Skip to main content

Filed under:

The best video games of 2017

Share this story

2017 has been an unusually busy year for video game releases; from the horror of Resident Evil 7 in January to the epic adventure of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in December, it’s been a steady stream of hits. We’ve seen the resurgence of Nintendo, the debut of new franchises like Horizon Zero Dawn, and even a multitude of fantastic mobile releases. To celebrate, we’re running through all of our favorites with a series of personal essays and lists. Keep up with all the best games from 2017 right here.

  • Dec 15, 2017

    Verge Staff

    The 15 best video games of 2017

    Super Mario Odyssey

    A decade from now, there’s a good chance we’ll look back at 2017 as one of the best years ever for new game releases. Just think about it: some of the medium’s most iconic names — like Zelda, Mario, and Resident Evil — came roaring back to prominence, while new names like Horizon Zero Dawn and Cuphead forced their way into the spotlight.

    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.

    Read Article >
  • Casey Newton

    Dec 14, 2017

    Casey Newton

    Why Horizon Zero Dawn is my game of the year

    Horizon Zero Dawn

    It’s been a shockingly packed year for great new video games. Over the course of the last 12 months, it seemed like there was never really a pause, or a moment when there wasn’t something interesting to play. To celebrate, this week Verge staff will be publishing essays on their favorite releases of the year, the games that spoke to us personally. Expect to see a new one each morning, culminating in a list of our collective 15 favorite games of 2017 on Friday. You can keep up with it all right here.

    Playing Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time was a good reminder that I'm an idiot.

    Read Article >
  • Sam Byford

    Dec 13, 2017

    Sam Byford

    Why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is my game of the year

    Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

    It’s been a shockingly packed year for great new video games. Over the course of the last 12 months, it seemed like there was never really a pause, or a moment when there wasn’t something interesting to play. To celebrate, this week Verge staff will be publishing essays on their favorite releases of the year, the games that spoke to us personally. Expect to see a new one each morning, culminating in a list of our collective 15 favorite games of 2017 on Friday. You can keep up with it all right here.

    What more is there to say about Breath of the Wild? The latest Legend of Zelda title is the most acclaimed game to come out in a year of extremely acclaimed games. It will surprise absolutely no one reading this that it’s my personal favorite game of 2017 — no one, that is, except me.

    Read Article >
  • Adi Robertson

    Dec 12, 2017

    Adi Robertson

    Why Prey is my game of the year

    Prey

    It’s been a shockingly packed year for great new video games. Over the course of the last 12 months, it seemed like there was never really a pause, or a moment when there wasn’t something interesting to play. To celebrate, this week Verge staff will be publishing essays on their favorite releases of the year, the games that spoke to us personally. Expect to see a new one each morning, culminating in a list of our collective 15 favorite games of 2017 on Friday. You can keep up with it all right here.

    It took me a long time to get to know Prey.

    Read Article >
  • Dec 11, 2017

    Megan Farokhmanesh

    Why Persona 5 is my game of the year

    Persona 5

    It’s been a shockingly packed year for great new video games. Over the course of the last 12 months, it seemed like there was never really a pause, or a moment when there wasn’t something interesting to play. To celebrate, this week Verge staff will be publishing essays on their favorite releases of the year, the games that spoke to us personally. Expect to see a new one each morning, culminating in a list of our collective 15 favorite games of 2017 on Friday. You can keep up with it all right here.

    I knew it was love just shy of the 10-hour mark. In that time, I’d befriended a handful of troubled students, discovered my alter ego as a masked vigilante, and infiltrated the psyche of an evil man: a teacher abusing his students. His darkest desires, laid out in a literal dungeon, were now mine to plunder and change for the better. As I made my final play, the stakes shifted. Sneaking had given way to an all-out sprint as I raced past enemies on high alert. Even the game’s music had changed from a steady background hum to an exhilarating vocal track.

    Read Article >