As 2017 draws to a close, it's that time of year where a look back is required (it's a tradition, or by-law or something). This , the first of four, will cover videogames. The remaining three will cover books, films and TV shows.
2017 has been one hell of a year for videogames, and most of that can be put down to the release of the Nintendo Switch. With new hardware came a new generation of Nintendo titles that demonstrated once again that the company knows its business. There were several titles on the Switch that I managed to play and each provided a highlight to the year.
Super Mario Odyssey was the first to be played and wow! Just wow! I hadn't enjoyed a Mario game this much since Super Mario Sunshine on the GameCube and this game demonstrates why Nintendo are till at the top of their game. Sublime platforming, challenging gameplay and charming game mechanics made this the platformer of the year for me. Not that there wasn't competition in this area. Yooka-Laylee and Super Lucky's Tale were two of the standout console releases, yet both had their issues. YL, from the brains of former Rare employees, tried to capture the style and panache of the best of Rare platformers from the N64 days.Whilst it was charming enough, there were a few niggles here and there (including the camera, so really staying true to form) that stopped it being truly great. SLT meanwhile, was a bit too childish though it retained a charm that appealed.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a change in direction for Zelda games, with an open world design and crafting mechanics that took the series to new heights. That's not to say it's perfect (I know, heresy if ever you'd heard it): the crafting mechanics, whilst bringing in depth to the game, also mean you have the annoying hassle of weapons breaking mid-fight and inventory management at inopportune moments. That's not to say its a deal breaker and it is one of the best games of the year.
Super Mario Kart 8 was a re-freshed re-hash of the Wii U version that still feels fresh and exciting, something that takes some doing when you are up to 8 in a series. I haven't yet had a chance to try out ARMS or Splatoon but they are on the list for early next year.
Third party titles for the Switch were also a nice surprise, though having said that, they were re-releases of titles familiar to X-Box 360/One, PS3 and PS4 owners. However, not to take anything away from them, it was nice to see high profile third party games being released on a Nintendo console. Doom really was the title that should not have been possible on the Switch. Released in 2016, it was renowned for its graphics and back to basics shoot-em up gameplay. On Switch, there are compromises, notably the docked mode which looks like you are playing the game through a vaseline smeared screen. In handheld mode, however, Doom delivers the frantic and fun you expect. On a portable console. The controls are a bit ham-fisted with the Switch set up, but playing undocked with a Pro controller proved to be the best way to play this title.
LA Noire was another graphical powerhouse back at its release in 2011. It also featured ground-breaking facial animation that meant you could read the characters intentions just as in the real world. Coming to Switch, I expected this to be limited in scope and look, but no, again, an excellent port that whilst there are cutbacks here and there, its plays well and the story is as engrossing as ever.
Finally on Switch, we have Skyrim. This is a game I love, having put two play through's on the X-Box 360, one on the X-Box One and now another on the Switch. The Switch version is a bit more limited graphically compared to the recent re-makes but that is to be expected considering the difference in power between the machines. Overall, this is portable Skyrim and that is the real achievement.
One thing I will say about the Switch: you get what you want out of it by deciding what type of machine it is - a home console that can be turned into a portable, or a portable console that can be docked with your TV. It's a small distinction but an important one. I fall into the latter camp and for me, the Switch is a cracking games console which has had a great first nine months of release and has a good 2018 to look forward to.
As well as the above, both the PlayStation 4 and X-Box One have also had some good releases this year. There were three titles on PS4 that caught my fancy this year. The WipEout Omega Collection was a real blast from the past - I recall playing the original Wipeout on my PS1 in the late 90's and whilst the refreshed graphics are definitely required, the gameplay has remained the same and this title took up many an hour for both myself and my fiance. The music was a highlight too.
Everybody's Golf was a cartoon themed golf series that started way back on the PS1 twenty years ago and this title, the twelfth, still feels as fresh and fun as the original. It will not be for many, and there are more realistic golf games out there, but there is a charm and whimsy about this game that entertains.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was a nice add on to Uncharted 4, focusing on a couple of side characters from earlier games. Whilst nothing ground-breaking, it had the same polished gameplay as Uncharted 4 and an intriguing story brought to life by the individual performances of the cast. It was a lower priced release and one that was well worth the time playing through.
Whist I have listed console exclusive and re-releases above, my main gaming system is the X-Box One. (As an aside, the new X-Box One X console is on my wishlist but then so is a 4K TV to make the best use of it so it'll be a while yet before I upgrade to that console). This means that I play most multi-platform titles Microsoft's console and this year, there were a handful of decent to good titles that I played.
Mass Effect: Andromeda was one game I was really looking forward to and ended up being the biggest disappointment. I love sci-fi epics, either written (check out Alistair Reynolds), film, TV or videogames and the Mass Effect trilogy were, despite some flaws that were not game-breaking, the best that action/role-playing-games had to offer during the last console generation. To say that I was excited for Andromeda would have been an understatement. What landed on my doormat was something else though! Game breaking bugs, a facial animation system that begged for internet memes (and got them!), a rushed and poorly defined story and some god-awful voice acting meant that Andromeda's critical and sales reception tanked the series, despite all of the goodwill built up over the last decade. It was a shame, yet totally understandable when the stories started to come out over the troubled development of the title and EA's policy to game development in general.
Agents of Mayhem was another title that looked promising, a single player, cartoon derived shooter with an 80's animation style and a pedigree that included the Saints Row series. In the case of this title, it was a case of "close but no cigar", with curiously annoying two dimensional characters and a general lack of feeling. Another shame.
Before I get to my final game, and the one I enjoyed the most, I must mention Forza 7 and Star Wars Battlefront 2. An X-Box/PC title, Forza 7 comes from a long line of racing titles and whilst extremely technically adept, it felt soulless and frankly boring. That and a move towards Loot boxes means it looks like the end of the line for me and this gaming series. Battlefront 2 was an anticipated title that I sensibly waited for the reviews before deciding not to buy. Never mind the online lootbox controversy, the promise of a single player campaign was what caught my eye. As it turned out, according to some, four to six hours was what you'd get. And sorry, I ain't paying £50 for a game that short.
So, to my game of the year and one that I am still heading back to every now and again: Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. Yep, we're back in the alternate 1960's with BJ Blazkowicz, killing Nazi's and generally causing mayhem. A superb story, characters you really get to know and understand, a sense of style and presentation that is second of none; Wolfenstein 2 : The New Colossus is a tour de force of shoot-em up with a purpose, and that purpose is to entertain. And entertain it does! With a good twelve hour campaign and a promised set of DLC stories that add another six or so hours, this game is well worth the money and you'll have a blast experiencing it.
So that's it for games for 2017, coming soon, TV...
No comments:
Post a Comment