With 2017 beginning tomorrow I figured it would be a good idea to look to the future and see what I am most excited for in the coming year. There are so many games we already know about, but even more that have yet to be announced. Armed with the knowledge of what we DO know is coming, here is what I am extremely excited for in 2017.
GRAVITY RUSH 2
As a massive Sony fan and a big fan of the original Gravity Rush the beginning of the year is looking amazing. We will be treated to a sequel for a game I anticipated never playing again because the Vita simply did not do well enough for me to expect it or even hope for it. Against all odds, however, Gravity Rush 2 is making its way to PS4. The demo came out last week and boy did I enjoy it. As good as the original looked on the Vita, the awe inspiring world on the PS4 looks like a work of art in motion. The gameplay is also very smooth and the camera is a bit easier to manage than the Vita version. All in all I cannot wait to see what the new game will bring to the table and we only have to wait a few more weeks to find out!
HORIZON ZERO DAWN
Talk about starting the year off strong! First Gravity Rush 2 and then a month later Horizon Zero Dawn! Easily my most anticipated game of the new year, Horizon has captured the imagination of nearly anyone and everyone who follows video games. I've never visited the GI hub for a game so frequently as I did during the cover month for Horizon. The combat looks intense and challenging all while surrounded by this incredibly surreal world full of wonder and mystery. I look forward to unlocking the secrets of Aloy's past as well as the secrets of the world she lives in. I also fear the story letting me down. We've all been hurt before by an overhyped game, but I remain optimistic that Guerrilla Games can succeed with their new IP.
CRASH BANDICOOT N-SANE TRILOGY
This one has a special place in my heart. Crash Bandicoot 2 was my first game I ever played on a PlayStation. I still have the game and I even still have the official strategy guide. I still play Crash 2 every now and then, but the first and third game I have not played in ages. Seeing them redone is a dream come true and I hope this trilogy can open the door for a full revival of the series. Fingers crossed!
MARVEL VS CAPCOM INFINITE
Rarely does a fighting game come along that I enjoy for more than just a week or two. When MVC3 came out I had people over playing that game every week for months. We would select randoms and groan when we got a bad team and jump for joy with a good team. I would never say that I was great at the game, but I at least got to the point where I didn't need to button mash like I do in other fighters when I get desperate. I am a little sad to see that Infinite will only have two people per team instead of three, but as long as they don't release a game that is unfinished like Street Fighter was I can be happy (and here's hoping we don't see "Seasons" of characters either).
GOD OF WAR
When Sony's E3 presentation started and the orchestra began to play I knew immediately what game was about to appear on screen. Greek mythology was one of my favorite subjects in school and the God of War trilogy took those myths and formed one of the most memorable stories in any video game. Even the two PSP games were a blast to play and they added some lore and backstory to the main trilogy. Ascension, unfortunately, did not live up to the legacy, but the newly announced game for PS4 takes us to an entirely new world of Norse myth and legend and I cannot wait to see what Kratos does in it.
NINTENDO SWITCH
I jumped off the Nintendo train a couple years after the Wii came out and I have not been interested in most of their console games since. The DS and 3DS have kept me loyal to the company even though Pokemon is almost the only reason I keep them around, but any time a new console comes out I cannot help but feel excited. Third party support continues to be Nintendo's main failure, but if they can manage to launch some incredible first party games at launch and build a foundation for their third party developers to be successful Nintendo can absolutely become relevant again. If the new Zelda game can be the console seller it needs to be (who am I kidding, that game is gonna move some serious hardware) then there is absolutely hope for the Switch. I for one am dreaming of a Dark Souls 3 port so I could play it on the go. That would be oh so sweet! With the confirmation of Skyrim, the sky's the limit as to what the Switch could see in its library of games. Come on Nintendo! Make me proud!
2017 is shaping up to be quite an amazing year indeed. Most of what I am looking forward to is all launching (no delays no delays no delays oh please no delays!!!) fairly early in 2017 so who knows what else we will be treated to in the second half of the year.
What has you most excited for a new year of gaming? Let me know and thanks for reading!
