MMKS Production: Top up coming games of 2017

1. The Legend of Zelda NX

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Early 2017
Platform: Nintendo NX, Nintendo Wii U
Genre: RPG

What we once thought was Nintendo’s savior for 2016 has now become an early 2017 game, as Nintendo has pushed back The Legend of Zelda to 2017. What’s more, we now know that it will not only release for the Wii U, but it will also release alongside the launch of the Nintendo NX. This open world Zelda looks like it could be the best Zelda game ever made, and hopefully it turns out to be more than just Link on a horse that has some smart AI technology (just look at how he avoids those trees on his own!).

Pre-order The Legend of Zelda here.

2. Scalebound

Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platforms: Xbox One
Genre: Action RPG

Scalebound is another game that won’t make it into 2016, as Microsoft has delayed the Xbox One exclusive to 2017. The game is developed by PlatinumGames, which can go either way, really. On one hand, Platinum has a few great games under their belt with MadWorld, Bayonetta, and even The Wonderful 101. But on the other hand, they’ve got truly awful games like The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox Zero and the recently releases Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan game. We don’t know which side of the coin we’re going to get with Scalebound, but the footage we’ve seen so far looks stunning. In Scalebound, players will take control of Drew, the protagonist, alongside a dragon named Thuban (which you can issue commands to). And, we can’t wait to tell that beautiful dragon what to do.

Pre-Order Scalebound here.

3. Shenmue 3

Developer: YS Net
Publisher: Shibuya Productions
Release Date: December 2017
Platform: PS4, PC
Genre: Action Adventure

The internet absolutely lost its mind when Shenmue 3 was originally announced at last year’s E3. The game was brought to Kickstarter, and it reached its initial target of $2 million in under eight hours, becoming the fastest Kickstarter campaign to reach that amount. The game will follow the events of Shenmue 2, with you continuing Ryo Hazuki’s story, with his father’s killer, Lan Di, and a new antagonist, Niao Sun, appearing in the game as well. We can’t wait to get more Shenmue 3 details.

4. Mass Effect: Andromeda

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: EA
Release Date: Q1 2017
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: RPG, Third Person Shooter

We’re still kicking dirt about Mass Effect: Andromeda not releasing in 2016, but it’s probably a good thing since it’s going to pay off in the long run. I mean, it’s not like BioWare has a history of releasing buggy games, right? RIGHT?? Andromeda will take place long after the events of the Mass Effect trilogy, and players will be able to take on the role of a male or female human character. What’s more, we now know that we’ll be able to pilot a Mako, a customizable six-wheeled vehicle.

5. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Developer: Inti Creates
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release Date: March 2017
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, Vita, Mac
Genre: Metroidvania

Former Castlevania series produce Koji Igarashi has created the franchise’s spiritual successor, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which raised over $5.5 million with its Kickstarter campaign. It’s much more colorful than anything Castlevania ever saw, but that’s part of its appeal. What’s more, it will utilize Unreal Engine 4, so we’re fully expecting a beautiful-looking game.

6. Vampyr

Developer: Dontnod
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Action RPG

My love for Dontnod started with Remember Me, what I consider to be a criminally underappreciated game. Their next game, Life is Strange, is a critically-acclaimed masterpiece — a game that we loved here at Nerd Much, as well. But now, Dontnod is working on their next game, which appears to be much darker. It’s called Vampyr, and it revolves around a vampire doctor who is forced to come to terms with his undead condition. He’ll battle his own demons as he struggles to fight his need to abide by the Hippocratic Oath when all he wants to do is throw back some shots of blood. Dontnod notes that it’s entirely possible to complete the game without taking a single life. And, it’s interestingly set in 1918 London during a Spanish flu pandemic. So, there’s that. We’re anxiously awaiting some Vampyr gameplay footage, and hopefully we’ll get some (and a release date) at E3 2016.

