Game of the Year Awards 2017

"I have to call out how well Destiny 2 still works in the moment to moment gameplay. The way the shooting and movement handles is excellent. The weight of the weapons makes the shooting feel powerful and the damage feel satisfying. The speed of the action allows you to dodge enemy shots, but also feel in control of the character. The spacial design lets you dodge to and fro on perilous platforms while firing at enemies with little worry you’ll fall off the edge. The hang time of jumps and boosts gives you time to pull off impressive headshots. There's even occasional vehicles to drive. Destiny 2 feels great, and at this point, Bungie are such veterans of the shooter genre, it feels like they're showing off." - Josh Hinke

Honorable Mentions: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Prey, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

"As an action game, Horizon Zero Dawn is a highly original and involving take on monster combat, offering players with tons of tools to take down the menacing machines. While things are quite chaotic facing multiple machines out in the wild, it is still thrilling fun. But it's the encounters against large machines, one on one, that are so highly memorable and produce the sorts of adrenaline rushes that players often yearn for in action games." - Alex V

Honorable Mentions: Assassin's Creed: Origins, Nioh, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

"DIRT 4 is the ideal rally simulation with genuine unpredictability and lasting value. It is mostly a strenuous rally simulation that rewards time and effort, with a near endless number of procedurally generated rally stages. The mixed assemblage of hairpins, hills, and hazards produces a few similar corners, but it's still a great addition over a limited number of unchanging tracks. The career progression is excellent with a small amount of team management added for good measure. The multiplayer side of things is quite good, and the online challenges will keep you coming back for more." - Ben Thomas

Honorable Mentions: Forza Motorsport 7, Project Cars 2, Gran Turismo Sport

"Just as Creative Assembly refined Rome 2 into Attila, they have done the same with Warhammer II, learning from their mistakes and crafting another outstanding strategy game. Even though I still miss some of the more diverse battle types seen in previous games in the series, the more exciting campaign and host of tweaks and refinements push this sequel into the highest tier of Total War entries. As someone who is relatively indifferent towards the Warhammer universe and was not fully grabbed by the first game, I was fully engaged by the sequel and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any fan of Total War, or strategy games in general." - Tim Reid

Honorable Mentions: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection

"This intimate examination of rural decay and its effects on those who are left behind is a game with plenty to say - and that counts for a lot with me. Visually engaging and well-written, it begs for the player to bring their own perspective and ideas to the table. Night in the Woods intelligently uses pacing that bucks conventional structure to develop relationships and give the story a slice-of-life feeling. Even when things start going crazy in the final chapter, with what initially appears to be an other-worldly plot point, the narrative throws in another twist and ties the narrative back to the game’s central themes. It’s smart and creative, and... well, I’m not entirely sure there’s all that much to do while you’re playing it. I also think that’s kind of the point." - Josh Hinke

Honorable Mentions: What Remains of Edith Finch, Outlast 2, Tacoma

"The great quest and world design allows for thoroughly enjoyable exploration and experimentation with the game’s many systems, and the turn-based combat is some of the best you’ll find in any RPG. Not everyone will have the time and patience to break into Divinity: Original Sin 2, but those who do will surely be enraptured by its vibrant and morally complex world, characters and seemingly endless quests. It is rare that a game fires on so many cylinders, and once you are past the significant but not impossible learning curve, progressing through the game proves satisfying and rewarding." - Tim Reid

Honorable Mentions: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles 2

"FIFA 18 is a solid continuation of this authentic and highly polished sports franchise that still manages to make meaningful strides forward. In its second year on the Frostbite engine, players look very life like and the lighting inside the stadiums is impressive. The crowds offer more life and variety, from the cheers of scoring a late equalizer at home, to drowning the stadium in whistles if the visiting team takes too long with the ball. Changes on and off the pitch are notable, whether it’s the new manager mode cutscenes, a new chapter of The Journey, or addicting new ways to play FIFA Ultimate Team. And if you’re a fan, these tweaks are likely enough justification to empty your wallet, as is the annual tradition." - Alex V

Honorable Mentions: MLB The Show 17, The Golf Club 2, NHL 18

"After roughly 36 years of existence, you’d think that the Mario franchise would be on the decline or that audiences would have felt franchise fatigue. Through either the magic of marketing or Nintendo’s pure genius designers, Mario remains just as relevant today as he did back at his inception. Super Mario Odyssey is a strong testament to not only Nintendo’s seal of quality, but to the company’s ability to craft a delightfully goofy, charismatic and (above all else) fun adventure. It evokes a lot of the same wonder that Super Mario 64 did all those years ago while bringing the typical Nintendo polish that we’ve come to expect. Odyssey may not reinvent the wheel, but it certainly perfects it." - Peter Glagowski

Honorable Mentions: Cuphead, Little Nightmares, Hollow Knight

"Not only is it fun, but it holds a lot of gameplay opportunities for different kinds of players. If you’re hungry for tough and unforgiving multiplayer, there’s an experience to be had. If you’re in love with fighting games, there’s all sorts of ways to test your skill. If you just love DC comics, the story mode is well worth playing and the love the game has for the universe is pretty obvious. Injustice 2 is a rock-solid game and something I think all fighting fans should check out. It might make you wonder why DC is having such a hard time getting the movies to be this good." - Josh Hinke

Honorable Mentions: Tekken 7, For Honor, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite