Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
Last year was pretty good for PC games, even if PC sales themselves continued to dive.
On the hardware front, new CPUs from intel, a big leap in GPU performance from Nvidia, and the advent of virtual reality gaming made one of the most intriguing years in a long time for the PC - with the promise of solid CPU and GPU hardware from AMD coming this year, too.
And on the software side, 2016 was full of great games: Hitman, XCom 2, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Stardew Valley, The Division, Dark Souls III, Battlefield 1, Gears of War 4 and No Man's Sky.
Well, okay, that last one proved to be a huge disappointment, but there's already an exciting bunch of games lining up for release on PCs in 2017. So, regardless of whatever 2017 brings, just as long as there's electricity, a working internet connection and the background levels of radiation don't contaminate the nuclear fall-out shelter, everything should be just fine.
So, let the countdown begin...
10. Yooka-Laylee, Playtonic Games/Team17
Anticipated release: 11th April 2017
If you like your games to look like Pixar animations or those fun Nintendo games of old, Yooka-Laylee may well be right up your alley.
Promising open world, 3D platform-jumping pleasure, this ‘collect-em-up' game has been designed by a bunch of former Rare employees best known for their work on a number of Nintendo N64 games.
Indeed, the two characters - chameleon Yooka (the green one), and Laylee (a bat with a big nose) - have been created by Kevin Bayliss, the character artist behind the rebooted Donkey Kong. The development of the 3D worlds, meanwhile, is the work of Steven Hurst, who also worked on the N64 game Banjo-Kazooie, to which Yooka-Laylee is intended as the spiritual successor.
So, it has a fair bit of tried-and-trusted games industry talent behind it, as well as £2.1m in Kickstarter funding. That's more than Elite:Dangerous scooped up.
The game promises a total of five "vast and beautiful" worlds books to explore, apparently found within some magical books, and the pre-release vids certainly paint a charming picture.
Remarkably, the game is being developed on the Unity engine and will therefore run on pretty much anything, even Linux and the Mac - but not the moribund Nintendo Wii U.
With Yooka-Laylee having snaffled up more Kickstarter funding than any other UK game to date, let's hope it proves it lives up to its promise, unlike so many games bankrolled via crowd-funding, like The Stomping Land, Yogventures, Code Hero, Broken Age, Dark Matter, Godus, Clang…
Next:Sniper Ghost Warrior 3
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
8. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, City Interactive
Anticipated release: 4th April 2017
The Sniper Ghost Warrior series has long been the poor relation to Rebellion's Sniper Elite series, but Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 certainly earned the plaudits for a convincing physics engine, its missions and its rigid focus on sniping.
While Sniper Ghost Warrior earned mixed reviews on Steam, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 earned some grudging respect for its colourful graphics and adherence to the sniping theme, but also criticism for the relatively short duration of the game. (The less said about the very first in the series, Sniper: Art of Victory, the better).
However, given the improvements that have been made with each passing game in the series hopes are high for Sniper Ghost Warrior 3. From what we've seen so far, the graphics will be absolutely gorgeous, while the gameplay will remain true to the sniper theme.
Hence, rather than conducting a full-frontal assault on an enemy position in a blood-curdling Call of Duty stylee, for example, your role in Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 might be to support the poor bloody infantry - all from a not-so-safe distance. Nor will you unrealistically be picking up weapons and ammo dropped by your victims and using them instead.
You'll also have to properly battle physics, taking account of wind, fog and rain - this isn't one of those games where all you need to do is to get your target in the cross-hairs and press ‘A' or casually left-clicking on the mouse.
In other words, your sniper role will remain consistent throughout and as realistic as a computer game can be, without compromising gameplay, but with added bullet-cam for added gore.
Above all, though, the developer is promising that all this will take place in an "unforgiving" open world that, the storyline reveals, is "behind enemy lines" in Georgia, near the old Soviet border.
Polish developer City Interactive may not pull-in too many sales in Russia, as a result, but for everyone else this is a release well worth looking out for.
Next: South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
9. South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Ubisoft
Anticipated release: "First quarter", 2017
South Park: The Stick of Truth was one of the surprise hits of 2014 because, let's face it, game adaptations of films and television series often wreak of shameless cash-in and are invariably disappointing. Oh, and Ubisoft was behind it, too.
