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10 Games to Look Forward to in 2017

10 Games to Look Forward to in 2017

If your New Year’s resolution was to play more games, you’re in luck! 2017 boasts a lot of big releases (knock on wood), with additions to beloved franchises and entirely new and refreshing ideas alike on the horizon. Whether you’re looking to sink 40+ hours into an RPG or sit back and relax with a suspenseful horror game, here’s what you have to look forward to as the year carries on.

The Church in the Darkness (2017)

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Currently being developed by Paranoid Productions and directed by Richard Rouse III, The Church in the Darkness is a single player adventure game with a plot that is inspired by cults. The game revolves around an ex-law enforcement officer named Vic, who attempts to infiltrate a religious colony called “Freedom Town” to check on his sister’s son Alex. What distinguishes this game is that it is procedurally generated, meaning that with each new start everything becomes different. Alliances within the camp, layout of the environment, and beliefs will change. We’re ready to learn more about the leaders who run this cult, and hopefully find out what goes on within the camp. (PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One)

What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)

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What Remains of Edith Finch has a fascinating premise. The game is a series of short stories that detail the lives of your relatives, offering a chance to experience the day-to-day of a different family member with stories ranging from the 1900s to present time. It’s being developed by Giant Sparrow, a small video game company based in Santa Monica. The catch to this story is that you, Edith Finch, are the last remaining member of your family. How is that possible? What happened in order to cause everyone in your family to die? These morbid questions are hoped to be answered by playing through these vignettes, offering the player a chance at a first-person perspective of each story that ends in death. The family is cursed, and it’s up to Edith to unravel that mystery. We’re just as curious to figure out what happened to the Finch family. (PC, PS4)

Horizon: Zero Dawn (February 28th)

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Horizon: Zero Dawn answers the question: “What if dinosaurs still existed…but they were robots?” (Granted, it’s a little more complicated than that.) The game was first shown to the public during the E3 press conference in 2015. It has an interesting premise, where at first glance it seems as though humankind never evolved past their primitive forms visually, but have access to technology that is way beyond their time. In this game humans and machines do not live peacefully, as the protagonist Aloy has been sheltered from the outside world due to the mechanized animals roaming the area. She takes it upon herself to leave the cloistered environment she grew up in, wanting to discover what life has to offer. We’re excited to see how Aloy will to tame the mechanized beasts and discover the beauty and danger of the world around her. (PS4)

Friday the 13th: The Game (2017)

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Another successfully Kickstarted game, Friday the 13th: The Game is a third person survival horror game set in the fictional Camp Crystal Lake from the Friday the 13th franchise. It’s a multiplayer game that pits seven players who will control camp counselors against one player who will be in charge of the infamous Jason Voorhees. It’s like a game of deadly hide and go seek–but trust us, you don’t want to get caught. If you thought the elimination methods in the movies were bad, the game will certainly change your mind. The objective for the seven counselors seems straightforward enough: Escape from the camp, or survive long enough to outlast the timer that will be counting down the session. Jason’s objective is to make sure no one stays alive long enough for that to happen. And it won’t be easy! According to gameplay demos, the player who controls Jason will have heightened hearing and vision, and the ability to teleport wherever he wants. Maybe we’ll play this one with the lights on… (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (January 24th)

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Thought we were done with scary games for the year? The 11th installment into the Resident Evil series, this game will actually have support for Playstation VR headset (which, unless you want to scream and cause your neighbors to become concerned, we advise against) and is the first main series installment to be played from a first person perspective. The game is set four years after the events of Resident Evil 6 and features a new protagonist Ethan Winters. It’s your job as the player to search for his missing wife Mia. This eventually leads you to a derelict plantation mansion that belonged to the Baker family. This is where the teaser demo took place, and we warn you: it’s going to be scary. Who knew walking around an abandoned, creepy mansion without a gun would leave us so antsy? (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild (2017)

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Our list wouldn’t feel complete if we didn’t mention this upcoming Nintendo title! Fans have been waiting on this game for a few years. With the anticipation to play Breath of the Wild on a new console (the Nintendo Switch), we can’t exactly blame them. This title is different from other games in The Legend of Zelda franchise because it breaks from the usual formula and branches into an open-world environment, but still leaves minimal instruction allowing for the player to explore at their own pace. Ever the amnesiac, Link awakes from a 100 year slumber to find a mysterious voice saying that he must defeat Ganon. Although it doesn’t seem like it will be a Nintendo Switch launch title, we’re still looking forward to picking up helpless pots and smashing them against the wall for those sweet, sweet rupees. (Nintendo Switch)

Yooka-Laylee (April 4th)

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In 2015, a Kickstarter campaign was started by the creative talent behind Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country under the name Playtonic Games. The creators formed this new studio in the hopes of making a spiritual successor to their previous work and ended up succeeding thanks to an overwhelming amount of fan support. The new project is called Yooka-Laylee, a 3D platformer with two new heroes: Yooka, the green one with no pants, and Laylee, the bat with the big nose. The buddy duo is reminiscent of characters from older platformer games, where teamwork is essential in progressing to the next chapter. Each character has their own set of unique traits that will help in exploring the brightly colored environments to discover secret collectibles. We’re excited to jump, fly, and sonar-blast our way through this exciting game! (PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One)

Mass Effect Andromeda (March 21st)

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Fans of the Bioware franchise have been waiting on this upcoming installment for almost five years following the end of Mass Effect 3. Initially, there wasn’t a lot of information going around as to what the new title would be about. It was clear that Shepard would no longer be the protagonist, but a lot of other details were up in the air. Where would Mass Effect Andromeda take place on the timeline? What about the Reapers? Will there still be space fish to neglect and mourn after their inevitable passing? Thankfully most of those questions have been answered, and the Ryder siblings have stepped up to guide our next venture into the stars. With an all new ship, crew, and antagonist awaiting us, we can’t wait to get back out there. (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Prey (2017)

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Prey is an FPS that’s being developed by Arkane Studios and published through Bethesda Softworks. Originally set as a sequel to the 2006 game of the same name, it quickly fell into development hell and was cancelled in 2014. Thankfully it was picked back up after it was announced that Prey would be a re-imagining of the original game. It’s gone through a lot of trials but from what information is already out there, it looks like the wait is certainly going to be worth it. You’ll play as Morgan Yu, a human that just so happens to be stuck on a space station with not so friendly aliens. As the player, you can choose Yu’s gender, and certain decisions you make will impact element’s of the game’s story. Yu doesn’t seem to be just an ordinary human–they’ll be able to gain abilities over time that mimic the alien’s powers. What happened to the space station? Why are there hostile aliens running around? We hope to have those answers soon. (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017)

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Naughty Dog has gone to say that Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will be a standalone chapter, which is why we’ve included it on this list. A departure from the usual protagonist of Nathan Drake, The Lost Legacy will feature two familiar faces from the series. Players will take control of fan favorite Chloe Frazer who is aided by Nadine Ross. Both of these characters never seemed to have a lot of screen time, so we’re ecstatic that these badass ladies will have the opportunity to share a part of Uncharted that has yet to be discovered. As Chloe, you’ll be tasked with finding the treasure that is the Tusk of Ganesha, which is hidden deep within India’s Western Ghats. We’re not sure about you, but we can’t wait to seek out this treasure and find out why it needs to be kept out of the wrong hands. (PS4)

Those are our 10 games to look forward to in 2017! What did we miss? What are you excited for? Let us know in the comments or start a conversation over on our Facebook!

Images: Paranoid Productions, Annapurna Interactive, Sony, Gun Media, Capcom, Nintendo, EA, Bethesda Softworks, Playtonic Games.

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