wanted to tell. Unfortunately, I don't think they knew what that was. BioWare Montreal just wasn't up to the task what with everything that went on behind closed doors. While the worlds we could explore in Andromeda were far more beautiful than those in the original Mass Effect, and combat was probably the best in the series, the story was merely an uninspired copy that tried to cram three games into one, featuring a villain that was more comical than anything. Narrative issues, lack of real agency, an underwhelming quest system, and plenty of bugs, contributed to making Andromeda a game people won't easily forget for all the wrong reasons. It didn't help that EA bailed on it, foregoing any and all possible DLC plans and placing the franchise on ice. My analysis on Mass Effect: AndromedaNot an easy choice considering how many games were released in 2017 with pretty good soundtracks (and that's not even counting 2016 games). In fact, my top three games for the 'best/favourite' category could all easily compete here and, in fact, did, but one had to win so...  I don't know how to accurately convey how amazing the score composed by Keiichi Okabe is without telling you to go and actually listen to the thing. It faced some tough competition from Wintory's Abzû (and others, but that's a spoiler!) but, in the end, I felt Automata's score shows far more emotional range and still manages to excel what is not a mean feat. Damn, even the ambient tracks are beautiful to listen to. Put it this way, you could listen to this soundtrack on its entirety, on its own, and you'd be hard pressed to dismiss any song as filler (god knows I've done this with lots of soundtracks). Do yourself a favour and listen to it. You can start with the main theme: But that choice is sooooo boringly predictable. Here's the absolute bestest song in the entire soundtrack!  "Every day's a sale, every day's a win..."A category I made up in 2015 featuring an outstanding return to a particular format or genre I hadn't played in a while. It's good I made it 'cause otherwise this game probably wouldn't have made my Top 5 (but it would've been in my Top 10 for sure!). And the Return of the Game Award goes to...  Yeah, we're back to the 16-bit Zelda era with RPG Maker XP! Rakuen can best be described as a combination of To The Moon and the old gameboy color Zelda games, like Link's Awakening and Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages. It certainly is as heart-wrenching as To The Moon, as it tells the story of a hospitalized boy who decides to help and give closure to other patients by solving their requests in the fantastical world of Rakuen. It is a bit predictable, true, but that doesn't make it any less impactful, in fact, it already had me crying very early on when I figured out the ending. It's a beautifully-told story with a matching soundtrack (so many good soundtracks this year!) developed and composed by a single person, Laura Shigihara. It's a gem of a game that probably went under the radar but that I wholeheartedly recommend. You won't regret it. I so hope it gets to release on Switch at some point. My thoughts on... RakuenThis is it, the moment you've not been waiting for, my favourite games of 2017. These are games that I played to completion only so, sadly, perhaps some of the more obvious candidates are missing. In order to make it more dramatic (!) I'll place each in separate spoiler tags. Here we go! #5 I didn't expect this game to be as engaging as it was. Mind you, it still has flaws which is why it's at the bottom of the list. First things first, the world Ubisoft created is not only gorgeous but intricate, filled with mysteries to unravel and wonders to behold. Egypt was the perfect choice of setting, not least of why because I got to find out more about the First Civilization by actually exploring some of the ruins left behind by them. Furthermore, the world wasn't as sprinkled with activities as past AC games, and it actually incorporated new quest types like investigations, undoubtedly modeled after TW3, and tomb raiding (obvious reference is obvious). They also brought back the third-person modern protagonist so it seems Ubisoft might have realized the mistake they made by killing Desmond. Having said that, the story recycles the repetitive revenge plot we've seen in previous entries but nowhere near as good as Ezio's. The protagonists are, frankly, a bit boring, and their lack of curiosity bothers me to no end (this ancient civilization was incredibly advanced, yes, and we probably should find out more about it, but let's murder some more people first). The modern side of the story ends unresolved, but the same happened in AC1 so I don't mind (much) provided it continues in a sequel. Another negative is that, after a while, every quest in the game seemingly devolves into 'sneak into X fortress and liberate or kill person Y.' Look, I love sneaking into buildings and carefully planning out how I'll go about murdering people, but it did get incredibly repetitive. Still, Ubisoft got the world just about perfect with this game. The only gnawing doubt I have is whether this was due to the extra year they had to work with or the choice of setting. In any case, should they manage to pull this off again but with a better story and more compelling characters, Assassin's Creed would be well-positioned for GOTY.  For a few years now we've been asking ourselves a question, is there a niche for games between indies and AAA? Ninja Theory answered with a resounding "yes" and delivered Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, a game that proves you needn't sacrifice quality to provide a great gaming experience at half the price. Admittedly, this won't be a game to everyone's liking as it's a linear, story-focused, game that features a female Pict warrior, suffering from psychotic mental illness, who undertakes a quest to rescue her beloved, Dillion, from the underworld. If it sounds strange, wait until you actually play it. The game goes all in to accurately portray psychosis, from using binaural audio for the voices in Senua's head to throwing harrowing visions and puzzles for our determined heroine to confront and solve. The entire voice actor cast is excellent, with a special nod to Melina Juergens, who gave an outstanding performance as Senua, a fact made more remarkable considering she's not a professional actress but the studio's video editor. About one of the few awards the VGAs got right. My thoughts on... Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeIt wasn't easy to choose the order in which the next three games should go. All of them are great in their own ways, and if one were to favour certains elements over others, their positions could be altered significantly. In fact, I'd argue these three are unique in some way that sets them apart from each other so one of these could easily be your top game of 2017. But, as always, one must choose, so here we go. #3 Take the world from the Fallout games, mix it with Tomb Raider's gameplay and visuals, and you'll have something that strongly resembles Horizon Zero Dawn, only that you're hunting (and being hunted by) huge robot dinosaurs instead of deer. HZD gets several things right. The gameplay, exploring this post-apocalyptic world and hunting down robots, is surprisingly fun and engaging, and the inventory and upgrade systems are simple to understand and manage. The story is framed as a series of mysteries that need solving, questions that need answering, what keeps you moving ever forward. It is also properly paced most of the time, not getting drowned in dozens of boring side quests ala Assassin's Creed. I really love playing the archaeologist in these types of games, exploring the ruins of ancient, but highly advanced, civilizations, and nicking and armour or two to impress your peers (sadly, no one comments on this). For better or worse, there aren't a lot of ruins to explore in HZD, but then again the world isn't that large. The soundtrack, composed by Joris de Man, is not something to be scoffed at either (I did consider it for best soundtrack), with tracks that really convey the emotions of a given scene. Here are a few examples (spoilers, obviously): "The Cavalry Breaks Through" "What The Seeker Had Sought" (oddly reminiscent of a similar scene in the movie Stargate) "Homecoming" The characters were a little more lackluster than I would've expected, and even Aloy, played by Ashly Burch ( Life Is Strange), couldn't convince me otherwise. A few plot threads are left unresolved as well, possibly for a sequel. Nonetheless, Horizon Zero Dawn delivers a great story with impressive visuals, steeped in a world I would've loved to explore more of. On second thought, I haven't yet bought its DLC so maybe I will.   If you're wondering what game will take the #1 spot, keep wondering 'cause I'm here to talk about NieR:Automata. Actually, in many ways, NieR:Automata is my #1 choice. Yoko Taro and Platinum Games have managed to expertly pack so much content into this game that it's honestly quite astounding. In short, you play a single, relatively long, coherent, story, broken up into different chapters and points of view. Each new (and shorter) chapter and POV gives you some new insight, fills in some gap in the story, gives you a new piece of the puzzle. Granted, it's a messy and confusing puzzle at times, held together by a narrative that is reinforced with the quest system. I think the quest system in this game is one of the better ones I've ever encountered. First of all, no quest feels like an afterthought, like a mere requirement to grind XP. There are only 'side' quests insofar they won't trigger a story flag but, beyond that, every quest has a weight and purpose to them that continuously hammer at the same points, and you never feel like there are too many of them. In fact, I'd argue even the drab look of the world around you serves to reinforce these points. I wouldn't go so far as saying that's also why they used low res textures though 'cause, frankly, they should've been high res regardless. As expected of Platinum Games, combat is fast, fluid, and varied. In a word, it's awesome! The YoRHa androids feel powerful, as they should. Not content with just ground combat, however, NieR:Automata also features aerial combat with changing camera angles (so be prepared to use a controller instead of M+K) and a hacking minigame if you don't feel like mindlessly destroying everything in your path. This hacking minigame is obligatory during certain sections of 9S' story and, while I didn't enjoy it that much, its inclusion serves a purpose (as mostly everything does in this game). As you can imagine, NieR is a perplexing mixture of gameplays that blend together surprisingly well. The protagonists and the execution of their respective story-arcs is practically spotless, save perhaps for A2's since we never get to know her as well as 2B or 9S. Voice acting (Japanese) is superb and I've already talked about the score. Unlike other games I know, the ending isn't dragged on unnecessarily but built up like a crescendo in spectacular fashion. It has to be the most creative, adrenaline pumped, and satisfying boss fight I've played in years, many games would do well to learn from it. Like I said, in many ways, this is my #1 choice. However, the story is a bit confusing, particularly insofar the aliens are concerned and the specifics of their connection to the machines. Come to think of it, the history and ultimate purpose of the YoRHa is also a bit blurry. Definitely a game that should be played around a second time. I'm probably missing a few other reasons why this game is great but, hopefully, these will suffice. NieR:Automata is not just a game but a finely crafted work of art that sets a high bar for the AAA industry.  