The 10 best games of Q1 2017

Shockingly, we’re already three months into 2017. Now comes the fun part, with E3, Gamescom, and the busy pre-Holiday season causing havoc in gaming circles.

The first quarter of 2017 proved to be an exciting one, with the release of Nintendo Switch and a stack of fantastic releases along the way.

These early first few months are proving to be a great kickstart for the year leading into the busy September-November period.

So which games dominated the quarter? Let’s take a look over the 10 best games of 2017’s first three months.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Few games have been met with as much critical acclaim as Breath of the Wild. As a launch game, it alone made the Switch a worthy purchase, even with the game also available on Wii U. The general consensus is that BOTW is one of the greatest open-world games ever made.

Resident Evil 7: biohazard

Capcom wanted RE7 to be the rebirth of the series, and while it certainly achieves that goal, it also manages to redefine the franchise with a fresh perspective and story. Perhaps the scariest Resident Evil game in more than a decade, RE7 challenges the player with puzzles, scares and thrills, things badly missing from the franchise in recent not-so-great entries.

Snipperclips

It’s short and simple in design, yet Snipperclips has established itself as one of the Switch’s must-have games in these early days. The reviews are almost universal in that it’s a “hidden gem”.

Nioh

A game that takes inspiration from the likes of Dark Souls, Onimusha, and Ninja Gaiden, Nioh is ambitious yet confident, brutally so. It’s a little rough around the edges, but the broader package is strong enough to service fans of the aforementioned franchises. Yet another game that strengthens the PS4’s exclusivity credentials.

Nier: Automata

Considered an early contender for game of the year honours, Nier: Automata delivers one of the best and most thought-provoking RPG experiences of the past few years. A beautiful, emotional, and powerful experience that challenges the player in strange and unique ways.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Hopes were always high for Horizon, but few expected it to be as good as it is. Yet another gem of a PS4 exclusive, Horizon introduces players to an empowered and confident protagonist, in a world brimming with life and adventure. It’s undoubtedly developer Guerrilla Games’ best effort, despite the studio’s history in the bombastic FPS genre.

Torment: Tides of Numenera

The reviews are universal in that Tides is a difficult game to recommend, review, and play. That’s not to say it’s not actually worth playing, it’s just not for everyone. Taking obvious inspiration from a forgotten genre, Tides is brimming with lore and dialogue, and while the combat could have done with a few more months of development, the game’s writing more than makes up for any shortcomings.

Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 returns to the series’ origins, but it’s not an origins story. Both protagonists are well and truly entrenched in family life when we meet them, but without any baggage, it’s the perfect time for newcomers to venture into Yakuza. It’s an uncompromising old-school brawler than manages to feel both out-dated and timeless in its brutal gameplay, but that’s only part of the package. Yakuza 0 is all about its characters, with a compelling story that grabs you and won’t let go. There are plenty of optional side quests and activities, where its original status as a Japanese import is on full display, but the core storyline is all about the characters and beating up goon after goon.

Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Elite 4 isn’t quite perfect, but it’s compelling and fun enough to satisfy newcomers and series veterans alike. It certainly wants to be better than it actually is, and it’s drowning in ambition. It’s held back by some really trivial design choices, but these are far from deal breakers. At its best, few stealth games are as rewarding and brutally satisfying as Sniper Elite 4.

For Honor

For Honor has the potential to become truly brilliant. It’s already establishing itself as an eSports title, and even in its early days when server and performance issues plagued its launch, it was clear that For Honor was unlike any AAA game we’d seen before. It’s the beginning of something special, and is a spectacularly unique, engaging and confronting multiplayer experience.

Honourable Mentions

• Gravity Rush 2
• Bye-Bye BoxBoy!
• Halo Wars 2

What’s your call for best game of Q1 2017? Sound off in the comments below!