Forza Motorsport 7

Loot box controversy and VIP bonuses notwithstanding, Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport was yet another awesome racing simulator. It took everything we loved about the series – the wide selection of beautifully rendered cars and tight track design – and added dynamic weather for surprisingly competitive results. The Forza Driver’s Cup was the campaign mode this time and it offered the usual range of showcase events, races and challenges.

The divisions restricted you to a particular class while the open series allowed for greater diversity in selection. Combine this with detailed car customization options, excellent presentation and the ability to tailor the difficulty to your liking, and Forza Motorsport 7 stands out as one of the best racing simulators on Xbox One.

Halo Wars 2

It’s hard to sell someone on a real-time strategy game for consoles. The Halo Wars series has been pulling it off somehow but Halo Wars 2 is a different beast. It’s been developed by The Creative Assembly and 343 Industries as opposed to Ensemble Studios. Taking place after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2 reunited us with the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire who awoke from cryo-sleep to arrive at an Ark and battle a new Brute faction called the Banished.

With a fairly solid campaign that streamlines many of the complications of RTS titles to allow for faster paced action, Halo Wars 2 also made an impact with its multiplayer modes. The wide variety of units to control along with their leaders, the addition of Blitz that combines collectible card game mechanics with strategy, and Firefight for some sweet PvE action made for some highly entertaining gameplay.

Tacoma

From the developer of Gone Home, Tacoma is also a narrative-based adventure title with plenty of mystery. As Amy, you board the Tacoma space station and unravel the events that took place under the eye of Venturis. What happened to the crew aboard the station and how does the AI ODIN play a part in all of this?

The magic of the game isn’t in the performances or writing of its characters but in how their stories are told. Amy views augmented reality data of each event and can rewind, fast forward or pause moments to glean more information. You might discover Clive’s boyish love for E.V. or miss Andrew’s more emotional moments with his son. The various plotlines unfold in a natural manner and despite the fairly linear nature of it all, Tacoma presents an intriguing story that should be experienced.

Super Lucky’s Tale

Microsoft has never really been known for its platformers. We’ve had successes like Ori and The Blind Forest but Super Lucky’s Tale was an indication that mascots could thrive on the Xbox One as well. The story itself focuses on Lucky, the protagonist, being sucked into a magical book to battle a posse of evil cats. One of those is a ninja who employs Mew-shu and wants to test Lucky before fights can actually take place. The hijinks only escalate from there.

In terms of evoking the nostalgia of old-school platformers, Super Lucky’s Tale isn’t as successful as A Hat in Time or even Yooka-Laylee (and forget about being in Super Mario Odyssey’s league). But it’s a colourful adventure with some fun abilities and challenges to overcome. That’s all we can ask for in this day and age.

Cuphead

Have you ever played a game that felt so much like a tribute to so many different mediums while still establishing its own identity? Cuphead was a mash-up of Fleischer Studios animation, spicy swing music blaring with trumpets and big drums, and the old-school difficulty of run and gun platformers. It was dripping with charm but would it be too niche for its own good?

As it turns out, it wasn’t. Cuphead was pretty flawless in its approach with awesome boss fights and tough but fair stages brimming with cool enemies. You wouldn’t think a platformer this tough could garner such universal love but Cuphead did and made it look easy.

Winner: Cuphead

Studio MDHR’s Cuphead has always had our curiosity and attention. The animation style almost felt unreal. The difficulty was apparently brutal. What was this strange game that was exclusive to the Xbox One (and would later be confirmed for Windows 10 and Steam)? How could it possibly stand up to Sony’s juggernaut of exclusives? Why was it constantly delayed?

Cuphead didn’t have the biggest budget – in fact, Studio MDHR’s founders had to mortgage their homes to complete development. It didn’t have the most forgiving difficulty curb. However, it had an identity. It had something which so many games today lack and that’s heart. Cuphead stood on its own and burrowed deep into our hearts like Mega Man, Mario, Shovel Knight, Metroid and many other platforming greats before it. To that end, it’s our pick for 2017’s Best Xbox One.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

Nintendo’s Second Mario Film

The Super Mario Bros. movie in 1993 was one of the most wretched things ever committed to film. Nintendo didn’t abandon the film industry entirely though – rumours have emerged of talks with Illumination Studio (of Despicable Me and Minions fame) to make a new Mario Bros. film. While not officially announced, this film won’t be live-action and instead goes the animated route. Interestingly, it’s already in production. We’ll have to wait for the reveal to get truly hyped but this is still incredible news.

Nintendo Announces SNES Classic

We knew it would happen, especially as Nintendo dashed all hopes and dreams of the NES Classic being restocked. But the SNES Classic was a thing and packed tons of our favourite titles into one awesome box. Even Star Fox 2 was included!

SAG-AFTRA Strike Resolution

Tucked away amidst the major announcements and crazy happenings was the news that the strike against video game publishers and developers by SAG-AFTRA would finally come to end. The strike was on behalf of voice actors across the industry and it became the longest strike ever for the organization before finally ending on September 23^rd. And thankfully, both sides came to an amicable agreement on the matter.

Metroid Prime 4

It never seemed like Nintendo would actually return to the Metroid Prime series. However at E3 2017, it finally confirmed what the rumours have said for so long – Metroid Prime 4 is coming and it’s for the Nintendo Switch. Who’s developing it? When will it be out?

Pokemon Switch

Probably not as tremendous or surprising as the Metroid Prime 4 announcement but Nintendo confirmed a new Pokemon title…for the Switch. Furthermore, this would be a core RPG title from Game Freak and the first in the series to ever debut on a home console. That’s big news, even if – once again – we have no information on a release date or even a name.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

We’ve said it enough time but it bears repeating – it’s simply unbelievable that a game like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds would come out of nowhere from a relatively decent-sized studio and perform as well as it has. The crazy part? The game accomplished all of this while in Early Access. It’s set to release version 1.0 for PC on December 20^th but still.

Xbox One X Reveal And Price

After a year of teasing, the Project Scorpio codename and plenty of speculation, Microsoft finally confirmed its new Xbox console’s name as the Xbox One X. Not only that but at E3 2017, it also announced a retail price of $499 and a range of impressive specs. The console still has a ways to go but the Xbox One X dominated its fair share of reveals at E3.

