Top 5 Reviewed Games of 2017

2017 was a great year as far as gaming was concerned. Yet another year has gone by so it’s time to confuse the internet with the top five reviewed games of the year for The Videogame Backlog! Let the internet gets confused on why certain games are on the list while others aren’t. My reviews are based on the amount of fun I had with a title. You know what? Let the salt flow because we do things a little different around here! (Also, while the list isn’t long, I’ve decided to go to an ascending list instead of the descending list I did last year.)

5)Mages of Mystralia

There were a few games this year that had a return to the basics feel. A kind of going back to the roots of what made gaming great in the beginning if you will. Mages of Mystralia managed to not only go back and create something with a feel of nostalgia, but put in some modern twists with the spell creation system and spell physics and have it not feel like a poor attempt to pull at my memory. Mages of Mystralia starts off the list with a pattern you’ll notice; I love adventure and a good story. There is both here with some fun magic explosions to fill me to the brim with giddiness. I loved messing with all of the combinations and possibilities of how to spend all of my mana at once. This was the best mage game I’ve played in a long while.

4)Tales From the Borderlands

I’m beginning to think the only thing I haven’t liked from the people over at Telltale has been their Minecraft game (which was not even fully reviewed here because I couldn’t muster the strength). This story from the Borderlands universe got me to enjoy the concept of the franchise more and I even went back and finally picked up the other games since I only had the first. That was an impressive feat since they weren’t even on my radar. I loved the adventure and crazy story Telltale put on in here. The devs had to be high when creating some of this content, but it’s on par with what I experienced in the first game and that’s impressive. Telltale feels like Skillet to me. No matter what they try, it’s usually good.

3)Rise of the Tomb Raider

I do love me some stealth action. While I do enjoy a great linear story, if this had been set in a more open-world environment, it would have fought for a higher spot. I don’t need things to be so open, but an open-world, full-on stealther would be amazing! (Come on next Dishonored game!) I have always been a fan of the Tomb Raider series, but the latest two installments have been the best yet! I really want them to keep going with this formula, if not be a bit more adventurous. They’ve got a good formula going here, but they can’t keep doing the same style can they? Don’t get me wrong, I’d buy it, but I’d still like something more. Still, the sneaking was just so satisfying.

2)Horizon: Zero Dawn

With something around every corner looking to kill you, Horizon: Zero Dawn was a bit stressful to play. Stressful, but absolutely beautiful and fun. Jumping off of things and stabbing them while trying to stay mostly hidden was very cool even if whistling was a bit OP. The variety of monsters was cool and the story was very entertaining. It was a rough start with the PS4 controller and the shooting, but I got a good handle on it by the end. I’d have to relearn it if I ever wanted to go back though. Speaking of going back, I lament that the DLC came out so late because it did sound cool. However, I’ve already completed the game and I don’t tend to revisit games that quickly. It was a good, challenging adventure game that I would recommend to any PS4 owner. Come on; killing giant, robot dinosaurs? That’s a cool concept stolen straight from the inner kid!

1)The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Anyone could have guessed that this is the number one game for me. Everyone that owns a Switch probably has this game, but if you don’t, pick it up. There was so much joy given to me on this adventure in a land that I’ve played in since childhood. I’m aware that some people still feel this isn’t the best open-world game, but it was a break from the norm and while it had its issues, I look back most fondly on this. I hated the limited durability and some of the weapons which turned me into a hoarder just in case something worse would come over the horizon. Some of the shrines felt cheep, but the game as a whole was fantastic. I’ve never felt more free to explore in an open-world game before, especially with the ability to climb. I could use some more traditional dungeons though and a stronger story in the sequel. I’m glad it looks like they are going to stick to this formula; I’m looking forward to my next journey in Hyrule.

Runners Up! (In Alpha order)

3..2..1..Grenades!
A Hat in Time
Beyond Two Souls
The Final Station
Lego City Undercover
Life is Feudal
Mr. Shifty
No Heroes Here
Picross Touch
Race for the Galaxy
RIVE
SiNKER
Yakuza Kiwami

But hey! Where’s Super Mario Odyssey? Didn’t I review Watch_Dogs 2? Both were rather large disappointments and I didn’t feel like making a “Biggest disappointments of 2017” article. Watch_Dogs 2 was more fun that Super Mario Odyssey and that… just isn’t right since the characters of Watch_Dogs 2 were kind of bland. That’s about all I’m going to say about that. For more of my thoughts check out the reviews by following the links above. Needless to say, as much good quality stuff we go in 2017, some weren’t as great as their predecessors.

With this post, 2017 is officially closed for me. I don’t plan on buying any DLC for anything. Just wait a bit and make the game bigger or just save it for the sequel… or prequel! I’m tired of it all. I want a bit more for my money. I’m hoping for something awesome this year, but I’m honestly not sure what I should be looking forward to this year. I knew some of the big things coming last year, but this year is a bit murky. I’m liking what I see with Biomutant, and Monster Hunter World could be cool but I wanted XX for my Switch so I could play with my wife. Life was rough this year, but the gaming was great! Let’s hope 2018 rocks us even more than 2017!

2 thoughts on “Top 5 Reviewed Games of 2017

  • January 16, 2018 at 01:31
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    Nioh was my favorite game released in 2017, although it’s not what I played the most. Red Dead Redemption 2 will probably be my favorite for 2018, so long as it doesn’t get pushed into 2019.

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