It’s no secret that 2016 wasn’t the best of times. It took away Prince, David Bowie, Gene Wilder, and Carrie Fisher, plus some really weird HD remaster problems. On the other hand, we got some great games as well, like Uncharted 4, The Witcher 3, Overwatch, Final Fantasy XV, and the surprisingly good Titanfall 2 single-player campaign.
So with that in mind, and with this being a new year, here are a few games that are sure to light 2017 on fire:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Aside from the question of whether or not it’ll be released at the launch of the Nintendo Switch, the hype for this game is unbelievable. It helps that so far, everything Nintendo has shown us looks promising. Combining elements of Skyrim with a more open-world approach hearkening back to the original NES Zelda, this game benefits from the fact that Nintendo rarely releases a bad first-party title.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ever since John Marston’s story came to an end in the first RDR in 2010, fans have been clamoring for a followup to the excellent game that made stories set in the Old West cool again. Thankfully, developer Rockstar heard our prayers, and announced that a sequel would be coming this fall to the Xbox One and PS4. Whether or not it’ll actually be a sequel or – as some have theorized – a prequel, we’ll probably have to wait until E3 for more info. Especially since the game’s first trailer didn’t really show us anything.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Color-coded trilogy endings aside, the Mass Effect series has so far been constantly highly-ranked and beloved by sci-fi fans and RPG/shooter fans alike. and Andromeda doesn’t look like it’ll change that trend. Undeniably beautiful and with a story that doesn’t have to stick to the original trilogy, this looks like it’ll be a great jumping on point for those who didn’t play the originals, as well as a welcome new installment for existing fans.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Robot dinosaurs. Robot dinosaurs. I really shouldn’t have to say anything else. Due out February 28th, this PS4 exclusive from Guerilla Games looks to tell a story about how technology took over, leaving cave-dwelling humans in the far future struggling for survival while freaking robot dinosaurs roam the land. It helps that the game looks gorgeous.
Kingdom Hearts 3
OK, this might be a long shot, since we don’t even know what stage of development Kingdom Hearts 3 is in, but fans have been clamoring for a true sequel since the PS2 era. Call me optimistic, but with the track record Square Enix has with the gameplay – don’t worry about the story, it’s ridiculous – of this series, KH3 is sure to impress.
There’s probably a title you’re looking forward to that we missed. If that’s the case, sound off in the comments below and let us know what you’re looking forward to for 2017!
