And it did it in a colorful, engaging, rewarding experience that reminded people why they loved The Legend of Zelda franchise, just in case they’d forgotten. Where players have traditionally been told games have open worlds, but then the developer sneaks in some linear limitations, Breath of the Wild offered about as much freedom as you can currently program. What both were rewarded with was a game that redefines open world exploration games. The diehards bought the game as soon as it was released, while the more cautious players held off until they knew it wasn’t going to be a disaster of a Zelda game. All Platformsīreath of the Wild did more to convince people the Nintendo Switch was a worthwhile purchase than any publicity Nintendo drummed up. Blazkowicz who was leading us through a compelling story about an alternate history’s ultimate oppression and we loved every second of it. Once again, we marveled at the fact that it was B.J. If Wolfenstein: The New Order suprised us with the sincerity and stakes in its narrative, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus blew our minds with how intense, visceral, emotional, and harrowing its story is.

It’s a ton of fun and looks great, yes, but the real triumph here is in the storytelling. For us, there was no better game than Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus this year. We know this article is supposed to be a roundup, and you’ll find other recommendations here, but understand this. For us, these were the ten best games we played this year. Anyone who likes gaming in any capacity, casual, hobbyists, professionals, noobs, or any level in between, will find a lot to love in 2017’s offerings. Every major genre had respectable entries, with original ideas and sequels both coming out strong. This past year was a solid one for video game releases.

These were the best games of 2017