The shortlist for my most anticipated games of the coming year was longer than my 2016 Game of the Year shortlist. I thought that 2016 was a great year for games. 2017 looks like it could blow 2016 well and truly out of the water. Check out what made the cut below.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO, PSVR |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Scheduled Release Date | January 24, 2017 |
I’m going to level with you guys – the Beginning Hour teaser was probably one of my favourite games of 2016. After PSX updated the demo to work in VR it was easily the scariest, most intense thing I experienced all year. I’ve played Kitchen, I played the Beginning Hour, I played the Lantern demo…now all that’s left is to get my hands on the full game. Resident Evil is long overdue for its redemption story.
For Honor
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher | Ubisoft |
| Scheduled Release Date | February 14, 2017 |
Ever since Jason VandenBerghe strode magnificently onto Ubisoft’s E3 stage in 2015 to show the world our first look at For Honor, I’ve been in love. Both with Jason and with the game itself. Its class-based Knights vs Samurai vs Vikings gameplay looks like immense amounts of fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if it supplants Overwatch as the game we play most often together at Words About Games.
Sniper Elite 4
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Rebellion |
| Publisher | Rebellion |
| Scheduled Release Date | February 14, 2017 |
Sniper Elite is a series that has mostly passed me by since its original release back in 2005. Sniper Elite 4 was due to be no exception until I had the opportunity to play a beefy demo of the game at EGX, as well as talk to the developers. I was blown away by the sheer size and scope of what was a single level in the game. The number of fantastic touches, both large and small, I found in the 30 minutes I spent with it was enough to convince me that Sniper Elite 4 could be one of the best games of 2017.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
| Platforms | PS4 |
| Developer | Guerilla Games |
| Publisher | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Scheduled Release Date | March 1, 2017 |
I’ve spoken with great enthusiasm about Horizon: Zero Dawn since before its reveal at E3 in 2015, after Kirsty brought the rumours of its existence to my attention. I’ve seen every trailer, every gameplay reveal and even gotten to get my hands on it at EGX last year. It made an appearance on this list last year, and remains my most anticipated upcoming game of 2017 following its delay.
NieR: Automata
| Platforms | PS4 |
| Developer | Platinum Games |
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Scheduled Release Date | March 10, 2017 |
Another delayed game making a repeat appearance on a most anticipated games list. After playing the demo released on PSN towards the end of last year I simply had to include it again. While I’ve always been a fan of everything Square and Platinum have showed us of NieR: Automata, that demo has cemented its place as one of the games I am most excited for in 2017. If you have a PS4 and you haven’t tried it out, I urge you to give it a go. If you don’t have a PS4…well, you should get one.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
| Platforms | PSVR, Rift, Vive |
| Developer | Red Storm Entertainment |
| Publisher | Ubisoft |
| Scheduled Release Date | March 14, 2017 |
Is there a better use for virtual reality than allowing you to team up with your friends and crew the bridge of a Star Trek starship? There probably is, but I can’t think of it right now. There’s a good chance that it will be impossible to tear me out of the virtual world of Star Trek: Bridge Crew this March. If you don’t hear from me after a week from March 14, you should probably send help.
Persona 5
| Platforms | PS4 |
| Developer | Atlus |
| Publisher | Deep Silver |
| Scheduled Release Date | April 4, 2017 |
It feels like I’ve been waiting for Persona 5 forever. I still can’t believe that it’s almost time for the game to launch in the West (those lucky Japanese bastards already got it last September). Persona’s unique blend of JRPG and social simulation elements is set to, once again, create a fascinating role-playing game that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into.
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | People Can Fly |
| Publisher | Gearbox Software |
| Scheduled Release Date | April 7, 2017 |
I’m excited for Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition for other people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to carve out some time to play the heck out of this Bulletstorm remaster for sure. But my main excitement lies in other people hopefully experiencing this criminally underrated game for the first time. When Bulletstorm was released in 2011 it was one of the year’s best games, certainly its best shooter and overlooked by just about everyone.
