I never made one of these back in 2017.
I was going to keep it that way but the lack of continuity eventually got to me. While finishing my 2018 list I came around on the idea of revisiting my best-of-2017 list with a full year of hindsight to guide my choices!
An open world filled with warmth and character. A bravely stripped-back OST that serves the game brilliantly. A network of interlocking physics and systems that lead to moment after wondrous moment. Tarrey Town. The only thing that would make this gift of a game almost perfect in my eyes is some sort of Epilogue-style DLC that lets you roam around post-Calamity Ganon Hyrule. Time has only cemented its place as one of my favourite games of all time. I don't really know what else to say.
I did the thing I imagine most new players do when they come to Path of Exile - stare at the sprawling passive skill tree for about 45 minutes, slowly being overcome by a sense of existential dread. Once I got over that hurdle though, I discovered an incredible Diablo-style loot game with an expansive skill/gem system; it's legit one of the most expressive character builders I've ever seen. Also the 10-act story is really well done with some fantastic NZ voice acting. I fell deep into this, and may yet fall back in again soon.
I watched PUBG from a distance through most of 2017 until it released on Xbox late that year. Sure it didn't (and in many ways still doesn't) hold a candle to the PC version performance-wise, but PUBG on Xbox is still compelling, terrifying, exhilarating. It's one of the best streaming games ever IMO; I watched almost as much as I played.
I dabbled with this in 2015 on Wii U, but the Treasure Trove release on Switch is when I really fell for Shovel Knight's super-tight gameplay and effortless charm. The village music still gets stuck in my head to this day.
The most batshit-crazy plot of the year was somehow also a vehicle for the believable humanising of the world's most successful Nazi murderer. Well That Escalated Quickly: The Videogame.
Popular opinion seemed to turn on Odyssey a few months after release. I haven't gone back to it since beating the game but my memories of the time I spent with it are joyous and magical and goddammit it introduced the world to NEW DONK GODDAMNED CITY TEN OUT OF TEN FOREVER.
A beautiful little puzzle with outstanding art and a chill vibe.
I still haven't beaten this game and it kinda doesn't matter. A triumph of art and presentation wrapped around a sometimes brutally difficult old school platformer/shoot-em-up. The disparate parts come together exceptionally well.
As the years go by I become convinced more and more that Sonic the Hedgehog was never a Good Game. Sonic Mania didn't change my mind in 2017, but it weaponised my nostalgia for the parts of Sonic I loved (mostly the Chemical Plant Zone music) and is as close to a "good" modern Sonic game as there could be.
"Hey why is everyone talking about this game? Fine I'll give it a go. Wow it's really just one of these, isn't it? They're really taking their time milking the inevitable ---- aaaaagghhhhh! AAAAAAGGHHSHHHHH!!!!"
*** Originally this was number 10 but I totally forgot about Path of Exile, which bumped this down to 11. It should be off the list but I already wrote a thing so too bad it stays ***
This one JUST snuck past Splatoon 2 to make the list. I've not fired a shot since beating the campaign. I'll likely never play the raid, nor will I buy Forsaken and try to make sense of all the new systems. But even as a 20ish hour mostly single-player experience I had a great time with Destiny 2. Riskrunner forever!
