It’s that time of the year again as SG Gaming Info shows off its top 5 games for 2017. Now, the games on this list are only games that I either played or reviewed, so if you don’t see your favourite game on this list, it could be that I never got to play or review said game.

5. Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft)
Release date – October 27, 2017 (PS4, PC, XBOne)
Review link – http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2017/11/assassins-creed-origins-ps4-review/

At number five we have Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game that takes the franchises to Ancient Egypt, a time before the Assassins and Templars, but by the time you finish the story you will have witnessed the creation of both these factions.

For me, the most impressive aspect of Assassin’s Creed Origins is its time period, as a fan of Ancient Egypt, thanks to Stargate SG1 and various history channels, I found myself getting increasingly immersed in the world with each new location I visited.

In terms of gameplay, Assassin’s Creed Origins offered a completely new combat system and a strong focus on RPG elements such as levelling and gaining gear via loot. The new combat system is more challenging, but altogether easy to learn and the RPG element is one of the game’s biggest failings as it has players level grind in order to meet the level requirements of the story missions.

4. Sparc (CCP Games)
Release date – August 29, 2017 (PS4), November 15, 2017 (PC)
Review link – http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2017/09/sparc-review/

As a child, I remember watching Tron several times on TV and VHS, and one part that always stuck in my mind was the disc battle scene, a scene that Tron Legacy did a great job of expanding upon. After watching the disc-based battle I wished that a game like it would exist, and well it does now in CCP Games’ VR title, Sparc.

Sparc, which I played via the PlayStation VR, felt like I was surrounded by programs as I entered a glass arena and competed against another player in a 1v1 battle. The aim of the game is to hit your opponent with your glowing ball. The idea of the game was fascinating because while it sounded simple, the reality was very different as Sparc tested my reflexes to its limit as matches would leave me physically exhausted from the dodging and blocking of the enemy’s ball.

Sparc proved that VR has great potential especially when it comes to games that require full body movement, I mean after only two matches I found myself being physically exhausted.

3. NieR: Automata (Square Enix)
Release date – March 3, 2017 (PC, PS4)
Review link – http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2017/05/nier-automata-ps4-review/

NieR: Automata was a fascinating experience as Platinum Games provided an exciting action RPG alongside a story that had you asking yourself many questions regarding free will and the nature of the world you inhabit.

For many, including myself NieR: Automata’s main draw was its combat system, which Platinum Games executed extremely well, from the feeling of achievement as you perform perfect dodges to how the game changes the combat system from a hack and slash to one of a bullet hell shooter or sidescroller. The changes in combat systems were all fascinating and while there were many, they didn’t feel overbearing or unnecessary.

The game’s story had players play as three different androids who are on a mission to rid the world of alien machines in an effort to make the planet safe for humanity. While this is the main plot of the game, the story throws up interesting questions involving the nature of life and how you shouldn’t blindly follow those around you.

2. Horizon Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Release date – March 1, 2017 (PS4)
Review link – http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2017/03/horizon-zero-dawn-review/

At number two we have Guerrilla Games’ post-post-apocalyptic RPG, Horizon Zero Dawn. While the game has many typical RPG elements, the game’s setting and story elevates the entire experience.

Set hundreds of years in the future, humanity as we know it has been wiped out, and what remains are primitive tribes and large robotic like animals known as “The Machines”. Horizon Zero Dawn’s story focuses on the character of Aloy, an outcast that leaves her tribe in search for her mother, but this search leads to Aloy and the player learning more about the robots that prowl the landscape and how the first ones died out.

Horizon Zero Dawn does an excellent job of getting you interesting in the world with its mixture of primitive and advanced technology; personally, I enjoyed how the game slowly revealed the world and its secrets to you. In terms of its combat, there was nothing more enjoyable than using a ropecaster to take down a large machine and then switching to your bow to hit its weak spot.

1. Tales of Berseria (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Release date – January 20, 2017 (PC, PS4)
Review link – http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2017/01/tales-of-berseria-ps4-review/

Now, SG Gaming Info’s number one game of 2017 is…Tales of Berseria from Bandai Namco Entertainment. This latest game in the Tales of franchise provides the darkest and most emotion-driven experience to date with the game’s main character Velvet proving to be an understanding and powerful anti-hero. Her actions and motivations are based around revenge and throughout the story, you see that she doesn’t care who gets in her way if she has to destroy an entire kingdom to get her revenge she will do it. Velvet’s wild emotions attract comrades who also have anti-hero tendencies such as revenge, although some join up with Velvet as they see her as the only way to stop the world from becoming an emotionless void.

Tales of Berseria at its core is about emotion versus reason. Velvet actions are all driven by her emotional need for revenge on those who killed her brother while the main antagonist, Artorius is driven by reason as he believes that burying one’s emotion and using logic is the best way to accomplish his goal of ridding the land of daemons. The game also brings up how reason with emotion or emotion without reason is a dangerous thing.

Besides the story and characters, Tales of Berseria offers numerous side activities in the form of fishing, bursting balloons and sending your ship out in search of treasure, these little side activities reward players with fashion items and most importantly of all materials to improve your armour and weapons.

Unfortunately, Tales of Berseria does have a relatively poor combat system. It isn’t bad, but it lacks any real depth, which is rather funny as the combat does contain multiple layers. With that all said, I found the combat in Tales of Berseria to be a means to an end as combat offered a nice break from the emotionally charged story.

Thank you for reading this top 5 list, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.