The fight will be finished once again in 2017...!
Without further ado...
Worst Game of 2017:
Tons of bad games this year, probably a consequence of playing so many licensed games.
5)
I've loved beat'em up games ever since I first played Battletoads & Double Dragon, and you'd think it'd be hard to mess up such a simple formula, but throughout the years I've learnt that... it's so simple that it's very easy to screw up. Cue in Hidden Invasion, horrible camera, tons of bugs, unfair odds and terrible gameplay. There's a reason this game is dirt cheap now.
3)
I've never played such a glitchy game before. I've been gaming ever since I could remember, and no other game I've played has had this many glitches, not even Ride to Hell. Every single time I turned on the game I'd come across a new one. Still, if I'm to be honest here, the game could be fun at times. AT TIMES. Despite all the nonsense, like how horrid the exploration is, it could be a bit entertaining. Sometimes. Maybe because I love the Metroidvania genre.
3)
Ultimate Spider-man on the DS was a horrible, but good looking game. Battle for New York runs on the same engine and, somehow, it's even worse. Poor collision detection, horrible level designs, tacked on stylus mini-games, boring bosses and dumb time limits make for a bad, bad game. It's like a culmination and compilation of everything wrong in Spider-man games.
Runner-up)
Some people defend this 'game' with the fact that by the time it came outside Japan it was a 6 year old game. The original, clunky, Tekken was released in 1995. Final Bout was released in 1997. There's absolutely no reason as to why this game had to be so bad. I think the Dragon Ball SNES fighting games were pretty bland too, but Final Bout is even worse. Unresponsive controls, horrible game mechanics that slow down everything and an overabundance of versions of Goku... this game is trash. Expensive trash.
Loser)
There's a lot of ways I could describe Corpse Party Blood Drive. Boring, the story is bland and uninteresting, with horrible dialogue and a very high barrier of entry if you haven't played other games. Bland, because the entire game is spent exploring the same areas over and over again. Badly designed, because when you are supposed to tread old ground every new chapter to see if something has changed, because sometimes you are supposed to go back someplace else because something you did triggered something in a room you've already been to. Broken, because the game runs like crap on the Vita, with numerous loading screens and terrible framerate.
Best Handheld Game of 2017:
I didn't play many new games on handheld consoles. Monster Hunter 3 kinda sapped all my time all by itself, and truth be told, I'm still playing it to this day. There's so much stuff left to do and the Dios Gem won't drop so I can't upgrade my weapons!
5)
Ah! Speaking of the guilty party, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is really good... but waiting and hoping for stuff to drop can be a bit of a pain at times! I've already spent over 90 hours on this game, with no end on sight. I have discovered that I much prefer the clones that came after it, Toukiden and God Eater, but Monster Hunter is still pretty good, just wish that it would make the drop rates more lenient.
4)
Looks are not everything. When I first turned on the game I was greeted with more mazelike levels and found out that they ditched the beautiful 2D sprites they've been using for wonky digitalized sprites. But it turns out that level design was pretty good, and they only used a timer for a specific few missions and... they finally gave us a compass. Basically, they finally figured out how to do a Spider-man game on a handheld... which they quickly forgot once it was time to release a new Spider-man game on the DS.
3)
I feel like Reckoning was the true Dead to Rights II, in no small part due to how it reuses a tons of assets from that game to deliver a much more fun experience. I know I harped on and on about how it's the melee system that makes Dead to Rights stand out from the rest, but... melee is a bit useless in this game. Not that it matters, they went for pure arcade shooting action, and it works, and it's a blast. Not a thinking man's game, but not everything needs to have puzzles or a gripping storyline, sometimes, you only need very solid and fun mechanics to pull the game forward.
