Safe to say, it's a good time to be gaming, so without further ado, here are the Telegraph's best video games of 2017 so far, with surely a few more still to come.
Gravity Rush 2
What is it? Surprising but welcome PS4 sequel to the excellent Vita adventure that has you battling evil in a fascinating fantasy land with the ability to flip the world upside down.
Why we love it Gravity Rush 2 builds on its predecessor’s smart, gravity-flipping mechanics, with a creative streak that runs across its two heroines Kat and Raven. These two are the heart of a heartfelt and engaging tale, while the floating city of Heskeville remains a fascinating place to explore.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
PlatformsPS4, Xbox One, PC Developer Capcom
What is it? Terrifying first-person return to Resident Evil’s roots as you explore a decrepit Lousiana mansion while being stalked by the estate’s demented Baker family.
Why we love it This deliciously grimy and oppressive game is evidence of a lesson learned. Resident Evil 7 looks into the series history to find its B-movie black heart, but scalps from video game terrors that have followed in its wake. Vastly more intimate and earthy than the globe-trotting gunfest that Resident Evil had become, it is a success, providing a rich, atmospheric and reverent chiller that is just silly enough to make sure we are all having fun.
Yakuza 0
PlatformsPS4 Developer Sega
What is it? Brilliant Eighties-themed RPG prequel to the long-running tale of Kazuma Kiryu, an honourable Yakuza making his way in the neon-lights of fictional Tokyo district of Kamarucho.
Why we love it The perfect game for Japanophiles and those who like whacking goons with bicycles, Yakuza has always shone a fascinating light onto the underbelly of Tokyo’s nightlife, weaving a compelling crime yarn with offbeat wackiness and extravagance. Yakuza 0 is arguably the series best, with a thumping combat system, a lot of laughs and a surprisingly grown-up tale of land-grabs and inter-family wrangling. Kazuma remains one of gaming’s most cool and compelling characters, while the chance to control one of Yakuza’s long-time stars in Goro Majima is a treat.
Dandy Dungeon
What is it?Bonkers but brilliant mobile game that casts you as brave Yamada, a budding games developer and failed lothario attempting to impress his beautiful neighbour with his coding skills. You progress by testing his roguelite puzzle game, a challenging dungeon crawler in which you must draw a path for our hero to the exit, avoiding traps and fighting beasts on the way.
Why we love it We think the above says it all. This is a bizarre but wonderfully heartfelt game, with the smart puzzle game expanding far beyond what you would expect of it. But just as engaging is the touching, funny Yamada and the people that come in and out of his life. It’s a free-to-play game well worth a punt.
She Remembered Caterpillars
PlatformPC Developer Jumpsuit Entertainment
What is it? Self-described by developer as ‘fungipunk’, She Remembered Caterpillars is a quirky, touching puzzle game that has you building bridges and making paths with the titular insects.
Why we love it The logic puzzles in She Remembered Caterpillars are delightfully devilish and compelling, with new elements added in a smartly judged drip-feed. Underpinning these smart mechanics is an alluring art-style and touching narrative by developer Cassandra Khaw, which unfolds in delicate snippets and deals with bereavement and grief.
For Honor
PlatformsPS4, Xbox One, PC Developer Ubisoft
What is it?Ferocious medieval multiplayer that pits knights, viking and samurai against each other in bloody combat.
Why we love it For Honor’s fighting mechanics are weighty and gratifying, communicating the violence and impact of medieval combat through handsome visuals and animation. It really is terrific. And For Honor wraps a multiplayer structure more familiar to shooters around it. Think Dark Souls and Street Fighter hooking up at a Call of Duty house party.
Sniper Elite 4
What is it? The latest in Rebellion’s gruesome WW2 shooter moves to Italy, as you prowl open-sandboxes and take pot-shots at Nazi testicles.
Why we love it Sniper Elite 4 is tactile and gratifying when mastering the game’s mechanics as they were intended. But how it responds to chaos? That’s where it earns its stripes. Rebellion make all of its mechanics click, with the level design throwing up both challenge and freedom. Structurally it could be pitched somewhere between Metal Gear Solid V and Hitman, with you scouting the area and attempting best practice and then adapting when things don’t quite go according to plan. It is a game that relies heavily on its mechanics to keep its players entertained. And it does a fine job of it.
Nioh
What is it? Samurai-inspired fantasy RPG that has you exploring a vast battlefield, hunting Yokai.
