Play Underground! Presents: Our Top Games of 2017
2017 was a wack, packed, and life changing year and somehow the team here at Play Underground! all managed to play a bunch of really cool video games instead of doing something actually productive with our lives. Here’s a compilation of some of our favourites from this year.
But first! A few year end words from some of our writers.
Farouk: I only played 5 games this year.
Daniel: I really regret sinking a million hours into Borderlands earlier in 2017. Hopefully I don’t make the same mistake going into 2018?
Max: Yo! it’s the end of an era, got damn twenty seventeen . This was an ESPECIALLY hard year for me in terms of what games I was actually able to play.
Funké: I know video games are stupid but this year they were cool. Also 2018 is the year of completing every game I start. Like actually, though.
Meleah: I can only give a top 1 game of 2017 because I’m not experienced in games and you probably don’t need to read another op-ed about Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
Hollow Knight
Farouk: Hollow Knight came out and killed every rogue-like fighting game out there. The game’s art style just completely captures you. It has this dark vibe with a hint of playfulness and it just absolutely mystifies you. The game’s fighting mechanics are on point and as you progress through the game you get brand new moves and power ups, it’s really gratifying. The game is so addicting once you get into it you don’t wanna stop. You want to keep getting new moves and get better at the game. The game’s art goes further than just the vibe of the game, the character design’s are absolutely beautiful. There’s like 150 unique enemies in Hollow Knight, 26 of which are all unique bosses. If you want to play a game that’s incredibly fun, unique, and well executed, you need to play Hollow Knight.
Tacoma
Funké: Fullbright’s Gone Home was the first game that introduced me to the wonderful world of the “walking simulator” — games that excel at painting a great narrative with minimal gameplay. It feels so good to just take my time and exploring these stories because they’re always incredibly personal. You can tell that the developers put a lot of themselves into every game in this genre. They litter it with cleverly placed items and situations that shine light on hidden backstories and propose so many questions. That`s why the walking simulator quickly became one of my favourite types of video games. So when I heard that Fullbright was pumping out Tacoma, you know your boy got hyped.
When Tacoma finally released I put in a couple of hours and I barely got past the first area. “Wait a second that game only takes about 3 hours to complete, Funké must have beaten this one.” Well you’re wrong. I was too busy exploring the lives of these cool space people to advance the plot very much. Some people are slow readers, others are slow writers, but I’ve got it the worst because I play games like how I run: slow. And if you have anything to say about that just pause… I get clowned on the twitter site every day for that so just leave me alone.
Anyways, I just fell in love with how the Tacoma never shoves plot or character backstory down your throat — you have to earn it through rummaging around someone’s room or overhearing past conversations. It makes every tidbit of information so much more precious. Everyone should play a game like this at least one time in their life, why not do it with Tacoma?
League of Legends
Max: I’m trash at League of Legends and I’m not afraid to admit it.
A Summoner named xXDreamRaiderXx was RUDE TO ME when I was playing ranked last night. They said, “We would be winning if Bard could land something ONCE lol.” And generally, people can be super toxic for seemingly no reason (the reason is because I’m bad).
Criticisms aside, the fun I’ve had with the most recent League of Legends patch has been some of the most I’ve ever had on this infamous Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. From the new rune system to the emotes Riot Games has introduced, I feel more comfortable being carried by my friends out of Bronze IV.
Shout out to everyone I’ve reported in 2017, my haters are my motivators.
Funke: This game is really taking too many hours of my life, I don’t know why I still play it. It causes me yearly pain and suffering. This is a call for help. The community really sucks a lot of the time, but I guess I trade that off for some genuinely hilarious times with my friends. There’s nothing that can correctly mimic the feeling of pulling off a sick-ass play utilizing all of the strengths of you and your 4 summoner friends.
That’s synergy, babe.
