Another year, and more games.
And my body is simply not ready.
From beautiful RPGs to updates on my 2016 Game of the Year, the following are the games I’m most excited for in 2017.
Cuphead
Release Date: TBD, 2017
I’m stoked for this aesthetically-pleasing indie platformer set for Xbox One. Made by Canadian brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, Cuphead throws gamers into a 1930s-era cartoon where the protagonist, Cuphead, battles several evil bosses. It looks gorgeous. It’s also co-op based.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Release Date: Feb. 28
This one is “technically” out already, as its review embargo has been lifted. The scores have been promising, as Sony developer Guerrilla Games, known for its Killzone franchise, thrusts gamers into a futuristic planet filled with robotic-looking dinosaurs. Players will control Aloy — a badass archer searching for the secrets of her world — as she travels around in a third-person RPG.
Mass Effect Andromeda
Release date: March 21
This one crept up on me. Maybe because it’s been teased since 2015, or maybe because I’m not emotionally ready for another Mass Effect entry. Highly regarded, and one of my favorite trilogies, Mass Effect Andromeda will have its hands full topping its original precursor. Here’s hoping it does.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Release date: March 3
This one also crept up on me — March is about to be a killer month for video games. Regardless, this one doesn’t need much explanation: Zelda is one of the best video game franchises of all time.
Night in the Woods
Release date: Feb. 22
This just came out today, and I’m excited to get my hands on it. From the philosophical talks teased in the trailer to its pretty art direction, my indie heart is pumping to play it.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Release date: June 30
A complete remaster of a game I grew up with. Nostalgia is enough to drive me, even if the gameplay I saw was a little clunky. It is a 20-year-old game (and Activision did kill the original Crash), so I’ll be careful. Regardless, I can’t wait to catch gems in Warped again.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Release date: Spring 2017
I loved Giant Sparrow’s Unfinished Swan. It remains one of my most prized indies. What Remains of Edith Finch looks a tad darker, but I’m intrigued by the concept: relive a collection of short stories about a Washingtonian family. Not much has been said so far, but if the quality is as good, or better than, Unfinished Swan, I think gamers will be OK.
RiME
Release date: May
I thought this game had died, but I guess I was wrong. And I’m glad I was wrong. Another independently-made game, this time by Tequila Games, RiME will take players into a mystical island filled with, well, I’m not sure. There’s plenty of suspicion around what the game actually entails, but from trailers, it looks promising.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Release Date: TBD, 2017
Umm, it’s a Rockstar game? I’ll just leave it at that.
Anything Suckerpunch Productions announces
Release date: TBD
Suckerpunch Productions, best known for Playstation exclusives Sly Cooper and inFamous, has been eerily quiet since it released inFamous First Light back in August 2014. Something is up, and I’m expecting the developer to announce its newest IP sometime in 2017. Fans have been speculating, but all we can do is wait.
Amazing fruit cake created by a fellow Sony colleague visiting the studio today. It was as delicious as it looks.
— Sucker Punch (@SuckerPunchProd) 2 décembre 2016
pic.twitter.com/M4Kqxv5BDS