Nintendo Switch Beats Wii U’s First Year Sales

It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch has been a rousing success this year, overtaking the company’s earlier Wii U console in every way. However, it’s crazy to put that first year of sales into context. When the Wii U launched in November 2012, it sold about 13.56 million units as of March 2017. The Nintendo Switch has already sold 10 million units and it hasn’t been a full year since its launch. Think about that, especially when most of us wrote Nintendo off completely at several points.

Bayonetta 3 Announcement

Reggie Fils-Aime accomplished two tasks at this year’s The Game Awards – he silenced host Geoff Keighley and debuted something we’ve all wanted since forever. That something was Platinum Games’ Bayonetta 3 which saw our favourite bullet witch returning. When and how has yet to be revealed but it’s Bayonetta 3 for the Nintendo Switch and that’s enough.

Soulcalibur VI Announcement

“Do your souls still burn?” With that announcement, Bandai Namco ignited the crowd at The Game Awards and announced Soulcalibur VI. Sophitia and Mitsurugi were showcased in the glory of their younger days. Ring-outs, eight way direction and all sorts of classic mechanics returned with some new ones. Soulcalibur VI will be out in 2018 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC and we can’t wait.

Winner: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Over 25 million copies sold, a 24 hour concurrent player peak on Steam of 2.8 million players, 1 million copies sold on the Xbox One in 48 hours, the most popular game on Twitch – this year was simply dominated by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Whether you loved it and bought into the hype despite its performance issues or hated it but kept coming back, Brendan Greene’s magnum opus was the star of 2017 in terms of sales and headlines.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

Nominees:

Horizon: Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds

Aloy’s adventure through the grand post-apocalyptic world of Horizon: Zero Dawn was full of beautiful landscapes, intense mystery and awkward sessions of arrow-flinging at rampaging robot animals. The Frozen Wilds delivers much of the same action, adding new intense beasts that are even more vicious, new weapons and gear, a heaping helping of side quests and a new story. This also takes place across the new northern wild lands area which looks downright incredible. While The Frozen Wilds won’t answer every single question you might have from the base game, it’s still a fun romp through a gorgeous open world that’s well worth the 10 or so hours it takes to beat everything.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Champion’s Ballad

Is the Champion’s Ballad the big story expansion that Breath of the Wild fans were hoping for? No, but it does offer a ton of new content with brief plot points calling back to the fabled Champions, new shrines, new bosses and even a sweet new motorcycle. Of course, there are other end-game challenges like having a weapon that one hit kills enemies but being susceptible to one hit kills yourself. It’s an invigorating challenge and a reason to dump several more hours into the large open world of Hyrule…even if there are still a bunch of mysteries to solve.

Dota 2: Dueling Fates

Valve Corporation has had a phenomenal year with Dota 2. The International saw its biggest prize pool in history with over $24 million in prizes. The game itself played host to a number of updates like the co-op campaign Siltbreaker but Dueling Fates is the one that deserves the most spotlight. It added two new heroes to the mix with Pangolier and Dark Willow and completely changed how MMR works for both ranked and unranked play (with ranked seasons now lasting six months). New hero guides have been implemented to help players find the build that suits them best. Then there’s Turbo Mode, a lightning fast, Arcade-like mode where Gold and XP flow more freely, respawn times are lowered and the action is quicker. In terms of just making the game more fun, Dota 2’s Dueling Fates is a great addition to the base game.

Warframe: Plains of Eidolon

It was the biggest update yet for Digital Extremes’ Warframe but also it’s most ambitious. After years of tight corridors and static objectives on each map, Warframe was going open world. The initial launch was a lot less ideal than many would have liked with economy issues, glitches, weird design choices and much more. However, the developer has refined the Plains of Eidolon to make its new Bounty System more rewarding and the overall quality of life more engaging. All that aside, the basic tenets of the Plains, from mining and fishing to battling enormous Eidolons, were still tons of fun. Gara may need a little more balancing and Focus 2.5 is only now getting the system on track but Plains of Eidolon is a worthy addition to one of the best free to play games yet.

Path of Exile: Fall of Oriath

Over the years, many games like Warframe and Dota 2 have been held as sterling examples of free to play gaming. However, nearly everyone seems to agree that Path of Exile is at the very top and perhaps the best Diablo-style action RPG currently available. In 2017, this was cemented further as the developer introduced Fall of Oriath. It added six new story acts with new locations and enemies, new gems and weapons, and the new Pantheon system for additional player powers. The fact that Grinding Gear Games added even more with War of the Atlas, significantly revamping the end-game maps system, goes to show how great Path of Exile is to its community.

Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City

Ashes of Ariandel wasn’t the best DLC for Dark Souls 3, especially with all the focus on PvP. The Ringed City made up for that immensely by introducing new lands to explore (including the ominous city in its name), new weapons and armour, and of course, new enemies to battle. The DLC also brought us several awesome boss fights. In fact, Darkeater Midr and Slave Knight Gael remain two of the best and most difficult boss battles in the game yet. The grim fantasy of Dark Souls 3 has always enticed us and The Ringed City leveraged that for an unforgettable last romp into misery.

Darkest Dungeon: The Crimson Court

If the level of depravity in Dark Souls isn’t enough for you, then Darkest Dungeon will satisfy that itch. This year saw The Crimson Court come into being with a new dungeon, a brand new faction of grotesque nightmares to fight, five new bosses,10 new buildings for upgrades and trinket sets for heroes offering their own set bonuses. Who are the Ancestors exactly? What is this new faction? How many more heroes will you send to die? The Crimson Court rekindled all of those burning questions for us.

Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth

This seemed to be the year of “Diablo-like action RPGs that deliver way more value than Diablo”. Grim Dawn’s Ashes of Malmouth introduced its own version of the Necromancer but threw in the long-ranged, spell-wielding Inquisitor as well. This brought the game’s Masteries up significantly but we also received an increased level cap, two new story chapters spread across huge new areas, four new factions, hundreds of new items and much more. That’s only scratching the surface though and it’s crazy that Crate Entertainment offers so much for such a low price.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

Firaxis Games’ XCOM 2 was one of the best games of last year but War of the Chosen makes it even better. It adds the Chosen, three new enemies that can interfere in your battles, and three new factions complete with hero classes to fight them. Players will also have new environments to explore complete with new mission types, enemies, and new orders for fighting against the Chosen. You can even have certain soldiers bond to activate new abilities, add modifiers for more challenging missions or partake in community challenges for a chance at the leaderboards.

Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood

Continuing its epic saga, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn got even bigger with Stormblood which added huge new lands to explore, two new jobs, a number of battle system changes, and two new raids, one of them taking players back to Ivalice. Of course, you also have a new level cap to grind towards, new story missions and adventures, new gear and a number of exploration options like swimming and diving. Despite a bumpy launch, Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood continues the MMO’s claim as one of the best of all time.

Winner: Path of Exile – Fall of Oriath

Grinding Gear Games has been a fairly humble developer. When Path of Exile first arrived in 2013, it was lauded for its action RPG focus, insane customization options and the freedom to play how you wanted. Furthermore, it was completely free with only cosmetic options requiring payment. These were only really for those who wanted to support the game. Then, of course, Fall of Oriath came.

Fall of Oriath isn’t just a mere expansion to the game which added new areas, enemies and bosses. It was a new path forward for what was already a stellar game, refining how one plays the it while adding a ton of new content to complete. Issues like de-syncs and lag were also majorly addressed and players had even more reasons to play their favourite action RPG than before. The kicker is that all of this content was completely free, for no extra charge. That’s simply incredible and as a result, Path of Exile: Fall of Oriath is our pick for the best DLC, expansion and content update of 2017.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

It wasn’t an easy task, but we’ve somehow managed to narrow that down to ten of our favourites- ten nominees to win our PC Game of the Year award. So without further ado, let’s take a look at these ten nominees, before moving on to talk about what we feel was the best PC game of the year.

STEAMWORLD DIG 2

Steamworld Dig 2 is everything an ideal sequel should be. Where its predecessor was a game with excellent ideas that were occasionally held back by a lack of refinement or polish, Steamworld Dig 2 is the perfect realization of those concepts. Digging and mining are still the name of the game here, but the improvements to level design and mechanics that have been made make the experience so much better than what we expected it to be. On top of that, the game goes out of its way to deliver in other areas as well- from its narrative and its characters to its slick visual style and great soundtrack, Steamworld Dig 2 continues to surprise and delight for the entirety of its 10-15 hours.

PROJECT CARS 2

Project CARS 2 is a game that rewards you the more time you’re willing to invest into it. For automobile enthusiasts, that experience becomes even more rewarding. This is a game that is loaded with incredibly detailed and well-built cars, with excellently designed tracks, with tons of customization tools for players to tinker with. Driving a car in Project CARS 2 feels and sounds better than you’d expect, especially if you’re playing with a wheel instead of a controller. The game is admittedly held back by a lack of polish in some areas, as well as other issues that can pop up as minor hindrances every now and then, but this is still an incredibly satisfying experience that begs players to sink dozens upon dozens of hours into it.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the success story of the year. It came out of nowhere, entering Early Access on Steam in March 2017, and went on to break every record on the books from then on. And even though the game is technically unfinished, and doesn’t have all that much content to begin as things stand right now, it’s incredibly fun- and in the end, isn’t that what matters? PUBG’s enduring popularity is testament to how well executed its core concept is, and we can only see it going from strength to strength in the future from here on out.

HOLLOW KNIGHT

If you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, you want to play Hollow Knight. Its ingenious level design and the staggering amount of things it allows you to do, without ever forcing you in any particular direction or prodding you towards any specific activities, make it a constant delight for even hardened veterans of these kinds of games. Even dozens of hours in, you will continue to find interesting new quests, new places to explore, and new ways to try out your in-game skills and abilities. Throw in a gorgeous, soulful art style, and a melancholy that pervades everything in the game, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

NIGHT IN THE WOODS

Night in the Woods has to be one of the most under-appreciated gems of 2017. This is a game that has a very clear vision in mind, one that it sticks to, and one that it puts into motion with grace. Night in the Woods tells a hard-hitting story and tells it very well, and though this is definitely a narrative about meaningful topics, the game never becomes overbearing in that regard, always making sure to break up the tension with endearing moments of wit and humour every now and then. What helps is that the cast of characters in Night in the Woods is incredible, written expertly and with great passion, with tiny details and quirks that add so much charm and personality to everyone you meet. Night in the Woods may not be the glossiest, shiniest release of the year, but it is, without a doubt, one of the best PC games we’ve played in the last twelve months.

DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN II

Divinity: Original Sin II is a staggering achievement. With a rich setting and textured lore, , a memorable cast of expertly written characters, a wealth of things to do, both on the main path and off it, and actual meaningful choices with tangible consequences, Original Sin II stands out from other games in the genre, including its own already-excellent predecessor, in stunning ways. It will surely go down in history as one of the all time RPG greats. It’s that good.

NIER: AUTOMATA

For the glory of mankind! Nier: Automata marries the eccentricity of creator Yoko Taro with the pitch perfect mastery over action gameplay that Platinum brings to the table, showing a streak of eccentricity and genius that you don’t often see in this industry. Everything about Nier is incredible- the memorable soundtrack, the fantastic game design that has no qualms with all too often switching perspectives and even genres, the incredible story and the way it is told. Nier: Automata is one of the most uniquely great games ever made, and far and away a stunning triumph of video game storytelling.

CUPHEAD

It’s hard not to fall in love with Cuphead, right from the moment you first see it. Cuphead’s beautiful and imaginative art style simply cannot be praised enough, but even beyond that, the game backs up its style with real meaningful substance, as it really does play as well as it looks. Truly the Dark Souls of action platformers, Cuphead is a gruelling, exacting game that has no qualms about punishing sloppy players- and yet it never gets unfair. It’s a game where you’ll come for the art style, and stay on to conquer it for trying to kick your ass- and when you’re done, it will stay on with you for a very long time.

TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER II

The first Total War: Warhammer presented an interesting argument for how two unique strategy play styles could come together for a single, cohesive experience. Warhammer II comes along and, rather than re-inventing the wheel, builds upon that idea with flawless execution, making tons upon tons of tiny little improvements that all come together for what is one of the better strategy games of the last few years. The campaign here is top-notch, and in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay, the combat and the map design are absolutely stellar. Total War: Warhammer II is an incredible experience, one that you should by no means miss if you’re a fan of strategy games.

WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

What Remains of Edith Finch is not a conventional game. It is not concerned with implementing its mechanics to perfection, or with introducing new ways to play a game. No, what it is, is a game that is concerned with telling a collection of beautiful and heart-breaking stories, all of which come together for one of the most memorable and enriching experiences we’ve had in a video games in the last few years. What Remains of Edith Pinch plays with storytelling conventions every step of the way, delivering one strong story after another unrelentingly, all the while sticking with a singular larger vision. As a video game, What Remains of Edith Finch may fall short in some areas, but viewed simply as a story, it’s hard to think of a lot of games that are better than this.

WINNER- DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN II

A lot of games claim to give you hours upon hours of content that is both meaningful and is actually shaped by player choice, but very few have ever done it as well as Divinity: Original Sin II. The game is packed full of excellent writing and personality, its characters will stay with you long after you’re done with the story, it has some of the greatest side quests we have ever seen in an RPG, its turn based combat system is incredibly addictive, and it is set in a fantastic world ripe with rich and fascinating lore. Divinity: Original Sin II is an instant classic, the kind that deserves a spot in the hall of fame of video games even so shortly after its release, and will always be remembered as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

Nominees:

Nier: Automata

Platinum Games’ Nier: Automata was an unassuming enough announcement at E3. Of course, then the demo arrived, followed by the full release and we were blown away. Bullet hell meets hack and slash combat with a fairly strong degree of ability and weapon customization…and then there are the shoot ’em up segments which are their own brand of strange. Beyond the epic boss fights and perfect precision of the combat, Nier: Automata tells a wonderful tale of identity, humanity and existence that will simply tear you apart.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

It’s still surprising that Guerrilla Games, best known for the Killzone series, was able to produce such a compelling open world action RPG like Horizon: Zero Dawn. Plot has always been an issue in past Killzone titles but Horizon actually sports a good cast of characters, led by Ashly Burch’s performance of Aloy, and an interesting mystery. Everything else – from the lore and world design to the visuals, side quests and combat – is executed superbly. Even in a year with so many great role playing and open world games, Horizon: Zero Dawn more than held its own.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Larian Studios earned a name for itself with the first game but Divinity: Original Sin 2 surpasses it in every single way. The utter scope of freedom and attention to detail, excellent script-writing and plot development, fantastic combat system and world building ensured one of the best role-playing adventures of the year. Plus any game that lets us drop hefty barrels on foes to kill them is an automatic win. Don’t let the strangeness of Rivellon scare you – there’s so much waiting to be discovered and each playthrough can compel you in ways that are fresh yet grim.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

While previous entries in the series always employed a faux-RPG approach, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild goes all in on elements like weapon damage, durability, armour stats, upgrading, cooking and whatnot. Though it prompted comparisons to Skyrim, especially with the more open world approach, Nintendo integrated all these elements seamlessly, living up the quality and sense of adventure that the Zelda series brings.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Though Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor had enough skill trees and loot, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War deepens this pursuit even further. There are Orc Followers, gems, gear sets, weapons and what have you to collect and customize. You can build entire armies, give them different bonuses and orders and spend hours just grinding levels. While the loot boxes are definitely a mark against it (especially when the highest tier of Orc Followers is tied to them), Middle-Earth: Shadow of War offers a nice action RPG experience with a fun core gameplay loop.

Nioh

Team Ninja’s Nioh is so much more than a Dark Souls clone. In fact, it combines Feudal Japan, Japanese mythology, a Diablo-like loot grind, heaps of customization and weapons, numerous side quests, a sprawling campaign, plenty of difficult encounters and memorable boss fight. The excellent combat is backed by so much customization and content that it’s insane. More than just resurrecting the studio from the waning Ninja Gaiden series, Nioh is proof that Team Ninja can create an excellent action RPG worthy of your time.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Monolith Soft has done it again and while the jury is out on whether it’s better than its predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is still amazing. The series’ tradition of gorgeous open world exploration continues along with the satisfying, responsive combat and a suite of customization options for abilities and party members. The English voice acting may vary in quality and there’s an abundance of fetch quests but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers a great story with memorable characters and more than enough exploration to keep you busy for hundreds of hours on end.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Ubisoft didn’t just want to revamp the core story and open world exploration with Assassin’s Creed Origins – it tore away many of the stealth mechanics and crafted a huge action RPG with compelling combat. Wouldn’t you know it but this worked. Despite the same trappings like tailing missions and bugs, Assassin’s Creed Origins offers a deep world with some great side quests and activities to pursue. Combat feels a lot better than previous games and while it may come at the expense of innovations in stealth, Assassin’s Creed Origins is a satisfying experience overall.

Pyre

In a year dotted with so many action RPGs, Supergiant Games’ Pyre is something…different. It’s full of colourful characters, immersing you in its dialogue and character interaction that make the oncoming decisions all the more intriguing. “Combat” is a wholly different affair, pitting teams of three against each other in sports-like matches where abilities, cohesion and movement play a big role. Did we mention the spell-binding art design and music? Pyre is everything that one could possibly love from a Supergiant role-playing game and yet, so much more.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

We initially had our reservations about this. A mash-up between Mario and the Rabbids? Mario using guns or energy blasters or what have you? Upon actually viewing it, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a delightful romp full of excellent tactical strategy combat and RPG customization. The sheer range of tactics combined with the wackiness of both franchises provides for a fast-paced yet deeply thoughtful role-playing experience.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

In this day and age, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a treat. Inspired by classic console RPGs, it combines turn-based combat with an excellent aesthetic based off the comic books of the same name. The game itself is full of dungeons to explore, some of them randomly generated and thus offering a dungeon crawler to it all. Along with six heroes, some interesting combat mechanics and a unique old-school feel, Battle Chasers: Nightwar offered a fun experience in a year full of open world RPGs.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Make no mistake – Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are most definitely retreads of last year’s Pokemon Sun and Moon. However, they add so much more to the games, expanding them enough that they’re worth a look. New activities like Ultra Wrap Ride and Mantine Surf add some much needed spice on the side but you’ll be busy with the new locations, the new Z-Moves and new Ultra Beasts. It’s basically more Pokemon for those who love the games but with enough content and fun gameplay to justify the purchase.

