This Week In Gaming 12-19-17

[Legolas_Katarn 1,828]

 

Blake Hester spends a month on the road visiting developers to see how their lives and games are influenced by where they live, Game Score Fanfare on Breath of the Wild's soundtrack and how it embraces the quiet, Streets of Rage and the invisible complexity of beat ’em ups, Fallout creators reunite to work on new game with Obsidian, games you missed in 2017 and to look forward to in 2018, Chris Kohler on the making of Gorogoa, Gambling Commission on loot boxes and more organizations say that they aren't gambling, Noclip's Horizon Zero Dawn documentary, The State of Esports and game systems in 2017, Nexus Mods adds system to pay modders, Far Cry 5 video and written previews, Darksiders 3 gameplay, Crytek suing Cloud Imperium Games, Patreon cancels changes announced previous week, and more.

 

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

 

E3 2018 will still be open to the public, but it will feature industry-exclusive hours

Quote

E3 will continue to accept public attendees in 2018, but it seems the expo will be taking some steps to ensure a smoother experience for industry and press along the way. The show will now have industry-exclusive hours.

 

KOJIMA EXPLAINS DEATH STRANDING GAMEPLAY AND LORE

Quote

Hideo Kojima on what happens when your character dies, "Timefall," and that ubiquitous baby.

 

More info on Squadron 42, Star Citizen’s single-player story, will be unveiled next week

Quote

Squadron 42, Star Citizen’s standalone single-player mode, will see some new details unveiled next week, according to a newsletter recently sent to fans.

Star Citizen backer’s $25,000 refund has taken months, still in dispute

Quote

The customer has begun legal action

 

Dragon Ball FighterZ Recreates Series' Most Dramatic Moments

Quote

The more we’ve seen of the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ, the more incredible it is how faithful Arc System Works has been to both the original anime and manga in portraying some of its biggest moments.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Gameplay: Goku Black, Hit, Beerus In Action

Quote

We take the newest characters for Dragon Ball FighterZ into battle on PS4.

 

No, 2018's Battlefield game isn't Bad Company 3

Quote

Earlier this week, a YouTube video sparked reports that Battlefield Bad Company 3 would launch in 2018.

 

Contemporary crime-thriller My Eyes On You looks great but sounds stilted

Quote

Modern-day thrillers are a rare pick as source-material for games, and it’s a terrible shame. There’s so much interesting stuff that we’ve had little chance to experience first-hand. Tales of dogged investigators, unnerving murderers and the mundane, familiar world they weave their way through.

 

Valkyria Chronicles 4 Details New Characters And Leveling System; VC1 Protagonist Returns In DLC

Quote

Sega shared new details on Valkyria Chronicles 4 in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine with info on new characters, the leveling system, and the return of Welkin Gunther for a DLC mission.

 

Project Octopath Traveler’s Music Recording Is Finished, Here’s A Sample Video With Battle Footage

Quote

Square Enix announced that music recording on the upcoming Nintendo Switch RPG Project Octopath Traveler is now complete. Here’s a new video sharing a sample of some of its epic music by Yasunori Nishiki.

 

The indie games of 2018 we're most excited about

Quote

There are plenty of indie games due in the next 12 months. Here are some of the ones to watch.

 

I played Soulcalibur VI and here are my humble thoughts

Quote

This weekend, I had the good fortune to be in attendance at Namco Bandai's LEVEL UP Winter event, transporting me from cold, soggy Nottingham to cold, soggy Paris. Held at Le Huit Valois convention centre, writers, journalists, professionals and myself gathered from all over Europe to see Namco Bandai present builds of their 2018 wares.

Soulcalibur 6 finally brings the tale of swords and souls to PC

Quote

Hands-on with the series' PC debut.

 

Monster Hunter: World's story campaign will last 40-50 hours

Quote

The Monster Hunter series is poised to make its western PC debut with Monster Hunter: World next year, which is something Steven and Austin seem pretty pleased about. Last week, we learned that Capcom plans to add new beasts over time via free updates, and now it appears its core story campaign will last somewhere in the vicinity of 40-50 hours.

 

New Adventure Time Game Coming In 2018

Quote

There’s a new Adventure Time game on the way for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch next year, and it’s all about being a pirate. Like Black Flag or Sea of Thieves, then, only...a lot cuter.