Runner-up)
Hardly an enhancement, but it feels good having this game in the palms of your hands. Every level is here, as well as a new world... if you're willing to put in the time to unlock it. That said, I don't think a new world, that is a bit of a time sink to unlock, is enough to call this the 'definitive version' of Donkey Kong Returns... Not that it matters, since the base game is fantastic, whether you suffer imprecise motion controls for attacks or unresponsive button controls for attacks. Just pick your poison and have a go at one of the best Donkey Kong games ever made.
Winner)
There're a lot of things I don't agree with when it comes to Shin Megami Tensei IV's design, but, despite my concerns I can still tell that it's a great JRPG. The first 10 or so hours of the game can be unfairly challenging to the point of frustration, but after you get through the hump the game will become fairer. The story was alright, there was a brilliant twist early in the game, but it's nothing to write home about, and it's got nothing on previous Shin Megami Tensei titles. It's the tried and true modern SMT gameplay that make the game so much fun, the amount of strategy required if you want to win fights is what makes this game, and the series, so engaging.
Best Playstation Game of 2017:
I wish I had played more Playstation 1 games this year, more games that weren't fighting games that is! I've a bunch of fun stuff waiting for me in 2018 though!
5)
It doesn't have the best rap nowadays, but I played Koudelka and loved it to hell. The setting, a creepy mansion, is a fantastic and original setting for a JRPG, and the cast of mature characters really make this one something different, and special, from its brethren. You haven't played a JRPG like this before, since even Shadow Hearts is different, and while reviews prove that this game is not for everyone... I think it's worth giving it a look, if just for curiosity's sake.
4)
The charming pint-sized Samurai was the protagonist of a fun little romp that reminded me a lot of Goemon on the N64. It's great little game rife with exploration, all of it that rewards the player with various different perks and boosts. I have to give props to how well it manages to make you feel stronger as you earn new combos, better swords, more spells and more abilities to explore the world with.
3)
Dragon Ball Z Legends is something unique, there's no other game quite like it. And it's a bit surprising, because the game is so weird, and it sounds so weird if you try to explain it, yet works s well once you get to play it. Few games have managed to emulate the show so well.
Runner-up)
The short-lived Bushido Blade series is something that you can't find anywhere else. There are similar games in concept, like Nidhogg, but none have the scope and style Bushido Blade has. But one of the things that makes it so special is the fact that both Bushido Blade 1 and Bushido Blade 2 offer different takes on the same idea. You want something more technical, more methodical and with more variables? Bushido Blade 1 is your game. Would you rather have something faster, with more emphasis on blade on blade combat? Bushido Blade 2 is your game.
Winner)
The game is really expensive, but.... it's worth every penny. Every thing you've heard about this game is true, it's that good. I wouldn't go as far as to call it the best JRPG on the system, but it definitely cracks Top 5. The gameplay is simple, but fun and the story is something mature, political and interesting that deals with war and how it tears down cities, people and... friendships.
Best Playstation 2 Game of 2017:
If I focused on one console this year, and not on purpose mind you, it was the PS2. I've been catching up with dozens of games I hadn't played before, games I had played before and games that I had only tried when I was younger but never got through to the end.
5)
It was my favorite when I was younger, and it's still my favorite. I think it's one of the more unique games in the series, since no other offered quite the same mechanics when it came to stages and goals. It feels more... organic? It definitely has most of my favorite stages in the entire franchise. I also dig how immature it is, how dumb the missions can be, and how ridiculous guests and guest vehicles are. Plus, being one of the latter games in the PS2 era, it also means that you've a ton of different moves at your disposal.
4)
I was a bit scared of the series, reading about the Judgment Ring made me wary... this wasn't something I was interested in playing. And then I got interested in playing Koudelka, so why not give the series a try? And I did. And I loved it. I'm not the biggest fan of the Judgment Ring, but it sure as hell isn't a detriment, and no, it doesn't get old when you are grinding for experience, it's just another mechanic you get used to. Still, what makes this my favorite Shadow Hearts game is its setting: No other Shadow Hearts game is as invested in horror themes as this one. Heck, some of the monsters are borrowed from Koudelka. If you can only play one game in the series, it's this one.