But The Stick of Truth was soaked in the best of South Park. Just watch a play-through on YouTube and it's like watching an episode of South Park produced in the style of a role-playing game.
Arguably the biggest criticism of the game was from RPG purists who justifiably argued that it was a bit simplistic. For the rest of us, though, it was great.
In The Fractured but Whole, Ubisoft (and the cheeky chaps behind South Park) have sought to beef-up the RPG elements, while maintaining the crude charm of the television series.
Originally scheduled for launch in December, Ubisoft put it back until "the first quarter of 2017" to give themselves a bit more polishing time.
The big question, of course, is whether the developers can maintain the high standards established by The Stick of Truth. What we've seen so far suggests that they have.
Indeed, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, have kept their own standards up for 20 seasons or so. So surely they can pull another plum out of their trousers, so to speak, with The Fractured but Whole?
Next: Halo Wars 2
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
7. Halo Wars 2, 343 Industries/Creative Assembly/Microsoft Studios
Anticipated release: 21st February 2017
When Halo: Combat Evolved first emerged in 2001, it was one of the defining games of the original Xbox games console. Half a decade later, Halo Wars took the Halo concept and turned it into a real-time strategy game but, in keeping with the policy Microsoft adopted of keeping the Halo franchise Xbox-only, it never emerged on the PC platform.
Not, that is, until this year in order to whet appetites for Halo Wars 2, bundled with what Microsoft calls the ‘Ultimate Edition', but which should more accurately be called the ‘expensive edition'.
It follows on from 2009's Halo Wars, created by Age of Empires developers Ensemble, a studio that closed down right after Halo Wars was released. This put the kybosh on the development work it had done on the planned sequel.
Halo Wars 2, therefore, is being developed by UK-based Creative Assembly, best known for the Total War series.
And that is a pretty good place to start. Compared to the original Halo Wars, units are more closely matched, making for more strategic games.
Furthermore, as it's been developed with the games console in mind, you can play it with an Xbox or Steam controller - you don't necessarily need to be lashed to a keyboard and mouse to play it. The early reviews suggest that this works well.
If you like the kind of fast-paced action shooter of Halo, perhaps best to steer clear of this. But if you're keen to get your teeth into a smart and colourful RTS, Halo Wars 2 may well fit the bill.
Next: Agents of Mayhem
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
6. Agents of Mayhem, Volition/Deep Silver
Anticipated release: Some time in 2017
Ever wanted to visit Seoul, but couldn't afford it? Well, now's your chance.
Agents of Mayhem* is an open-world game played from a third-person perspective based in the South Korean capital.
What makes it particularly interesting is that it's a spin-off from the popular Saints Row series, following on from Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, but without any of the characters from Saints Row.
You play the role of three agents of MAYHEM, controlling them at the same time while you battle the impressively evil forces of terrorist organisation LEGION and "Dr Babylon" in particular. Which three of the 12 MAYHEM agents you choose to control is up to you.
Behind MAYHEM, meanwhile, is Ultor, a shadowy company that players of other Volition games will be familiar with.
Agents of Mayhem has spent the best part of three years in development, so it had better be good. The game runs on a new engine developed by Volition, which has no doubted added an extra layer of complexity for the developers.
Next: Sniper Elite 4
*not to be confused with a New York-based consulting firm of the same name…
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
5. Sniper Elite 4, Rebellion
Anticipated release: 14th February 2017
The first Sniper Elite game is what can charitably be described as okay - for 2005. The graphics were adequate, likewise the gameplay, more or less. But, overall, it was a flawed and disappointing game. Certainly, it was not a patch on the original Call of Duty which had been released three years earlier.
Sniper Elite v2, though, was much better - it convincingly depicted a ruined Berlin being fought over by the remnants of the Wehrmacht and the advancing Soviet forces, while your own US superhero Karl Fairburne carried out his mission to prevent Nazi V2 rocket program technology from falling into the hands of the besieging Red Army.
However, it wasn't necessarily that ‘snipery' and the gameplay was rigidly linear - there really wasn't that much scope to explore, which made it feel a little shallow in terms of the world that developer Rebellion was trying to depict.
Sniper Elite 3, though, was jolly good. The graphics were bright, colourful and convincing, with much more open maps ripe for exploring and missions that could be approached in a number of ways. And, while players could rush-in all guns blasting, they were encouraged to take a more thoughtful approach and to really work out how missions could best be completed.
The biggest criticisms, perhaps, were the AI which had enemy soldiers returning to normal if you managed to stay hidden for long enough after a spot of light bloodshed, and the brevity of the game for those players who like to rush through their games.
Nevertheless, hopes are high for Sniper Elite 4.
The game should have been released by now. But Rebellion put back the launch date to 14th February, partly to enable the company to focus on the launch of Battlezone on PlayStation 4 VR in October, but mostly to help make Valentine's Day 2017 extra-special.
Rebellion's co-founders, Jason and Chris Kingsley have promised to give the game "that extra bit of attention" in the interim.
What's been released so far looks very promising with convincing depictions of rustic Italian towns and cities forming the colourful backdrop for Fairburn's violent mischief-making. Hopefully, the campaigns will detain players for longer than previous games in the series.
However, there's also improvements promised to the physics, the gameplay and the AI, as well as yet-another opportunity to bump off Hitler (or is it one of this doubles?). And, rest assured, the so-called kill-cam pioneered in the Sniper Elite series will be back and more gruesome than ever - and including the ever-popular testicle shots in more graphical/biological detail than ever.
Next: Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
4. Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, TaleWorlds Entertainment
Anticipated release: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mount and Blade is one of those remarkable games that, despite its age, just keeps on going.
Produced by independent Turkish developer TaleWorlds Entertainment, and originally funded by positive fan reaction to the beta, it's not widely advertised or promoted.
Furthermore, parts of the game (such as the graphics) are now clearly dated, and yet it retains fans and attracts new ones purely on the strength of the concept, the gameplay and the overall execution of the game.
However, Mount and Blade 2 should provide a much-needed update to this enduring old favourite, set 200 years before Mount and Blade: Warband, the game's immediate predecessor (released in 2010).
The Mount and Blade series is set in a proper medieval society, which means it's just horses, swords, castles, bows and arrows, slaughter, bad haircuts and so on - there's no hobgoblins, dragons, witches, snarks, grumpkins, hobbits, orcs or anything else that didn't actually exist in medieval history.
Why has it proved to be enduringly popular? Because it combines simulation with role-playing, adventure and strategy. Players must make sure their castles are strong enough to withstand assault, but also fight in a third-person shooter style in the ensuing battles, or can even take to their horse (or anyone else's stolen horse) to pursue bandits.
Players are free to make their character whoever they like (notwithstanding the high likelihood of death). Different nations have different strengths, weaknesses and raison d'etre - choose your favourite.
So, all in all, Mount and Blade is probably the most comprehensive medieval simulator going, but without the bad smells. With Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, it ought to be getting even better, making it, without doubt, one of the most exciting releases coming in 2017.
That said, however, the game was originally announced back in 2012 and TaleWorlds doesn't seem to have been in any particular hurry to release it with the original series of Mount and Blade games still popular.
Next: Prey: Reboot
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
3. Prey (reboot), Arkane Studios/Bethesda
Anticipated release: "Spring" 2017
Incisive Media's London offices are situated just one floor above Bethesda's. If we wanted to, with a suitably powerful masonry drill and a quiet weekend, we could possibly drill a hole in the ceiling and spy on whatever games they're working on below.
Such as the reboot of Prey, which has been in development for the best part of a decade.
Being law-abiding types, though, we wouldn't do that, but instead simply note the changing of the door mats in their reception: one month it's Fallout 4, the next it's the Elder Scrolls V.
But we digress.
Prey is now the work of Arkane Studios, the chaps behind Dishonored and Dishonored 2. It's set in a 21st century where the space race didn't stop at the moon, but instead propelled American-accented humanity across the galaxy.
Your hero, though, is capable of periodically upgrading himself with new powers via ‘neuro-mods'. And he's going to need them as the space station he's just woken up on has become over-run with aliens seemingly on-the-run from the mining ship Red Dwarf, capable of morphing into objects and jumping out at you when you least expect it.
So far, so so-so, perhaps.
But what we've seen so far looks interesting: a first-person shooter that will require some thought and puzzle solving to make it through the open-world of Talos 1, the space station. Players will need to be keen shooters as the space station isn't exactly swimming in spare cartridges. But it also offers interesting weapons, like the ‘glue cannon', the ‘decluttering grenade', and much, much more.
Let's hope that, during 2017, Bethesda finally gets to put out a Prey door mat at its offices - at the moment, the best it can promise is "spring 2017".
Next: Resident Evil 7
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
2. Resident Evil 7
Released: 24th January 2017
Resident Evil is one of those game "franchises" that refuses to die. Now on its seventh outing, and set to launch within a month - so not too long to wait.
Chunks of the game have already been released to the gaming press, and partial play-throughs reveal an imaginative, if disturbed, bunch of minds behind this first-person shooter horror. Pro tip: you really don't want to take a peak in the fridges.
Set in modern-day rural America, the story carries on from where Resident Evil 6 left off. Except where Resident Evil 6 was a third-person shooter, the new game is first-person, upping the tension somewhat: No longer can you peer round corners to try and catch a glimpse of what horror lies beyond, you'll just have to blunder in like a clutz instead.
Scarier still, when you start off, you have literally nothing except your own hands to defend yourself with as Jack Baker scuttles round the house in search of his latest 'guest' (you).
Resident Evil 6 had something of a mixed reception. The storyline was shallow, claimed critics, and some of the mechanics (as well as the graphics in places) were a bit shonky. But the awful AI embodied in the single-player co-op of Resident Evil 5 was much improved and, once you got used to the controls, the game wasn't too bad.
Resident Evil 7, if pre-release reviews are any guide, will crank up the AI still further, and it also promises more puzzles and to be scarier than ever: pre-release playthroughs certainly look thoroughly brown-trousering - and anyone playing it using VR will probably require counselling afterwards.
Other than that, what's not to like?
Next: Half-Life 3
Top-10 best PC games coming in 2017
Resident Evil 7 has just launched, but what else can we look forward to?
1. Mass Effect Andromeda, BioWare/Electronic Arts
Anticipated release: 23rd March 2017
Only kidding, of course it isn't!
Half-Life 3 will never see the light of day, but what certainly will is Mass Effect Andromeda, another game shunted from 2016 to 2017.
Anything by Bioware is always going to be worth more than a cursory glance. And anything in the Mass Effect series will almost certainly be eagerly awaited on all platforms, even if the last game, Mass Effect 3, garnered markedly better reviews from critics, who have an interest in marking up big-name titles from big-name games companies [taps nose], than from ordinary buyers.
The fourth game in the trilogy, it's been described by BioWare game producer Mike Gamble as "the biggest we've ever done", although he's scarcely likely to say anything else. It will be the first in the Mass Effect series to adopt the Frostbite game engine, also used by Fifa 17, which should mean an improvement in graphics over Mass Effect 3.
Unlike Commander Shepard, star of previous games in the series, the primary character(s) called Ryder is a nobody, destined for hero status. In the name of equality, there are two of them - twins Scott and Sara, so you can take your pick between them.
Although all the original races, including the Asari, Krogan, Turians and Salarians will be returning, together with a new bunch called the Ketts, BioWare warns that the new game will make little or no reference to characters from previous Mass Effect games.
Loyalty missions return in the new game, though, and choices made in the earlier games (if you played them) may be reflected in the new game, claims BioWare. We'll have to wait and see how, exactly, this pans out given the level of criticism over the ending of Mass Effect 3. BioWare had said that decisions made throughout the three games would be reflected in the ending to Mass Effect 3, but ultimately they didn't make a jot of difference.
Thankfully, multiplayer looks like it will be more polished, with the design intended to keep characters moving, rather than being able to squat indefensible points, and it will also introduce jet packs.
Previous games in the series have been praised for their storyline and strong characters, but criticised for the amount of DLC (not to mention the confusing array of ‘editions') - well, it is an EA title. That means, though, that if you want to be properly kitted out, you'll have to prepare to be rinsed.
Or, better still, play something else for a while - there's gonna be plenty of choice - and wait for the price of the "Super Deluxe Edition" to drop to a more sensible level in the next sale. µ
Go on, tell us what we've missed or ought to have included instead - or why Sniper Elite 4/Halo Wars 2 (delete as appropriate) should never have been allowed anywhere near such a list.
We make no apology for the perennial Half-Life 3 joke.