 

Code Vein - Underworld Trailer

Quote

Code Vein is coming in 2018.

 

Chase Moby Dick in nautical strategy RPG Nantucket

Quote

Starring Ishmael, narrator of Herman Melville's novel.

 

The Oxenfree people are making Afterparty, an adventure game about outdrinking Satan

Quote

Oxenfree was an absurdly nifty take on the classic adventure game formula that took teen drama, snappy dialog, and paranormal shenanigans, and threw it all into a stylish blender. Developers Night School Studio have something equally inventive in store for their follow-up: Afterparty is a colorful adventure about college kids getting drunk in capital-H Hell.

 

46 minutes of NEW Far Cry 5 gameplay

Quote

Our lovely Kirk had a play around on Far Cry 5 the other day. Join him on his 46 minute adventure around Hope County, Montana.

Far Cry 5 is fun, but its tone is all over the place

Quote

Ubisoft's romp through a Montana county is rife with cheap laughs but lacks a sense of location.

Far Cry 5's open-world appeal is hampered by the game's unimaginative structure

Quote

My car is stuck on a rock, but it is okay: I have an idea. There is an abandoned vehicle behind me, so I get in, fire up the engine, and use it to shunt my vehicle forwards. Success! My truck is unstuck and I am ready to fight. I lay down fire on some approaching cultists with my star-spangled assault rifle in an attempt to keep them at bay.

Far Cry 5's Creative Director: 'Powerful Imagery and Whacky Fun Can Live Together'

Quote

We spoke to Far Cry 5 creative director Dan Hay about the reasoning behind the tonal shift in what we've seen of Far Cry 5 since its announcement.

7 ways Far Cry 5 is changing up the usual Ubisoft open world format

Quote

Virtual Montana is bringing some small, necessary changes.

Far Cry 5's story looks like a morally dubious mess

Quote

One of the most fascinating problems facing big budget game makers is how to address real world issues, without seeming to exploit them. Indie developers have no trouble setting themselves against the woes of the world, and having something valuable to say. But this level of political engagement has largely eluded the big games companies.

 

My Hero Academia: One’s Justice comes west on PC, brings with it a man with hands for a face

Quote

Strap in for a slightly strange ride. My Hero Academia, an extremely popular anime series that even I have heard of, is getting a “battle action” game.

 

Riot are making 'Teemo's Adventure,’ focused on the League of Legends champion

Quote

We’ve been hearing rumblings for ages about a second game from League of Legends developers Riot Games, and a new entry fresh off a list of games approved for sale in China suggests that game will be called ‘Teemo’s Adventure.’

 

'Perma-permadeath' game Upsilon Circuit has been cancelled

Quote

Upsilon Circuit, the fascinating game which limited players to one single life, has been cancelled. Studio Robot Loves Kitty made the announcement today, citing funding as the "primary" issue, though there's quite a bit to it.

 

Darksiders 3: Fighting a Lava Brute - IGN First

Quote

Get your first look at Darksiders 3 in many months, as Fury hops through The Hollows and fights a Lava Brute.

 

Catherine Is Being Remade For The PS4 & Vita

Quote

Atlus’ cult PS3 hit Catherine is being remade for the PS4 and PlayStation Vita, the publisher announced today.

 

Mount Your Friends 3D gives the party game three-dimensional dongs

Quote

Penises are a funny piece of anatomy. There’s no denying it. Mount Your Friends is a slightly awkward party game about muscular, well-lubricated climbing atop each other to build the highest human towers imaginable, while their dangly bits shook about in the wind. Soon, we’ll be able to enjoy that classic man-on-man action in stunning 3D.

 

Sword Legacy: Omen

Quote

We've seen a resurgence of isometric RPGs in the last few years, such as Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity and Larian Studios' Divinity: Original Sin series. Sword Legacy: Omen is the newest to join this trend, which blends a unique art style with tactical, turn-based gameplay.

 

Here’s how Sea of Thieves' quests and progression work

Quote

Sea of Thieves has the potential to be a return to colorful, charming form for the developer who brought us the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Viva Piñata, but one question has stuck with Rare’s multiplayer pirate sandbox: what do you actually do? Thankfully, the developers have opened up about the game’s progression and quests in a new gameplay demonstration today, finally making some of those details clear.

