Torment: Tides of Numenera
With the likes of Wasteland 2 and The Bard’s Tale to its name, you know you’re getting a strong role-playing offering when inXile Entertainment is doing the developing.
That’s why we weren’t worried when we heard the Californian outfit was creating the spiritual successor to the much-loved 1999 classic Torment: Planescape.
Successfully Kickstarted in just six hours, Tides of Numenera is all about the story, weaving a grand epic that melds futuristic tropes and medieval tenants into one giant fantasy tale. Its combat might play second fiddle to its consequence-based story, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had as you battle through Tides of Numenera’s many scenarios.
Halo Wars 2
No one was really expecting Microsoft to revive the made-for-console RTS that was Halo Wars (especially given the fact it effectively killed off the developer that made the original), but resuscitate it did and with the real-time strategy powerhouse The Creative Assembly behind the wheel the results are suitably impressive.
Such is the power of the Halo licence, but there’s far more to Halo Wars 2 than canonical legitimacy - a refined HUD and tweaked control system sings with a controller while its multiplayer, solo campaign and CCG-esque Blitz mode make for a lavish real-time affair that offers more than just a recognisable setting.
Resident Evil 7
At the beginning of the year the Resident Evil franchise seemed as dead as the shuffling monsters it helped re-popularise back in the ’90s.
Was the future of RE a series of HD re-releases and a slow descent into true mediocrity? Not a chance - Capcom went away, studied the new ‘in’ thing that was making horror fun again (the first-person vulnerability of Amnesia, Outlast and the like), and remoulded Resident Evil into a new nightmare.
Perfectly suited for both VR and traditional gaming, RE7 manages to offer a taut and brutal experience.
Sniper Elite 4
The slow progress of Rebellion’s Sniper Elite series has moved much like the measured pace of its long-range gameplay - gradually refining its mechanics to become the premiere sniper simulator ever made.
Proudly still shooting its way around WW2, Sniper Elite 4’s Mediterranean missions embrace the biggest sandboxes the series has ever seen, offering you a plethora of spots to snipe medulla oblongatas and slit throats.
Those iconic X-ray kills also return, with melee and stealth murder now getting in on the testicle-exploding action. Emasculating Nazis has never been so much fun.
Hollow Knight
Like most successful indie games of the modern era, Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight was given life by Kickstarter funding - and the final product has managed to live up to much of the hype that helped fund it.
Built in the timeless Metroidvania style, Hollow Knight doesn’t deviate too far from the sub-genres' tenants with its non-linear levels, but thanks to its Dark Souls-esque Geo currency system and genuinely beautiful hand-drawn art style you’re still getting something that feels inviting in a crowded genre.
With the indie scene still going strong in 2017, Hollow Knight is a must-have addition to your library.
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