Here we are at the beginning of a new year in which we can look ahead to what is coming up this year. 2016 was a good year for games as long as you weren’t looking forward to No Man’s Sky or something but 2017 looks like it is going to blow last year out of the water. Now, with any list looking forward at games there is the very real danger that any of these will get delayed and not happen this year or at all (RIP Scalebound). As it stands right now, this is my list of games I am looking to the most this year. If you agree or disagree let me know in the comments. Post your own list of what you are looking forward to if you disagree. Also don’t be an asshat. It should also be mentioned that while Resident Evil 7 should be on the list, it comes out in less than two weeks so I am not going to use a slot for it. Other honorable mentions are: Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Horizon Zero Dawn.

 

10. Friday the 13th (Xbox One, PS4, PC): I love survival horror and the idea of an asymmetrical survival horror in which one player takes the role of Jason Voorhees and the others play camp counsellors sounds pretty badass. It is cool to see a horror game with a license like this that may not blow. Alien Isolation proved that it can pull it off and now, hopefully, Jason will have his day in the  moonlight. Kane Hodder is on hand for the Jason motion capture which is going to add an extra bit of authenticity. At the moment the game appears to be multi-player only but it is to be hoped that a single player campaign will show up at some point.

9. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite(Xbox One, PS4, PC): This one is kind of iffy for me given the mess that Capcom made of Street Fighter V but hopefully they have learned from their mistakes and will offer up a solid suite of modes. This installment drops the character teams to two instead of three and removes call in assists but replaces that with free form combos and the inclusion of Infinity Stones to customize characters. This offers additional depth and variety. Not much is known about the full roster but it looks like the Marvel side will be mostly made up by Marvel Cinematic Universe characters. I am pretty stoked for this one.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy (Xbox One, PS4, PC): So, I love Telltale games and I love Guardians of the Galaxy so this is a match made in heaven. The story and character heavy adventure is set to be much like previous Telltale games and has the player taking on multiple Guardians in the course of the five episode game that will release in installments. No release date has been announced but it makes sense for the first episode to be out around the time Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 releases in May. Neither one can come fast enough for me.

7. Spider-man (PS4): A PS4 exclusive, this new Spider-Man game is coming to us from Insomniac games and apparently uses the Sunset Overdrive engine to bring us a game that finds an experienced Spider-Man juggling his super hero life and his personal life. Even if I didn’t give a shit about Spider-Man I would be stoked by a new Insomniac game, particularly one that uses the Sunset Overdrive engine. I am not likely to get a sequel to that game since people are stupid and didn’t buy it but this is the next best thing. The action in that game lends itself very well to the sort of crime fighting shenanigans that Spidey will get up to. I am really hoping that this one shows up this year.

 

6. For Honor (Xbox One, PS4, PC): I played this at E3 in 2015 and it quickly became one of my most anticipated titles that year. An action game that pits knights, samurai, and vikings against each other in melee combat that transitions from Dynasty Warriors style hack and slash to more technical single combat dueling. It offers a deep combat system that may have a bit of a learning curve but has the potential for intense multi-player match ups. The time I spent with the game was a lot of fun and I am very excited to try out more. We don’t have to wait too long either as this one releases in February and a beta happening fairly soon.

 

5. South Park The Fractured but Whole (Xbox One, PS4, PC): I was really bummed when this was delayed from October but I appreciate that they would rather delay than release a shitty project. The first South Park game, the Stick of Truth was absolutely amazing. If you are a South Park fan then that game gave you nothing but gold. The classic RPG combat system was on the simple side but the humor and story were on point. Now we move from fantasy RPG to a super hero parody with an improved combat system. I didn’t really think we would ever get more South Park game goodness but we do and I can’t wait.

 

4. Injustice 2 (Xbox One, PS4): Injustice was absolutely badass. Pitting DC heroes and villains against each other in a Mortal Kombat style fighting game sounded like it could be sketchy proposition but it turned out awesome. The story was dark and violent and the fighters were badass. This is a game that made Aquaman a badass. I have said badass a lot in this section but it is apt. Injustice 2 brings us back with a new armor upgrade system and some exciting new fighters. With a May 16 release day we don’t have too long to wait and now we have something too look forward to playing this summer. It is a win win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsQnWWtO0ik

 

3. God of War (PS4): After Kratos killed the fuck out of pretty much everyone in Greek mythology I hoped that they would move the series to Norse mythology next. When they revealed at this year’s E3 that they were doing just that it excited me to no end. I am somewhat concerned at the shift away from the classic God of War gameplay but this game looks beautiful and I am interested to see where it goes. I am very interested to see how Kratos loses the Blades of Chaos and settles down with a new family. I do hope that the action returns to form because that is what I love most about God of War but either way I am interested and on board.

 

2. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One, PS4): Red Dead Redemption is arguably the best game of that decade (it was right there at the end, to be fair) and now Rockstar is giving us a sequel. We don’t know much about the game yet but the artwork and teaser suggest that there will be multiple characters like Grand Theft Auto V and evidence points to a prequel that may mean that John Marston is back in action. If that is the case then I am very excited but even if not I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing. If it is even half as good as the original it will be amazing and there is no reason to believe that it won’t be an improvement on the original game.

 

1.Mass Effect Andromeda (Xbox One, PS4, PC): This is more Mass Effect. I shouldn’t have to say much more but a new game with an all new protagonist and and new companions in a new galaxy that is removed from the events of the original series sounds incredible. The progression system and combat system have been updated and improved with more versatility and more options.  I can’t wait to dig in with the new characters and enemies and see where the story goes. Mass Effect is one of my favorite series of all time and I am very excited to get more. I am sad to see my old friends go but I am looking forward to meeting the new ones. With a March 21 release date I thankfully don’t have to. It is probably a good idea to get any business you might have with me done before that day, however because I am not likely to be available for quite some time afterward.

So that is the list. What are you looking forward to this year? Let me know below!