 

Ni no Kuni II Developers Talk About The Small Details That Went Into Its Animation Work

Quote

Level-5 shared a batch of new screenshots as well as a video interview featuring key developers of Ni no Kuni II who talk about the game’s animation and the efforts that went into the small details.

 

WW2 FPS Battalion 1944 gets a behind-the-scenes trailer

Quote

"Prepare for the true successor to classic shooters," it boasts.

 

Hatred dev aims to leave controversy behind with Ancestors Legacy

Quote

The excitement among the RTS fans is palpable. But their glowing faces are at odds with the game they are playing together at this multiplayer beta event. Ancestors Legacy is a squad-based RTS set in the dark, woebegone days of medieval Europe - not exactly humanity’s happiest hour. Slavs, Germanic peoples, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings all cross swords on beautifully bleak battlefields, the web of tactics nestled within being the biggest cause of the grins staring at the screens.

 

Puzzle platformer Etherborn channels M.C. Escher and rainbows

Quote

I'm a sucker for gravity-based games, but that's only half the reason Etherborn caught my eye. The other half, as you may have deduced, is its bright, pearlescent aesthetic. There's a grand sense of scale to its inexplicably suspended geometric world which dwarfs its tiny humanoid protagonist, and I'm all about it.

 

[Official] METAL GEAR SURVIVE SINGLE PLAYER COMMENTARY TRAILER | KONAMI (PEGI)

Quote

First look at "METAL GEAR SURVIVE" single player mode with commentary from the game's producer.

 

Driftland: The Magic Revival takes building an empire to new extremes

Quote

Ah, the old 4X mantra: build an empire. Timeless. Compelling. And rarely followed as faithfully as in Driftland: The Magic Revival, a new strategy game from developer Star Drifters which is about arranging floating islands into a livable kingdom. It recently launched on Steam Early Access, and after diving in for a fair few hours, I've returned pleasantly surprised—and on the brink of war.

 

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 confirmed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Quote

Fatshark has announced the Xbox One X upgrade for Vermintide 1 has also gone live, bringing native 4K support, darker shadows, a smoother framerate and enhanced textures.

 

Adding Predator To Ghost Recon Is A Cool Idea That Doesn't Work

Quote

Ghost Recon Wildlands, a game about mindlessly blowing stuff up because some CIA bigwig said so, added the alien hunter from Predator in an update today. What’s it like to face off against such a deadly creature? A bit like high tech whack-a-mole.

 

Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak ARG hints at two new maps

Quote

The community have solved a number of clues hidden around the Presidential Plane map, leading to a password which, when entered into a website, unlocked a trove of information. This includes a number of images that hint at the maps and operators that will feature in the game's zombie event, known to be called Outbreak.

 

Overwatch's in-game report notification is now live - here's how it looks

Quote

the in-game action notification feature is now live, and here's how it looks.

 

Tackling Nazis Is The New Punching Them In Wolfenstein II's Latest DLC

Quote

One of the best features of the rebooted Wolfenstein games has been its likable cast of characters. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was full of complex resistance fighters with different experiences and opinions than hero BJ Blazkowicz. The game’s new downloadable content explores the lives of other people who live and die in the alternate Nazi-controlled US 60s. Wolfenstein without BJ is still fun, but it’s not as impactful.

 

Total War: WARHAMMER 2 - Tomb Kings Trailer [PEGI UK]

Quote

In a shock that’s on par with the Skaven reveal, Total War developers Creative Assembly have revealed that the Tomb Kings are coming to Total War: Warhammer II in its first DLC pack. The Egyptian-flavoured undead will release on January 23, and they’ve got a fearsome new trailer to celebrate.

 

Genghis Khan returns to lead Civilization 6's Mongolia, a cavalry-fueled war machine

Quote

Mongolia are the third civ to be added in Rise and Fall, the expansion for Civilization VI. Inevitably, they're led by Genghis Khan, and will have unquestionably the strongest cavalry in the game.

 

PUBG’s 3D replay system will be ready for launch

Quote

Here’s how it works

 

Planet Coaster update 1.5 adds the jungle-themed Adventure Pack DLC

Quote

The only thing better than a rollercoaster that pretends you’re being shot into outer space is one that pretends it’s plunging you into molten lava, as my old da used to say. Planet Coaster is adding exactly that with the 1.5 update today, which brings with it the Adventure Pack themed around the South American gold rush. The Pack is available at a price, but the free update also has a batch of bug fixes and UI improvements.

