Year in review: 7 great games from 2017

With 2017 fast approaching an end, it is a great time to look back at what's been a great year for the video game industry. Gamers were treated to several good titles, that not only earned the big bucks but also earned rave reviews for their in-game mechanics and graphics. 

Increase in production value and deeper and more immersive storylines have also been contributing factors to the improvements in video games seen this year. Here's taking a look at the best.

Call of Duty: WWII

This latest title from the award-winning series by Activision is an attempt at rebooting the series as a grounded, sober military shooter which captures the blood, sweat, horrors and the heartbreak of the bloodthirsty war of the 1940s. Like the name suggests, the title has its roots in the period of the Second World War where players navigate through the game's over six-hour-long story mode in a first-person shooter environment.

Built on top of a game engine that facilitates brilliant looking visuals, fluid action and more than a few breathtaking moments, the game's plot keeps you hooked for hours. The title also has a great multiplayer mode and a Nazi zombie shooter add-on that is great fun to play.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus 

Very few games have the ability to become an experience in themselves that transports the gamer to an alternative reality. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus does just that. With a powerful storyline set in an alternative universe where the Nazis "win" the Second World War and plunge the world into a deep pit of hate and violence, the game sets the floor for a revolution at the hand of its protagonist William Joseph "BJ" Blazkowicz.

Playing as BJ, the game takes you on a wild Nazi-killing ride that not only keeps you engaged but also makes you beg for more when the story finally ends.

With lots of guns, and more than enough Nazis to shoot at, this title stands out as arguably the best first-person shooter of the year. But above all else, the game features Obergruppenführer Frau Irene Engel - arguably the strongest antagonist the video gaming universe has seen this year - delivering some really mean and spine-chilling, but brilliant lines in a thick German accent.

Sample this for taste: "For your crime, you will die like vermin. I will hunt you down. At the end of the earth, I will find you. Your skin charred and your fats rendered. Your kind exterminated. In the end, I will feed your flesh… to the furnace." – Frau Irene Engel to BJ during an interaction in the game.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War

The sequel to the highly popular game, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, ticks all the (right) boxes. The game improves on the thumb-numbing combat system from its predecessor, and uses the entertaining nemesis system of 2014's Shadow of Mordor, to provide an entertaining experience that sees gamers going through hordes of orcs at a stretch.

The game revolves around the game's protagonist - ranger Tallion - and his quest for revenge against Sauron’s minions in Mordor. However, where the Shadow of War- much like its predecessor - shines is by giving the enemy, a personality of its own, that sees a player's interaction changing how the Orc leaders of the game evolve.

The sequel also improves on the game's map, with a lot more being added to the mix to ensure that gamers are hooked on to the Orc killing madness of the game for hours.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

From the studieos of Guerilla Games, Horizon: Zero Dawn uses the 3D engine that manages the PS4's powerful hardware to the fullest to pull off a universe that is set in a post-apocalyptic future where giant mechanical creatures roam the open world and mankind is forced into returning to the hunting and gathering mode for survival. 

Filled with sweeping vistas, foliage-filled fields, torrential downpours, and soaring mountains, the game constantly amazes you with its beauty. 

However, it's not just the looks where the game shines. Horizon brings with it an incredible plot and a likable new hero along with it arguably the best combat system released this year.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Released worldwide on September 14, 2017, Divinity: Original Sin 2, is a role-playing game (RPG) created for the Windows platform. Even though its not available on popular consoles, its still does rank among the best games to have been launched this year. 

The title takes inspiration from the popular titles of the past and attempts at breathing new life in the RPG genre of the industry with its game engine that immersive storyline. Suffice to say, the game is a must play not only for existing fans of the genre but is also a good bet for new players looking to play something new that  promises to keep them hooked for hours and hours. 

Assassin's Creed Origins

The latest installment in the popular Assasin's Creed franchise, Origins takes the users into one of the most alluring settings in the series yet: ancient Egypt. As Bayek of Siwa, players are taken through a journey where they are strung through a twisted story of pharaohs, corrupt leaders, and the plights of the "lower class" at a time when they were routinely worked to death and nobody batted an eyelid.

Released on October 27, Assassin's Creed Origins already looks to be on course to become the best-selling game of the franchise. According to Ubisoft, the game's developer, the title sold 100 per cent better than Assassin's Creed Syndicate in the same first 10 days of its release.

The game uses redesigned mechanics and a beautiful map that recreates ancient Egypt’s varied architecture and environments to give the player a unique experience. The title is available on Xbox, Playstation and PC, and comes highly recommended.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

The game with its brilliant mechanics and plot plays on the most basic of human fears by putting gamers bang in the middle of incredibly unsettling and unpleasant locations, and thus ends up making the seventh game of the Resident Evil Franchise a gruesome and eerie experience. However, what enables this gaming experience is an important change that sees the developers taking the game back to its first-person roots.

The plot of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard sees protagonist Ethan Winters searching for his wife in an abandoned plantation inhabited by the Baker family. Through the game, you use weapons and tools to fight against the Baker family and other enemies in the game.

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