2017 Game of the Year

So, this list isn’t a list of my favorite games that released in 2017… this is a list of my favorite games I played this year. Some are old games that I just finally got around to, some are new games.


Want to know who won in other years? Here’s the 2018201620152014, and 2013 list.





2017 is THE YEAR OF VARIETY!

My favorite games spanned a very large pool of genres this year. RPGs, demi-sports games, 3D platformers, open world GTA-style games, stealth, city builders, top down RTS, detective games... This year was one of the best ever for gaming, no joke. It's been a busy year, and my tastes have been all over. 




So, without further ado, my 2017 list of favorite plays (in no particular order):


Yooka-Laylee
I'm the BIGGEST Banjo-Kazooie fan, so this game was a no-brainer for me. I loved playing this game, and I 100%'d it. There was a bit of turmoil, with a game-breaking bug that kept me from getting the last Pagie until the patch came months later, but I liked everything except that. It was surprisingly hard in some spots, a little cheap in others, but fun all around. I can't wait for what this dev does next.


Watch_Dogs 2
I picked this one up mostly because I trust Ubisoft with open world action games. I liked the look of it, and the style as just what I wanted. Mostly stealth, this game requires you to go into buildings or areas and obtain hacker-y stuff. Using a few drones and hacker tools, you complete objectives. Players are rewarded for avoided the use of guns... you're not unlikely to die with guns blazing. But stealth is key. The threaded in online was surprisingly fun too. It's woven into the mostly singleplayer game. Players just pop in and out of your world. Very cool. Characters and story were good too.



South Park: The Stick of Truth
Got this free with a preorder (which, strangely ended up being cancelled because it was delayed so much), but I loved it. Feels like Super Mario RPG but with South Park characters. Really funny humor, good story, just the right length of game. 


Batman Arkham VR
My friend let me borrow his PS VR, so I played this. It was fantastic. I got all the trophies and secrets. Made me want a bigger Batman VR experience, honestly. I loved solving the puzzles. This developer is amazing. 


Rocket League
Once again, this game is on my list. The reason is BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS FUN. I respect this game dev because they continue to add stuff to this game, much of it is completely free, too. I can always play a round of RL and have a very enjoyable experience. 



Honorable mentions: (still just games I played in 2017, not necessarily released)

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator - played but really enjoyed watching it played on YouTube. The game dev because FNAF is one of the best devs out there atm. Smart storyteller. 
Just Cause 3 - got as a freebie with PS+, very fun open world - need to finish it!
Batman Arkham City/Knight - replayed after playing Arkham VR, still amazing games
Skyrim PC + Mods - replayed a bunch on my new gaming PC, still a wonderful game, mods add so much more!
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator - played the demo a hundred times, waiting for the full release
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate - a solid game that is fun to take over the city
Starcraft - replayed and enjoyed
Banished - a fun few hours on STEAM
Destiny 2 - got as a freebie with my new gaming PC's video card, fun dungeon crawler
Mario Run - I enjoyed playing this on the go
Portal 2 - rented this from my local library and had a blast, load times were awful though
Steep - felt like skiing, played this instead




The Oxyborb Blog Game OThe Year for 2017

Horizon: Zero Dawn

This game really took the gold this year in every way. One of the best stories ever written for a video game, mixed with very refined gameplay. I'd never cared for the games this dev made before this, so it surprised me how good this is. 

There's so much to love about this game that it's hard to put into words. The beauty of the landscape, the realism of what could happen, the sci fi that blows the mind. Yeah, this game will be talked about for years to come. Play it immediately. My review.



So, I guess that’s it for 2017. Let me know what you think in the comments, in fact, tell me what your personal GOTY was!



Thanks for stopping by my blog!




The Squid Lady, a painting

So, just as an extra project, I’ve been painting. Here it is, finished:



darker lighting
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It was an awesome process to create, spent about a month doing it. She's actually a character from my novel, The Unraveler. I created her as a character a LONG time ago, and one of the first renditions of her was in a play I wrote. Her dress is all squid themed.

Being that she's a part of my novel, I also scanned her in and made a logo graphic:

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 The actually finished painting is 3D! I'm all about inserting sculpture into painting. So, her tentacles all pop up and stuff. Her arm is like it's in the process for swinging up, making the viewer wonder who she's aiming at:



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I also wanted to document my process here, to show what I did.
I made the canvas myself out of scrap wood and cardboard
Painted black for a base
I knew she'd be 3D, so I painted it on hard plastic that'd keep it from breaking
pink base, gold light and blue for shadow

cutting out the parts

I looked at actual squid skin to design the tentacle. Took forever to paint white dots and fill them with black dots


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