Is 2017 officially THE best year in gaming history?

We'll have to wait and see but I haven't been this excited about video games in a very long time. It's probably gonna end up being the best year for this console generation at least. The fact that we don't know much about the games coming out in the second half of the year is really intriguing as well.

Almost every year has given me at least one game to really admire and create memories with. That being said; 2017, even though I won't be playing most/not all are my cup of tea, looks to be one hell of a year with it's lineup. Even if the year falls short in the latter half, the beginning as more than made up for any shortcomings.

So people actually like this new ghost recon game? the beta was horrible

With the "drought" of Aaa games we had over the years this one is pretty good.

Said in another thread already (and possibly in three previous ones similiar to this...), that it's been a pretty great year so far. If I'd have to list the remaining months with potential games...

• March - Nier: Automata, Strafe and Snake Pass. I know Mass Effect: Andromeda is the obvious big release, but I've never been a huge ME fan. Obviously I still hope it'll be good.
• April - Outlast 2, Little Nightmares, Yooka-Laylee and Voodoo Vince Remastered. Same as with ME, I don't have personal interest for Persona 5, but I know a lot of people do!
• May - Prey.
• June - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

...well, besides Middle-earth: Shadow of War in August, rest of the year is kinda shrouded in mystery in terms of exact release dates, but games like Full Throttle Remastered, Cuphead, Hellblade, Nex Machina, Outcast: Second Contact, Parappa The Rapper Remastered, Routine, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are all (very likely) coming out throughout the whole year, so I feel pretty good about 2017 gaming-wise. Probably going to get some surprise releases as well!

...I somehow forgot about Season 2 for Hitman! They have to release at least 1-2 episodes this year.

I appreciate the capitalisation you used, it's like you're screaming "Aaa! Video games!"

This is all Kenny Omega's fault.

The only month that is not jam-packed with highly-anticipated games is July.

WHEN THE FUCK IS CUPHEAD COMING OUT

I know that this isn't contributing to the discussion. I think 2017 is a great year so far. We don't know how the end of it will go, but this has been one of the best starts to a year that I can remember.

Hehehe, Mass Effect Andromeda.

We all know it's 1998

So many games are released that we may get a game of legend every 2 or 3 months like the old days, but you'd have to own every platform, enjoy lackluster knockoffs and sequels, and bathe in nostalgia.

There are less good releases per platform, and more good franchises are sent off to die every year with 2nd rate clones taking their place.

Yes, so many awesome games like ???2, ???3, ???7, ???2, and ???: Resurrection. Lets not forget the long awaited expansion to ??? and the spiritual successor to ???.

Nah. Though it's been pretty good so far. Mass effect took the wind out of it's sails for me

Heaven's no, <insert x year was best year> <insert random list of games released in x year> ...to name a few

...Horizon is REAL GOOD. So who knows?

2017 has had more games I really like in 3 months than every year since I got back into videogames in 2013 (2014 was especially terrible). Maybe it's because I like Japan's more quirky approach (to Western eyes anyway), but damn. It's the first time I feel overwhelmed by the amount of quality games I really want to play and finish. It's insane. Zelda, Nioh, HZD, NieR, RE7, the last DS3 DLC, Persona 5. I have all of these games, and managed to only finish RE7. I'm mainly splitting my time between Zelda and DS3 right now, but I will definitely get back to the others after that.

@glots: Pretty sure you missed ze big one: Read Dead Redemption 2.

For me, it all depends on how good Destiny 2 is. There's a lot of potential there and it could possibly end up being my favorite game ever if they learned the right lessons from the first one.

I popped in looking for the thumbnail, couldn't see it so just posting it.

All these nice AAA games and I'm too cheap to buy them. Did find a cheap digital copy of the Gold version of the Last Express, though! Hyped to play it.

Let's give it eight months before we go there. Fall usually makes or breaks the perception of a year. Will say that it's looking pretty strong thus far. Even though a lot of games hasn't resonated with me, I can appreciate that there are a lot of quality products out there this year.

Man just because we get a good Zelda game in this year, people are flipping lids going "BEST YEARS FOR VIDJYA GAMES!" much like folks have already said. We have had a good run on games since the last few years have been dogey to say the least, yet 2007 and 2008 were better years even if the next big titles are hits....unlike Andromeda.

With 1998 and 1999 just being mind blowing stellar years so much so I did not even play all those games in the years of their release and over a course 16 years of playing catch up...holy fuck most of those games still are great fun to play. So even with the future sight on if Horizon Zero Dawn, Neir Automata, Nioh, Zelda, Mass Effect A (lol nah) and Persona 5 with the rest of the games expected to be good this year to still be held in high regard like they are now. It still does not compete with the absolute legacy's and continued enjoyment of 1998 or 1999 releases.

@mike: True, but most times is people declaring it "the worst ever".

This year has have a hell of a start if it managed to overcome the Internet's sarcasm. Not the best yet, but one of "the good one".

It's subjective that's for sure so far 2017 has been kinda shit I want it to get better. 2014 was another shitty year for gaming 2015 and 2016 where damn good 2015 was the best out of those years. But in general 2005 is the best year in gaming for me.

In my mind 1998 still holds the "Best Year for Gaming" title but 2017 is bringing it in rich and hot. We may be seeing an embarrassment of riches this fall on top of the amazing Q1 offerings.

