Games frOm The Year 2017
This year, I played many games, beat only a few, and still have only a handful. While it's been a banner year for video games, I've slowly come to the realization that either I have a very specific taste for what I like in games or I simply do not enjoy gaming as much/in the same way others do. I either missed many of the big hitters, or I was just not interested enough in them to get them, and the ones that I did try out I largely found myself not enjoying them as much as many other people seem to be.
I don't typically talk about gaming online, or talk with other gamers for a variety of reasons. I questioned whether or not to even write a GOTY list this year. Ultimately I did play a lot and I did enjoy most of it and I'd like to at least sort my thoughts and put them out there.
I'll start with a few words on some of the games I put a bit of time in, but either didn't stay with or don't have overly strong feelings about:
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus- I rented this from Redbox not long before writing this. I remember beating The New Order and liking it okay, but beyond that I can't really say much about it. TNC's biggest strength is in it's writing, which I really enjoyed for the most part. The gameplay can be hit or miss, but I seemed to have an easier time with it than others have. Maybe because I played it like an FPS Dishonored? I think DOOM kind of ate it's lunch, but it's still worth playing.
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star- I actually bought the Collector's Edition for this because I'm a fan of the Fate franchise (more on that later). Honestly, the game itself is basically a sub-par Dynasty Warriors with some pretty ugly graphics at times along with a questionable art style. The story is okay if you enjoy fanservice, but beyond that I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone but the most diehard Fate fans. The Tarot cards that came with my edition are kinda cool, I guess.
Tales of Berseria- I love the Tales series, but some of the recent entries have been hit or miss. I actively hated Zestiria, and when I learned that Berseria was going to be connected to it I was worried. Luckily, it is different enough from it's predecessor, and has some genuinely interesting characters. I kind of lost interest eventually, as the plot really wasn't holding me and the gameplay still wasn't really clicking in a satisfying way. I hope to come back to it at some point.
Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami- They're Yakuza games. They're good. You've probably seen the Beast in the East series if you're reading this. I will say, I don't think I liked the way you use money instead of experience points in 0 but that's a very small problem compared to everything else. Kiryu is still #1 video game dad.
Horizon Zero Dawn- Another rental. I was curious about it, but wasn't entirely sold. Honestly? I think I got my fill from the short time I spent with it. I didn't really like the combat or the stealth elements. Or the open world mechanics. Or... Well, I can see why people like it, but I don't think it was for me, to put it simply. Maybe I'll give it another try somewhere down the line.
Akiba’s Beat- I bought this because Akiba's Trip was a silly little game I enjoyed spending time with. I think Beat might be a technically better game, but to me it just felt like a bargain bin Tales game with some nerd culture humor sprinkled on top. I sold it off.
Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2- I'm not really much of a fighting games guy, to be honest. I've always respected them from a distance, and dipped my toes in a few titles from time to time, but I've never really gotten deep into them. Rev 2 is maybe the closest I've gotten to flirting with the idea of going deeper on fighting games. Not only is it still an amazing looking game, but the fighting is fun and the tutorial is one of the better ones I've seen. I'm still nowhere near what you might call "good", but I did get to a point where I was doing stuff that made me at least feel like I could be one day.
Monster Hunter Stories- I decided to try to learn a bit about Monster Hunter after the announcement of World, and this happened to release to fairly positive feedback around the time I did. It's got a cute style, and has a neat balance of a more casual Pokemon-type game with what someone like me might mistake for Monster Hunter. I enjoyed catching monsters and customizing my character, but eventually the Rock, Paper, Scissors combat and repetitive gameplay loop wore me down and I had to put it away for a bit. It's still installed on my 3DS and I intend to go back to it soon.
Divinity Original Sin II- I don't... Really have much to say here. I picked it up thanks to the hype train, but I haven't put a huge amount of time into it. It seems a bit overwhelming for me, but I'm going to give it another try at some point. I know my brother seems to love it, which is kind of crazy considering hes the type who usually only plays games like Overwatch and LoL.
Fire Emblem Heroes- It's a mobile game. It fits in nicely with my schedule. I've played a few FE titles, but I've never been a huge fan. Still, this thing seems like a really well done adaptation of that sort of game.
Doki Doki Literature Club- I don't really want to say too much about it, even if you've probably absorbed most of it through osmosis by now. It's worth a playing, I think. It's a fairly short game, but if you give it some time to simmer I think it has a greater effect. I know it managed to get me to think about it a lot, which is more than I can say for most of the other games I've listed.
And now, on to the 5 games I decided to give special attention to. They aren't necessarily listed from Best to Worst, or Least Favorite to Favorite or anything, but if that's something that matters to you then you can read the numbering however you want: