An amazing year in gaming? Or just a little bit meh? Hayden Meikle and Simon Bishop hand out their awards for 2017.
Hayden: I’d describe it as a middling year for the shooters, arguably the biggest genre in gaming. Call of Duty: WW2 stole the headlines in the latter part of the year, and it’s reasonably fun but I can’t say it has blown me away (no pun intended). Star Wars Battlefront 2? Decent. I haven’t included Ghost Recon Wildlands in this category. So for me, the default winner is Destiny 2. It’s not the most amazing game developed, but it was a lot better thanthe first Destiny.
Simon: In an unusual year, I played zero new first-person shooters this year. Didn’t play the new COD, nor Battlefront nor anything else. My winner this year will instead be Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a fine extension to the already spectacular Uncharted 4 game.
Best sports
Hayden: Again, it just wasn’t a year where anything really sizzled. NBA Live 18 was the big improver, Madden 18 was good without setting the world on fire, NHL 18 was much of the same, and MLB The Show 17 was typically worthy. And my beloved Fifa 18, well, hmm. I have a love-hate relationship with it. A lot of it is amazing, but some of it drives me nuts. So I’m going to branch out here and choose a driving game: Dirt 4 was just brilliant.
Simon: Tough choice this year. Typically the majority of my gaming hours go into Madden, and after a dicey launch, it has turned into an excellent game. But you know what, this year it’ll be Gran Turismo Sport. It’s online mode is unusual, but an excellent blueprint of how eSports gaming can be integrated into console gaming.
Biggest surprise
Hayden: Knack 2. Just came out of nowhere.
Simon: Usually there’s one game that just completely takes me by surprise, but this year everything kind of ran to form. That being said, something did come out this year and take people by surprise, and it was the Nintendo Switch. A triumphant return to form for Nintendo after the disastrous Wii U, and when Nintendo goes well, all of gaming goes well.
Biggest disappointment
Hayden: For Honor was a massive letdown. I can’t really put my finger on why, but when you play a game for half an-hour then ditch it, you know it is not working. And Sniper Elite 4 was a strangely boring addition to a series I had enjoyed so far.
Simon: Easy selection here. Project CARS 2 wins this courtesy of its almost completely broken and poorly thought out online mode, which as of time of writing is STILL NOT FIXED and has all but destroyed the online community. Such a shame too, as the first game was spectacular from a smaller studio and they completely dropped the ball on this one. Probably killed the series.
Best remaster
Hayden: Gulp. Did I even play a remaster this year? I really need to grab the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
Simon: I wish I had played the LA Noire reboot, but there’s one title that rises above the rest for the remasters. Crash Bandicoot. Lovingly remade, immensely popular and tough as nails. This game is probably responsible for the most broken controllers in 2017.
