your game of the year so far

[Sonicron]

I have very little time to play games, so out of all the interesting stuff that was released this year I've really only played Horizon: Zero Dawn, but that was so damn great I think it'll be hard to anything to top that for me.
That said, so far it seems to be a damn fine year for games which are interesting at the very least. I'd love to play Nioh, NieR, RE7, Mass Effect and Yooka-Laylee, and I'm excited to see what else this year will have in store for us.

Also, I have never played a Persona game, but they seem to be all the rage in JRPG circles. Do I need background knowledge to enjoy the new one, or can I just jump in?

 

[Majestic Manatee_v1legacy]

We have not yet bought any games that were released this year. So we will cheat and apply the rule of "game obtained by any means during this year and/or future games not out yet in present due to block-time memory."

With that caveat out the way, we shall sway between Lovers in a dangerous space time, red dead redemption 2 and the surge. We would like to also add Mass Effect: Andromeda.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

Battletech.

Now, I'll grant, it hasn't released yet. BUT, I have had a chance to play the early build of the game extensively and, even if it released as is, it'd be my game of the year (so far). Harebrained Schemes just got so much right with the game, from the game mechanics to the look and feel of the world and designs to the sounds and music to the story. It just oozes Battletech while being a damn fantastic turn-based strategy game.

I'm super excited for Battletech. I've backed every HBS game since Shadowrun Dragonfall, and never been disappointed by anything they have done. When it does come out, I imagine it will a GotY contender for me too.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I've yet to play a game released this year. Whichever game that is 'wins' by default, I guess.

I'll get back to this thread when the time comes. Assuming I don't forget (likely).

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

I have more games than time because the good games have just been getting pumped out at me and the TW: Warhammer Humble Bundle thing didn't help the situation. In purchase order:

Yakuza 0 - Currently a front runner. First game of 2017 I finished so far and had everything I want in a Yakuza game and any game really.

Nioh - Probably not. I haven't finished it yet but I'm close to the end. While I enjoyed it, the enemies feel really same-y after the 5th level or so. I also don't think there are enough sub-missions and some main missions begin to feel like a slog at times. Though I think I'm a bit under leveled.

Nier - Currently playing. Enjoying a lot but not far into it. Semi-avoiding the internet and spoilers. How much I play it depends on...

Persona 5 - Expecting it to arrive today. If it's anything like the previous games it'll likely pull me away from Nier. I generally don't jump between games.

 

[gsilver]

Kinda pointless to say when I've only played two "big" games so far.
Resident Evil 7 and Zelda: BotW

Zelda took basically my entire last month of gaming.

 

[Orga777]

Just Platinumed Horizon: Zero Dawn. Excellent game that one. On my way to Persona 5 now. Those are the two 2017 games I played this year so far, but there are so many other games this year that I want to play. Gonna go broke. XD

Also, I have never played a Persona game, but they seem to be all the rage in JRPG circles. Do I need background knowledge to enjoy the new one, or can I just jump in?

No, you won't need much background. Each game is only tenuously connected at best. They are all stand alone stories. However, I do recommend playing Persona 4 only because it is freaking awesome.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

If it matches or exceeds my expectations Total War Warhammer II.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

2017 games I've played are:

Resident Evil 7
Mass Effect Andromeda
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
The Walking Dead: A New Fronties (Yes I count it as a 2017 game)

I'll have to give it to Resident Evil 7, it was a fresch breeze in the gaming industry and a well needed change from the generic action-fest that was RE6.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

2017 has been really, really, dog-gamned weird...It's early April and I've played enough 2017 games to make a top 5 which usually never happens so I think I'll do that and make a top 5 (but since the thread didn't ask for that I'll only go into detail about number 1)

5: Super Bomberman R
4: Snipperclips
3: Blaster Master Zero
2: Resident Evil VII (I don't own it but I essentially played the whole thing with a very close friend both in and out of VR)

...and so far my game of the year is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild because of course it is. I'm in a polyromantic relationship with Nintendo after all and Breath of the Wild is doing things for me that I didn't think any Zelda would be able to. No more hand-holding or bloated cutscenes, no more restrictive pseudo-open landscapes, no more combat that's based on either using 1 specific weapon or waiting for an opening. I've only put about 65 - 70 hours into the game (the Switch has a lacking activity tracker right this moment) but I'm still finding new stuff every time I go in for a new session. I love playing around with the new game mechanics like the physics and convection and conductivity...There are a lot of little things that I love just messing around with in Breath of the Wild that's keeping me very engaged.