 

Fire Pro Wrestling World releases today, with charity DLC to support a wrestling legend

Quote

Fire Pro Wrestling World, which is often titled “way better than the WWE games” or simply “the good wrestling game” in the circles I frequent, left Early Access today and marked its 1.0 release. But Spike Chunsoft aren’t done yet with the Fire Pro revival, and they’ve announced a pretty significant bit of DLC to come in the future, as well as a bit of charitable content to help a wrestling legend.

 

Dead or Alive 5 is done, but the DOA team “is very active”

Quote

Official support for Dead or Alive 5 has now come to an end. Some unclear translations led to a lot of speculation over whether this particular game or the franchise as a whole was dead (or alive), but while Team Ninja are leaving the door open for the series, it seems it may be some time before DOA6 sees the light of day.

 

Sword Coast Legends is having a last chance sale before it's gone for good

Quote

You won't be able to buy the D&D cRPG after December 31, but servers will run "indefinitely".

 

The Steam Community has been blocked in China

Quote

Steam’s community features have been blocked in China. Chinese players should still be able to play their Steam games, and buy new ones from the store, but any part of Steam that relies on community services will not work. This includes every game’s social hub, user profile pages and inventories, achievements, and more.

 

We messed up. We’re sorry, and we’re not rolling out the fees change.

Quote

We’ve heard you loud and clear. We’re not going to rollout the changes to our payments system that we announced last week. We still have to fix the problems that those changes addressed, but we’re going to fix them in a different way, and we’re going to work with you to come up with the specifics, as we should have done the first time around. Many of you lost patrons, and you lost income. No apology will make up for that, but nevertheless, I’m sorry. It is our core belief that you should own the relationships with your fans. These are your businesses, and they are your fans.

 

The World's Biggest Video Game Mod Site Will Start Paying Modders

Quote

Nexus Mods plans to roll out a new donation system and storefront early in 2018 according to a recent post in the site’s news section.

 

A NEW SKIN, AND A TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN WINGMAN

Quote

This SKIN will only be made available as a one off, between today and downtime on December 19th. After that, it will be retired from the New Eden Store, and will never be sold again.

 

The Inside Story Of Take-Two's New Publishing Label, Private Division

Quote

The video game industry is built on unsteady ground. Its tectonic plates constantly shift as this $100 billion global business expands to new platforms, publishers search for new revenue models, and studios rise and fall.

With Private Division, Take-Two wants to empower a new breed of indie developer

Quote

Michael Worosz on the emergence of a high-end indie development, and Take-Two's "venture capital meets game publishing" strategic response

Obsidian Says There Will Be No Microtransactions 'Of Any Kind' In Their Next RPG

Quote

Following the reveal of the Obsidian as a partner in Take-Two's new publishing label Private Division, Obsidian has announced its next project will not include any microtransactions whatsoever.

 

Answering Five Big Questions About The Future Of Mega Man

Quote

After a seven-year hiatus, Mega Man is finally back with a new experience on modern consoles. However, is Capcom’s adorable blue robot here to stay or is Capcom just testing the waters? We talked with the development team at Capcom to get a better sense for if fans can expect more Mega Man projects coming down the line anytime soon.

 

"2018 is going to be the year where gamers take the power back"

Quote

At the Slush conference, Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester predicted that next year will be great for gamers, and another disappointing one for VR

 

Women are most valuable mobile gamers - DeltaDNA

Quote

Analytics firm finds lifetime value of average female player is 44% higher than that of average male player

 

Funcom takes $10.6 million investment ahead of licensing push

Quote

Norwegian developer has co-founded a company to manage interactive rights of Robert E. Howard IPs

 

Deus Ex studio Eidos Montreal detail their online-focused plans for the future

Quote

While reports of the outright death of the Deus Ex franchise may have been exaggerated, there may be change coming to the franchise over the coming years, as Mankind Divided developers Eidos Montreal have updated their public Vision Statement for the company.

 

Crytek Sues Star Citizen Makers For Breaching Contract

Quote

German game publisher Crytek is suing Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) for breaching contract and infringing its copyright, asking for a jury trial to determine the value of damages.