Hopefully in this new League of Legends season I’ll finally get out of the hellhole that is Platinum rank. You guys are gonna see me at the top very soon…
West of Loathing
Daniel: Upon first glance, West of Loathing does not look the most appealing. I totally understand where you’re coming from: it’s a game in a stick-drawn world with a pretty corny trailer on Steam. Honestly, I would not have given this game a try were it not for the unexpectedly high review scores that the title was garnering, by critics and ordinary reviewers alike. Boy, am I thankful for that.
West of Loathing is a comedy first and a role-playing game second, and this is most exemplified through the very early choice between classes: the thief-adjacent Snake Oiler (which I picked), mage-like Beanslinger (best name), or the Cow Puncher (also a good name). Akin to Fallout titles, you soon after find out that there are multiple ways to play, as opting into various skill points opens up different ways to interact with both characters and the environment. I’d go into details but the game is so short and dense that it’s much better experienced firsthand.
West of Loathing clocks in at around a 15 hour playthrough on average, and that’s without much grinding (you don`t really have to grind too much compared to other RPGs). Gameplay gets slightly repetitive in the second half and combat becomes significantly easier, but the writing stays consistently fresh, dense, and witty. Nothing about this game should be taken at face value, as it is packed with secrets and twists at every turn.
Sonic Mania
Farouk: I’m a huge sonic fan, but over the years I’ve just been beaten down with bad game after bad game.
It really seems like Sonic was only ever good in 2D. When Sonic made the jump to 3D, he just didn’t land the same way Mario did. After a massive streak of bad games, Sonic fans were graced with 2 good games in a row, Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors. These games were incredibly fun and polished but just when we thought we were getting something good, Sega hit us with Sonic Lost World and the worst game yet, Sonic Boom. With Sonic Mania, we have another light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Sega gave Sonic fans actual resources to make a game, and it worked perfectly. Sonic Mania perfectly captures what made the old 2D games so great. The game perfectly shows the speed and execution that made it so satisfying to play Sonic games. If you’re looking for one of the 3 good Sonic games out there, make sure to pick up this one.
Emily is Away Too
Daniel: When I opened up Emily is Away, the predecessor to Emily is Away Too, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. From the classic Windows XP background to the simplistic instant messaging UI, I felt like I was in some messaging time machine. The game itself ended up being a fairly standard visual novel, but communicated through a different medium. It wasn’t perfect, but it did help lay the groundwork for Emily is Away Too.
Upon startup, Emily is Away Too allows much, much more customizability for the player. The first prompt asks you what kind of background you want for the UI, and allows you to download the background of your choice for your own computer. It’s a small touch, but it helped with immersion. After choosing an icon from a set of 2000-era album covers and movie posters, you’re given the option of building a profile based off of some, again, 2000-era song and film quotes. It’s suuuuuper corny but it’s fantastic. Gameplay outside of this is similar to its predecessor, but there are a few notable changes: choices matter way more and to advance dialogue, you don’t have to smash your keyboard to feign typing.
Maybe I’m just blinded by nostalgia, but I really, really love this game. It’s got some sort of internet-age charm that captured an era of self-discovery and growth unique to a generation, and I was drawn in by its unabashed embracing of the corniest parts of growing up.
Night in the Woods
Max: We are teens and we have feelings. Mae is a teen with feelings — and as a fellow teen with feelings, I was able to relate to her and her trials and tribulations on a personal level.
Night in the Woods is an aesthetic masterpiece filled with vivid scenery, characters, and dialogue. Whether I was hanging out with Greg, jamming out with the band or playing games on Mae’s computer, I truly felt like a teen in my element which made for an enticing experience I won’t soon forget.
Funke: This game is super relatable.
On god, I started to play it when I was doing horribly in school and seeing such naturalistic, conversational writing that felt so similar to how I was feeling at the time was a crazily comforting experience. I actually had to stop my adventure because university got super hectic, but I recently jumped back into Mae’s world of stress, apathy, and confusion and I’m so excited to hear what else this game has to say about life and school.
Also that cat dungeon mini-game thing on Mae’s computer is insanely hard. I spent a lot of my time playing that game inside the game. Wow, it’s like a video game version of Sonny with a Chance.
