Hi guys, it's that time of year again.
While there is a week of 2017 left to game in and many unopened xmas presents waiting under the tree, it's also busy for a lot of us with work and family commitments.
With that in mind, what are your personal favourite games of 2017? It can be an old game you played for the first time this year or a game from 2017 or both!
Mine is Dark Souls. I had played DS way back in the halcyon days of 2011 but only beat it this year. Truly a magnificent experience, combining old skool challenge with a modern asyncronous online system it also sports deep gameplay, badarse boss battles, a richly detailed world and some outstanding level design. It took a while to love the souls series but I would hold it up now as perhaps the second best IP from the last gen and generally one of the top five games of a pretty incredible generation.
Now for some honourable mentions:
Stardew Valley, the perfect panacea to a month of solid soulsing. Super addictive farming sim with elements of Animal Crossing, Zelda and Legend of the River King all combining to make a really chilled but also really engaging experience.
GOTY for 2017 for me is Sonic Mania. Everything you loved about Mega Drive era Sonic, condensed, refined and expanded upon into one amazing platform game.
X-men Vs Streetfighter, a sublime fighting game, broken as hell but pure fun. Still looks amazing with gorgeous sprite work and plays better than more modern updates to the series.
What are yours, guys?
Your GOTY 2017
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Sload Soap
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Your GOTY 2017
Sticking with old stuff I played this year of course. These are the three standouts.
Xak I・II (PC Engine CD)
A port/compilation of the computer originals, this is Micro Cabin's take on the Ys Book I & II formula. It contains all the elements found in the aforementioned classic: shockingly good music, the godly bump system, and that classic late 80s anime style art. It is undeniably derivative, but it's so well-crafted it doesn't matter. Anyone who enjoys classic ARPGs needs to check this out.
Emerald Dragon (Super Famicom)
Another port of an old computer JRPG, this one's got a fan translation as well. Emerald Dragon is "short" and unpretentious, with a killer OST and a unique turn-based / "bump" hybrid battle system. A 16-bit hidden gem for sure.
Cadash (TurboGrafx-16)
Taito's arcade classic, localized by Working Designs. The Genesis port is great too, but this one has all four character classes intact. Fantastic side-scrolling ARPG action, designed to be played and beaten in a single sitting. One of the greatest TG16 HuCard titles.
Xak I・II (PC Engine CD)
A port/compilation of the computer originals, this is Micro Cabin's take on the Ys Book I & II formula. It contains all the elements found in the aforementioned classic: shockingly good music, the godly bump system, and that classic late 80s anime style art. It is undeniably derivative, but it's so well-crafted it doesn't matter. Anyone who enjoys classic ARPGs needs to check this out.
Emerald Dragon (Super Famicom)
Another port of an old computer JRPG, this one's got a fan translation as well. Emerald Dragon is "short" and unpretentious, with a killer OST and a unique turn-based / "bump" hybrid battle system. A 16-bit hidden gem for sure.
Cadash (TurboGrafx-16)
Taito's arcade classic, localized by Working Designs. The Genesis port is great too, but this one has all four character classes intact. Fantastic side-scrolling ARPG action, designed to be played and beaten in a single sitting. One of the greatest TG16 HuCard titles.
Re: Your GOTY 2017
Yakuza0
This was my first time playing a Yakuza game. I wanted to before but the series was so deep in sequels I felt like the boat had sailed. Thankfully this is a prequel. A game anyone can play without any prior knowledge of the rest of the series. Almost from the very beginning, I was hooked. Kiryu while very naive and stoic, is a very likable main character. Majima is a little more exuberant but not by a whole lot when you start out with him. The game alternates in chapters between the two main protagonists. Exploring the city is fun, not as detailed as Shenmue but this game, once you get past surface level comparisons, is a very different game than Shenmue. Music is great at times and fun but cheesy at others. What really grabbed me is the story. My god, this game is incredibly well written and acted. I played some games with great stories but this is the one that tugged at my emotions the most. Not since Assassins Creed II have I been so attached to the characters and far more so in this game than ACII. This made me a fan of the series and left a real impact on me. Esp that ending. Oh, the feels!
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
I will say this from the outright. Without spoiling anything. There is a good reason this is called Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I just hope you played the original on Wii/3DS. If not that's ok as you will still be ok. I have gone into detail before why I love this series in the collections within collections thread. This game is more Xenoblade and that's good enough. It also has parts that remind me of Skies of Arcadia esp early on. The OST is fantastic. I do have some issues but overall it's more Xenoblade and that's why I love it.
