Heyo. Good to be back!
So, a new year has started, and that means a new year of gaming, new seasons of anime, new things to look forward to all around! And man. Either way, you’ve got some great, great things to look forward to. One Punch Man, Attack on Titan, Code freaking Geass? That’s not even mentioning other anime that look just as promising!
However, that’s not the topic for today- today, we’re gonna be looking at the video games that 2017 has in store for us. There’s quite a few things to be excited about in the world of gaming, and I’d like to go through my personal most anticipated games for the year. This list is all my opinion, heavily weighed by personal bias and experience, so just keep that in mind- there’s a lot of great games to come, and it’d be tough to cover them all. That being said, let’s get to it!
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Man. That Nintendo Switch stream was certainly something, wasn’t it?
Among the many announced games, this successor to the original Xenoblade Chronicles caught my eye, and man, it has me hyped! Perhaps this is a bit of a biased pick, but the original Xenoblade Chronicles was an absolutely fantastic Role Playing Game, and to see a second one announced is wonderful news. From what we saw, the series on the Switch looks beautiful, and the already massive scale of the world in the original seems to have been hugely expanded! The music looks good, the graphics are wonderful, and despite the lack of detail about the actual game, if it’s anything like the first, you know it’s gonna be good. That being said, because of that, I can’t place it higher than 5th- maybe, given some time and some information, it’ll be one of those games that I simply cannot wait for.
4. Horizon: Zero Dawn
The only original title on this list makes it way here thanks to the MASSIVE amounts of hype there is for the game. Taking place in some sort of post-apocalyptic future where creatures called “Machines” reign supreme, a hunter named Aloy wanders a huge world, surviving, fighting Machines as she goes. Beyond being incredibly creative, the trailer showcased at E3 spoke of huge, huge potential for an open-world game. Between dynamic combat, a huge, unique world to explore, and gorgeous art/design choices, Horizon: Zero Dawn looks to be one of, if not the best original games of 2017.
That being said- the reason why it is only number four on the list is because it is an original game. It had a great, powerful initial showing, but will it deliver? Many games have looked great at first, only to flop on release day. For the love of everything good in life though, I hope that Horizon: Zero Dawn is not like that. All the pieces seem to be in place for a great game, and potentially even a great narrative to boot, and so, I hope that the game delivers come the actual release day. Prove to me that my doubts were for nothing, Zero Dawn!
3. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Oh yes. This.
The announcement of the Remake of Final Fantasy VII caused RIDICULOUS amounts of hype, back in 2015, and despite a slight decline of said hype over the past year, I remain very excited for this title, predicted to drop late this year. Unlike other remasterings, other re-releases, it is common knowledge that Square Enix is not just upping the graphics, and exporting the game over to the PS4- rather, they redesigned character models, some story details, even the actual gameplay! This decision is crazy to me, the thought that they’re building a new game out of what is already something iconic, and man, I am absolutely ready for it.
Combining the nostalgia of the original game, great in its own right, with new gameplay, new story elements, essentially introducing it to a new generation of gamers, is a genius move- but one that could flop, if done badly. However, I, for one, am willing to ignore that very real possibility, simply for the fact that we get to see one of the games that redefined gaming as a whole, brought into the modern world. It’s hard to speak of the hype for this game without being repetitive, but honestly, what more can I say? It’s Final Fantasy VII!
2. God of War 4
Now, putting the next God of War above contenders like Final Fantasy and Horizon: Zero Dawn may be strange, but personally, I am definitely looking forward to this title more than the others. God of War 3 shocked many with its brutal violence and explicit nature, but beyond that, I absolutely loved the story that it told. The honestly complex character of Kratos was engaging, the plot was simple yet powerful, and the ending, despite not being the best of gaming, was impactful. Going from all that, and seeing Kratos again, older, wizened, and with a KID? That got the hype train rolling for me.
Much of the anticipation behind this game in my eyes, is seeing where the story could go from here. The gods are dead, Kratos has a kid, and the world is presumably a far different place than the days of Kratos’s anger-driven divine massacre. There’s so much different, and yes, the gameplay, the graphics, it all looks great, but everything we don’t know about the game simply serves to make it even more exciting. I’m absolutely ready for God of War 4, but there is a game that beats it out.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The new installment of The Legend of Zelda franchise has me thrilled, electrified, just plain HYPED for so many reasons. Coming off of Skyward Sword in 2011, a hugely experimental title, many people were left unsatisfied. With the new characters, a more plot-intensive title, and a relatively restricted world, gamers were left clamoring for the simpler days of Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Link to the Past. Then, Nintendo announced a fully open-world Zelda title, a new design for Link, and people got excited, despite a huge lack of details. This lack of detail was rectified during E3, and Nintendo came through with a live demo, explanations of how the game would work, introductions to tons of new ways to interact with the environment, showing that the long wait was worth it.
I had a chance to try said demo, and I’ve got to say, it was everything I could have wanted. Breath of the Wild is undoubtedly the game I’m looking forward to the most out of every coming game, because unlike other Zelda titles I’ve played, the world feels expansive and vibrant in a way I’ve never felt before. The world is your oyster in the game, and personally, I could imagine spending hours simply immersing myself in the beautiful environment of the game. With a release day of March 3rd, and a new trailer that shows off everything else the game has previously shown and more, that anticipation has only been increased. Perhaps this is a bit of a biased, predictable pick, but Breath of the Wild is my most anticipated game of 2017.
That was a good list, to get back into the swing of things. Honorable mentions go to Red Dead Redemption 2, Tales of Beresia, and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8!
So. If anyone reads through this post, I’m very curious about what your most anticipated games of 2017 are! Leave a comment, what games have you hyped beyond comprehension?
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