Cuphead
Farouk: I really like hard games just because it’s so satisfying when you actually win. This is one of the harder games to come out this year and it’s just incredibly well executed.
The hand drawn animation is absolutely beautiful. I’m not an animation expert, but from the research and animation I’ve done personally, I can’t imagine how much work it must’ve taken to make this game look this good. That deserves praise by itself. On top of that, the gameplay is top notch and all the bosses are amazing.
Cuphead is so different from so many other games you’ll play this year you have to at least try it. If you’re looking for a game with beautiful and traditional animation, great and satisfying gameplay, and a difficulty level that’ll have you bragging when you beat it, this is the game for you.
Yakuza Kiwami
Max: I’m all about guys being dudes and Kiwami is a perfect embodiment of that statement. In this game you play as Kiryu, a certified cool dude, where you perform Cool Acts™ around his city in a sharp-ass suit.
Beating up baddies never gets old in this riveting tale, especially with the arrangement of different fighting styles you can choose from.
The game is also a cinematic masterpiece. Quentin Tarantino is shaking. Kiwami’s cutscenes feel polished and I would seriously be willing to spend 20 real life dollars to see them in High Definition at the 14th Street Regal Theaters.
Super Mario Odyssey
Daniel: I really have no words to describe how much joy Super Mario Odyssey has brought me. It is as much a whimsical Nintendo adventure as it is a movement-lover’s fever dream. Can I just dive straight into how much I love the controls for this game? They just felt so right. In the same way that Breath of the Wild’s physics engine allowed you to solve puzzles in a myriad of ways, Odyssey’s plethora of movement options allow for flexibility and make exploring the various densely-packed kingdoms a damn riot.
It’s hard to articulate the magical levels of polish that Nintendo games typically have. From the fresh yet nostalgic art style to the always impressive soundtracks to the detailed and intricate level design, Odyssey encapsulates all of the wonder and awe that we’ve seen in previous titles, but with a degree of finesse only achievable by Nintendo.
Farouk: Mario always wins baby. Well, almost. This game may be in other people’s #1 spots, but even though it`s not in mine I absolutely love this game with all my heart. This is the type of game that I imagine other video game companies look at and get upset that their game isn’t this good. Every kingdom is unique, Mario’s controls and capabilities are incredible. With the addition of Cappy, the possibilities truly are endless. The things you can possess, the platforming options, you can truly do anything in this game. Each world is beautifully designed as a massive platforming hub with entrances to smaller more linear challenges. The story, the wonder, the gameplay, Nintendo knows how to make a beautifully fun game. This is a step up for Mario and a step up for games in general and I can’t wait for Super Mario Odyssey 2. So long gay Bowser.
Funke: This game made me realize how much Mario content I’ve consumed in my life. Like I really didn’t notice that I’ve played almost every single Mario game out there, and some of those titles (Super Mario Bros. 2) are the video game version of a fever dream. With all of those plumbing games under my belt, I can confidently say this is a really good one. It combines the shine from Sunshine, the exploratory joy of Galaxy, and the general CLASSIC Mario feel of 64 into a fresh experience with the same old man we love and know.
I never thought I`d be playing a game where Mario is wearing a snapback that he can throw at enemies like a boomerang, but here were are in the wonderful world of Odyssey. Daniel said it beautifully, but I have to emphasize it again: movement SO cool in this game. It honestly makes me wanna jump off of everything like a lil Mario bug and throw my Cappy of choice into the beautiful blue Nintendo sky.
Fortnite — Meleah’s GOTY
Meleah: My top game of 2017 is Fortnite: Battle Royale. I can offer very little critique about the formatting of the game, comparing to others in the genre, but it’s got serious sentimental value to me.
I was initially drawn to the game because of the premise: 100 people dropped onto a deserted island with nothing but a pickaxe, and you had to forage for materials and weapons to outlive your competition. When I was 13 I was a diehard Hunger Games trilogy fan (with a fandom Facebook page and everything) so this blew my mind and reignited all those twisted fantasies of being in the arena. Spoiler: I’d do terribly.