Nier Automata
I liked the first Nier but it was a game I liked more on potential than actually playing it. I think it's safe to say most fans felt this way. That's where Platinum comes in for the sequel. Easily the best dodge I have ever seen in a game. The combat isn't Bayonetta but it's not trying to be is very smooth. The world is imaginative and fun to explore. The music is fucking amazing! It won the best OST for a reason. It's emotional and not in a shitty David Cage way. The story is so well done and bonkers. This is another sequel where you don't need to play the first. You will just not get some references. Oh, and as an assman in the year of nice VG asses like Zelda and Twintelle,2B has the best ass of 2017! 2B or not 2B!
The rest are.
Matterfall
Raiden V (PS4)
Nex Machina
.hack GU HD
Persona 5
Mario Odyssey
BOTW
In that order.
Honorable mention
Yakuza Kiwami
Ys 8
RiME
Metroid Samus Returns
Games I played in 2017 not released in 2017 I loved in no real order.
Digimon Cybersleuth
Assault Suit Leynos
Dragon's Dogma
Undertale
Astebreed
Darius Burst CS
Deathsmiles
Caladrious Blaze
Raiden IV
Soldner X-2
Implosion Never Lose Hope
MUSHA
Akai Katana
Espgaluda II
Mushihime-Sama Futari Ver 1.5
Bulk Slash
Ys Origin
This was my first time playing a Yakuza game. I wanted to before but the series was so deep in sequels I felt like the boat had sailed. Thankfully this is a prequel. A game anyone can play without any prior knowledge of the rest of the series. Almost from the very beginning, I was hooked. Kiryu while very naive and stoic, is a very likable main character. Majima is a little more exuberant but not by a whole lot when you start out with him. The game alternates in chapters between the two main protagonists. Exploring the city is fun, not as detailed as Shenmue but this game, once you get past surface level comparisons, is a very different game than Shenmue. Music is great at times and fun but cheesy at others. What really grabbed me is the story. My god, this game is incredibly well written and acted. I played some games with great stories but this is the one that tugged at my emotions the most. Not since Assassins Creed II have I been so attached to the characters and far more so in this game than ACII. This made me a fan of the series and left a real impact on me. Esp that ending. Oh, the feels!
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
I will say this from the outright. Without spoiling anything. There is a good reason this is called Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I just hope you played the original on Wii/3DS. If not that's ok as you will still be ok. I have gone into detail before why I love this series in the collections within collections thread. This game is more Xenoblade and that's good enough. It also has parts that remind me of Skies of Arcadia esp early on. The OST is fantastic. I do have some issues but overall it's more Xenoblade and that's why I love it.
Nier Automata
I liked the first Nier but it was a game I liked more on potential than actually playing it. I think it's safe to say most fans felt this way. That's where Platinum comes in for the sequel. Easily the best dodge I have ever seen in a game. The combat isn't Bayonetta but it's not trying to be is very smooth. The world is imaginative and fun to explore. The music is fucking amazing! It won the best OST for a reason. It's emotional and not in a shitty David Cage way. The story is so well done and bonkers. This is another sequel where you don't need to play the first. You will just not get some references. Oh, and as an assman in the year of nice VG asses like Zelda and Twintelle,2B has the best ass of 2017! 2B or not 2B!
The rest are.
Matterfall
Raiden V (PS4)
Nex Machina
.hack GU HD
Persona 5
Mario Odyssey
BOTW
In that order.
Honorable mention
Yakuza Kiwami
Ys 8
RiME
Metroid Samus Returns
Games I played in 2017 not released in 2017 I loved in no real order.
Digimon Cybersleuth
Assault Suit Leynos
Dragon's Dogma
Undertale
Astebreed
Darius Burst CS
Deathsmiles
Caladrious Blaze
Raiden IV
Soldner X-2
Implosion Never Lose Hope
MUSHA
Akai Katana
Espgaluda II
Mushihime-Sama Futari Ver 1.5
Bulk Slash
Ys Origin
Re: Your GOTY 2017
From this year, probably either Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey. Both games were fantastic. I scored Odyssey higher, but BotW held my attention for much, much longer. (Although I also had less to distract me for current releases at that point.)
Or Ys VIII, which also absolutely rocked.
EDIT: Absolute best games I beat this year regardless of release date were Contra and Mega Man 2. Of course!
Or Ys VIII, which also absolutely rocked.
EDIT: Absolute best games I beat this year regardless of release date were Contra and Mega Man 2. Of course!
Last edited by Sarge on Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Your GOTY 2017
Crazy year. Top 2 are miles above the rest and a close call. Never thought my Zelda would be dethroned especially with how mindblowing and evolving BoTW is, but insane existential sci-fi Japanese as hell Xenogears-ish Nier Automata resonated with me immensely on every level and might be the best game I've played since Demon's Souls.
