January 6th, 2018 
2017 was a year full of high-profile sequels and brand new franchises. And, as has been increasingly the case, I primarily strayed from the path of triple A titles. Of course, there were still a few huge games that snuck onto my list. There were tons of excellent games out this year and I’m going to highlight ten of my favorites!
Between horror series classics Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, I’ve always found Friday the 13th less engaging than the rest. Yet it was this official game based on the property which hooked me early on. Sure, there were a ton of server issues and glitches, but I couldn’t stop firing up matches.
Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch. 5 Meakashi
Higurashi continues to be an intense visual novel experience chapter after chapter. After four chapters explaining the murderous tragedy taking place in Hinamizawa, Ch. 5 finally treats players to the Answer Arc. Anyone looking for a creepy, complex mystery tale should check out Higurashi.
Apparently The Lion’s Song is an episodic series I totally missed out on when it was originally coming out. Fortunately, I caught up with it once a “complete” edition launched. This lovely adventure game provides an anthology of tales focused on different creative types (painters, mathematicians, etc).
Resident Evil 7 biohazard
Once upon a time Resident Evil was one of my favorite horror franchises. This peaked with Resident Evil 4 and then came crashing down as the series proceeded beyond that point. Resident Evil 7 briefly hooked me again with its tense atmosphere and gameplay.
I love a good platformer and Snake Pass is exactly that. It also managed to totally change the formula by making the protagonist snake control in snake-like fashion. Gripping and twisting are key mechanics of sidling up platforms/bars/etc. and easily become second nature.
Super Mario Odyssey
My love of the Mario realm began with Super Mario World and ended with Super Mario 64. None of the subsequent console releases elicited any joy from me – until Super Mario Odyssey. The bright colors, cutesy world and great gameplay make this the pinnacle of platformers.
Ebi-hime is one of my favorite EVN authors to follow these days, and Sweetest Monster is my favorite of their games so far. It shares the story of a husband in a strained marriage and moves from meeting stereotypical expectations of such a story to something absolutely insidious.
Umineko When They Cry – Answer Arcs
Umineko When They Cry didn’t 100% blow me away in the Question Arcs. However, the Answer Arcs provide an incredible ride from start to finish. Even with more explanations come more tantalizing questions and scenarios. Now that the series is complete, it’s a must play for visual novel fans.
I had no idea what to expect with Wonderful Everyday. After applying the patch to the Steam version (which unlocks about 80% of the game) it goes from an offbeat yuri tale to something astonishing, disgusting, and ultimately excellent. I savored everything, even the horror it inflicted on me because no game has ever caused me to feel such a range of emotions so intensely before.
Yakuza is a series I can’t help but love. Of course, Yakuza 0 was one of my first favorite releases of 2017. It’s great to finally see the game on PS4, even if the core mechanics and storytelling style remain mostly unchanged since its origins. The formula just works!
