2017 has been a great year for games, across all platforms. From the tried and true PC to newest kid on the block, the Switch, we've had some hits, some misses, and some surprises. Here are the five best best of 2017 so far.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4, Xbox One, Windows, $39.53)
Successfully breathing life back into the zombie series,
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a dark, atmospheric game that has revitalised a tired franchise and gives players an entirely unique experience. With phenomenal voice acting, incredible level design and genuinely terrifying enemies, this is a must-have, if you haven't already.
2. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4, $36.56)
Set in the far future, long after a calamity plunged mankind back to primitive tribal societies,
Horizon Zero Dawn offers players a massive world to explore as they wish. With jawdropping visuals, Horizon Zero Dawn combines the best aspects of games like Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed and The Witcher to create a mindblowing experience for new and old players alike.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, Wii U, $56.99)
The latest in the long running Zelda franchise,
Breath of the Wild has quickly cemented its place as one of the best in the much-loved series. You want a massive, month long game with oceans of enemies to wade through? You can do that. You want to run around collecting horses? You can do that. You want to just explore a vast, immersive world, ignoring everything around you? You can do that, too. With an unrivalled sense of adventure, Breath of the Wild is possibly one of the best games Nintendo has ever released.
3. Dragon Quest Heroes 2 (PS3/4, Vita, Windows, Switch, $38.99)
You want to know how good Dragon Quest is? They only release new games on the weekends. Why? Because they're afraid of the inevitable truancy spike when people forget the real world to get lost in the latest fame.
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is a crossover with the Heroes series, which focuses on gloriously flashy (and simple) combos and massive battlefields. With a heavier focus on RPG elements, with random encounters and fun characters, this is a great addition to any game library.
4. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (Nintendo 3ds, $39.88)
The latest release in the 3DS series of Fire Emblem games,
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a remake of an earlier game, that improves upon everything that worked and discards what didn't. An evil empire has declared war, and now two star crossed lovers must gather their armies to defend their homeland. Echoes rewards effort, forcing players to think strategically with an inventive stamina system and simplifies the at-times overly complicated fighting system of more recent Fire Emblem games.
Prey (Windows, PS4, Xbox One, $29.99)
Prey is set in an alternate timeline, where JFK survived his assassination. Morgan Yu has been recruited to study imprisoned aliens in a vast space station. Predictably, the aliens stage a successful jailbreak, and now Morgan has to fight to survive. Using alien technology and abilities, Morgan is all alone, surrounded by enemies hiding in plain sight. Creepy, tense and awesome.
