At the end of the day, Playtonic accomplished exactly what they set out to achieve with Yooka-Laylee and proved that 3D platformers can still be relevant in 2017. Yooka-Laylee is a fun, familiar, and nostalgic trip to a genre from the past that still holds up incredibly well in the present. It certainly proves that there is a place in the current landscape for games of this genre. If you miss the mascot platformer of yesteryear, then Yooka-Laylee will almost certainly give you your fill and make you feel warm inside.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is filled with unforgivable load times, piss poor visuals, and gunplay that is better in nearly every other military shooter. From top to bottom, it's an uninspired and technical mess. Many of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3's issues could have been looked over maybe five years ago, but not in 2017. It's a game that is almost certainly undeserving of your time and even more undeserving of your money. Dodge this bullet and go play almost any other first person shooter from this console era. I can guarantee you that you'll have a better time.
So, this leads us back to our long-debated question: are games art? Well, after playing RiME, I certainly believe so. RiME is a perfect example of just how impactful and important video games can be when looking to branch out and tell meaningful stories in new, unconventional ways. RiME joins an elite list in my mind of video games that everyone should experience in their lifetime. There's no question to me that video games are indeed art and RiME is a masterpiece of the medium.
The WipEout Omega Collection is a great bundle of racing games that still hold up quite well today. Returning fans of the franchise will find that the racing is as good as it ever was, but may be disappointed with the lack of extras included. Newcomers who are interested in giving the series a shot will find WipEout to be unlike any other racing game currently on the market, which is oddly refreshing for a collection of old games. All in all, the WipEout Omega Collection does its job as a remaster bundle even if it does feel sparse with bonus content.
Nex Machina is quick, challenging, and exactly what the arcade shooter genre needed.
Despite the issues that I have with the tracking in the game, I still think that SUPERHOT VR is a game that all first year adopters of PSVR need to check out. Not only is it one of the most unique experiences I have had in gaming this year, it might be one of the most unique I have had in my entire life. While I think the game is probably much better suited on either of the other virtual reality headsets on the market, playing SUPERHOT VR on PSVR will still give you hours of enjoyment even if you do have to calibrate your device more than you'd like. DualShockers reviewed the original, non-VR SUPERHOT on PS4 earlier today — check out that full review here.
Matterfall is a mechanically sound game but has very little to keep you coming back to chase high scores. As it stands, I enjoyed the handful of hours that I spent with it, but I can't see myself going back anytime soon. This greatly disappoints me since I have spent months if not years coming back to some of Housemarque's past ventures. While I like the new direction that Housemarque tried to go in with Matterfall, I'd be fine if we never ended up seeing a game in this same vein in the future.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy makes for a fun but brief journey while still boasting the same level of high quality that we have seen in past entries. While I would've loved to see more original content in this standalone journey, The Lost Legacy at the very least proves that the Uncharted franchise can still provide us with countless other adventures with Nathan Drake out of the picture. Despite not knowing when, where, or what the next Uncharted game will be, The Lost Legacy gives me hope and makes me excited to see what comes next in this series that I so enjoy.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has a special charm to it, which is something I didn't expect to say when first hearing about the project. While the allure of these two franchises coming together may be the draw for many, the surprising depth to its combat and the replayability that it offers are the real highlights. The fact that Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle turned out as well as it did makes me hope to see Nintendo work with other developers again in the future to utilize their beloved characters in new, unique ways just like this.
NBA 2K18 is the biggest departure that the series has had in recent years, which is both good and bad. Elements such as MyPlayer feel like they have the potential to be fantastic, but are still too mired by microtransactions and bugs in its current form to truly be the experience that I was hoping for. Gameplay continues to be the reason to pick up any NBA 2K game however, and NBA 2K18 doesn't miss the mark when it comes to putting forth the most realistic basketball sim on the market. With a few patches over the course of the next year, I'm hoping NBA 2K18 can continue to improve and fix many of the issues that I have with it out of the gate this season.
Shadow of War finds its success in perfectly expanding upon everything that made Shadow of Mordor so great. Despite the game's slow start, once you get into the weeds of Shadow of War's systems, you'll find yourself engrossed and addicted to its satisfying gameplay loop for hours on end. This increased depth along with the much larger scale of the world and battles within Shadow of War make it a far better game from top to bottom than that of its predecessor.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has become the new benchmark for single-player shooter campaigns. The sheer amount of freedom that players have to go along with the excellent gunplay make it one of the best shooters in years on those merits alone. Add in what is one the year's most compelling, important narratives and you have a recipe for an instant classic on your hands. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus isn't just 2017's best shooter, it's a game that will be looked back upon as one of the standout titles of this generation when it comes to an end.
In a time where Star Wars games aren't being made by the dozen however, Battlefront II at least still knows how to elicit the nostalgic, warm feelings that I have for this universe despite its many problems.
I feel like I've been a bit hard on A Hat in Time when I do find it to be a charming and fun game. I had hoped for some more originality to be seen in the game's mechanics or level design, but the lack thereof doesn't hinder the quality of the experience. Nothing in A Hat in Time is going to change how you think about 3D platformers, but if you know that ahead of time and are still looking for an enjoyable, cute collectaton, there are definitely worse options to choose from.
The legacy of Shadow of the Colossus has never been in question, but this PS4 edition has just further solidified its place amongst gaming's masterpieces.
The only positive thing I can say about Past Cure is that I've taken this hit and played the game for you so that you don't have to. In a time where I believe games are better than ever, I implore you to spend your hard-earned free time cozying up to literally any other game — even Superman 64. Past Cure is not just the worst game I have played over the past few years; it's now on the shortlist of worst games I've ever played in my life.
A Way Out has some ambitious, fantastic ideas at its core, but it's unfortunately surrounded by tiresome gameplay mechanics and a story that is just a bit too straightforward. While I think that the co-op focused nature of A Way Out could have better been executed upon, I endlessly credit Hazelight for trying something that I've never really seen done in this manner. Despite my issues, I really love the experimentation seen in A Way Out and hope to see more unique ideas like it in the future.
If you're looking to enjoy more of what Prey already was, then I think there's a lot to like with Mooncrash. The core systems and mechanics of Prey are still readily found in Mooncrash and as such make for a lot of fun, challenging objectives to overcome. For me, it was an experience that lost steam the longer I played, but I can't deny how much I enjoyed its initial opening hour.
Salt and Sanctuary takes the Souls-like formula to 2D and almost perfectly executes upon it. While it may not win points for originality, Ska Studios has done a fantastic job of transitioning the Souls style of combat into 2D while simultaneously mixing in elements of platforming and level design found in Metroidvania games. If you still haven't given one of these kinds of games a shot yet, Salt and Sanctuary is a great starting point for novices of the genre.
All-in-all, a second portion of Overcooked‘s co-op insanity was exactly what I was looking for. As they say though, variety is the spice of life, and I think Overcooked 2 could have used just a bit more of that: variety. Still, the resulting sequel isn't bad by any means and will absolutely fill you up if you're looking for precisely more of what the original had to offer. If Ghost Town Games were to go back for a third romp in the kitchen though, I'd love to see a few new things seasoned in next time around.