 

Popular PUBG streamer DrDisrespect takes hiatus after confessing to infidelity

Quote

One of Twitch's biggest personalities is taking time off to focus on his family.

They really like picking the worst people to give these awards to

 

Betting Against Net Neutrality, Companies Offer Gamers a Paid Solution to Lag

Quote

Haste and Outfox’s mere existence points to problems with America’s internet infrastructure and the future of net neutrality. We live in a world where a private company has cut deals with ISPs to prioritize traffic, to the possible detriment of other users on the internet.

 

The big interview: the Gambling Commission on loot boxes

Quote

Last week, independent charity Gamble Aware held its annual two-day conference in London. It focused on what's called Harm Minimisation, in particular, how to protect young people from gambling. The event was a who's who of the UK gambling industry, but there was one topic on everyone's lips: loot boxes.

The UK Gambling Commission is Clueless About Video Games

Quote

The UK Gambling Commission's yearly survey of young people and their perspectives on gambling has been published and, as was leaked to the BBC, this year it is taking on the thorny issue of video games for the first time. The report is not concerned with loot boxes, but on another boogeyman: skin-betting. The full report is available here and, after reading it, I'm concerned that the UK has a regulator dealing with video games that isn't fit for the job.

Another regulator says loot boxes are not gambling

Quote

Loot boxes are not a form of gambling, says a New Zealand government regulator. The latest government statement on the practice aligns with the contentions of the United States’ Entertainment Software Association and publishers of games that use them.

 

Brexit's shadow looms over 2018

Quote

A lack of recognition of the games industry's needs from government have created concerns over hiring and trade that will continue into next year

 

What Thursday's FCC Vote Means for Gaming

Quote

Remember, the world's always getting better. For them.

 

Esports News

 

The State Of Esports In 2017

Quote

2017 was the year that esports became harder to ignore than ever, even for the sports blog readers who are desperate to do so. TBS has been broadcasting its Eleague Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitions since 2016, and in 2017, the show expanded into broadcasts of Street Fighter, Injustice 2 and Rocket League, with each event boasting prize pools in the tens of thousands. Speaking of big money, Dota 2's International tournament prize pool climbed to a record-breaking $23 million in 2017.

 

The Weekend In Esports: Counter-Strike, Pokémon, and Sunshine

Quote

Packed between a major Counter-Strike tournament and Pokémon regionals, there’s a lot of other great tournaments to catch up with this Saturday and Sunday.

 

Russian Player Retires After Riot Suspends Him For Saying League Teams Don't Make Money There

Quote

Kirill “Likkrit” Malofeyev received a six-month ban from all League of Legends tournaments after comments he made on-stream about the Russian branch of Riot Games. In response, he announced his retirement on the Russian social media service VKontakte.

 

Overwatch League Players Keep Getting In Trouble

Quote

Overwatch is still young as far as sports go, but if you’re a professional player of anything, whether that means basketball or Russian knight fighting, you’re gonna be held to a higher standard than most. Overwatch League’s players are having trouble with that.

 

What Disney’s Acquisition of 21st Century Fox Could Mean for Esports

Quote

The Walt Disney Company’s $52.4 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox upturns every one of its business strategies, from billion-dollar franchises to streaming and international reach.

 

Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)

 

EARTH ROMANCER

Quote

We're redefining a decades old genre of gaming, with a mish-mash of unique and familiar mechanics. With the flexible combo chaining of traditional fighters, and the intuitive control scheme and movement of Smash Brothers, Earth Romancer is aiming to be something truly different from anything seen before.

 

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

 

A month on the road: My indie developer road trip

Quote

Take a trip across the U.S. to see how where you live affects what you make

Along with my friend and photographer, Levi Ryman, I spent a month between February and March of this year in my Ford Escape traveling 9,000 miles across the United States and back, visiting families, communities and developers in an effort to create a scrapbook of sorts, full of stories and profiles showing what it's like for developers across the United States to create games.

What I learned is that, just as no two people are the same, no two games are made the same way. Everyone we visited had a different story about how their location and the people around them has influenced the way they work and the games they put out.