Why we love it Hundreds of hours in and we were still getting excited at new aspects and discoveries within the game, finding constantly fresh and rewarding things to do and see. It’s a slick, fantastic hack and slash with a strong sense of charm and sincerity, accessible yet tough to master, and if there’s any justice, it’ll go down as a classic.
Halo Wars 2
What is it? Surprising sequel to the RTS spin-off of Xbox’s famous sci-fi shooter.
Why we love it This is a clever, confident improvement on the solid if unspectacular first Halo Wars. Which is not much of a shock given it is made by RTS-maestros Creative Assembly. It isn’t as intricate as the giants of the genre, but this is entirely deliberate, making for a fizzy, accessible and thoroughly enjoyable strategy game. Wrapped around this is a blockbuster narrative given all the pomp, circumstance and gleaming cutscenes you would expect from a Halo game.
Horizon Zero Dawn
What is it?Ambitious open-world adventure starring young hunter Aloy making her way in a post-apocalyptic world crawling with robot dinosaurs.
Why we love it On the surface, Horizon seems like a jumble of influences but, just like the murderous machina wandering its lands, the game is far more than its component parts, delivering a gripping story, satisfying combat, and the most gorgeous video game environments we’ve ever seen. Horizon confidently carves out an identity of its own in an overpopulated genre.
Torment: Tides of Numenera
What is it? Spiritual successor to 1999’s Planescape: Torment with a familiar isometric perspective and a focus on multiple approaches to its strange and unique fantasy world.
Why we love it Any of the approaches are equally valid, and the game never punishes you for deciding on a specific route to take; rather, the story unfolds in various rich and interesting ways depending on how you proceed, and sometimes even flat out failing a task can lead to exciting story beats. An exceptionally rewarding RPG filled with deep systems, a ton of genuine replay value, and delivered with a lot of love and care.
Stories Untold
What is it? Fascinating 80s inspired interactive fiction joint that has drawn comparisons with Stranger Things and Her Story. You play through four connected vignettes in front of various different computers and machinery as the story unfolds beneath your fingertips.
Why we love it To say too much would ruin any of the impact, but it’s a fabulous exploration of interaction and expectation, toying with the player’s perception of both at every opportunity. But it is a fantastic example of interactive visual storytelling. It would absolutely only work in the form that the developers have created, and is a creepy story deftly told.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What is it? Spectacular open-world reinvention of one of gaming’s most loved series, following the legendary hero Link as he travels across a gorgeous fantasy land battling a malevolent evil.
Why we love it It is dense yet lean; its map bursting with distraction but without an inch of it wasted. It is classical yet modern; drawing on the heritage of its own illustrious series while openly embracing more recent gaming trends. It is challenging yet welcoming; giving you the choice to ease yourself in or take on some of the game’s most fearsome creatures. And it features the kind of mechanical creativity that makes you laugh out loud at the sheer audacity of it. These are just some of the reasons why Breath of the Wild is one of the very finest video games ever made.
Nier: Automata
What is it? Long-awaited action RPG sequel to the imperfect yet unforgettable Nier, this time developed by action superstars PlatinumGames in conjunction with Nier creative director Yoko Taro.
Why we love it A superb action game with fast, frenetic combat that showcases Platinum at their best. Whether you’re fighting giant robots or exploring a devastated world, Nier Automata brings thrills and melancholy in equal measure. The combat systems are a vast improvement over its predecessor, but Automata retains the level of introspective weirdness and genre-bending experimentation that made the first game so notable. There’s so much to discover, so many twists and turns, and it’s all packaged together with Platinum’s trademark prowess. Whether you’re a fan of Drakengard and Nier or new to the series, Automata is a must-play.
Persona 5
What is it? The latest in the cult hit JRPG that follows you through a year at Tokyo’s Shujin High School, where the students moonlight as masked vigilantes locked in battle with supernatural forces.
Why we love it Persona 5 is a wonderfully crafted game, expertly juggling superb combat mechanics with the series' penchant for the fascinating and often terrifying social whims of teenage school days. Dark, compelling and gorgeous.
The Signal From Tölva
PlatformPC Developer Big Robot
What is it? Gorgeous sci-fi adventure that has you exploring a hostile world remotely through the eyes of a stomping robot.
Why we love it Tolva is a game that puts its faith in the details. Its world is gloriously crafted, from its colourful untouched plains, to strange alien architecture and the haunting wreckage of those that have been there before. Its terrific, slow-burn storytelling is bolstered by bursts of satisfying combat, with its factions of violent robotic enemies prowling the surface.