This review is better read while playing this song in the background: Magikazam! Hehe. Yes, this game did come out in 2016... for PS3 and PS4. However, as I had neither at the time I didn't play it. Thankfully, BANDAI NAMCO released it in January 2017 for PC so it makes into my Top 5 games of 2017. Why the #1 spot when I just lavishly praised NieR:Automata? For completely subjective reasons. From a purely objective and technical standpoint, NieR:Automata is probably the better, more complete, gaming experience of the two. Nonetheless, for all its strengths, NieR's overall story is a sad and bleak one, right down to the color palette used. Tales of Berseria is, on the other hand, bright, colourful, and, while certainly heart-wrenching at times, it is full of hope and determination. Without giving too much away, in Berseria you play as Velvet, a young woman who goes on a quest for revenge after having been through a harrowing and traumatic experience. Along the road you encounter a series of, shall we say, colourful, individuals who decide to join Velvet in her quest for reasons of their own. As others have said, Berseria follows a bunch of rogues who are, by and large, regarded by society as the bad guys (and pirates no less!). However, as the story progresses, you begin to realize that neither the bad guys are that bad, nor the good guys are that good. They're simply people with their own motivations and goals, and the story deftly explores the (often tragic) lengths to which both sides will go to achieve their goals. Berseria's obvious strength is its focus on its cast of characters, how they interact with each other and evolve throughout the story. I can safely state that neither Velvet, Magilou, Eizen, Rokurou, Phi, nor Eleanor, are the same people by the end of the game that they were at the beginning, and in every case I'd say it's for the better. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention another related strength of the game, the skits. The skits are short, fully-voice and animated, scenes that play out from time to time and advance the narrative as well as the character development. They're also funny as hell, to the extent the scant screenshots I took on Steam can't do them justice. The entire Japanese VO cast was top notch. It really felt as if I were watching an anime at times, as it also does feature a handful of beautiful, fully-rendered, animated cutscenes. I mean, just take a look at this intro: The story is, to my mind, tighter than NieR's, with a few twists and turns of its own. As was the case with the previous winners, side quests are doled out at precisely the right amounts, feeling neither excessive nor burdensome. Companions also have their own personal side quests you can undertake, similar to Mass Effect 2. They won't have the same impact, insofar they don't determine whether they live or die at the end, but they further develop their characters and that's always a treat to watch in this game. The soundtrack, composed by Motoi Sakuraba, is also worthy of praise and was a solid contender against NieR's own. The game's not as visually impressive as HZD, certainly, and dungeons feel a little spartan, but bear in mind this game did release in PS3 as well as PS4. Perhaps the next Tales entry, fully developed for PS4, will make better use of the newer console's graphical power. Having said that, the artwork for this game is second to none, something that obviously shines through during the animated scenes. Combat was entertaining but it lacked a certain tactical aspect, whereby you'd carefully study your opponents' weaknesses and tailor combos to suit a variety of scenarios. In the end, you can practically blaze through the game spamming the same combo/s without ever changing it up. It also irked me a bit the number of confrontations you have to go through simply to move from point A to point B... until you get the geoboard that is. When you finally get Marty McFly's hoverboard (and you were wondering why this game was #1), some 20+ hours in, you can charge and instantly destroy enemies on the field provided your level is high enough. Unfortunately, you can only use the geoboard on a certain area once you've unlocked it for that area (something that should've been done earlier as we explored the world). The exploration minigame was a welcome distraction and helped convey the feeling that our crew of misfits were really pirates, exploring the seas in search of booty (and some recipes for Velvet to try her hand at). It's a shame we weren't given the option to decorate our hideout with the treasures I found during my voyages. On the other hand, you have greater freedom at customizing your characters' looks, anything from parrots and eye-patches, to backpacks, guns, berets, elf ears, etc. I did feel as though there weren't that many outfits without forking over some cash for the DLC. In the end, the game's weaknesses never detracted from my enjoyment of the game. It was a wonderful adventure with a charming gallery of rogues that can be equal parts serious and funny. I'm only saddened that the tale had to end.  PS: Beware the turtlez. Well, that's it. Those were my top 5 picks for 2017. I'd like to thank the academy... Wha-Where the heck did this come from?!  Haha, you thought I wouldn't sneak in this game somehow? Shame on you! Everyone knows you always have a Joker up your sleeve! (insert obligatory Mark Hamill Joker laugh here) Now, I admit, I may be jumping the gun a bit here, seeing as I've only played about 20 hours and you need something close to 100 hours to complete it. And yet, those 20 hours went by like a breeze, so thoroughly engrossed by the game was I. I love the artstyle, I love the characters, and I love the general feel to it. The game's fun, yes, but if the prologue is any indication it doesn't shy away from addressing some heavy subjects and (so far) it doesn't cheapen them. The only flaw I've been able to spot thus far is how most adults acts like dicks in this game but perhaps this is intended. I'm also a bit wary of the calendar as I'm usually not fond of timers (although there was a timer mechanic in Lightning Returns and I ended up loving that game). Time will tell if this game should've taken the #1 spot on my list and it may yet pull that off. After all, Persona 5 is the Joker on my list.  |
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