Game of the Year 2017 User's Choice

(Warning: Dramatic, self-indulgent writing about my life)

2017 was... 2017.

Kind of a clusterfuck of a year. And yet this is year was the most important year I've ever lived through.

I started hormone replacement therapy, I legally changed my name and gender, I moved out of home, I'm now dating a number of wonderful people who fill my life with joy and meaning. I began exploring so many parts of myself and I am now far better for it.

2017 for me, was a crucible. And I'll be forever thankful for it.

In the midst of all that, however, I didn't actually have all that time to play any videogames for the most part. I say that every year, but this time it's even less than usual. Let's see what I can put down though.

List items

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  1. Bloodborne

  2017 was the year I finally gave Bloodborne the proper push it deserved. I'd previously gotten up to the Bloodstarved Beast and hit a wall. This year I broke through that and started to fully appreciate this game for the intensely horny, fetish-filled nightmare it is, and got to share that with one of the loves of my life.

  I've almost completed every chalice dungeon, and after that all that's left is the last couple bosses. I can't wait to NG+ and see all my old friends again.

  Ebrietas and the Moon Presence are my wives, the doll is my GF, and Lady Maria is a cute girl who stabs me in the chest sometimes. Vicar Amelia is a sweetheart.

  I love Bloodborne.

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  2. Hitman

  I'd always been pretty uninterested in Hitman as a series, being the sort of person who plays stealth games without killing people. But seeing the GB crew have so much fun with this instalment convinced me to pick it up early this year.

  I've had a great time throwing fire extinguishers at people's heads, and I think I'll continue to for some time.

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  3. House of the Dying Sun

  I never got that far into this game, eventually it hit a point where I just wasn't that good enough to progress, but this game weirdly means a lot to me?

  I really like space games, but only with a certain atmosphere, and House of the Dying Sun really captures what I want.

  It's lonely, serene, and quiet flight through an asteroid field, which then explodes into frenetic combat that is in some ways horrifying.

  The game's time limit until the enemy flagship arrives creates a great sense of urgency, and seeing and hearing the countdown in the final seconds before it arrives as you're trying to finish your last objective and warp out is an amazing feeling.

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  4. Bayonetta

  These sorts of action games have always felt quite out of reach for me. I loved the first Devil May Cry, but 3 was far too much for me to really grasp and enjoy properly.

  I finally gave Bayonetta a try this year after picking it up on steam and had an excellent time with it. Even if after finishing it I can't finish the second level on hard, I feel like I've gained skills in something that's always been out of my reach.

  I love Bayonetta herself so much and if anyone ever has a hookup on getting her glasses from this game let me know.