Persona 5

Persona 5 is the epitome of style and substance. The world leaps out at you in vibrant colours, animated menus and sleek combat sequences that can be devilishly tough at times. Heist mechanics, dungeon crawling and an amazing story (albeit one with a slow start) make this stand out from previousgames. But when you talk about a game with an excellent cast, addictive combat and a top-notch story, Persona 5 stands so far above many other games this year that it’s not even funny.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

While Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, it still provided a great narrative and stellar tactical combat befitting the Fire Emblem name. In fact, the game is so good at balancing plot development with actual gameplay that it’s astounding and the production values, scope and exploration are simply top-notch. This is not Fire Emblem Fates but Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is still a great tactical RPG in a franchise that’s full of them.

Skyrim Switch Edition

It’s Skyrim but in handheld form. Well, Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch can also be played in docked mode but this is the same Skyrim. It has all the DLC, no mod support and pretty much all the same glitches as its 2011 release. Sure, the sheer range of the open world is amazing, the quest system and exploration is fun, you can pursue many different kinds of gameplay loops and it will go down as one of the best open world RPGs ever. But in 2017, the flaws inherent in 2011’s Skyrim go a long way to make it pretty good but far from perfect. At least it’s on handheld though.

Winner: Persona 5

It’s the intro that catches you, that mix of groovy music and sleek animation. At the outset, the familiar school setting, managing one’s personal life, and anime-esque drama seemed typical for Atlus. Persona 5 immediately cast aside those doubts with emotionally effective stories filled with deep characters that you actually grow to care for over the course of the game. The various systems intertwine, making your social interactions enhance your overall effectiveness in combat. This makes the relationships formed with your Persona and comrades all the more personal.

Of course, the new hand-crafted Castles and intriguing combat hooks add even more stakes to the story as your rogue-ish band pushes forward. The fact that there’s so little Persona 5 gets wrong and so very much it gets right while having almost no bugs is simply astonishing. When you consider the amount of competition it’s had this year, that’s definitely no small achievement and we’re proud to crown Persona 5 as the Best RPG of 2017.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

We’re going to take a look at games released this year that we feel had the best art style, games that had the kind of look you cannot simply put out of your mind. So without further ado, here are GamingBolt’s nominees for the best art style of a game in 2017.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

In Breath of the Wild, around every corner, there is something marvellous to behold- the ruins of an old castle, the glistening form of a snaking river, a massive volcano towering over the landscape, a vast open field dotted with forests and lakes. And all the while, thanks to incredible draw distances, in the distance you can see looming figures begging you to move in their direction, from towers and mountain ranges to dragons floating across the sky. Breath of the Wild is a game that wants you to explore its world, and it does so by presenting you with striking imagery everywhere you go. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Hyrule has never been this beautiful.

CUPHEAD

Cuphead is the kind of game that grabs your attention from the moment you lay eyes on it. That’s a testament to just how unbelievably amazing it looks. But while it has to be commended for how incredibly faithful it is to its 1930s animations influences, it deserves even more praise for how it puts its money where its mouth is. Cuphead pulls off its its desired visual look with great aplomb, from the boss and enemy design to the animations, from the way the titular character snaps his fingers to the way barrels explode in clouds of white plume. The sense of personality that the visuals imbibe in every aspect of Cuphead is, without a doubt, one of the game’s greatest strengths.

SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

Throughout the course of Super Mario Odyssey, you visit all kinds of locations, from deserts and forests to frozen landscapes and ruins of destroyed kingdoms, and it is thanks to the game’s excellent art style that all these places are brought to life so convincingly. Every place you visit has its own distinct flavour and personality, every enemy you see is designed excellently, and the sheer imaginativeness of everything you feast your eyes on is frankly astounding. Super Mario Odyssey represents the good that can come out of a Nintendo that is unconcerned with abiding to any sane structure, and its visual style is the perfect illustration of that.

HORIZON: ZERO DAWN

The idea of a post-post-apocalypse is one that sounds intriguing on paper, but it is Horizon’s beautiful art that truly brings it to life. Everything from the overgrown forests to the snow-capped mountains, from the look of the machines that roam the land to the look of the cities and small settlements- it’s all just so imaginative, so beautiful. And then there’s the tiny little details, like the way the inhabitants of this world dress, to the way the remnants of the old world are just lying about, all of which sells the game’s setting so well. You don’t often find a game whose art style is as beautiful as it is technically impressive, but Horizon: Zero Dawn definitely falls into that sparsely crowded category.

MARIO + RABBIDS: KINGDOM BATTLE

How do you bring the worlds of Mario and the Rabbids together? How do you mesh them into a single, cohesive whole? A vibrant and colourful visual palette, ingenious character design, and an incredible attention to detail- that’s how. The idea of properly bringing the two worlds together may have seemed outlandish a few months ago, but Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle handles that task expertly. It blends the two distinct worlds and their contrasting personalities so expertly, it’s now become hard to imagine why people were even skeptical about it in the first place.

PERSONA 5

Literally every nook and cranny of Persona 5 is jam-packed with visual flair. The bold art style of Persona 5 manifests itself in every pixel of the game, from its character design and dungeons to even things as simple as its menus or, hell, the fonts it uses for its text. Even something as basic as the screen you see every time a battle ends is like nothing we have ever seen in any RPG. This is a game that oozes funk and personality for the entirety of its 90 hour run, and it does so with supreme confidence.

NIOH

Nioh is a game of contrasting tones. On the face of it, it’s a decidedly grim and gritty experience, in vein of a typical Soulsborne experience, but it’s also a game that revels in refusing to take itself too seriously. That contrasting nature manifests itself in the game’s art style as well. In Nioh, authenticity meets a fantasy-fuelled take on feudal Japan. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the gloriously memorable and over the top interpretations of classical Japanese monsters and mythological creatures. It’s a striking look, to say the least, and one that melds realism with imagination expertly.

