The best games of 2017, according to gaming aficionado Royce Wilson

IT’S been a big year with some great games released, but a surprising title has topped the list of best games of 2017, according to news.com.au’s gaming aficionado.

Assassin’s Creed: Origins is definitely one of the best games of the past year

IT’S that time of year again — the sun is turned up to 11, going outside is an immediately regrettable decision without SPF1000+ sunscreen, and some portly chap in red polar gear thinks it’s a good time for his annual visit Down Under.

It’s also the time of year reviewers pick their best games from the year and write a story about them, which has been particularly hard this year as there have been some truly excellent offerings.

But without further ado, here are my top picks for 2017:

GAME OF THE YEAR

Prey (Arkane/Bethesda)

Expertly blending mind-blowing twists, science fiction, intriguing design and generally being very good, Prey is an incredible spiritual successor to BioShock.

The game combines a familiar premise (being trapped on a space station full of monsters) with some new ideas, including a gun which shoots polyfiller and can be used to solve puzzles as well as immobilise enemies.

There’s a lot to like about Prey’s gameplay.

From the opening when you wake up in your apartment to the end credits, Prey has a lot to keep the player involved and still manages to feel like its own game with something new to bring to the table.

It was a tough call to choose between this and the runner-up (see below) but in the end something about Prey really came together for me and left me with a rewarding experience I was still thinking about well after I’d finished it.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (Ubisoft)

As the latest in Ubisoft’s extremely popular series about stabbing people throughout history, Assassin’s Creed: Origins shifts the action to an incredible re-creation of Ancient Egypt, putting you in the sandals of a Medjay warrior named Bayek.

The world is incredibly realistic, the story is extremely well done, the game is generally brilliant and it only missed out on my top spot by a scarab’s wing.

If you like history, if you like the series, if you like open-world adventures or if you’ve always wondered what it was like to do parkour over ancient monuments, this is your game.

Do battle in Ancient Egypt in the latest in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog/Sony)

This PlayStation 4 exclusive is extremely well done with a great story, wonderful characters, amazing settings and a perfect difficulty curve that never gets in the way of your enjoyment.

The writing is brilliant too, and the game does an excellent job of making me feel like I am treasure hunting with real, fully-rounded characters.

If you’ve got a PlayStation 4, this is a must-have — doubly so if you’ve played Uncharted 4, though another tick in The Lost Legacy’s favour is the game is completely playable and enjoyable for newcomers too.

HONOURABLE MENTION

South Park: The Fractured But Whole (South Park Digital Studios/Ubisoft)

I’m a big South Park fan so had been eagerly awaiting this one, even more so after getting a preview at E3 this year and seeing the show’s trademark envelope-launching humour was intact.

The game itself is basically a 20-plus-hour long episode of the show, parodying comic book and superhero movies, and it’s excellent — packed with South Park references and in-jokes, as well as being a solid adventure game in its own right.

If you liked The Stick Of Truth or the TV show, grab this — you’ll get a lot out of it, and it’s refreshing to see a licensed game handled so well by people who are clearly huge fans of the show as well.

BEST EXPANSION

XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen (Firaxis/2K)

Expansions usually offer some new units and new missions, but Firaxis Games took advantage of their expansion for the outstanding XCOM 2 to fundamentally rewrite the game, making it even better than it already was.

Between the added units and factions, new gameplay elements and enhanced story, it’s now easily one of the best, if not the top best turn-based combat games released this decade.

It might not be the cheapest expansion for a game, but it’s easily the best I’ve seen for a very long time.

BEST INDIE GAME

Bomber Crew (Runner Duck/Curve)

World War II is the ideal setting for computer games (nearly everyone agrees it’s OK to shoot WWII-era Nazis, after all) but most games are told from the American or Russian perspective.

Bomber Crew, from British indie studio Runner Duck Games, puts you in charge of an RAF Avro Lancaster bomber and tasks you with bombing various targets in occupied Europe and Germany as the Luftwaffe go out of their way to stop you.

British indie studio Runner Duck Games is behind the unique game

While the graphics are bright and cartoony, there’s a solid crew simulator here and an enjoyable game which also manages to be challenging and rewarding at the same time.

If you’re looking for a fresh take on WWII, Bomber Crew is definitely one to flick the switches on and prepare for takeoff with.

Originally published as The best games of 2017, according to gaming aficionado Royce Wilson