1. Nier Automata
2. Zelda Breath of the Wild
3. Sonic Mania
4. Yakuza 0
5. The Evil Within 2
6. Prey
7. Metroid Samus Returns
8. Super Mario Odyssey
9. Tekken 7
10. Resident Evil 7
Yo, I like Japanese games.
Oh I can see the heads rolling! Yes, Sonic Mania is better than Mario Odyssey to me. I never though we'd get quite possibly the greatest Sonic game of all time 20 years after its heyday and it hit me really hard just how much I love those old ones. My 16bit blood is thick. I sold Horizon Zero Dawn for Yakuza 0 and I'd do it again if I could. The Evil Within 2 was a huge step up from the first game, which I already liked, but this one was just damn good and scratched the classic Resident Evil / Silent Hill itch. Prey is very close and maybe these two could flip flop, Prey gave me some Dead Space vibes actually... or Doom 3 and of course System Shock, I'm a real sucker for lonely spaceship horror ventures. I also like Samus Returns more than Odyssey, I appreciated the high difficulty level and it felt really rewarding to finish. Odyssey is still pure bliss though and I'm currently going for 500 moons now, loving my second run through the worlds. Tekken 7 is the most fun I've had with a fighter in AGES, put about 30+ hours on it according to Steam so far, not including the parties my friends and I have had with it locally, so damn fun. RE7 I have nitpicks about, but I'm already excited to replay it and check out the DLC sometime, I think Capcom made yet another great game that'll be fun to continually go back to.
Still want to play:
- Nioh
- Xenoblade 2
- Yakuza Kiwami
Honorable Mentions:
- Dishonored Death of the Outsider (short and more of an extension of 2)
- Cuphead
- Wolfenstein II (actually disappointing, gameplay is average at best. Replayed New Doom after this and the difference is laughable)
It's crazy that I kept up as well as I did this year. That's all this year! Here's some other newer favorites that I would highly recommend:
- Dishonored 2 (would give a lot of my 2017 release list a huge challenge, like this beats Prey, etc. It's incredible)
- Duke Nukem 3D 20th Anniversary World Tour (great new port)
- Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Ratchet & Clank PS4
- Mushihimesama
- Crash Bandicoot N-San Trilogy
Favorite replays:
- Dead Space 1-2
- FEAR Expansions (better than I remembered)
- New Doom
- Dark Souls (+2 new characters)
Dropped:
1. Sly 3 HD
2. Horizon Zero Dawn
3. Turok HD
4. Mighty No 9
5. Homefront
Classics:
1. Mega Man Legends 1-2
2. Contra Hard Corps
3. Contra III The Alien Wars
4. Contra
5. Super C
...
6. Mega Turrican
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
8. Mighty Final Fight
9. System Shock Enhanced Edition
10. Marchen Adventure Cotton 100% (SNES)
Favorite Classic replays:
- Doom 2 (6 megawads)
- Streets of Rage 1-3 (Bare Knuckle versions)
- Earthworm Jim (Genesis)
- Mega Man & Bass (also played the MMLC2, but I really love MM&B and wish it was on there too)
101 games beat this year.
1. Nier Automata
2. Zelda Breath of the Wild
3. Sonic Mania
4. Yakuza 0
5. The Evil Within 2
6. Prey
7. Metroid Samus Returns
8. Super Mario Odyssey
9. Tekken 7
10. Resident Evil 7
Yo, I like Japanese games.
Oh I can see the heads rolling! Yes, Sonic Mania is better than Mario Odyssey to me. I never though we'd get quite possibly the greatest Sonic game of all time 20 years after its heyday and it hit me really hard just how much I love those old ones. My 16bit blood is thick. I sold Horizon Zero Dawn for Yakuza 0 and I'd do it again if I could. The Evil Within 2 was a huge step up from the first game, which I already liked, but this one was just damn good and scratched the classic Resident Evil / Silent Hill itch. Prey is very close and maybe these two could flip flop, Prey gave me some Dead Space vibes actually... or Doom 3 and of course System Shock, I'm a real sucker for lonely spaceship horror ventures. I also like Samus Returns more than Odyssey, I appreciated the high difficulty level and it felt really rewarding to finish. Odyssey is still pure bliss though and I'm currently going for 500 moons now, loving my second run through the worlds. Tekken 7 is the most fun I've had with a fighter in AGES, put about 30+ hours on it according to Steam so far, not including the parties my friends and I have had with it locally, so damn fun. RE7 I have nitpicks about, but I'm already excited to replay it and check out the DLC sometime, I think Capcom made yet another great game that'll be fun to continually go back to.
