Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2017:
1.
Horizon Zero Dawn : It came out of left field at E3 2015. Sony had blown people's minds seconds earlier with the reveal of The Last Guardian, and many wondered how they could follow up such a bomb shell. Horizon came, however, and blew everyone away with the amazing battle against the Thunderjaw. It caught my attention then and there, and subsequent showings have added the necessary extra information I needed to feel confident that this game will be something special.
2.
Tales of Berseria : The Tales series is near and dear to me. I have fond memories of playing Symphonia (11 times in fact) and Vesperia is my second favourite game of all time. Recent releases in the series have been less stellar than these two games, but all the vibes I am getting (and impressions I have seen in the import thread) from Berseria indicate that this game could once again capture that amazing sense of excitement that Tales has always given me.
3.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild : I have not owned a Nintendo console since the Gamecube. My third favourite game on that system (behind Tales of Symphonia and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) was The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. It had a playful sense of adventure that had me captivated and that Breath of the Wild looks to be improving on considerably. Freedom of exploration is what I want from a Zelda game, and it feels very satisfying to be able to experience that once more. This game is a big reason why I want a Nintendo Switch.
4.
Gravity Rush 2 : The first game took me by surprise. I had seen some footage of it in various media, and that was why I decided to pick up the remaster at the start of the year. When I started playing, it just clicked. Never before have I played a game that had such unique gameplay mechanics married with a nice story and endearing characters. The sequel expands the gameplay mechanics and provides a bigger and better world to fly around in. I can't wait!
5.
Persona 5 : Neogaf hype has drawn me towards this title. It looks really stylish, and the gameplay looks really good. I don't think the social links are for me, but there appears to be more than enough goodness left beyond that mechanic to enjoy.
6.
Nioh : I am not a big fan of the Souls games or anything. That said, Nioh seems to press the right buttons for me. It is set in an interesting and (at least recently) underused setting in gaming, namely feudal Japan. I have played a bit of the demos that were released on the playstation store, and I was amazed just how entertaining the game was. It was fast-paced, had a high difficulty but at the same time seemed incredibly learnable. Over the few hours I played the demo I felt I had improved a lot, and that was extremely rewarding. I am looking forward to playing the game, so I can see the story (which seems interesting) and can delve deeper into the gameplay!
7.
Uncharted The Lost Legacy : This game was quite a surprise. When it started out the PSX showcase, I kept wondering what game it could be. Was it a Telltale game, or maybe the new Tomb Raider game that was hinted at a couple of weeks back? As the demo went on I started realising that it was a Naughty Dog game, and that it had to be the Uncharted DLC. That was surprising, considering the fact that some leaks indicated we would get Sam and Sully, but instead we got Chloe and Nadine, a perfectly valid exchange in my opinion! The gameplay looked fluid as it was in Uncharted 4, and the setting and story (as far as we can glean from the trailer) seem interesting. I am really looking forward to see what story Naughty Dog has in store for Nadine and Chloe!
8.
Nier Automata : The game looks solid, both in setting and in gameplay, and although I have not played the original Nier, I am interested in playing the game and experiencing the story, which seemed to be beloved in the first game by a large set of fans.
9.
Detroit Become Human : Announced at Paris Games Week 2015, this game looked like pretty standard fare for cinematic storytelling from Quantic Dream. The E3 2016 demo, however, showed just how far they are going with the branching story paths. There are many different ways to tackle a situation, with many different results. To top it all off, any result you get from your actions will carry forward into the story to weave a personal story from this game. I really like the apparent depth of this game, and I hope it will be as deep as they suggested it will be in the demo and in interviews. Looking forward to playing it somewhere this year!
10.
Yooka-Laylee : A true-to-form platformer, what else needs to be said? The game looks beautiful with a really distinct aesthetic, and the gameplay seems to be tight and fun. My only gripe with it is that dialogue and possibly the story could be a bit too much directed at younger audiences for my taste. A minor gripe, though, if the gameplay turns out to be as good as I hope it will.
Some honourable mentions and some games that are not eligible for voting but I do expect will come next year:
x.
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age : I am relatively new to Final Fantasy. I have played Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy X and FInal Fantasy XV and love all of them. Final Fantasy and me have a weird relationship: it should be the franchise that fits my tastes best, yet until very recently my experience with the franchise was limited to Tactics Advance. It XV that persuaded me to get more closely involved with the franchise, and that was a really good choice. In anticipation of XV I played X, and was positively amazed at how good that game actually is still. Now, having played 70 hours of XV, I can certainly say that Final Fantasy is for me: I am absolutely in love with XV and with X, and I can't wait to try out other entries in the series (I have VII and Type-0 waiting on my PS4, for example). XII is a natural step in that process, of course, and I am eagerly expecting its release.
x. Yakuza 0: This game will be my first Yakuza game ever. I was never aware of the series, but the 2015 TGS showcase brought it to my attention (that was where they unveiled both Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami). Now, I am really looking forward to stepping into the Tokyo of the Yakuza series. It seems lively, the gameplay looks to be quite good, and the graphics are unbelievably good for a (relatively) small scale Japanese game. If Yakuza 0 turns out to be enjoyable, then I will be looking forward to playing Yakuza Kiwami later next year and Yakuza 6 the year after.
x. Ni No Kuni 2 Revenant Kingdom: This game looks to be a really playful yet emotional game that mixes a beautiful art style with an interesting world. The story sounds good, and the short scene of the battle system at PSX have given me some confidence that the game will play well.
x. Super Mario Switch: The few seconds we saw in the Switch reveal were quite intriguing: the gameplay at the very least looks solid, and there are elements in the footage that look out of place and seem to indicate some kind of story going on. Will likely buy it at launch on the Switch, since I have a large fondness for platformers and Super Mario Switch seems to deliver on that front.
x. God of War: The game does not have a release date yet, but Cory Barlog teasingly said that it would be releasing "soon". It looks absolutely phenomenal, both in combat and in setting. And amazing graphics to boot!
x. Pokémon Stars (codename): I would love to return to Pokémon! I never convinced myself to get a DS or a 3DS, so the Switch will be my first Pokémon since Sapphire (although I have played bits of Diamond on my brother's DS). Pokémon has been an IP that is closely tied to my childhood, so getting back into it, especially with the laid back vibes I get from the Alola region, will be a joy!
x. Dragon Quest XI: The game is planned to release in 2017 in Japan, but most likely won't arrive in Europe in 2017, so that's why I do not include it in my most anticipated list. It will be my first ever dragon quest game I will have played, and from what I have seen it appears to be right up my alley. Here's hoping it lives up to its name!
x. Crash Bandicoot N-sane Trilogy: I have played a bit of the first game on my PS3. It was quite a fun game, but I stopped playing it in favour of newer games, and haven't returned to it yet. Now, with the remaster of the three games (which also is confirmed to release at a €40,- price point), I feel like the time is right to really get into these games.
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Let's take a moment to appreciate the Japanese goodness that will be upon us in the coming year: a sampler includes Tales of Berseria, Persona 5, Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nier: automata, Nioh, Gravity Rush 2. Whether you are the hardest of hardcore and want to have a challenge, or you love colourful exploration or a gritty tale, the Japanese scene has us covered. It is truly a great time for Japanese games once again, and (even if it may not be as great as the PS2 was) it shows us that Japan still is a great place for gaming.
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