 

The Puzzle Of A Lifetime

Quote

When I heard it was nearing its release, and would be at PAX West this year, I decided this was my moment to get acquainted with Gorogoa, and I wandered up into the sixth floor of the Seattle convention center, snaking through the vast maze of tiny indie game booths until I found its small demo area. I actually made a complete circuit around the PC before I saw it, so unassuming was the little stand and so packed was the convention floor. Once I started playing, the cacophony of PAX disappeared. I was mesmerized, I didn’t want to stop, and once I was done with the brief demo, I had to know more about it.

'Gorogoa' Doesn't Explain Itself, but That Doesn't Stop It from Being Great

Quote

We need more games that expand our horizons, and this little indie puzzle game accomplishes that.

 

'Empires of EVE' Creator's New Podcast Tells Online Gaming's Lost Stories

Quote

There are a lot of people who think spending your life in a virtual place is a waste of time. I want this show to be convincing beyond any doubt that those people are wrong. This is a show about the beauty and humanity of video games and virtual places.

 

Streets of Rage 2, Bare Knuckle 3, the invisible complexity of beat ’em ups, and my very unpopular opinion

Quote

Of course, I need to explain myself here, and explaining myself requires talking about not only SoR2, SoR3 and BK3, but also about the beat ’em up genre as a whole, and the invisible complexity that goes into a “dumb” genre.

 

Your Amiga games are likely dying

Quote

Damp attics and insidious 'bit rot' are destroying floppy disks. Who is saving them?

 

The path of Leonard Boyarsky - Vampire, Diablo, and what's next for Obsidian

Quote

There may not be a more 'cult' cult game than Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, at least on PC. The very definition of a flawed gem, it launched unfinished but with its brightest moments still shining through. A couple of official patches later and it was abandoned as the developers, Troika, shut down.

Now, 13 years on, Leonard Boyarsky - one of the founders at Troika - now works at Obsidian, directly with his old cohorts from Vampire. Yesterday they announced Take Two will be publishing the game he is co-directing, which is otherwise a complete mystery. Between Troika and Obsidian, Boyarsky spent ten years at Blizzard helping with Diablo 3, its expansions and patches.

 

Chet Faliszek's AI-powered tactical shooter (that's not about shooting)

Quote

The Valve writer discusses why he joined Bossa and how he wants players to tell their own stories

 

The Gunsmiths: The deadly bullet ballet of Max Payne 2

Quote

This is The Gunsmiths, a PCGamesN series about videogames’ favourite interaction: shooting people directly in the face. There is no shortage of great games where gunplay is the main draw, so we wanted to dig down into these games’ inner workings, breaking them apart at a tool bench and seeing the components spread out across its surface. For our fourth feature in the series, it’s the balletic bullet dance of Max Payne 2.

 

Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy encouraged me to go looking for my birth parents

Quote

Video games can be an incredible catalyst for change as Aloy herself finally gave our Associate Editor the shove to discover her own origins story.

 

Lootbox-designer turned indie-developer says triple-A development is "not sustainable"

Quote

Much of the rest of the AMA takes on a more serious tone, however, as Patenge, who designed microtransactions for free-to-play games, discuss whether or not they should constitute gambling. There’s also a lengthy list of “common truths” of lootbox development, which, while far from standard across the industry, were guidelines during Patenge’s time as developer. Those include things like not publishing lootbox odds, keeping costs low, and rewarding people for buying in bulk.

 

2017’s most horrifying and heartfelt indie games

Quote

Some of our favorite indie titles of the year

 

18 Games You Might've Missed in 2017

Quote

While we endeavour to report on the most interesting games we find throughout the year at Kotaku UK, there are always a few gems that fall through the cracks. These are the games released in 2017 that, fantastic or interesting as they may be, might have slipped under your radar.

 

Becoming the ultimate werewolf wizard in retro roguelike Haque

Quote

It's not even a question. I can be a necromancer, some dude with a stick, or a werewolf wizard. A werewolf wizard with brass knuckles who throws boulders and shoots icicles, no less.

 

The Joy of Learning How to Freeze to Death

Quote

I still remember the first time I played Minecraft, back before the quests and tutorials and candy dispenser walls: I woke up on an unknown shore and followed the setting sun. At night, a dozen monsters chased me across a valley. I desperately dug a burrow with my hands, and barricaded myself inside -- but I didn't know how to make torches or even how to get wood or food, so I just sat quietly in that dark dirt hole and waited for death.

