The ten finest games of the year that was 2017

Yeah, never mind that title, this is just another "GOTY" list.

I have not played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Persona 5 yet - two games quite likely to have made this list. Also, I don't play too many games - only the few that catch my fancy and have generally good buzz. Overall, a strong year for gaming, though not as remarkable as 2015.

#10 - Horizon: Zero Dawn

Horizon is the ultimate pastiche. It takes everything from everywhere, and you can't help but think there's hardly anything original in this game. Sure, there's a twist to every element, but it's mostly surface level stuff. The machines look new, but they are just wildlife / monsters with a new skin. The world looks pretty, but the design is quite banal. The characters look detailed, but boy are they boring. The story seems intriguing, but it's basically a rehash of Mass Effect and Enslaved. Even so, it's all packaged in an incredibly refined package. I'll always remember Horizon as the "poor man's Witcher", but that's not the worst label out there.

#9 - Assassin's Creed Origins

Much like Horizon, here's another game that struggles to innovate, but manages to be ultimate expression of the Assassin's Creed formula. Unlike Horizon, the world design is pretty stunning, and it's a pleasure to roam ancient Egypt. Quest design, narrative and gameplay take a step forward, but it still has some of the same flaws and clunkiness we have grown accustomed to in this series. It's a welcome return to form, but still lacks some of the magic and charm of the Ezio trilogy. I hope Ubisoft takes another couple of years off and really try and reinvent the series.

#8 - Cuphead

While I love 2D platformers, I'm not a fan of the shoot 'em ups. Yes, I do find them masochistically difficult, and my reactions are simply not used to this type of game. Yet, Cuphead is nothing like anything I have ever played. I mean, just look at the darn thing! The bosses are wild, bizarre but always amusing; and the music is just as enchanting as the visuals.

I made it through the game, managing to complete half the boss fights only in "Simple" mode. (The fights are just a little less complex, but no less difficult) Only to find out that to unlock the final boss, one has to complete everything in Regular mode. Too bad, I'm not patient or skilled enough for that.

#7 - F1 2017

Codemasters just keeps taking the F1 series to the next level every season. This is the best iteration yet, with a vast addition of strategic options to closer reflect the actual sport. Of course, I want it to be even more sophisticated. Currently, it lacks the sense of aerodynamics and loss thereof when following another car. The R&D points needs a more interactive minigame in the wind tunnel and such - the practice sessions get repetitive quickly. The classic cars are a welcome addition, as are the faster 2017 cars. It's hard to believe how fast these cars go round corners!

#6 - Prey

Those slimy Mimics are quite something! Be warned though, this game is much better on a PC at higher frame rates. I have tried it on a console, and it simply doesn't feel like the same game. I wonder if that is why it has been underappreciated? Prey is very much Dishonored in a sci-fi setting, but also, much more experimentation. There's a cornucopia of tools and powers which allow for various kinds of approaches and solutions to dealing with the aliens. At times, the dynamism of the gameplay allows for many revelatory moments. The design is enigmatic in typical Arkane fashion, but much more subtly so. It does get repetitive at some points, but there's some real magic here that future games will surely pick up.

#5 - Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

A rare game that focuses on its strengths without trying to do everything. An absolute focus on motion capture means this is the finest, most realistic character performance ever committed to a game. The facial design, graphical detail, animation - all of it sets a new bar for gaming. Given the relatively unexceptional level design, one would think an unusually high proportion of the graphics performance budget was devoted to the character model. A very clever trade off, indeed! Similarly, the narrative is where all the focus is, and the gameplay is only designed to be unobtrusive. A special mention for the surround sound design - must be played on headphones or a 5.1 system.

The end result is a game that goes for a unique experience, one that thoroughly exploits the interactive medium and achieves it.

#4 - Forza Motorsport 7

A motorsport fan's dream come true. It's been a massive year for driving games, but Forza Motorsport 7 is right at the top. The sheer quantity and variety in this game is overwhelming. Several months on, I still play this game frequently, and have not even tried every type of car, let alone every car! (Well, the latter is nigh impossible, but I hope to finish every type of series available.) Seven instalments in, Forza Motorsport 7 is finally the complete package, the driving game we have been wanting since forever. There's still a lot of scope for improvement, of course, but this is a brilliant starting point for the future of motorsport games.

#3 - What Remains of Edith Finch

Yeah, I get it, it's only 2 hours long, it's an, uhh "walking simulator". Doesn't matter, it's one of the finest stories ever told in games, and an entrancing experience from beginning to end.

#2 - Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

An absolute blast. Amazingly, every single cutscene in this game is utterly memorable. Between them lies gameplay that is uncannily in tune with the character of BJ. Yes, it's a corridor shooter, but boy are those corridors immaculately designed! Where this game truly shines are the ideas. They are wild and outrageous yet incredibly sophisticated and relevant. Far too often, you notice something strange and brush it off. But if you stop and think about it, it gives you the chills.

Special kudos to pissing off actual white supremacists; while reminding the rest of us to be compassionate. Oh, and getting it to run near-4K near-60 fps on a damn console, with cutting edge graphics. Also, another reminder why North Europe has the finest studios in the world currently.

#1 - Divinity: Original Sin II

I started this list with a poor imitation of The Witcher series, and we end with one that's just as profound. The key to DOS2 is - freedom. There's an unimaginable amount of ways that gamers can approach and compete their missions. When you succeed using bizarre methods, the dopamine rush needs to be felt to be believed. It looks beautiful, the music is evocative, the characters are wildly entertaining. But most of all, the narrative throws out every formula known to the fantasy genre - something even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stumbles at - and turns every expectation on its head. It's searing storytelling, with no shortage of great moments. This is the closest gaming has got to the sense that there's a human inside your computer making up stories and experiences just for you as you go along. A wonderful preview to the future of gaming when AI and machine learning is smart enough to tailor-make stories for its gamers.

Edit: After giving it a thought, I'd probably replace Horizon with Nier: Automata. Both good, though.