Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows)
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Resident Evil is a series that will always be close to my heart (mostly for making it beat faster) and with RE 7 coming out next week I can't help but get that feeling of dread and helplessness within me once more. After playing the Beginning Hour demo I'm certain that this will be the scariest RE title that I have ever experienced. The newly implemented 1st person perspective provides a whole new layer of fear of not knowing what's in the room with you and with headphones on it will be even more heart wrenching. I can't even imagine how scary it will be to play this one in VR on the PS4! After the less than satisfactory Resident Evil 6, Capcom is bound to bounce back and impress us with this new must-experience title for horror game fans.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Wii U
Release Date: March 3, 2017
The Legend of Zelda has always been a staple of Nintendo consoles and is one of the most played game series among Nintendo fans. From all the footage I have seen of the game, Breath of the Wild looks astonishing on both the Wii U and the Switch. This time around an open world environment exists and allows the player to explore any of the game's dungeons in whichever order they see fit. The combat also looks intuitive and the voice acting (a series first!) and music seem top-notch. This is the first time I have been genuinely excited for a Zelda game since Wind Waker on the Gamecube and once March comes around you can expect to see me playing this on my Wii U.
Yooka-Laylee
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Windows), Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Way back when the Nintendo 64 was at the height of its popularity there came a game called Banjo-Kazooie created by the company Rare. It had tight platforming, inventive puzzles, catchy music and a slew of memorable characters. A sequel titled Banjo-Tooie came out a couple years later and continued to build on what made the first game so great with new levels to explore. Unfortunately after Tooie, Rare was bought out by Microsoft and the series wasn't utilized to its fullest after that. Fast forward to now and we are about to be met by its spiritual successor Yooka-Laylee, a game made by ex-members of Rare in the newly formed Playtonic Games. Everything about the game looks to be on par with what fans of the Banjo-Kazooie series were hoping for. This will be a day one purchase for me and a dream come true after waiting for 16 years!
Cuphead
Platforms: Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows)
Release Date: Mid-2017
New run and gun games are hard to come by, but lucky for us Canadian brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer had the vision of Cuphead in their minds. Inspired by old-timey cartoons (specifically the 1930s), Cuphead follows the story of Cuphead and his friend Mugman as they must repay a debt to the devil after losing a bet. With gameplay reminiscent of Contra and Gunstar Heroes, Cuphead looks like it will be an absolute blast to play. Its art style is also something that hasn't really been done before in a game and the hand-drawn animations and painted backgrounds look great. If you ever wanted to experience a run and gun game starring characters that look like they came out of a classic Disney cartoon than look no further than Cuphead.
Splatoon 2
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Summer 2017
Just a week ago Nintendo had their Switch presentation revealing all sorts of new games for their new home console/portable hybrid. One of these was Splatoon 2, the sequel to 2015's Splatoon and it looks awesome! Splatoon in a way redefined Nintendo and their online community by providing a competitive shooter on the Wii U console that was still family-friendly and a lot of fun to play. Splatoon 2 adds new weapons, specials, gear and stages to the mix, all while keeping the fast-paced strategic gameplay and team battles intact. While I may not be getting a Switch on day one, Splatoon 2 might be the reason I pick one up when the game launches this summer.
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Windows), Mac, Linux
Release Date: TBD 2017
Crowdfunded on Kickstarter back in 2015, Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove is finally coming (fingers crossed) this year. Toejam and Earl made their first appearance on the Sega Genesis back in the early 90s and the rest is history. TJ & E are two aliens from Funkotron that crash landed on Earth and had to find the missing pieces of their spaceship so that they could go home. While on Earth they had to deal with annoying earthlings that provided trouble for them at every turn. Back in the Groove is a retelling of this story with elements of both Genesis titles thrown in as well as some new ones to be seen. Anyone who loved the funky, hip-hop duo of aliens in the original games is sure to find something to love in Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove when it hits later this year.
Super Mario Odyssey
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Holiday 2017
Everyone loves Mario right? Sadly I have to admit that I wasn't impressed by Mario's last few console outings. While the Super Mario Galaxy titles were great in their own way, I just didn't care enough to finish either of them. With Super Mario Odyssey, Mario seems to be going back to his roots in more of an open-world level design like the ones found in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. This time around Mario visits many different locations including a New York City like area and uses his hat to jump across wide chasms and reach higher areas. The story of Odyssey also made me laugh as you must help Mario prevent a wedding between Bowser and Princess Peach from happening. I don't remember the last time I was this excited for a Mario game and you should be too when it hits stores this Holiday season!
What games are you most excited for that are coming out in 2017? Let me know in the comments section below or on Facebook!
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