 

I Completely Missed The Best Part Of Yakuza 0

Quote

Yakuza 0 is one of 2017’s sleeper hits, a prequel to the popular crime drama that brought it to a wider audience. While most of the game is about criminal intrigue and martial arts brawls, a surprisingly robust club management mini-game is one of its most entertaining activities.

 

“Destiny 2 Finds Its Beauty in Numbers,” by Reid McCarter

Quote

There’s a kind of trance that sets in after playing more than an hour of Destiny 2’s endgame missions. Running and hoverjumping through one of its elaborate levels, the player completes activities that range from shooting homicidal robots while repairing an enormous power station to gunning down bipedal toad men while storming a gigantic spaceship. The rhythm of the game sets in like the pleasant numbing of a sedative. Though the screen constantly pops and glistens with explosions of numbers chunked off wounded enemies and flashes of flickering light indicating power-ups and new item pick-ups, the experience of playing the game is never anything but warmly monotonous.

“The Endless Opulence of Destiny 2,” by Astrid B

Quote

All critical writing on Bungie’s Destiny 2, no matter how inexplicable, has a common thread running through it: this game could be your life. In the three long years since Destiny initially staggered to launch, Bungie has done everything in its power to cultivate an impression of their first-person shooter as a world-beating social experience, from useless social apps to useless in-game social spaces. As early as 2011, you can find Bungie personnel talking about how they “feel responsible” for “building a universe that . . . [is] going to take a life [sic] of its own.”

 

SOMA is a different game in 'Safe Mode' -- a better one

Quote

Frictional's deep-sea horror is way scarier when you have the space to contemplate its setting.

 

The State Of PC Gaming In 2017

Quote

In a year when PC gaming became more multifaceted and complicated than ever, it also popularized a genre—battle royale—with one of the simplest premises imaginable.

The State Of The 3DS In 2017

Quote

While it fell far short of the dizzying heights achieved by the Nintendo DS, the 3DS had a pretty nice lifecycle. We had some good times, didn’t we? But it’s 2017, and every person who buys a Switch is one more person who won’t want to carry their 3DS around. Yes, Nintendo calls Switch a “home system you can take with you,” but the numbers don’t lie; many more Switch owners use it primarily as a portable.

The State Of The PlayStation 4 In 2017

Quote

Nintendo might have gotten more buzz in 2017, but Sony’s PlayStation 4 just had a quietly excellent year. In fact, it was arguably the system’s best run since it came out.

The State Of The Xbox One In 2017

Quote

When we talk about the Xbox One in 2017, which Xbox One are we talking about? The original big black box? Last year’s streamlined One S? The ultra-powerful One X?

The State Of The Nintendo Switch In 2017

Quote

For all the video game industry’s noisy hype about groundbreaking technology, it’s still rare that a device comes along and actually breaks new ground. In just nine months, the Nintendo Switch has done just that. The world of games feels different now than it did one year ago.

 

People of the Year: Emily Greer

Quote

The Kongregate CEO has just overseen a pivotal year in the company's history

People of the Year 2017: Christian Whitehead

Quote

Sonic the Hedgehog is relevant again, thanks to the indie developer who succeeded where Team Sonic repeatedly failed

People of the Year 2017: Strauss Zelnick

Quote

Take-Two's chairman set the company up for a banner year with no major new releases beyond its annualized sports titles

 

Game of the Year 2017: Divinity: Original Sin 2

Quote

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is PC Gamer's overall Game of the Year for 2017, as voted for by our global editorial team. The following commentary comes from the game's biggest supporters on staff. Look out for the rest of our awards and staff personal picks at our GOTY hub as we head towards the end of December.

 

GOTY 2017: #3 Super Mario Odyssey

Quote

Super Mario Odyssey begins as a nostalgia trip, but ends as something fresh and new

GOTY 2017: #2 PUBG

Quote

A brilliant, broken mess, Battlegrounds will define the next decade of shooters

GOTY 2017: #1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Quote

In late February, I boarded a plane to New York thinking about how absurdly lucky I am.

“Imagine trying to explain to your 12-year-old self,” I thought, “that one day you’re going to fly to New York to play the new Zelda game on the new Nintendo console — before anyone can buy either of them.”