Still want to play:
- Nioh
- Xenoblade 2
- Yakuza Kiwami
Honorable Mentions:
- Dishonored Death of the Outsider (short and more of an extension of 2)
- Cuphead
- Wolfenstein II (actually disappointing, gameplay is average at best. Replayed New Doom after this and the difference is laughable)
It's crazy that I kept up as well as I did this year. That's all this year! Here's some other newer favorites that I would highly recommend:
- Dishonored 2 (would give a lot of my 2017 release list a huge challenge, like this beats Prey, etc. It's incredible)
- Duke Nukem 3D 20th Anniversary World Tour (great new port)
- Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Ratchet & Clank PS4
- Mushihimesama
- Crash Bandicoot N-San Trilogy
Favorite replays:
- Dead Space 1-2
- FEAR Expansions (better than I remembered)
- New Doom
- Dark Souls (+2 new characters)
Dropped:
1. Sly 3 HD
2. Horizon Zero Dawn
3. Turok HD
4. Mighty No 9
5. Homefront
Classics:
1. Mega Man Legends 1-2
2. Contra Hard Corps
3. Contra III The Alien Wars
4. Contra
5. Super C
...
6. Mega Turrican
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
8. Mighty Final Fight
9. System Shock Enhanced Edition
10. Marchen Adventure Cotton 100% (SNES)
Favorite Classic replays:
- Doom 2 (6 megawads)
- Streets of Rage 1-3 (Bare Knuckle versions)
- Earthworm Jim (Genesis)
- Mega Man & Bass (also played the MMLC2, but I really love MM&B and wish it was on there too)
101 games beat this year.
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Your GOTY 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was, far and away, the best game I played this year. It was just so incredible.
The “honorable mentions” are, in no particular order:
Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero
3D Fantasy Zone II W
The Guardian Legend
The Clash at Demonhead
Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders
Device 6
Metroid Samus Returns
Gorogoa
Some of these were real surprises, and all of the, were pretty great (especially 3D Fantasy Zone II W).
The “honorable mentions” are, in no particular order:
Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero
3D Fantasy Zone II W
The Guardian Legend
The Clash at Demonhead
Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders
Device 6
Metroid Samus Returns
Gorogoa
Some of these were real surprises, and all of the, were pretty great (especially 3D Fantasy Zone II W).
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Exhuminator
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- Contact:
Re: Your GOTY 2017
At this point in time, I have finished 126 games* in 2017. I may beat a few more before 2018. However, I doubt any of the games I have lined up before 2018 will exceed the choices I already have now. So, I'll go ahead and call it.
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My overall GOTY for 2017, meaning the best game I beat regardless of original release date:
Yeah, Demon's Souls. DeS is like eight years old now or something. But I only played through Demon's Souls for the first time this year. Out of the 126 games I've played so far, Demon's Souls is not only the best, but like miles above everything else. This game is ridiculously awesome. A hugely challenging, darkly beautiful experience one simply cannot forget.
Runner up: Brandish 2: The Planet Buster (SFC)
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My GOTY for 2017 (that actually released in 2017):
Zwei: The Ilvard Resurrection. XSEED did us all a huge favor when they localized and published Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection. Too bad hardly anyone has bothered to play it. I however did, as I'm a big fan of Japanese action-RPGs, and Falcom. Yes Falcom made this game, and it exudes pure quality as a direct result. Zwei's fantastic and deserves more love than it's gotten thus far from the west.
Runner up: Blaster Master Zero (3DS)
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* List of games I've beaten so far in 2017:
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My overall GOTY for 2017, meaning the best game I beat regardless of original release date:
Yeah, Demon's Souls. DeS is like eight years old now or something. But I only played through Demon's Souls for the first time this year. Out of the 126 games I've played so far, Demon's Souls is not only the best, but like miles above everything else. This game is ridiculously awesome. A hugely challenging, darkly beautiful experience one simply cannot forget.
Runner up: Brandish 2: The Planet Buster (SFC)
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My GOTY for 2017 (that actually released in 2017):
Zwei: The Ilvard Resurrection. XSEED did us all a huge favor when they localized and published Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection. Too bad hardly anyone has bothered to play it. I however did, as I'm a big fan of Japanese action-RPGs, and Falcom. Yes Falcom made this game, and it exudes pure quality as a direct result. Zwei's fantastic and deserves more love than it's gotten thus far from the west.
Runner up: Blaster Master Zero (3DS)
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* List of games I've beaten so far in 2017:
PLAY KING'S FIELD.