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2

In true Monolith Soft fashion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has the capacity to make you stare at your screen and the wonders being displayed on it for minutes on end. The world of Alrest is a breathtakingly beautiful one, and every location you visit stands out in memory long after you’ve moved on to the next one. The game is full of beautiful, sweeping vistas and majestic structures looming in the distance, making you want to explore, just for the sake of exploring- and a large part of that is thanks to its incredible art style. It’s semi-cel-shaded style does wonders too, because while it’s clear that the game is lacking from a technical point of view, you just know that its visuals are still going to hold up well years from now.

PYRE

By this point, we’ve come to expect a certain standard of visual quality from games by indie developer Supergiant, and fortunately enough, Pyre doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it exceeds expectations. It’s a game that is full of life and colour, all of which is thanks to its sharp and vibrant visual style. It’s hand-drawn style assets are beautiful to look at, the character design is pleasantly unusual, while its more abstract style helps lend a certain distinct flavour to the game’s environments. Pyre a game that looks gorgeous and alien at the same time, in a manner that just sucks you in right from the moment the it kicks off.

HOLLOW KNIGHT

There’s something about Hollow Knight’s clean, crisp visuals style that immediately attracts the eye. It doesn’t try to dazzle you with an explosion of colour, nor does it present you with ambitious scenes of epic scope in an attempt to make you gasp. It’s unconcerned with making any kind of an in-your-face visual statement, and that boldness and simplicity is exactly what elevates its art style to another level. The places you visit in the game are rendered with confidence, in a manner that is both subtle and effective at the same time. You don’t often find games that go down that route, especially not ones that do it well, and we cherish Hollow Knight all the more for it.

WINNER- PERSONA 5

This was a category that could have easily been won by any of our ten nominees, but ultimately, we just had to pick Persona 5. This is a game that can best be described as an absolute treat for the eyes, a game with a sense of style like no other. It’s like an masterfully illustrated comic book in motion, and perhaps the best use of an anime-like art style we have ever seen in any video game. Atlus have clearly worked incredibly hard on making sure that every aspect of the game is bound together by a cohesive and memorable artistic flair, even in things that other games in the genre so often choose to ignore, and that is something they deserve a lot of praise for. No matter what you’re doing in Persona 5, whether it’s dungeon crawling or roaming about a city or even looking at menus, you will be visually impressed. Persona 5 is a stylistic attack on the senses in the most amazing way possible.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

We got plenty of good soundtracks in games this year, and here in this feature, we’re going to talk about a few of what we felt were the best of the best, before moving on to give our Best Music of the Year award to the one game that stood tall above all its competitors. So without further ado, here are GamingBolt’s nominees for the best music in a game this year.

PERSONA 5

An excellent soundtrack is one of the things people expect most from a Persona game, and Persona 5 delivers what is probably the best soundtrack in the series (though we’re pretty sure scores of Persona 3 and 4 fans will be up in arms about this statement). It’s acid jazz brand of music contributes to the game’s incredible sense of style in a major, major way. From nondescript tracks that accompany the most mundane activities in the game to major pieces that play in the background during some of the biggest set piece moments, the music of Persona 5 can make you feel like you’re truly part of the on-screen action like few other games can.

NIER: AUTOMATA 

Keiichi Okabe has been composing some brilliant music for the Nier series for a long time now, but he truly outdid himself with Nier: Automata. The game’s music perfectly encapsulates everything good about the game itself- it’s weird, it’s bold, it’s wildly eccentric, and it’s this exact blend of variety that makes it so darn good. Very few soundtracks are capable of making players stop playing and actually put down their controllers, just so they can listen to the music in the background, but Nier: Automata’s soundtrack is definitely that good.

THE EVIL WITHIN 2

A good soundtrack is probably more of a requirement in horror games than it is in any other genre of video games, which is you shouldn’t understate just how good the music in The Evil Within 2 is. In a year where so many games have had some truly excellent music, the quality of The Evil Within 2’s soundtrack has kind of been swept under the rug, and we feel that’s a little unfair. From slow, moody scores that accentuate moments of looming horror and tension to the louder, blaring tracks that make the truly scary moments that much scarier, The Evil Within 2 features some of the best music we’ve heard in a survival horror game in the last few years.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

Though it’s used much more sparsely than what you’d expect from a game of this franchise, Breath of the Wild has an incredible soundtrack- one that, rather than being as orchestral as previous Zelda soundtracks, chooses instead to mostly use the piano. It is a soundtrack that is the perfect companion for the kind of game Breath of the Wild is- a game about discovery and exploration, but also a game about fighting against a malevolent, insurmountable evil. From new tracks that will go down as some of the best this series has ever featured to remixes and new takes on fan favourites from previous entries in the series, there’s truly something for everyone here.

DESTINY 2

There was plenty that Bungie got wrong with Destiny 2, but the one aspect of the game that they managed to nail totally was its soundtrack. It was almost surprising, how good the game’s music was. Destiny 2 is undoubtedly a marked improvement over its predecessor in terms of its narrative and storytelling, and a large part of that boils down to the game’s music. Even during moments that should have fallen flat due to shoddy writing or poorly directed cutscenes, the soundtrack managed to deliver the emotional punches. Destiny 2 continues the long tradition of Bungie games with excellent music.

WINNER- THE EVIL WITHIN 2

This wasn’t an easy to choice to make, but it was one that, after careful deliberation, we just had to go with. The Evil Within 2’s soundtrack isn’t as good as it is because of conventional reasons, such an any particular tracks that stand out in memory or you just can’t stop humming (though there are a few of those in there too). What makes the soundtrack so good is how perfectly is manages to capture the atmosphere, the spirit, the tone of the game. The Evil Within 2 is psychological horror in its purest form, dotted intermittently with in-your-face jumpscares, and throughout the entire ride, the soundtrack does a perfect job of conveying all those things through music. It doesn’t matter whether Sebastian is mourning the loss of someone he knows, or whether he’s fumbling to reload his weapon while a walking nightmare rushes toward him to deal a killing blow, or whether he’s holding his breath and walking through a dark corridor in anticipation of what may or may not be around the corner, the music in The Evil Within 2 captures the game’s mood perfectly the entire time. When a game’s music is as much responsible for building atmosphere as the game itself is, you just know it’s top-notch.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

NOMINEES

Destiny 2: 

Destiny 2 takes all that was great about the original game, while also fixing up its flaws, to deliver one of the standout multiplayer experiences of the year. Yes, there are problems- once again, the end game is lacking, and there are balance problems that need fixing. But Bungie has shown us previously that they know how to maintain a community over the long term- and with Destiny 2, there’s a strong foundation laid down already.