The Sexy Brutale
What is it? Time-bending murder mystery that has you prowling the halls of a baroque casino-mansion in an attempt to reverse a series of grisly slayings.
Why we love it The Sexy Brutale is a creeping, clever and assured game, placing you in a meticulously constructed mansion and weaving its temporal teasers throughout its halls. Each murder is a smart case of observation and action, tracking the victims and their killers, putting a series of events in motion to prevent each death. As you progress, the mansion opens up and the cases get more intricate. Above all, The Sexy Brutale leverages its time-bending mechanics to weave a compelling narrative. Combine this with stunning art-deco architecture and endearing chibi characters and you have one of the year’s most effective surprises.
Pinstripe
What is it? A creepy, macabre puzzle platformer about a former priest who is struggling to save his daughter from the clutches of the evil Mr. Pinstripe.
Why we love it Pinstripe is a short, sweet, excellently crafted platformer. It has a bunch of fantastic puzzles, a neat approach to exploration and progression, and a severely eerie atmosphere. The art and sound design is gorgeous, and the denouement will leave you thinking about it for days afterwards. Almost everything in the game was made by one man, but Pinstripe comfortably sits alongside games created by much larger teams. With a brilliant cast of characters, precise and tactile controls and a wicked sense of humour, Pinstripe is one of our low-key favourites of 2017.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
What is it? Chunky Switch re-release of the fantastic Wii U racer that comes with all of the DLC tracks and characters, plus a fuller battle mode.
Why we love it Mario Kart 8, with its zippy racing, fabulous tracks and stomach-flipping anti-gravity, is as deliriously entertaining as it has ever been. And with Battle Mode restored, the bumper pack of tracks and the neat nips and tucks, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the fullest and most finely-tuned entry the series has seen. Crucially for Nintendo and the Switch, it is a splendid celebration of its host console’s charms. We’ve played at home with our families, tried to shave seconds off time trials on trains and roped colleagues into multiplayer by snapping off a controller and handing it over.
What Remains of Edith Finch
What is it? Harrowing and surreal series of interactive vignettes as young Edith explores her looming childhood home to uncover the truth of a family curse.
Why we love it Giant Sparrow demonstrate extraordinary skill in storytelling throughout Edith’s journey, harnessing games’ interactivity with diverse tales of death and superstition within the Finch household. From the purely surreal - sharks tumbling down hills in the fevered imagination of a child- to hyperactive comic books, to more grounded and gut-wrenching tragedy; Edith Finch flits between each with real poise. And as it does, it threads together a compelling and often disturbing picture of a most unusual family.
Prey
What is it? Atmospheric first-person sci-fi adventure spiritual successor to System Shock in which you play Morgan Yu, a scientist stranded on a space station overrun with chameleonic lifeforms know as mimics.
Why we love it Prey makes you feel clever, excites, intrigues and, at least once, can be absolutely terrifying. Talos 1 is an incredible sandbox, ever-shifting as the story progresses. You map the place with your mind throughout, finding new routes through the sprawling space obelisk. Still, no matter how familiar you get with the place, you never feel safe, not even when you’re floating through zero-gravity in the endless black.
Injustice 2
What is it? Superb fighting sequel to the DC themed Gods Among Us in which Batman, Superman and pals beat the snot out of each other.
Why we love it? Injustice 2's story of Braniac invading Earth while Batman and Superman have a barney is way better than it has any right to be. It is all very silly, as you might imagine, but pulled off with a real sense of style. The plot breezes along as everyone smacks each other around a bit, with splendid visuals and a voice cast clearly having a lot of fun. Though all the looks and fancy story would be worth nothing if the game underpinning it wasn't any good. And Injustice 2 is an excellent fighting game. It is by far the most technically adept game Netherrealm has developed and the most accessible, content-complete brawler on console.
The Surge
What is it? A sci-fi twist on the Dark Souls formula as you play Warren, a new employee at the factory of the future, fighting his way through zombie-like workers, angry security guards and a selection of murderous robots.
Why we love it It’s a cracking action adventure, with extremely satisfying combat, sprawling and complex facilities to explore, and a fantastic upgrade system. It also possesses a surprisingly deep, interesting narrative that tackles transhumanism, disability and the nature of existence in a somewhat more nuanced way than the usual sci-fi fare.
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