2007 was pretty huge:

Bioshock, Portal, Super Mario Galaxy, COD Modern Warfare, Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, God of War 2, Rock Band, The Orange Box, The Witcher, Uncharted, The Darkness and more...

I would say...sorta? I mean if Factorio comes out of its alpha/beta/early acces phase this year it certainly is the best year, that game for me ranks easily above everything else people listed on here. Don't underestimate what will arrive also as we're just through about 1/4 of the year. At any case, by the end of this year we certainly know how good it really has been. Factorio is just as revolutionary and novel as Dwarf Fortress or Half Life 2 has been.

I do agree with the year 1998 being considered a great year but those were just mainstream releases. 2004 and 2009 respectively were argueably better for many minor releases of the caliber of Cave Story and Painkiller (in fact, it was released in 2004) and 2009 saw the release of the original Spelunky and Minecraft (or was this 2008?).

I don't remember many indie games from 1998 but games such as CLONK4 were revolutionary for its time. Liero was 1999/2000 AFAIK so that checks out. But really, 1998 was great for the popular games. Perhaps 1998 would've been the best year if games such as Homeworld, Deus Ex, the Settlers 3 and Populous 3 came out a year earlier. If you played Liero, you certainly know how brilliant it is. I think 1999 is also a great contender of the best year ever.

The times of 2000 to 2002 were also extremly good years for games. Serious Sam TFE and TSE, Black and White and Gothic 1 and 2. Games such as Morrowind and Warcraft 3 also came out during that time. A trillion different Liero games also appeared during that timespan. Its difficult to make out a year in this 3 year timespan though.

Could be, its been a great start, we'll have to wait for E3 and Nintendo's holiday

I don't know if it's the best, I'm just so happy it's not a 2012/2014 kind of year, neither this year or last.

I'm impressed you all even remember these release dates. Maybe it's because I rarely buy games at launch.

@ezekiel: I basically remember in terms of GOTY discussions. Those years were the years when the crew were generally unenthusiastic and struggled to find things to put on their lists, and also the years Shadow of Mordor and the new X-com took home the gold.

This would be a better thread if someone posted a list of the biggest games each year for the last 25 years. Then people could vote.

Hindsight being 20/20, I completely agree... EXCEPT ON ANY MENTION OF ANDROMEDA! By god, that game should have been pushed back a good decade until EA's upper management dies of toupee glue poisoning!

Severely underrating 2008 in here:

• Too Human
• Jackass: The Game
• Turok
• Too Goddamn Human
• Pimp My Ride: The Game
• Major League Eating: The Game
• Afrika
• TOO HUMAN, GOOD CHRIST
• Rock Revolution
• M&M's Kart Racing
• Iron Man

• TOO FUCKING HUMAN

• and Grand Theft Auto IV, also.

Hello Denis Dyack. Long time no see.

So far the top games are... Zelda, Nier A, Horizon, Nioh, Yakuza 5, Resident Evil 7, Gravity Rush, Hollow Knight... It's great, but still early. RDR2 and others later in Fall / Christmas need to own.

Still too early to make a final judgment, but 2017 has been mighty impressive in terms of games so far. However, the biggest disappointment is undoubtedly Mass Effect.

1998 breh

This is more a result of delays pushing releases to the beginning of the year. I'll take it.

Ask us again in 5 years, we'll have had enough time to really digest.

Looks pretty good right now though.

I feel like people say this every year but so far this year has ben solid if RDR 2, The New Assassin's Creed and Detroit Beyond Human are hits I think 2017 could in talks of best year in gaming

@bonelesszombi: they only just teased red dead a bit ago so I don't think it's coming out this year. also I believe Detroit is a david cage game so were probably not going to get exactly what we were promised.

In 1998 the UN declared that that year would forever be refered to as the greatest year in video gaming history. North Korea tried to stop this because they were working on Pyongyang Racer wich they believed would be the best game ever. When that game finaly was released in 2012 the new supreme leader Kim Jon-un tried to push for a retraction of the declaration of 1998. After the UN advisory board's review of the game the North Korean appeal was rejected and 1998 was confirmed to be the best year in video games ever. This also explains why relations with North Korea are so volatile these days.

It's definitely a contender. There will obviously never be a consensus, but 2017 deserves to be in the conversation. Not even halfway through the year, and there are already 2 games that can easily be classified as some of the best of all time: Horizon and Breath of the Wild. From there, you have a good amount of really solid games: Persona 5, Resident Evil 7, Nioh, Nier, Yakuza and Prey. All of these are high quality "AAA" games, which is really what makes the first half of this year stand out for me. In the recent past, the best games of the year have been carried by smaller downloadable games. Not only that, but a lot of the best games of the year have come out of Japan, which is also a nice change of pace from recent years.

I forget when, but some years back, there was a similar discussion and feel. What I remember back then is that game3s also lined up with what I liked. This year is turning good for me, despite the fact Persona 5 is a no-touch, and Nier's seeming message and visuals seem a bit disjointed to me.

But what I like is that I'm even am starting to get buried in games, with Vanquish now on pc. This is certainly at least good from a personal point of view, and more so it would seem for others, to a significant degree.

2017 is a great year for western games if you love them but I usually don't I only liked RE7 this year. So far this year is a huge disappointing drawn out year I'm hoping E3 will bring the goods and there will be good games to play this Fall. Seeing now that FarCry 5 isn't coming out this year is a huge let down this is the worst year in gaming it's so damn boring I didn't think it could get worst than 2014 but boy I was wrong.