3)
What's left to be said about Psychonauts? Tight gameplay, fantastic story and great sense of humor, there's rarely a dull moment in the game.... unless you didn't buy the Arrowhead detector in time, in which case... I'm so sorry. Small gripe aside, the other 95% of the game is amazing and it's not a game you want to skip.
Runner-up)
I think Suikoden V was the Suikoden I was least looking forward to. The Prince, the main character, looked kinda silly so I wasn't to keen on playing the game. And then I did. And it was amazing. One of the best JRPGs I've ever played, with one of the most gripping storylines ever told in a JRPG dealing with all kinds of themes and treated in a mature way. Years of Suikoden games have led to this, and this might very well be the final Suikoden game... and I'm OK with that, because that means the series ended on a very, VERY high note.
Winner)
Every time I play the game I like it more than I did before. Last Year? 'One of the best hack and slash games ever made!' This year? One of the best Playstation 2 games ever made, and one of my favorites. At this rate is gonna be my favorite game by 2020.
Best Playstation 3 Game of 2017:
Sadly, the poor old PS3 got a bit neglected on the second half of the year. Maybe it will change in 2018. Most likely not, but maybe.
5)
Resident Evil 6 is more than a sum of its parts. The setpiece-to-setpiece design is something that may turn off people, particularly fans of the older games, but it's something I got used to and learned to enjoy. The different campaigns was also hit-or-miss, since you'll likely not like every campaign the same and would rather have more of one and less of another one. Regardless, I think despite all the misguided design choices... it's a solid, if flawed, action game through and through.
4)
CentralFiction brought back my love for the franchise. I think the slew of new characters, particularly if you didn't dabble on DLC or the Extend edition of Chronophantasma, as well as the new stages and what not invigorated the franchise. At this point I'd suggest skipping on the inane story and just focus on the game itself.
3)
Year after year of making Spider-man games, Treyarch finally hit the sweetspot with their final game in the franchise: Web of Shadows. Not only does it have the best swinging Spider-man has had before and after, it also has the best combat system. Many people have nostalgia for Spider-man 2, but is has aged a lot, THIS is the Spider-man game fans want to play. And the best thing about it? Besides being a great Spider-man game, it's also a great game overall.
Runner-up)
Games like this make you wish that Atlus would stop milking Persona so hard, with dancing spin-offs nobody asked for, and instead let the Persona team do original stuff, like Catherine. It's a weird game, in all the right ways. With a very engaging story, even if the ending(s) will turn a few people off from what seemed like a plausible plot.
Winner)
I hope that Dead to Rights Retribution will be vindicated by history. That years from now people will pick up the game and, just as it happened to me, wonder why critics where so harsh to it. Because the game is anything but generic, there's never a dull moment when you are taking down bad guys as the vindictive duo of Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow.
Best Game of 2017:
This is it! Which one reigns supreme in 2017!?
4)
It was a bit disappointing, personally, but it's still a great game, I mean, it IS Shin Megami Tensei after all.
3)
The final game in the Dead to Rights franchise was also the best one. A reboot/reimagining of sorts of the first game, it feels as the evolution of the franchise, not stuck in the past, yet paying homage to it. Criminally underrated.
Runner-up)
One of the best JRPGs on a console known for its great JRPGs. It also stands out from the rest, thanks to its unique mechanics: Six-man party members, the way weapons are upgraded, 108 total possible team mates, a story focusing on war and politics and not 'Saving the world from the one winged angel final boss!!!!!1111'. It's fantastic.
Winner)
I think that the fact that I liked the game even more after replaying it a measly one year later says a lot about the game's quality. Usually, when you replay a game or rewatch a movie... as much as you love it, you'll probably enjoy a tiny bit less, especially if not much time has passed between your first experience. But with Devil May Cry 3, I only liked it more. The combat is so good, few games have matched the possibilities that the engine brings the player.
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