Absolver
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Sloclap |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| Scheduled Release Date | 2017 |
Every time I see Absolver in action via a gameplay demo or gameplay trailer I sit in awe over the fluid combat and impressive animations. The way its fighting style looks onscreen is enough to get me interested. But digging a little deeper into what Absolver is going to offer has me positively salivating at the prospect of playing it – an interconnected world, seamless single-player, co-op play and competitive play, custom player-built combos that you change by adding and removing cards from a combat deck…I need this game in my life.
Injustice 2
| Platforms | PS4, XBO |
| Developer | NetherRelam Studios |
| Publisher | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
| Scheduled Release Date | 2017 |
I know that part of my anticipation for Injustice 2 comes from the fact that I’m a big DC fanboy (especially since their Rebirth relaunch). But Injustice: Gods Among Us was an excellent fighting game when it came out in 2013. I enjoy the gameplay style, stage transitions and, yes, the fact that it uses a bunch of my favourite comic book characters as fighters. Adding in an RPG-like Gear System to Injustice 2 sounds really intriguing and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the game later this year.
Red Dead Redemption 2
| Platforms | PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Rockstar Studios |
| Publisher | Rockstar Games |
| Scheduled Release Date | Q3/Q4 2017 |
I just recently named the original Red Dead Redemption as one of my seven favourite games on the podcast, and then Rockstar go and drop a Red Dead Redemption 2 reveal? I’m not saying that I personally caused this to happen, but the timing is a little suspect. Truth be told I was waiting all of last year for this to finally be announced, thanks to the constant leaks and rumours that pointed to it happening. There’s no way a sequel to one of my favourite games ever gets left off a list like this.
Sea of Thieves
| Platforms | PC, XBO |
| Developer | Rare |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios |
| Scheduled Release Date | Q1 2017 |
I have no idea whether Sea of Thieves is actually going to be any good or not. While it looks like a lot of fun to lark about as a pirate with your friends (especially when you’ve got friends like mine), I’m curious about what there is to actually do in the game. Despite two fairly substantial E3 showings for the game, Rare and Microsoft haven’t done a whole to to show us all the pirate-y things we’ll be able to do in Sea of Thieves yet. Still, I’m really looking forward to getting together with the guys and play this.
The Sexy Brutale
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Tequila Works |
| Publisher | TBA |
| Scheduled Release Date | 2017 |
After Keith brough this game to my attention following last years Gamescom, I have followed every scrap of information with great interest. It’s a thoroughly British looking adventure game that is basically a murder mystery set in a Downton Abbey style mansion during a masked ball. You’ll be playing as an elderly priest known as Lafacadio Boone who is stuck repeating the same day over and over again. You’ll need to use this to your advantage to solve and eventually prevent a series of murders that take place at the event.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
| Platforms | PC, PS4, XBO |
| Developer | Ubisoft San Francisco |
| Publisher | Ubisoft |
| Scheduled Release Date | Q1 2017 |
South Park: The Stick of Truth was one of my favourite games of 2014 and I’m incredibly happy that Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Ubisoft are making another one. The Fractured But Whole moves the game away from the fantasy genre of the previous game and sees the kids now playing superheroes. The idea of Civil War in the style of South Park sounds great, and if Ubisoft can build upon the excellent foundations laid by Obsidian then they’re definitely onto a winner.
State of Decay 2
| Platforms | PC, XBO |
| Developer | Undead Labs |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios |
| Scheduled Release Date | 2017 |
The original State of Decay was a move away from the typical, zombie games of its time. Eschewing the more action-packed nature of its genre-mates, it instead focused on challenging players to scavenge an open-world filled with zombie hordes and putting a focus on survival mechanics. The only thing missing from the original was co-operative multiplayer, which State of Decay 2 includes. Now you’ll get to try and survive the zombie apocalypse with up to three friends. I can’t wait.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
| Platforms | PS4 |
| Developer | Naughty Dog |
| Publisher | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Scheduled Release Date | 2017 |
While I’m fully aware that The Lost Legacy won’t be a full game, I’m still more than happy to jump back into the world of Uncharted at any given opportunity. Having Chloe Price as the playable character this time around, after her exclusion from Uncharted 4, is a smart move after declaring A Thief’s End would be Nathan Drake’s final adventure. The Lost Legacy is also a great way of basically confirming that Uncharted will continue forward, and maybe also a glimpse into the direction the main series will take in the future.
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