The 50 best games of 2017

Quote

A bad year full of good games

 

THE 15 BEST VIDEO GAMES OF 2017

Quote

From blockbuster to indie games, console and PC to mobile, the wealth of experiences on offer has been incredible. And narrowing down our favorites has been a lengthy task. But after a series of votes — and maybe a few arguments — we’ve settled on a list of the 15 best games of the year.

 

The 10 Best PlayStation 4 Games of 2017

Quote

For the first year since it came out four years ago, the PlayStation 4 had some real competition in 2017.

 

Jesper Kyd Documentary - Bound to Sound | Gameumentary

Quote

Support Gameumentary on our Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/gameumentary/community

During our recent trip to California, we took an extra day to go visit Jesper Kyd at his studio to get the footage we needed for our upcoming documentary on Darksiders.

We ended up filming a full doc on him. This is the story of Jesper Kyd's journey to becoming a renowned video game composer.

 

Horizon Zero Dawn Documentary - Noclip

Quote

How does a studio known for linear first person shooters design one of the most well regarded open world games of the generation on their first attempt? Noclip travels to Amsterdam to talk to Guerrilla about their epic journey bringing Horizon Zero Dawn to PlayStation 4.

 

The Students Designing the Video Games of the Future: Masters of Gaming

Quote

Waypoint visits UC Santa Cruz's Games and Playable Media Graduate Program, where they're creating the next generation of video game designers.

 

In Defence of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Soundtrack | Game Score Fanfare

Quote

I've often seen people say that Breath of the Wild "doesn't sound like a Zelda game." Let's take a look at what Zelda actually sounds like and why BotW's music is so quiet and sparse.

My Patreon Page: http://www.patreon.com/gamescorefanfare

 

Indie Games You Missed in 2017 // HeavyEyed

Quote

Patreon // https://www.patreon.com/heavyeyed

It's that time of year again! Let's go over some indie games you missed in 2017. Thank you all for this amazing year, I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store.

 

How Snake Pass Works | Game Maker's Toolkit

Quote

This year’s most inventive game was Snake Pass - a squirmy interactive toy that came together thanks to some smart design decisions, and a dash of good luck.

 

A Closer Look At Final Fantasy VII's Battle Cinematics

Quote

Final Fantasy VII did a lot of things, but one was revolutionizing the idea of how a turn-based battle could look and feel. On the latest episode of Boundary Break, YouTuber Shesez shows what these scenes look like from the outside.

 

Rainbow Six Siege's Astonishing Comeback

Quote

On the two-year anniversary of Rainbow Six Siege, Mike looks at the various ways the game has tripled its player base, and become one of the best online shooters around.

 

Shadowrun FPS and BattleTech Developer Mitch Gitelman - IGN Unfiltered #26

Quote

Mitch Gitelman sits down for a frank conversation about his career in game development, including the controversial 2007 Xbox first-person shooter Shadowrun, MechAssault, Shadowrun Returns, BattleTech, and more!

 

Dinosaur Games shares Jet Set Radio Evolution visual proof of concept turned down by Sega

Quote

In the end, they just want a new Jet Set Radio.

 

DayZ - Tragedy of the Commons: The Game - Extra Credits

Quote

When resources are limited, self-interest works against itself. We see that in games like DayZ, where players could team up to fight a common threat, but the fear that someone will backstab you leads everyone to assume the worst and therefore behave as enemies.

 

The truth about GodMode, the "World's First Brain Booster for Gamers" - Here's A Thing

Quote

Chris Bratt (@bratterz) investigates GodMode, the "World's First Brain Booster for Gamers", exposing its misleading marketing.

 

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

 

I think I've been brutally owned by Ubisoft

Quote

The campaign to get my dad into Far Cry 5 might have backfired.

 

The Weirdest Patch Notes Of 2017

Quote

Patches are one of the best parts of gaming; you get to play Calvinball in real time, over the span of years. When developers announce their patches, though, they can sound ridiculous whether they’re describing what’s being fixed or introduced.

 

Things I Missed From Previous Weeks

 

The 10 best video game soundtracks of 2017

Quote

It’s been another banner year for video games with a killer crop of soundtracks to match. FACT gamers Scott Wilson, Miles Bowe, Tayyab Amin and Lewis Gordon round up the most memorable scores of 2017.