Topic: Your Games of the Year in 2017

I have only played two games released in 2017,

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (WiiU)
Guns of Boom (Android)

both rather excellent. I think both games solve the issues I had with their respective genres. Breath of the Wild turns a nerdy "how the heck do I get around this boulder" game back into the action/flesh 'n' bone game it was when the series first came out. Guns of Boom, on the other hand, is a multiplayer FPS for people who don't want to sacrifice their life to FPSs - you can play it casually and it takes just 13 seconds from the moment you launch the app to the moment you're actually playing it.

Nintendo Switch is the only console I care about.

1. Zelda: BOTW
2. Mario + Rabbids
3. ARMS
4. The Binding Of Isaac Afterbirth +
5. Mario Odyssey

@Octane isn't this thread exclusively for games RELEASED in 2017?!

@spizzamarozzi I'm sure people don't mind it if you list a few games that weren't released this year.

@Octane I've seen so many people in these four pages say they didn't play enough games released this year to make a top-5, let alone a top-10, and went for another "any year" kind of list. I'm sure one more thread in this section wouldn't have destroyed the universal balance of the cosmos, but I'm not going to complain.

oh ok, i was gonna make my annual, has been allowed for years thread for people who aren't able to just buy and play all the cool new games since pre-currentyear is practically the only gaming i currently have any relevance in but whatever

why discuss games i've actually played this yearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :/

@kkslider5552000 I tried to start the thread like we've been doing for years but got locked in a matter of seconds and got instead prompted to post in a thread that was asking something entirely different. That's a first for me.

Also, getting a thread locked on Christmas day was heartbreaking.

Having finally finished Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and let my opinion of the game sit for a day, I have now finished my official Top 10 games of 2017. Before I begin, I‘d like to give shout-outs to the honorable mentions: Sonic Mania (NSW), South Park: The Fractured But Whole (PS4), Resident Evil 7 PS4), Tales of Berseria (PS4), Nier: Automata (PS4) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4). With that out of the way, let‘s go with Number 10!

10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NSW): In my honest opinion, this is the best Mario Kart yet and the fact that they fixed the Battle Mode, added all the DLC alongside new drivers and true Battle Mode arenas and that they tied up all this with a new bow of portability is just the cherry on top.

9. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PS4): I haven‘t gotten a PS1 until after I got a PS2. While I have bought all three classic Crash Bandicoot games over the years, I only ever got into Warped. This remaster has been the first time I played the first two and finished them. The thought of completing them, though, is terrifying to me for I am not very good at Crash. All these games, 1 maybe less so, are truly amazing and every gamer has to have played these three.

8. West of Loathing (PC): This game is just plain funny. It‘s not deep or tough or particularly long but it‘s just funny - plain and simple. I don‘t think I‘ve ever laughed so hard about a game without any outside input.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NSW): It‘s a great game, no doubt about that. The freedom of going wherever whenever you want was amazing. But beyond that, I found a rather shallow and ultimately forgettable experience. The bosses didn‘t stand out, the dungeons didn‘t, weapons you get here and there and everywhere. BotW certainly isn‘t the first thing I think of when hearing Zelda.

6. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4): Trying this out while playing BotW lead to a rather disappointed initial reaction as it simply wasn‘t BotW. It wasn‘t until summer break when I picked this one up and what awaited me then was a more satisfying experience than I had received from BotW. The focus on stealth and strategy, paired with a fascinating world, great characters and side content gallore, is what allowed for this.

5. Cuphead (XOne): I suck at Cuphead, I am the first one to admit it. I‘ve never been good at shooters, may it be shmups or fps. And yet I fought through the frustration. Because finally defeating one of these bosses is so dang satisfying. The lack of a health bar during the battle and being shown your progress after your own defeat is what keeps people going in the 'One more time' mentality. Plus, it‘s just looks and sounds gorgeous, too.

4. Splatoon 2 (NSW): 450 hours in and it‘s still as fun as the first day. This and Overwatch are pretty much my go-to-online titles and while my enjoyment of the latter stems from a healthy mixture of teamwork, lore, characters and gameplay, Splatoon simply oozes with fun and excitement. If 2017 was any regular year in terms of gaming, this would definitely be GOTY. But this year was a more than grand year for gaming, especially Switch gaming, so here come our Top 3!

3. Super Mario Odyssey (NSW): Remember how I said Splatoon 2 oozes with fun? You gotta, it‘s just a few sentences ago! Well, so does Odyssey! It oozes with fun, plain and simple. No matter if you control the plumber himself, a Bullet Bill, a tank, a Lava Bubble or a stack of Goombas, each and every inch of this game is fun and satisfying to control. If only they hadn‘t added some of these minigames ... especially rope-jumping. This rope gave me scars that‘ll never heal ... no matter to how many therapy sessions I go ...

2. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (NSW): Honestly, you could very well swap spots 2 and 3 as these two are closer together than any other contender on this list. It‘s the classic emotions versus fun debate. Odyssey is fun, I think I‘ve said that enough. But Xenoblade 2, this game and its god forsaken grandious OST makes me feel the things few games have at this point. But its story is not only emotional but also deeply philosophical. Each of its characters is enjoyable in its own right but together, they form one of my favorite parties in JRPG history. And finally, the gameplay, while seemingly plain and boring at first, develops into a tactical combat system that rewards planning ahead and knowing your team in and out. Also, did I mention the freakin godly soundtrack? I already did? Well, you can‘t mention that enough.

1. Persona 5 (PS4): Persona 5 ... without a doubt in my mind is a perfect masterpiece full of charm, style, characters, heart and humour. It is not only my personal GOTY by quite a large margin but also my favorite game of all time.

it's here. finally!
Todd and Aaron's Game Awards 2017