Horizon Zero Dawn | Gureilla Games
BEST MOMENTS OF 2017
We take a look back at the best gaming moments of 2017.
by Felipe Parada
Here we are again at the end of another year celebrating the best gaming has to offer. 2017 was one hell of a year but with all the talk of microtransactions and loot boxes, we can't forget all the stellar games that dominated the charts. One thing that 2017 wasn't short on was big moments. So sit back, relax and join us as we visit the best moments of 2017.
Women Take Center Stage
Uncharted Lost Legacy | Naughty Dog
Chloe Fraizer and Nadine Ross join forces.
Woman rocked in 2017 showing the world that thet were up to the task of taking center stage. Women showed off their beauty as well as their ability to kick some serious ass. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Life is Strange, Uncharted Lost Legacy, Hellblade and many others provided us with a roster of engaging and diverse female characters. We can all remember being introduced to sweet Margureite Baker in Resident Evil 7, joining Senua on her journey to madness in Hellblade and witnessing Aloy evolve from an outcast to one of the baddest hSeekers in Horizon Zero Dawn.
We invested time into these characters and they didn't disappoint us. Speaking particularly of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, you witness an evolution from a timid little girl with no knowledge of the way the world works to a dominant force who takes down machines first and asks questions later. These characters have cemented themselves into Video Game Culture and it only seems like they are just scratching the surface of what it is to be gaming icons.
CAPCOM Goes Back To the Drawing Board
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard | CAPCOM
Baker Family
Many were surprised in the new direction that CAPCOM was headed when Resident Evil 7 was announced. Switching to a first person perspective, CAPCOM was trying to recreate the magic of a previous Playable Teaser that never came to be. Managing to take advantage of the controversy Resident Evil 7 managed to give us a truly eerie and haunting setting of the Baker Estate.
There are true moments of discomfort and terror as you slowly explore the dark and murky corridors with such tension that I had to stop and take a breather every now and then. Footsteps echo and conversations are muffled as you open doors that have decades of dust on them. Yet you somehow are compelled to move forward to discover the mystery of the Baker Estate while trying to save your loved one from impending doom. Resident Evil 7 has re-captured the magic of survival horror and is a must play for anyone looking for a good scare.
Nintendo Switches Up the Game
Nintendo Switch with Zelda Breath of the Wild
Ninstendo Switch | Nintendo
Lets face it, I can dedicate an entire list to Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild but I will be here for weeks, so I will just dedicate the best gaming moment to the Switch itself. There was so much mixed reactions when the Switch was first announced but Nintendo made clear that the Switch was something special. News reports started to flood in that Switch pre-orders were sold out and thus began the legacy of the Nintendo Switch. Top games like: Splatoon 2, Super Mario Kart 8, Mario + Rabbids, Stardew Valley are all available on the Switch with more exclusive titles on the way. If this is any hint about what the Switch is truly capable of then it is safe to say that Nintendo has definitely made the comeback of the century.
New Dawn on the Horizon
Aloy fron Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn | Gureilla Games
Horizon Zero Dawn is a game I just can stop talking about. Definately considered game of the year and top PlayStation 4 game of all time, Horizon takes a page straight out of The Witcher 3 with how it delivers it's narrative. Aloy is one of the best characters in recent memory and the 31st century post-apocalyptic world is beautiful and dangerous.
Guerrillia Games took a big risk venturing into the open world genre and it paid off big time. Known specifically for the Killzone Series, the developer decided to take a hiatus on the first person shooter series to pursue other projects. Who knew that they would develop such a masterpiece on their first try. This game just oozes personality, lore and a great story that begs to be unraveled. If you have not played this game yet, you are doing yourself a major dis-service.
All is Not Well in Detroit
Every year a game debuts that seems to ruffle the feathers of the community while somehow managing to convey a sense of curiosity and excitement. Detroit managed to pull that off during Paris Games week back in October showing a trailer that centered around child abuse. Now I personally never want to see any harm come to a child so the backlash from the trailer was completely warranted. The one thing a David Cage came can generate is controversy and Detroit: Become Human made sure they checked all the boxes with this trailer.
The reason why this is considered "A best moment of 2017" is because you really got just a small taste of just how powerful the narrative in Detroit: Become Human will be. They never show any physical harm that comes upon the child but there are enough hints in the narrative to say otherwise. You kept thinking to yourself "Wow, they actually went there," and it's those type of games that leave a mark on video game culture. Let's see how far David Cage can push the narrative.
F*** the Oscars
Definatly the most outrageous moment of the 2017 Video Game Awards. It started off as any other interview on stage. Geoff Keighley was on stage interviewing Hazelight director Josef Fares about A Way Out, their new game. The interview started off as any normal interview would but then it went off the rails quickly. I cant describe it, you're going to have to see it above.
The Best Things in Life are FREE!
Playstation Network
Playstation Network had a good assortment of Freebies that consisted of a total of 74 games with a combined retail price (currently) of $1287.25. As a PlayStation Plus subscriber you definitely got your moneys worth as you saw some of the best games be made available for free.
Check out our list of the best PS Plus Freebies of 2017 here.
A Colossal Announcement
Shadow of the Colossus | Sony Interactive Entertainment
We were hoping for this to be true and it was. The Shadow of the Colossus remake announcement was truly colossal and it did not disappoint. It looks absolutely gorgeous running on next-gen hardware and there is no doubt that this game will deliver like it did back in 2005. The bosses look badder, the environments have been given a nice complete overhaul and the characters look prepared to do battle. SPOILER ALERT! I just don't think that I can go through losing Agro again!
How Big is It???
Assassin's Creed Origins | Ubisoft
It may not look like much but don't be fooled, Assassin's Creed Origins map is absolutely huge! Technically not considered to be the biggest map in gaming today (that honor still goes to No Man's Sky), we were still taken back by how large the map is. When you first open up the map and slowly begin to pan out, you slowly begin to come to the realization that you are going to be here for a while. Taking control of Senu for the first time gives you a small taste of the beauty that is ancient Egypt.
The main reason why it gets one of "The Best Moments of 2017" is because you do not mind getting lost and sidetracked in this beautiful open world. Every area was meticulously replicated from the Isolated Desert to the City of Memphis and it just doesn't end. Traveling from one area to another on horseback takes quite a bit of time but fast traveling robs you the experience of this gorgeous open world. You'll constantly keep repeating to yourself "Wait there's more?!?!?! Sometimes I would just stop on my way to an assassination and take in the scenery. Not many open world games can distract you but don't be surprised if you are 40+ hours in and realize that you have done absolutely nothing.
Hold on Kojima, What?!?!
Well Kojima, you've gone and done it again. Another Death Stranding trailer dropped during the 2017 VGA's and it was a quite a trailer. It took us multiple viewings to even grasp what was going on. One thing we do know for sure is that this game will take us in another direction when it comes to the narrative. Hopefully just like how GTA changed the open world game, Death Stranding can change up video game culture.
Check out our analysis of the trailer here.
We know that 2017 was a pretty bitching' year in gaming and and you might have some other thoughts to add. was there a "moment" that you feel should have made the list? Drop us a line and let us know.