Cuphead: 

This brutally difficult, incredibly stylized and charming 2D action platformer allows you to make things a bit easier for yourself by bringing a friend along in local co-op to take on its formidable stages and bosses. Sorry, did I say easier? Like with any co-op game, the shenanigans make it harder if anything. And that’s the beauty and fun of it- working together, in spite of the urge to work against each other, to conquer a game that is truly difficult, delivers one of the standout multiplayer experiences of 2017.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands: 

GTA with friends- not GTA Online, actual GTA. That’s the pitch of Ghost Recon Wildlands, and, hey, it works! What is a middling and average open world action game is elevated into becoming hugely fun and memorable when played with friends- and throw in Ubisoft’s great support for the multiplayer, for example with the recently added PvP, and you can see why this game has taken on a life of its own.

ARMS:

Fighting games are always great- ARMS stands out because of how unique it is. The game almost plays like Smash Bros. in 3D, with an emphasis on movement and mobility options, but the exceptionally full featured suite of multiplayer options within it, as well as support for motion controls, further makes it a hugely inviting pick up and play multiplayer game that we can’t get enough of.

Fortnite: 

Epic’s newest game launched in early access, and while it stood out right away after launch, it was only when it gained its PUBG inspired battle royale mode that it gained notoriety. Fortnite is hugely fun to play, no matter what mode you pick- and with Epic’s excellent community engagement and post launch support, it is bound to get even better over time.

PUBG: 

Speaking of PUBG- PUBG. Has any other game in 2017 been as much of a sensation, or captured as much of the zeitgeist, as PUBG did? It’s such a simple concept- 100 players on an island, and the area of play keeps contracting. You’re defenceless at first, and must scramble to find something to survive with.  If you die, you die. And yet, it is so infinitely variable and thrilling and entertaining, that it has spawned an entire genre in its wake. 

For Honor: 

For Honor is another one of those games that is so unique, it stand out. Melding imaginative close range melee combat with large scale PvP like in a modern shooter, with an excellent meta game layered on top, For Honor wins points for sheer uniqueness. And while it had issues at launch, Ubisoft has since managed to iron out a lot of them, and continues to work on the remaining ones.

Call of Duty: WW2: 

The Call of Duty series struck back this year with Call of Duty: WW2, the game that took the franchise back to its roots with a new game set in the Second World War. delivering an exciting and thrilling campaign was all well and good- but getting to play classic boots on the ground Call of Duty, with none of the over the top science fiction weapons and perks that had begun to pervade the series in recent years, reminded us all why we fell in love with the franchise to begin with.

Halo Wars 2: 

Real time strategy games should flat out not work on consoles, but The Creative Assembly made it happen with Halo Wars 2, that took Bungie’s flawed original effort, and elevated it beyond what we might have imagined. The true quality of Halo Wars 2 shone in its multiplayer mode- and playing a multiplayer RTS on console was a surreal experience for sure.

Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: 

Yes, this had multiplayer! Originally just co-op, with more modes added over time, there is a delightful fun to be had playing the simplified chess that Mario+Rabbids presents you with- and the multiplayer, yet again, highlights the Switch’s strengths in the local multiplayer experiences that it, and it alone of all the hardware on the market, seems to so squarely emphasize.

WINNER:

Cuphead

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? There is something about Cuphead- take the feeling you get when you overcome a hugely insurmountable challenge, or when you beat a very hard boss- but now, take that feeling, double it, and share it with your friend, who is sharing it right back with you. Cuphead gets to the spirit of cooperation in multiplayer that so many modern games have lost sight of. In a year when so many other games are about trying to be better than the other player, Cuphead is content to let you revel in simply working with your friend in taking down yet another formidable foe. That is truly admirable.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

NOMINEES

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 

The Switch started its life with the killer-app of a lifetime, as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild reinvented the beloved action adventure franchise for a new age, while also simultaneously elevating the open world genre, and what we can expect from it going forward. From its incredible, vast scope to the sheer levels of interactivity the game offered, Breath of the Wild stunned everyone, rendering them speechless, as for the first time in 20 years, we felt truly lost in a limitless world of a video game, where anything truly seemed to be – and almost always, was – truly infinite. 

Super Mario Odyssey: 

The other major pillar that propped up the Nintendo Switch in 2017 was Super Mario Odyssey, which saw Nintendo’s mascot return to his sandbox 3D platforming roots. Joyously inventive and imaginative, whimsically fun, and just pure fun, Super Mario Odyssey became a game that it is impossible to play without a smile on your face, and a game that fired the imaginations of millions of players around the world.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 

In the Switch’s early days, there were two games you could assume everyone owned- Breath of the Wild, and Mario Kat 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart may have been a port of a Wii U game, but more than anything, it exemplified what the Switch truly was. Lending itself to shorter sessions of play as much as longer ones, and acting as an incredible demo for the Switch’s spontaneous local multiplayer capabilities, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also, quite possibly, a modern multiplayer classic, and one of the best games Nintendo has ever made.

Splatoon 2: 

Betraying expectations by releasing not a Splatoon remaster for the Switch, but a full sequel, Nintendo delivered the newest game in their hot new IP with Splatoon 2. And, sure, it is disappointingly safe, and in many regards, retreads a lot of the same ground, mistakes and all, as its predecessor- but Nintendo’s exceptional post launch support for it, as well as jut how fundamentally fun its core gameplay loop is, means that, warts and all, Splatoon 2 rises above its failings to deliver one of the best experiences of the year.

Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: 

Earlier this year, Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle leaked with some concept art and screenshots- and everyone hated what they saw. How could Nintendo and Ubisoft do such a thing? What was this game? How was Nintendo comfortable treating Mario so cavalierly? And then, we saw the game when it was officially revealed at E3. And then we got to play it. Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle turned out to be an incredible game- a deft mix of Mario motifs with turn based strategy elements, to deliver an addictive and compelling game that, in a year as strong as 2017, especially for the Switch, manages to stand out.

