2017 Game of the Year, Part 2

Part 2 of the list of the best games I played for the first time in 2017. Again, they’re in no particular order, but they are better games than those in Part 1. Although those in Part 1 were great too. Erm. After this there’ll be one more post with the Actual Best Game of 2017, which isn’t any of these.

SteamWorld Heist (3DS)

I’ve no idea why it took me so long to jump into this. I like turn based strategy games, I loved the aesthetic of SteamWorld Dig, and the reviews (from people I trust especially) were very complimentary. When I finally did buy it – oh my was it great.

A side-on, platformy strategy turn based shooter was waiting for me. And I loved every minute. Bought the DLC. 100%ed the game. Outstanding game. Just a little too short, perhaps? If I had to choose something negative, I mean.

I’m hoping for a sequel in 2018. Got on it, Image & Form!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

Waaaait a minute, I hear you cry. Zelda wasn’t Game of the Year? Nope, sorry.

It was excellent. It took everything I liked about 3D Zelda games (er, it being Zelda, mainly) and took out or changed everything that I hated about them. It’s open world, it’s mostly completely choose your own path. There’s loads to find, tonnes to do, and it’s slick and clever and just a bit… disappointing.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of the best games this year. It’s the best 3D Zelda by a long way. But being unable to climb walls when it’s raining, no proper dungeons, and (Lynels aside) an almost complete lack of any sort of challenge temper that a bit. But it’s really very, very good. Honest.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm (PS4)

I mentioned this on the ugvm podcast, and on my diary so won’t go over it all again here, except to say this: it’s a fantastic, gripping story, but it’s not as epic or interesting as the original Life is Strange. Before the Storm is still absolutely worth your time, though, even if Chloe isn’t Chloe.

Gorogoa (Switch)

This came in late in 2017. Very late, in fact – in the very last week of the year. But I completed it and felt very clever.

It’s a point and click puzzle adventure game with an unusual method of solving puzzles that’s too long winded to explain here. You feel like you’re juggling several puzzles at once in your head, and needing to re-arrange scenes on the screen (and separate “slices” of them out) just adds several layers of confusion and complexity to them.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst (Switch)

I suppose years ago, I wouldn’t have given this a second look. However, you may have seen that a while back I ran through all the Mega Man and Mega Man X titles, and I also enjoyed the (freebie) original Mighty Gunvolt – which was basically Mega Man in different clothes.

Well, Mighty Gunvolt Burst takes Mighty Gunvolt and ramps it up into a full Mega Man experience. With elemental bosses, that provide weapons to help defeat other bosses weak to those element. There’s a massively deep and varied upgrade system for both moves and attacks, and if that wasn’t enough there’s a whole separate character (with different skills) to play as too. Then they added a third character!

One of the best platformers of the year and so replayable. I’ve completed it about 8 times now, if you need some sort of proof.

SteamWorld Dig 2 (Switch)

Also one of the best platformers of the year, is SteamWorld Dig 2.

I loved the first game. I bought it twice, in fact. This sequel improves on it in almost every way possible though – it’s bigger, more varied, has a better story, has more interesting upgrades, has less grinding for money, and, well, is just better OK? OK.

Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

Also one of the best platformers of the year, is Super Mario Odyssey.

Sure, I’ve been quite dismissive of it. At the end, with the grinding coins to buy moons, I was actively hating it. If you don’t go for 100% though, and stop playing once you’ve had enough (which was around 500 of the 999 moons for me), then it’s hard to fault it.

It looks glorious. The originally un-Mario soundtrack and un-Mario graphics, over time, became “normal” for Mario and what was originally a mess of art styles just worked. It’s creative, Mario is a joy to control, and although it’s not the followup to Mario 64 I really wanted I can’t argue that until it outstays its welcome it’s utterly sublime.

It just has too many damn moons!

Stardew Valley (Switch)

I’d owned this for ages, unplayed, on Steam, but the problem with Steam is that is isn’t on the Switch. So when Stardew Valley appeared on that, I jumped on it.

It’s really just a clone of Harvest Moon, only how Harvest Moon on the SNES would have been if it continued evolving without changing graphically that much. If that makes sense. Everything is – or can be with the right tools or items – streamlined. You open shortcuts to places to save all the walking. You can sell anything by just sticking it in a box next to your house. Crops can be watered automatically. Animals can be fed automatically.

If I’m not selling it, then put it this way: I played it for 120 hours. 120! That’s more than any other game last year.

---

So then. Can you guess which game I’ve missed? Which title is my Game of the Year, 2017? It’s not Zelda or Mario, look – I’ve already mentioned them. Find out next time! How exciting.