Re: Your GOTY 2017
I got a Round1 arcade in my area and it really got me hard into gaming again after a long break thanks to two games in particular, both though are technically from 2016:
Dance Dance Revolution A - wow, this really is an ideal version of DDR. The song list is huge, the monitor is bright, the speakers are loud and clear; it's everything a DDR fan like me has been dreaming of seeing in an arcade! I was used to playing on an old Supernova cabinet and this completely blows it away. It's re-ignited my passion for DDR!
Beatmania IIDX 24: Sinobuz - I can't believe I have easy access to a IIDX machine. And the series has come SO FAR since I played last! (I was mostly familiar with PS2 versions, the most recent of which is still 8 years old.) The song list is ASTOUNDINGLY gigantic, so I'm constantly experiencing new songs. There are elements I'm not used to like charge notes and backspin-scratches. When I'm playing this, I can easily lose track of time and end up sinking in way too much money. But I love it.
And both of those games are e-Amusement compatible, so my scores can be ranked online! I'm not a world-class player by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still really cool! Both games are basically like a fantasy made reality. Konami might not be too interested in the US market or console games at the moment, but I hope they keep their Bemani series going strong!
Dance Dance Revolution A - wow, this really is an ideal version of DDR. The song list is huge, the monitor is bright, the speakers are loud and clear; it's everything a DDR fan like me has been dreaming of seeing in an arcade! I was used to playing on an old Supernova cabinet and this completely blows it away. It's re-ignited my passion for DDR!
Beatmania IIDX 24: Sinobuz - I can't believe I have easy access to a IIDX machine. And the series has come SO FAR since I played last! (I was mostly familiar with PS2 versions, the most recent of which is still 8 years old.) The song list is ASTOUNDINGLY gigantic, so I'm constantly experiencing new songs. There are elements I'm not used to like charge notes and backspin-scratches. When I'm playing this, I can easily lose track of time and end up sinking in way too much money. But I love it.
And both of those games are e-Amusement compatible, so my scores can be ranked online! I'm not a world-class player by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still really cool! Both games are basically like a fantasy made reality. Konami might not be too interested in the US market or console games at the moment, but I hope they keep their Bemani series going strong!
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PartridgeSenpai
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- Location: Northern Japan
Re: Your GOTY 2017
The only game that actually came out in 2017 that I played this year was Snipper Clips, I'm fairly sure, so I guess that's my GOTY of this year. Not a bad game by any means, but winning by default is hardly much of a win 
As for the top 10 I've actually played:
10. Saints Row 2
9. Dead to Rights: Retribution
8. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
7. Youkai Watch Sangokushi
6. La-Mulana
5. UPPERS
4. Yakuza 2 HD Edition
3. Super Mario 3D World
2. Watchdogs 2
1. Youkai Watch 3: Sukiyaki
The qualifier for all of them is that they were games I just DIDN'T want to end. I had such unbridled fun with all of them, I was just so crushed when I (often literally) ran out of things to do in them. I'm working on finishing up school and dealing with home stuff, so time has definitely been tighter for gaming this year than it has others. I didn't beat or play nearly as many games as previous years (stacked on the lack of time, there's at least 3 or 4 games that took up as many months or more of my time, that isn't surprising), but I definitely had a lot of FUN this year, even without a huge number of games beaten
As for the top 10 I've actually played:
10. Saints Row 2
9. Dead to Rights: Retribution
8. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
7. Youkai Watch Sangokushi
6. La-Mulana
5. UPPERS
4. Yakuza 2 HD Edition
3. Super Mario 3D World
2. Watchdogs 2
1. Youkai Watch 3: Sukiyaki
The qualifier for all of them is that they were games I just DIDN'T want to end. I had such unbridled fun with all of them, I was just so crushed when I (often literally) ran out of things to do in them. I'm working on finishing up school and dealing with home stuff, so time has definitely been tighter for gaming this year than it has others. I didn't beat or play nearly as many games as previous years (stacked on the lack of time, there's at least 3 or 4 games that took up as many months or more of my time, that isn't surprising), but I definitely had a lot of FUN this year, even without a huge number of games beaten
I identify everyone via avatar, so if you change your avatar, I genuinely might completely forget who you are. -- Me
Re: Your GOTY 2017
Tie between Cuphead and Zelda. Mario is close behind.
Cuphead is the coolest looking and sounding game ever made and it has great, one more try, gameplay. Zelda I just could not stop playing. And Mario games always just make me feel happy.
Cuphead is the coolest looking and sounding game ever made and it has great, one more try, gameplay. Zelda I just could not stop playing. And Mario games always just make me feel happy.