What Games Should You Be Excited About in 2017?

What Games Should You Be Excited About in 2017?

While I'll be glad to see the back of 2016, it's hard to argue with the quality of the games we've seen. This year's Game of the Year discussion was fairly heated, with several quality games coming out.

With this in mind, and with an eye towards some of the things still to come in 2017, what is it worth getting excited for? 2017 looks to be starting as strong as 2016 was, so a lot of these games are from the first six months.

Now, let's be honest, the nine games we name here probably won't be everything there is to look forward to, so if there's a title you really want to see, drop it in the comments.

Resident Evil 7

When: January 2017

I think Resident Evil 7 will be a return to form for the original survival horror title. Horror games have been struggling to make a real mark recently, but Capcom's latest – shifting focus to first person – seems like it'll be pant-wettingly scary.

With that in mind, and the fact that when I tried to play the VR demo for the game I nearly had a heart attack, I'll not be playing Resident Evil 7. If you're into horror games, though, I'm sure it'll be just great.

Sniper Elite 4

When:February 2017

I've played this already, and I dug it. Rebellion has been refining the formula behind Sniper Elite for years, and each game in the series has been a massive jump forwards. Sniper Elite seems like it's finally hit the point where it functions both as a simulator for plugging Nazis at 500 yards and also as a stealth game.

Now you'll be traipsing around open environments, getting your sneak on as a WW2 commando, and indulging in the same sort of stealth-based exploration that went over so well in Metal Gear Solid V.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

When: February 2017

This action RPG puts you in a post-apocalyptic world where lush plants have overgrown most technology. It's not all nature out there, though; the world is full of mechanical animals that the game's heroine, Aloy, has to hunt or evade to survive.

Guerilla's open-world adventure's appeal is largely your interactions with these strange robotic herds and exploring the world they've created as it slowly begins to rebuild itself. The hyper-detailed world looks to be one of the most interesting of 2017, and there's crafting too, if you're into that.

For Honor

When: February 2017

This one's a bit more multiplayer-focused. For Honor is a four-on-four brawler where pirates, Vikings, samurai and knights engage in brutal melee combat to determine who is best.

Sure, it sounds like the sort of game I'd make up in primary school, but early impressions are that the melee combat feels quite weighty, and the addition of several different modes – including a fun looking duel mode where people face off in solo combat while the others in the game spectate – could see this one getting a cult following.