I can’t offer insightful specifics of the game, but as a newcomer I really like the graphics and the overall silly & light mood. Most of what appeals to me as a Certified Wuss™ is that even though the main point of the game is killing off others, it’s not spooky like Call of Duty or Dark Souls. For example - right now for Christmas, all the bushes in the game are strung with coloured lights.
The main reason why it’s my favourite, like I said before, is mostly sentimental: I moved into my own place for the first time in September with a couple guys that I didn’t really know very well, and Battle Royale was one of the first things we really bonded over together. They’re both well-versed in gaming, so with a lot of other games the knowledge and experience gap was way too wide. But because Fortnite is so new and the developments are still continually happening, we get to experience them unfolding together. It’s become a sort of household tradition to watch Best Moments compilations that Twitch publishes on YouTube every day together.
Even though it’s a single player game (if we’re using the same console), it’s still fun to play in a group. The games are at most 20–25 minutes long, so a steady rotation can go on for hours at a time. I’m still really bad at FPS, so getting any kills at all is really difficult for me, but even the guys who grew up playing FPS games say that this one is more challenging.
Owlboy — Max’s GOTY
Max: I cried every second I played this game for so, so many reasons.
REASON ONE: Everyone’s so rude to Otus.
Let him live. This Owl Boy just needs a hug, and I’m willing to give one to him. Otus can’t talk and therefore he can’t defend himself, just like when people come for the Amish online. SMH.
REASON TWO: OWLBOY HARD.
I spent like 3 days trying to beat a boss and that had me cheesed. Even so, I had fun yelling at my computer screen coming up with the next tactic I would use to come out on top. This game is filled with fun mazes too which I found quite enjoyable.
REASON THREE: The music is impeccable.
If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like to taste heaven through your ear holes while engaging in a Video Game Experience™, Owlboy is the game for you. Every area of this game offers a new enticing sound, and that stuff’s TIGHT.
Owlboy’s great, and I would die for that boy Otus and his friends.
Persona 5 — Daniel’s GOTY
Daniel: Persona 5 came out at a weird time. I was finishing up classes and starting exams and therefore, had a ton of free time. Instead of doing actual good productive things, I ended up sinking around a thousand hours into Persona 5. How could you not? The game itself is dense. Like, super, super dense, and you rarely ever find yourself without anything to do.
Leading up to the game’s release, I tried out Persona 4, but did not end up dedicating myself to it like I did with Persona 5. It’s not that the predecessor was a bad game, but that there were quality of life upgrades that I desperately needed so that I could focus on having a Good Time™. Things like tarot card indicators on the fast travel screen that showed who wanted to hang out with me after school, being able to switch back and forth between personas in the same turn without losing a move, or having the option of instantly selecting a move that targeted an enemy weakness are a few upgrades among many.
The attention to detail and style is what makes Persona 5 stand out to me. The slap-city acid jazz tunes, the bold, confident art and animation, and the tight, satisfying writing: everything is fantastic. With a project of this scope, I didn’t mind the linearity of the story. It’s unfortunate that a bulk of the dialogue meant nothing, but I still enjoyed having the luxury of choosing what texts to send the group chat and whether or not I’d mouth off to my cat. Besides, we’re given more than enough choice through the hectic balancing act built into the core of the game.
I love and miss my ragtag group of friends and our wacky-crazy antics so much ❤
Wolfenstein 2 — Funke’s GOTY
Funké: In the cursed, twisted hellscape we call 2017, a place where there are real alt-right “rallies” and white supremacist Neo-Nazis that are literally running over crowds of humans with their trucks, people need something to do with all of their frustration, animosity, and bitterness. My regular solution is falling into the cliché well that is escapism, sci-fi, and fantasy, but if you’re regularly consuming media that actively ignores modern day issues isn’t that just running away from your problems? Just as I was starting to feel like that baby boy Shinji Ikari, I stumbled upon the crazy, powerful game that is Wolfenstein 2 which very quickly became one of my favourite games of this generation.
