Play It Forward: Our 19 Most Anticipated Videogames of 2017
This year promises another bumper crop of games. Some will be great; others, not so much. Here are the ones on which we've pinned our highest hopes.
Happy New Year! Now that 2016 is finally, mercifully in the books, let's look ahead the next 365 days of videogames—many of which we're actually excited about. Note that we're not doing any kind of wishcasting here; all the games on this list have been given official release dates of sometime in 2017. If its release date is still "TBD," we're not going to assume it's happening this year, because in all likelihood it's probably not. Also, we're not making any guarantees. At least a few of these may be delayed into 2018 or beyond. But for now, we're just goin' with what they tells us. Let's get to the games!
- This Oculus exclusive was one of the most exciting VR experiences I had this past year. There are lots of games about floating around in a space station, but the method of locomotion in this one is what makes it stand out: You pull yourself around the world just like an astronaut would in zero-G, by grabbing onto the walls and dragging your body forward. It's a hell of a lot of fun just to move around, which is always a good sign. The feeling of presence is powerful. I can't wait to get back in.
- Yeah, this has been on our "Most Anticipated" list for a couple of years now. I really thought Nintendo would have gotten this latest *Zelda* adventure out the door by now, but apparently it's got to wait for the new Switch game machine first. It'll still be released on Wii U if that's how you want to tackle this sprawling open-world take on the 30-year-old game series, which (for real this time) promises more freedom, more choices, and more exploration than the other rigidly linear games in the franchise. This is the year, though; it'll *definitely* come out. I think.
- While I may not play the PlayStation VR version of this new entry in the classic horror game series because I enjoy *not* urinating myself, I'll definitely check it out on a normal television with a nice safe 1o feet of nothing in between me and whatever zombies, madmen, or other assorted creatures that Capcom has cooked up this time. The first-person perspective is something the series has never tried before, so hopefully this will feel a lot less like a staid sequel and more like a total reboot of the game that defined "survival horror."
- I didn't play the first *Mass Effect* trilogy, mostly because the idea of a three-game epic in which you carry the same character from game to game sounded like a pretty huge investment. Maybe I can start over again with this new, separate game, because it takes place 60o years after the original story and so I don't have to worry that I'm missing anything. For the series' devotees, it's not a question; I'm sure they're already dusting off their spacesuits.
- Technically, this game is already available, if you feel like playing it in Japanese. And maybe you do! But the latest in Atlus' traditional turn-based RPG series about kids who go to high school and fight demons won't make it to the Western audience until April. *Persona* fans have been waiting patiently for this new entry; the last was on the PlayStation 2. This one will be out for PlayStation 4—and PS3 as well, in case you haven't upgraded yet.
- There are a lot of action role-playing games these days in which you get to wander around a massive, gorgeous open world, but only this one (as far as I know) is filled with massive mechanical creatures. Turns out that humans aren't at the top of the evolutionary food chain anymore, and the world is now run by robot-animals. What happened? Are humans the real monsters? Is this going to end with the main character yelling "You blew it up, you maniacs!" in front of half a Statue of Liberty (no)?
- Hey, remember *Prey*, that 2006 shooter from 3D Realms? Or the exciting but ill-fated sequel that showed up at E3 [in 2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufikwk7_AD0)? It doesn't matter if you do or don't, because Bethesda's reboot doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with those. Except for the fact that they all involve a human on a spaceship shooting aliens. This version, developed by Arkane Studios (*Dishonored*), is still a first-person shooter, although it promises more exploration and more choices than your typical linear FPS.
- Ubisoft's *South Park: The Stick of Truth*, an RPG with classical overtones that perfectly nailed the look and feel of the cartoon show, was easily the best *South Park* game ever. (Yes, better than *Chef's Love Shack*, whatever that was.) So why wouldn't we be ready and rarin' to go for this sequel?
- Okay, *this* year we really really think *Cuphead* is coming out. A run-and-gun throwback shooter with a 1930s cartoon aesthetic--*Contra* by way of Max Fleischer--this indie game's demos have left us only wondering which we love more, the gameplay or the graphics. Lovingly animated and brutally difficult. Soon, it will be ours.
- What happens when a scrappy li'l indie team hits it big, then gets more money to spend on their next project? We'll find out when *Tacoma*, the next game from the creators of *Gone Home*, hits next year. Like its predecessor, this is an exploration game about wandering an abandoned location (in this case, a space station), and examining everything near you to figure out what exactly happened there. What fate befell the crew of the Tacoma? Is there any astronaut ice cream left?
- A cat named Mae drops out of college and returns to her hometown, but nothing is as it was when she left. A narrative exploration game with a somber tone and a distinct graphical style, *Night in the Woods* is one of those games we're almost scared to try (those animals look as sinister as they do cute). But try we will.
- The physics-defying action of the first *Gravity Rush* for PlayStation Vita made it one of the standout exclusives for Sony's portable machine. No, this follow-up isn't coming to Vita—probably because Sony actually wants people to buy it this time. So it's coming to PlayStation 4. Sorry, Vita. Congrats, PlayStation 4.
- *Nier*, a weird genre-blending role-playing game with an intriguing story and incredible music, was one of the highlights of last generation for Square Enix. Can this sequel, developed by Platinum Games (*Bayonetta*) live up to the unique (if slightly broken) majesty of the original? It's not exactly a sure thing, so we await this follow-up with bated breath.
- Part of us can't believe this is actually happening. The *Professor Layton* games on the Nintendo DS and 3DS were wonderful blends of lateral-thinking logic puzzles, gorgeous animation, and mystery stories. Developer Level-5 said the last one was the final game... and it was for the top-hatted professor, but not for his daughter! *Lady Layton* will be on 3DS as well as mobile phones, but it doesn't look like it's changed up the formula. Phew!
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Chris Kohler started writing for WIRED in 2002, and founded WIRED.com's Game|Life channel in 2005. He is the author of the books Power-Up and Retro Gaming Hacks, and co-hosts the Stitcher Award-winning podcast Good Job, Brain! ... Read More
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