8 Games to Watch For in 2017

2017 is off to a decent start for entertainment whether that be video games, music or movies. We’ve seen some beautiful games like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (or the other way around in Japan), Gravity Rush 2, and we even got Kingdom Hearts 2.8. This year is only bound to get better, and with that come some more amazing games that everyone should probably keep an eye out for. Keep in mind that not all of the titles on this list may speak to you, and that is okay, but I promise there is something for everyone here.


I: Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
PC
TBA
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​​Rising Storm was a hit expansion to Red Orchestra 2, released in 2013, that made waves in the PC player base and was named the best PC Multiplayer for that year. It still has a decent player count in 2017. Following the success of the original, developer Tripwire Interactive (Killing Floor and Killing Floor 2) started chasing the idea of another title, making this its own game set during the Vietnam War. It will be seeing the light this year unless it gets hit with a delay. Rising Storm 2 has seen a decent amount of weekend-long beta tests which are leaving fans wanting more. It’s bound to be another big title for the player base this year since it’s been some time since we have seen a dev team dive into the gritty, blood-soaked era of this particular war.

II: Mass Effect: Andromeda
PC, PS4, XB1
​March 21st, 2017.

EA hit gold with the Mass Effect series a decade ago, sparking two sequels in six years after the massive following that the franchise gathered. Fast forward to 2013: Mass Effect 3 is released and fans are very unhappy with the ending for reasons that are most definitely considered spoilers. EA took some time to let it settle before pushing out a new title, which was later announced at E3 as Mass Effect: Andromeda. Showing a vast array of unique, vividly-realized planets that you can visit in-game, EA describes a very linear but exploration-friendly installment that sticks to the game’s RPG roots.

III: Destiny 2
​PC, PS4, XB1
TBA (Probably September)

​Bungie, the beloved company behind the good installments of the Halo franchise, have made another classic - this time in the MMO universe. Destiny, a MMORPGFPS, made waves in the console player base in late 2014, but unfortunately skipping the entire PC player base. It was something fresh and unique to the console players that had never really experienced an MMO of this nature. The game was simple but fantastic, playing almost like a modern take on Halo for older fans of that series. A year later, doing the most MMO thing possible, Destiny released an expansion that added new raids, planets and bits of story on top of the new gear and level cap to keep the player base alive. Activision, which is the publisher for the franchise, released a statement saying that Destiny 2 is on track for this year and is supposed to be coming to the PC. Fingers crossed.

​IV: Red Dead Redemption 2
​PS4, XB1
Q4 2017
​

If you ever needed a reason to keep a console around, Rockstar Games has you covered with their official announcement of Red Dead Redemption 2, which will be released later this year with some sort of exclusivity bonus tied to the PlayStation player base. Some fans believe that it will be a prequel to the original game following John Marston’s past as a gang member, while others believe it will be a direct sequel following the life of his son. I suppose only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the game is damn beautiful due to whatever engine Rockstar Games uses for their titles.

V: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind (Expansion)
​PC, PS4, XB1
June 6th, 2017.

​Elder Scrolls Online has been a game for about three years. It's received a fair amount of backlash in its first years, but is now finally beginning to look like the game most fans expected. Zenimax and Bethesda have unveiled the newest expansion for the MMO that takes players back to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It should be interesting to see how they handle most of the questing and dungeons in this expansion given that ESO takes place a mere 1,000 years before any of the other Elder Scrolls installments. Following the announcement trailer and release date reveal for Morrowind, the games communities on every platform have seen quite the resurgence in its player bases to get leveled up and prepared ahead of time for the DLC.

VI: Middle Earth: Shadow of War
PC, PS4, XB1
​August 22nd, 2017.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor was met with an unexpectedly warm embrace back in 2014 from more than just the standard Lord of the Rings community, which sparked the development of second adaptation Shadow of War, which turns Middle Earth into a full-blown franchise for Warner Bros Games. Shadow of Mordor’s success was due to its unique style of gameplay and location in the LoR universe. Shadow of War promises not only to return with the same gameplay experienced in the first title, but to add onto it, promising that no two players will have the same game and that it will be a completely different experience for everyone. Time will tell if returning to Mordor is worth the trip.

VII: Battalion 1944  
PC, PS4, XB1
Early Access First on Steam, Full Release on Consoles.
​No Release Date Announced, Estimated Q3 Full Release. 
​

​With the decline of futuristic arena-style shooters, one indie team promises to bring you back to World War II in a way you will love this year. Battalion 1944 is the first project by Bulkhead Interactive, who are promising to pay homage to games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty 2. Bulkhead is hearing fans loud and clear when they say that they Call of Duty: World at War more than they want another Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. The project is completely independent and was started on Kickstarter in early 2016, promising a quality experience for both the PC player base and the console player base. This is the year to return to the ground for sure and experience the visceral darkness of WW2.

- Dakota G.