Sunday, December 30, 2018

Top Five: Video Games of 2017

  • As we come upon the end of the year, we take time to reflect on what made the year meaningful for us. And for gamers, that often means taking stock of the games we played throughout the year, preferably in some form of list. So without further ado... Wait, did I not put up a list for 2017. Uh oh.

  • Yakuza 0 & Yazuka Kiwami - My absolute favorite games of 2017. If I had any lingering doubts about choosing to go Playstation this generation, the new revitalized Yakuza series has affirmed I made the right call. The games' combination of crime melodrama, action brawler, and a densely packed explorable world are a perfect combination to keep me playing. And one of the neatest outcomes from setting each game in the fictional Kamurocho district is seeing out the neighborhood changes while maintaining its underlying familiarity. Yakuza 0 is the decidedly better of the two, with Kiwami feeling more like an expansion pack. But I was excited to play both, and look forward to more in 2018.

  • Titan Quest Anniversary Edition - Late in the year, I found myself returning to Titan Quest, this time the Anniversary Edition. The game is one of the few Diablo-style ARPGs that I actually enjoy. I didn't end up finishing it, but it was a nice respite in an otherwise odd gaming year.

  • Heroes of the Storm - If you asked me at the beginning of 2017 what the chances were of me including a MOBA on my top I would have laughed. And yet, I found myself logging in to beat up on bots with some regularity throughout the year. I never wanted to play against other players, but I enjoyed the old comp-stomp a lot more than I ever expected.

  • Destiny 2 - The sequel to Destiny make it on to this list almost by default. It both is and isn't like the first game, which made my Top Five list in both 2014 and 2015. What it did wrong was its lack of stickiness. But I can't knock if for not being my new forever game. I was happy to have played it even if I may never play it again. (Spoilers: I didn't.)

  • Honorable Mentions: Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Each failed to connect with me in vary different ways.

  • I guess this means my blogging hiatus is officially over. Maybe I'll even get 2018's list up on time. Maybe.