I played Fire Emblem Heroes once and liked it but I just don't get into mobile games, no matter how good they are...Cube Escape: The Cave is on my phone waiting for me to play with it too and I love those.

 

[sXeth]

Uhm, what have I played thats from this year.

Horizon Zero Dawn, which I'd put over Zelda (which I've also played a reasonable amount while babysitting a nephew).

Played demos of Nier and Nioh. I'd probably give Nier the slight edge of those two, but didn't enjoy either at all.

Horizon is largely the standard sandbox pseudo-RPG thing, though the monster fights are done well (as several have compared, much like Dragons Dogma, though infinitely better in a character/setting/storyline standpoint).

Zelda is a pretty fun puzzle game. Wrapped in ridiculous amounts of dead space, and tons of badly implemented mechanics (AND THE WORST INVENTORY MANAGEMENT I'VE SEEN IN THE SERIES, WHICH IS A HIGH G******* BAR). And combats been turned into a complete negative with the ridiculousness of the durability stuff. And Link using the tablet is just sadly pathetic, since its a shoehorn effort for a console they gave up on anyways.

 

[Fijiman]

All the games I've played so far this year came out last year at the most recent and ten at the latest, so I can't really say I have a game of the year yet. Then again, it's only April so there's plenty of time for someone to release a game I might actually want and can play.

 

[CritialGaming]

Horizon: Zero Dawn is Game of the year for me, by far. That game has easily been the best experience I've had in quite a while and stands up there next to the likes of my all-time favorite games.

The more I played the more I liked the game, rating it an 8.5/10 and as AngryJoe would say, it get an easy badass seal of approval. It's certainly got some faults, but for a brand new IP, I don't think they could have made a more polished and more fun experience. The world is great and I look forward to seeing what comes in the story DLC and any future sequels.

 

[skywolfblue]

Horizon: Zero Dawn for me as well. Each robot dinosaur type is unique and the way you must approach and fight them is different. I love the story, and every sidequest has meaningful dialogue and is different. No 20 bear ass quests. The environments are absolutely jaw-dropping gorgeous!

They put so much thought and detail into everything. Right down to the armor people wearing being parts pulled off of dead machines they have hunted. I have loved every second of it so far!

It will probably unseat ME3 as my favorite game of all time.

 

[G00N3R7883]

Gwent (closed beta). CD Projekt have taken the addictive minigame from Witcher 3 and added a ridiculous amount of tactical depth based on loads of new cards each of which have interesting special abilities affecting either friendly or enemy cards.

 

[marioandsonic]

Has to be Zelda: Breath of the Wild for me. Acvording to my Wii U, I've clocked in over 135 hours of play time, and yet I still haven't fought Ganon yet.

We're only 3 months in, and 2017 is already looking like a fantastic year for games.

 

[Poetic Nova]

I would say Nier: Automata, since it is the only new game I bought this year (saving for other things, so Horizon has to wait unfortunatly). But, while the demo blew me away, the full game for some reason doesn't.

With that out of the way, I'll be cheating and name a few games I got this year in one way or another.
-Torchlight 2, and Mass Effect 2.

 

[spartandude]

I wont get too many people agreeing but... Torment: Tides of Numenera

Sure it is flawed and it most certainly is not everyone's cup of tea. But there's something about it I just love

 

[PhoenixMaster]

Ummm... Can I say Chrono Trigger?

Yeah I... haven't actually gotten a new-new game this year, I've been catching up on some old classics I never played.

You can't go wrong with Chrono Trigger, that game is a timeless classic!
On topic. Topic Creator I would've said Nier: Automata as well! The game is just too great! But now that Persona 5 is out, my choice for my personal game of the year just got murky. Let's hope Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't come out this year, or my choices will be even more difficult!

 

[Elfgore]

Persona 5 by a long shot. Like a dozen times better than any game I've played this year. Makes Horizon: Zero Dawn look like a Call of Duty when it comes to writing, makes Mass Effect: Andromeda not know what a RPG is, and blows Berserk and the Band of the Hawk away on just every feasible level. It's been out since Tuesday and I'm already twenty five hours of game time in.