What is an action game? Any game with action can be considered, but in my opinion, these are action/adventure games or games that are cinematic and full of flash and adrenaline-packed adventure.
Nier: Automata
NieR was the best action game this year because it was something new and fresh. While it wasn’t the most technically impressive game out there, the action was phenomenal with fast-moving characters and fluid combat against interesting enemies. It’s a weird one-of-a-kind game that we rarely get to see.
This was a decent year for racers as the two behemoths went toe-to-toe for the first time in years. Racers from nearly every series came out this year, but somehow didn’t quite make the splash we had hoped.
Forza Motorsport 7
The best racer is all about passion for the sport, and that’s whether it’s an arcade or simulator racer. Forza 7 put so much love and time into their cars, tracks, physics, and graphics that you almost felt it pass through the controller and into you. While all the runner-ups were well made and fun, you just didn’t quite feel the passion that Turn 10 has for motorsports.
Wolfenstein II was up against some big names, but it featured a unique and solid single-player campaign that the other shooters did not provide. The game felt good, was challenging, had a great story, and varied locales that were gorgeous to look at. Single-player shooters like Wolfenstein are hard to come by these days.
The puzzle genre is always hit or miss every year. There’s never a slew of AAA puzzle titles in the works, so what we usually get are surprise indie games that usually make a big splash and sell fairly well. 2017 was not that year, but it wasn’t completely empty.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
It doesn’t surprise me that the best puzzle game this year is on the Switch, it’s the perfect console for this type of game. With the mixing of Puyo Puyo and Tetris, it was a match made in heaven. I keep going back to this game and it never gets old.
What a weak year for strategy games. The usual big names like StarCraft, Civilization, and others are missing this year. There were a few great games, but they were so spread out I started to wonder if the genre died.
Total War: Warhammer II
Warhammer II was a no-brainer this year. Being even better than the already fantastic original, it’s massive in scale and delivers all the Warhammer essentials for fans of the series. It’s deep, beautiful, fun, and challenging.
2017 was a somewhat weak year for fighters as some of the biggest names produced lukewarm sequels. With no Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat this year, we were left with some other well-known games in the genre.
Whether you like DC Comics or not, the Injustice series has proved to be the best superhero fighting game out right now. With fast-paced, punchy action, good looking visuals, and a lot of content, Injustice 2 tops the last game on every level. This is the most robust, fun, and well-done fighter this year
This was one of the strongest console launches I can ever remember. For a first-year, Nintendo pumped out some fantastic games, as well as the strongest third-party support they have had in a decade. The system still has room to grow, but so far it’s impressive.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild isn’t just a superb open-world game set in the Zelda universe, but it changes the Zelda formula forever. One of the most popular and well-known franchises in entertainment history has just changed everything on the Switch, which is the biggest deal since Ocarina of Time nearly 2 decades ago. It pushes the Switch to its limits, looks gorgeous, plays amazingly smooth, and is so immersive and deep.
The original Walking Dead was a fantastic adventure game. It was well written, tense, memorable, and had amazing characters. The dialog choices kept the game moving, and you always felt like you were in control of every moment. Season Two adds to this while taking place moments after the end of the first game.
This time around, you play solely as Clementine. Right off the bat, I can tell you that your choices from the first season hardly impact Season Two. I imported my save, but I didn’t see many changes or choices I made from Season One affect anything here. We get an all-new cast, setting, and goal for Season Two that kept me going until the end.
Clementine is a child, but her raw character shows this season thanks to what she went through. Going from an innocent child to a hardened killer isn’t easy, and it makes Clementine such a likable character. Adults respect her for how mature she is; she can make adult decisions, but she still has some vulnerabilities that a child would have at her age. The new characters come across as strong, just like in Season One, but I felt a slight disconnect from them. Something about these new characters didn’t quite click as well. A lot is introduced early on, so this might be the reason.
Throughout the game, we are seeing Clem get to a word-of-mouth safe haven called Wellington as she meets new friends, makes new enemies, and has to escape dire circumstances. I feel that this time around, the game is more of an interactive movie than a game. There are hardly any gameplay moments, and there is zero puzzle solving. The action sequences are somewhat entertaining, but the horrific moments of terror are far and few this time around. The few spots where you can walk around an area feel pointless, as all you do is go to the only interactive object to progress. The gameplay is seriously lacking here, but that’s not really a bad thing.
The dialog options are still strong, and many choices had me wanting to go back and change my choice, but that’s good. I always thought about what would happen if I chose something else, as some choices are designed to unfold later and some are immediate. The pacing of this game is also slower and less balanced. There are many slow moments of downtime and dialog build-up. Sometimes 20 minutes would go by with nothing but dialog options, which is a stark contrast to the first game.
I did notice the visuals are slightly improved with better lighting and more detailed textures, but overall the game engine is seriously aging and doesn’t hold up to other games. Season Two is still a memorable game with great characters, excellent writing, and tense moments. If only it were paced better and had more gameplay.
This was a decent year for the PS4. With many older exclusive franchises being remastered for the system, plus some great new exclusives, the PS4 stood out from the rest. I would feel comfortable saying this is by far the best year for the system.
Horizon wasn’t just a great open-world game, it was one of the best ever created. Guerilla Games really pushed themselves by creating a beautiful post-apocalyptic world with characters we can care about. The gameplay is fun, challenging, and varied which makes you think before attacking. It’s the type of game that makes you think “PlayStation”.
Reissues used to get a lot of backlash as being an excuse to release older games just to get some extra cash due to the lack of exclusives. As of late, re-releases have improved with developers putting their heart and soul to painstakingly recreate a game to look amazing and play with a more modern play style. We went from some extra cash to preserving history.
Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy
Crash isn’t only one of my favorite childhood games of all time, but nearly every PlayStation owners’. N.Sane Trilogy lovingly recreated the entire game from the ground up keeping every little detail in view with great controls and gorgeous visuals, not to mention we get 3 whole games. I have never seen this much effort put into a remaster before.
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Try multiplayer. A lot of fun !