We’ve come out with an “official” Forbes GOTY list where we all voted to give input and we came up with a tier list that Erik Kain compiled. But a lot of people have been asking me personally what are my top games of 2017.
Keep in mind that these are my favorite games of the year, not necessarily a list of what are empirically the “best” games of the year. Yes, there is a difference. I recognize that Super Mario Odyssey is flat-out better than many of these, but it didn’t make my list, for instance. So don’t yell at me, okay? You’re still going to yell at me aren’t you. Well, I tried.
Here are my five favorite games of the year, and I’ll try to explain why:
5. Paperclips
Yes, this browser-based oddity is making my list. It’s a brilliant game, one that’s barely a game as you try to manufacture paperclips and soon discover that it spirals into something else entirely. It’s a fun spin on a Cookie Clicker-style game but with more complex, engaging mechanics and an actual message to it, if you reach the end, a cautionary tale about the dangers of AI, even when you’re designing bots and algorithms to simply make paperclip manufacturing more efficient. I’ve beaten it three or four times for no other reason than it just being satisfying to do so, and it’s genuinely one of the most memorable gaming experiences I’ve had this year.
4. Destiny 2
If I was also making a list of the most disappointing games of the year, Destiny 2 would be on that as well, but as it stands, I have enjoyed most of my time with Destiny 2, and I’ve enjoyed talking about Destiny 2, complaining, praising, debating, writing fan-fiction. Yes, I know Destiny 2 does a million different things wrong, but I’ve still put probably 200 hours into it because that’s how much I like this series, that’s how much I continue to like the gunplay and looting and all of it, really. There are big, obvious, dumb problems with Destiny 2, especially compared to where we left off with Destiny 1, but there are also a lot of improvements that have gone overlooked now that everyone is focused on what’s obviously wrong. The first playthrough especially is still a really solid experience, and I believe Bungie will continue to build out an endgame worth playing based on fan feedback. I suppose we’ll see in the coming year.
3. Marvel’s Contest of Champions
A browser game, now a mobile game, what is this? Far and away, the game I’ve spent the most time with this year is Marvel’s Contest of Champions, a F2P mobile title that yes, is gacha, yes, is kind of pay-to-win but I’ll be damned if I don’t love it. It’s a superhero fighter with a surprising amount of depth as you build up a roster of champions and learn how to fight with each of them in a series of taps and swipes that require far more skill and patience than you’d imagine. But the real reason this game is so high on my list is because it’s the first time I’ve been a part of a true game “clan” in ages. I play with four of my real-life friends, friends who no longer own the video game consoles we all need to play other games together, and are too busy to do so anyway, but this? This is a game we can all play on our own schedule, and make progress together. And in addition to the friends I know, there are 20 other people in the clan from Texas to India to Japan who I’ve gotten to know in six months. No other mobile game has ever hooked me like this, and combining solid gameplay with a robust clan that’s keeping my interest alive.
2. Assassin’s Creed Origins
It’s hard to overstate just how much Assassin’s Creed Origins impressed me. It’s not The Witcher 3, but it’s damn close, emulating that game in almost every way, creating one of the most beautiful, engaging open worlds I’ve ever experience. I have not 100%-ed an open world game in years now, but Assassin’s Creed Origins made me want to do so for the first time. Every outfit, every weapon, every mission, every base taken over. I had to do it all because I simply did not want to stop playing. It’s frankly miraculous that for as much trouble as this series has endured lately, that Ubisoft went back to the drawing board and created a title that managed to be the best in the series, more so than even Black Flag before it. From combat to story to visuals, it’s a truly impressive achievement in a year full of impressive achievements.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Despite a few unorthodox picks on this list, I have to end by being cliché. While Mario may have slipped off my list, Breath of the Wild did not. It very well might be one of the best games ever made, a once-in-a-generation title that redefines the Zelda experience and that concept of what open world games can be. After 120+ hours you can still find new, unexpected things in the game, and Breath of the Wild contains some of my favorite quests and puzzles I’ve ever come across in a game. There are still a few things that bother me (you’ll never convince me weapon durability is fun), but Zelda is about as close to perfect as you can get. I will never forget my time with this game, and it’s hard to believe that Nintendo is still capable of making games this good after all these years, redefining entire series and genres on a whim.
Honorable Mentions:
Super Mario Odyssey – A lovely game that I probably need to keep exploring more, but another example of brilliant Nintendo innovation and iteration.
Horizon Zero Dawn – Quite possibly the most beautiful game I have ever played. Needed a bit more depth, but the birth of something great for PlayStation.
Injustice 2 – A fighting game that got me back into the genre after being disinterested for years. Surprisingly great PvE content and Diablo-style loot kept me hooked for a solid month.
PUBG – I didn’t get as into PUBG as most people, but I recognize its brilliance all the same. I’ll be spending more time with this in 2018.
Prey – I really, really loved this game more than I was expecting. A unique blend of stealth, problem solving and occasionally, ill-advised open combat.
Games I did not play I still need to: Nier, Persona 5, Cuphead, Divinity 2, Hellblade
Dishonorable Mentions: Wolfenstein 2 (terrible gameplay), Shadow of War (laborious structure), Hearthstone (so expensive it made me quit), Ghost Recon Wildlands (stupidly big for its own sake)
That’s my list, what about yours?
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