At points it’s a game so full of outlandish antics that it feels like the cheesiest of comic books, and at other times it’s touching on racism, domestic abuse, and other real life issues that most games neglect to talk about. Get you a game who can do both…
I’m probably going to write a longer opinion editorial on this game, but I do want to make this clear: playing as Terror-Billy was one of the best times I’ve had in a first person shooter. I barely replay games, but here I go again. I am back on my Nazi-killing bullshit because Wolfenstein 2, is such a clean, much-needed game in our society.
And hey, if you see a Nazi. Give them a punch from me and my best friend William J. Blazkowicz.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Farouk’s GOTY
Daniel: I’m gonna be completely 100% certifiably honest with you: I have not finished that many Legend of Zelda games. I don’t know if it’s because I’m lazy or if I have Zelda-specific commitment issues, but I just have not been able to complete the catalogue. So, when I first heard the announcement for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I wasn’t super into the whole thing. However, leading up to the release of the title, amidst all the gameplay trailers and rave reviews, I was slightly more intrigued. Then, the game came out, and everyone was telling me to get my hands on it. I finally picked it up in October, and boy, oh BOY was I missing out. The game is just a giant sandbox full of life and… stuff.
The thing about Breath of the Wild is that you need to make your own fun. You could grind out shrines, finish all of the dungeons, and defeat Ganon in a brisk manner, but there’s just so much more to do, and you can do them all in a plethora of ways. See that camp of gremlin goons? Wanna drop some iron on em? Wanna down a stealth elixir and assassinate them one-by-one? Wanna roll some bombs down a hill and get them that way? Thanks to the robust physics engine and the digital smorgasbord of tools given to you, there are a million ways to play, and through that, you can be uniquely you.
I remember being surrounded in a grassy field by some ugly goblin fools, only to get shot at with a fire arrow that lit the grass on fire and created an updraft that allowed me to escape. It felt so badass? I’ve had a million moments like these coming out of my relatively short playtime of the game (around 50 hours) and see myself constantly coming back to explore the expansive world that Nintendo delicately crafted.
Farouk: Legend of Zelda is probably my favourite video game series out there. I’ve always loved the games because of the versatility in how you can play the game, it’s massive inventory of different weapons and items that can be used in different ways, and the almost cinematic feel of the game. Breath of the Wild turns the dial up to 11. The game’s massive open world gives you the opportunity to do literally anything and go anywhere. The world is beautifully designed and is absolutely breathtaking. I remember tearing up when you get to that first small cliff at the very beginning and the title comes up as the music swells. Playing this game is like an interactive movie. It feels so cinematic with the beautiful music and the incredible story. Everything just feels so epic and grand that I can’t not feel moved when I play this game. No other game moved me the way this one did, which is why it’s my game of the year. Thank you Nintendo for this beautiful piece.
Funké: Not to be controversial but Zelda is so boring to me as a series. Every man has tried to put me on it over the years, tossing out statements like “This is the best game ever made, bro,” or “Wow, games peaked with (Insert Zelda Title Here).”
No tea, no shade, no pink lemonade, but those games just made me snooze. I played Windwaker, Ocarina, Majora, etc, and I could never get into them. I think it’s a combination of factors including me not playing the games as a child (no nostalgic connection), the abundance of nerd hype over them, and the amount of time that has passed since they were released (they don’t all hold up for me). I do respect the impact the series has had on gaming as a whole, and I have an immense appreciation for all of the developers who helped pioneer a new age of video games full of crazy puzzles, solid combat, and a world people want to explore.
And with that I can confidently say that Breath of the Wild is the first Zelda game I’ve enjoyed from the bottom of my heart and beaten without wanting to die. I used all of my friends’ amiibos and ended up looking like one of my favourite Super Smash Bros. characters, Sheik, and whooped Ganondorf’s ass on stream with a bunch of my best friends watching my entire journey. I felt so accomplished. I actually love this game. I really do. To all you Zelda oldheads: you win this one, Link is cool and has a pretty good game.