ARMS:

Nintendo’s newest IP turned out to be a fighting game from the makers of Mario Kart- and it turned out to be every bit as wacky as you would expect. A 3D arena fighter, ARMS stands out because of its core gimmick of its characters having extendible arms- which ties neatly into the game’s central mechanic of you curving and swerving them to add another layer of movement to your character’s in combat. It somehow worked, though there were growing pains- but it will be interesting to see where Nintendo takes this burgeoning franchise in the future.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: 

Monolith Soft has already established itself as one of the masters of the JRPG genre, and with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, they were in top form. Delivering a stunning world, unparalleled in its imagination, scope, or beauty, with a philosophically profound and touching story, and an inventive combat system, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the best RPGs of the year, and one of the standout titles in the Switch’s maiden nine months.

Skyrim: 

Skyrim needs no introduction. It’s Skyrim- an utterly fantastic game that set the course for the entire industry to follow in the years to com. Six years after launch, it remains as compelling as it ever was- and now, the ability to play it truly anywhere makes its addictive gameplay that much more potent, and uniquely married to what the Nintendo Switch really is.

DOOM: 

The fact that DOOM runs on the Switch at all is a marvel- and yet, here we are. Yes, there were many compromises and concessions along the way, but the end experience is unmistakably DOOM. The fast paced 2016 shooter makes it more or less intact on to Nintendo’s system, and, just as it did last year when it first released, stood out due to how incredibly good it was when it did.

Pokken Tournament DX: 

One of the sad casualties of the Wii U’s early death was Pokken Tournament DX, the excellent Pokemon based 3D fighting game that launched last year- and this year, Nintendo put it out on the Switch, too. With added fighters and modes, and support for the Switch’s spontaneous local multiplayer, Pokken is one of those games that truly exemplifies what Nintendo’s new console is really about.

Winner:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Go back to what we said about Breath of the Wild- it felt truly infinite. No game before has managed to capture the spirit of adventure and imagination as well as Breath of the Wild did. One of the rare games that is as proactive towards the player as it is reactive, Breath of the Wild is a monumental achievement that managed to elevate what we thought was possible in games, while also more or less perfecting it along the way. It is truly impossible to know where Nintendo will take the Zelda series next- but for the first time in years, they have everyone’s attention on them.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

NOMINEES

Guerilla Games: 

Who would have thought that the developers of Killzone- great games from a technical perspective, but severely bland and lacking from a game design perspective- would end up delivering one of the most imaginative, powerful open world experiences of all time? There is a world of difference between Killzone and Horizon- with Horizon, Guerrilla Games have finally revealed themselves to be the masters of their craft thatchy have always been, and we can only look forward to what they do next from here on out.

Nintendo: 

What a year Nintendo has had. Nintendo is often widely considered to be the greatest developer in the industry, and this year, they showed us just why that is. From Splatoon, Mario Kart, and ARMS to the masterful Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo fired on all cylinders to deliver some of the very best games of the year in 2017. What other company can boast of releasing multiple Game of the Year contenders in a single year? Most struggle to put out just one!

Atlus: 

Atlus march to the beat of their own drum, but if the end product is going to be as exceptionally fantastic as Persona 5 turned out to be, I don’t think anyone will mind. Featuring a deft blend of storytelling with compelling and addictive game mechanics, and wrapped up in an overwhelmingly attractive and stylish package, Atlus have revealed themselves to be the masters of the RPG genre- and now, all eyes are on them.

PUBG Corporation: 

How often do you hear of an early access game making any waves? And yet, that is what ended up happening this year with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. No part of the game is truly original- instead, PUBG’s strength lies in the potent mix of all these familiar elements that it brews, to create something exciting, thrilling, wholly new, and infinitely replayable. And this is when the game is pre-release! We can only marvel at what it might end up becoming once it officially leaves Early Access.

MachineGames: 

MachineGames prove themselves to be surprisingly capable of delivering a modern game with great gameplay and a powerful story in 2014 with Wolfenstein: The New Order. This year, they repeated the act, as The New Colossus ups the ante on just about everything that the original game did. There are very few truly talented studios making single player shooters anymore- and MachineGames is now among that hallowed company.

Studio MDHR: 

After years of waiting, Cuphead finally released, and it was worth the anticipation. Studio MDHR took the original concept of having an attractive 2D boss rush game, and expanded it to a full fledged 2D action platformer- while, miraculously, maintaining the same standard of quality throughout the entire game. The fact that this studio is so much smaller than all the other ones on this list makes their work even more impressive, and laudable.

Larian Studios: 

Larian did what studios like Bioware and Bethesda will not, and delivered a pure, full fledged, no holds car turn based classic CRPG with Divinity: Original Sin 2. In and of itself, that’s notable- but in the process, Larian also delivered on of the all time greats of the genre, firmly establishing themselves in the upper echelons of the genre’s pantheon. 

PlatinumGames: 

That Platinum is exceptionally talented should come as no surprise to anyone- but this year, they delivered their most successful product ever with NieR Automata. Showing a mastery over multiple different (equally frenetic) gameplay styles as well as storytelling, WHILE not losing their traditional Platinum flair, PlatinumGames truly established themselves as all time greats with this game.

Team Ninja: 

On the other hand, Team Ninja was widely thought to be a washed up shell of its former shell for the last few years now. This year, they finally proved us wrong with Nioh, which takes the popular Souls template, and adds a typically Team Ninja spin to it, with a deeper and more nuanced battle system than any that even From has been able to cook up. To take a genre from its creators and elevate it so much speaks highly of Team Ninja- what a comeback story this was.

Ubisoft: 

Ubisoft had a bumper year this year- from For Honor to Assassin’s Creed Origins to even Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, they were releasing multiple games across a variety of genres, and all of them were top notch. Most of all, it was their constant receptiveness to community feedback, and their willingness to listen to the player, that made them stand out in a year when too many publishers and developers stood hell bent on antagonizing their communities.

WINNER:

Nintendo: 

Really, this should not come as a shock to any one. Every other developer on this list ended up delivering one great, standout game- Nintendo delivered five, including two that are among the highest rated games of all time. In 2017, Nintendo established why they are considered the top dog in game development- and we could only gape in awe as they continued to put out one masterpiece after another. Now, onwards to 2018, to seeing what Nintendo may have in store for us then.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.