Top 5 Games of 2017 (Game of the Decade Countdown)

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

2017 was one of the finest years of this past decade for many games released, including the launch of the Nintendo Switch. That year has a few most notable titles that stand out above all for some but mine may differ a little. So let’s take a look back at 2017.

My favorite games of 2017 are as follows:

5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The revolutionary “Breath of the Wild” is most peoples’ game of the year for 2017 and for many, games of the decade. I didn’t like this “Zelda” game as much as all of them but I still found it to be immensely enjoyable. I think if I gave more time to the massive title, I’d probably wind up moving it closer to number one. Currently however, I have nothing but great things to say about what I have experienced. The world was amazing for its intractable aspects and how dynamic it all was. The gameplay systems were impressive, innovative and glorious to tackle. “Breath of the Wild” has an amazing design layout that allows exploration of anything if you can get there. It was so interesting in how the developers shaped it and it felt like one of the most innovative open world games ever created. And I really enjoyed it and am also aware of how I should give it more time than I did.

4. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

“Wolfenstein: The New Order” was one of my favorite titles in the earliest years of this current console generation. And I knew its sequel was going to be great but I didn't know how much I would love it. “Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” is everything it needs to be and more. The game was challenging, intense, compelling, brutal and endlessly entertaining to play through. Gameplay was so much fun thanks to how MachineGames redefined the shooting. It felt as good as iD’s “Doom” to play. This sequel gave more guns, dual wielding options, explosives and violence. The gameplayt let me be uber violent and it felt satisfying to slay the Nazi enemies. The action was brutal and gory outcomes from difficult gameplay made it feel like a great accomplishment every time I had a successful encounter. “Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” had some amazing storytelling. Cutscenes were very visually impressive to watch and they helped shape a great narrative. Characters were interesting and well-written. And overall, the experience was intense and super memorable. I highly recommend “Wolfenstein: The New Colossus” to everyone who likes shooters and action games.

3. Cuphead

Few games as difficult as “Cuphead” could keep me playing but this former Xbox-One exclusive was an instant favorite of mine. Studio MDHR impressively came together as a family with a vision and did something awesome that would stand out among the dozens of other indie around it. “Cuphead” blows me away all the time thanks to the sheer love put into the art design. It did exactly what was set out for it. “Cuphead” was so incredibly fun for me. Even though I sadly cannot beat it still, I loved playing it and often return for a little while. The shoot-em-up and run-and-gun hybrid plays very nicely. It is a joy. And I loved the charm of the characters, artwork, music and everything else around it. Even the narrative, though not huge at all, is charming. I never stop thinking about the satisfying challenge and delight of this game and it made “Cuphead” one of my favorite games of 2017 very quickly. Now I am stoked for the DLC and hopefully more to come in the future from the amazing team.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Despite the fact that “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” was the game everyone associated the Switch with in its launch year, 2017 was practically defined by “Super Mario Odyssey” for me personally. I fell in love with it from the get go. This was not only a true successor to the amazing 3D “Mario” games of the past but also a forward-thinking, fresh and special take on what we know and love. Nintendo really hit it out of the park with this one. “Super Mario Odyssey” had everything a great game in the series should. The music was endlessly addicting to listen to on repeat, mainly the main theme of course. Mario’s abilities were more unique and fun thane ver with the possession of enemies and objects through Cappy being something awesome and different. Levels were huge and full of things to explore and collect. Level design was excellent. And it was a game full of charm from start to finish, around every corner. “Super Mario odyssey” is such a delightful experience and I genuinely had an amazing time playing it at all times. It is just so fun and innocent and full of great content. And the platforming is as good as ever. I loved this game and few Nintendo titles can come close to my adoration for it.

1. Injustice 2

Every one of the games released by NetherRealm Studios this decade has earned a placement in these types of discussions. They are some of my favorites around. But I don’t think any of their titles, let alone any other fighting game can come close to “Injustice 2.” For me, “Injustice 2” was my summer of 2017. I had a huge backlog of titles I wanted to play through. I, for the most part, spent my days playing this one instead. I got super addicted to the Multiverse and the insane amount of customization. I exaggerate a little when I say it is the only game I played that summer but truthfully, I recall spending hours on end with “Injustice 2.” I thought it was that good and addicting. I loved the roster, the story, the mechanics and everything else in between. “Injustice 2” had one of the bets campaigns in a fighting game. The genre’s peak in story mode was probably in “Mortal Kombat” in 2011 but this was the best I have seen. It was like watching a good DC movie, better than the films we were getting at the time. “Injustice 2” had an incredibly varied cast of fighters. The roster included many who would become instant favorites. But everybody was good when you learned them. The introduction of new fighters alongside the originals from the first title made the game feel all the better. And “Injustice 2” kept getting more DLC. The Multiverse kept expanding and giving me more ways to customize my fighters to my liking, more ways to be who I wanted to be and more reasons to not ever put the controller down. “Injustice 2” is a content-heavy game with some of the best fighting I have ever played. The game never got boring, it was always fun to improve my skills and take it to the online scene or to a local fight against friends. And the game was overall just amazing and easily my favorite of 2017.

So that is the list of my favorite games released in 2017. Given how many other titles I didn’t include, I am sure we have differing lists. Please share your own.