7. Batallion 1944

Developer: Bulkhead Interactive
Publisher: TBA?
Release Date: May 2017
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: FPS, Multiplayer

Before all of the hype surrounding Battlefield 1 and its announcement, Battalion 1944 took to Kickstarter and caught our interest, simply because it feels like a back to basics, no frills, World War II shooter. Obviously, Battlefield 1 and Battalion 1944 are completely different, but I’m comparing their announcements because they’re both world war set first person shooters. Battalion 1944 will feature dedicated servers with anti-cheat mechanisms in place, and any online unlockables will be cosmetic, and won’t give any competitive edge to players. The game will be multiplayer only. The game looks beautiful, and judging from the footage we see in the video above, FPS players are in for a treat — without wall climbing or jet packs.

8. Overkill’s The Walking Dead

Developer: Overkill
Publisher: Starbreeze, 505 Games
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: Co-Op Action Game, Multiplayer

Licensed games typically don’t do anything but frustrate fans. But, somehow, Overkill’s The Walking Dead has still piqued our interest. It’s probably because SurvivalInstinct was such an incredibly awful Walking Dead game that we are so excited to see what Overkill can do with the franchise license. Being that it stems from the same company behind the PayDay franchise, we’re fully expecting this game to be formidable. What’s more, TWD creator Robert Kirkman is involved with the project, and he says “this is the Walking Dead co-op action game fans have been waiting for.” We’ll see about that in the second half of 2017 when the game is slated for release.

9. Lords of the Fallen 2

Developer: CI Games
Publisher: CI Games
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platforms: TBA
Genre: RPG

The first Lords of the Fallen was only slightly above average, admittedly. It had an almost Dark Souls feel to it, but not nearly as difficult. It was a good game, but it wasn’t great, and we’re hoping with the second game in the franchise, CI Games can bring the franchise to greatness. The company intends to reach a wider audience by building a richer story and a more robust fighting system. Their goal is to bring something fresh to the RPG genre, and we’re not exactly sure how they can do that, but we’re interested in finding out exactly what sort of changes will come in Lords of the Fallen 2.

10. Pyre

Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Supergiant Games
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4
Genre: Action RPG

Supergiant Games has a couple of great games under their belt with Bastion and Transistor, and that’s the main reason we’re excited for Pyre, their upcoming 2017 game. Pyre will be a high fantasy game that, according to IGN, is a “poetic, 4th-wall-breaking adventure.” You’ll level up three heroes, each with their own skill trees and battles occurring from the same overhead perspective as the developer’s previous titles. The encounters are all based around a glowing orb that’s placed in the center of a map, and two pyres on either end that you want to defend and attack. You’ll attempt to grab that beautifully glowing orb and send it into your opponent’s goal. Each character in the match is moved one at a time.

11. Injustice 2

Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Publisher: WB Games
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platforms:PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Fighting Game

NetherRealm has finally revealed the Injustice sequel, and although we don’t have a ton of information on it just yet, we’re incredibly excited for its 2017 release. In Injustice 2, players will be able to earn and unlock new armor that will not only add a new look to their character but will also give them different stat boosts, adding an RPG-like element to the game. We’re excited to see how formidable Injustice 2 will be, and with the developer noting that it will have the “largest roster of any DC fighting game to date”, we’re at full-on hype level 3000.

See Also:

Injustice 2: Everything We Know

12. Horizon Zero Dawn

Developer: Guerilla Games
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Platforms:PS4
Genre: Adventure

We’re deeply saddened by the Horizon Zero Dawn delay, but we completely understand. It’s probably a good thing that they want to polish it up and make it even better than it already looks, because we have a feeling it’s going to be the beginning of an incredible new IP. In Horizon, players control Aloy, a hunter and archer set 1,000 years into the future in which robotic creatures dominant the Earth. The game will have RPG elements akin to Skyrim and Assassin’s Creed. Count. us. in.

Pre-order Horizon: Zero Dawn here.

13. Yooka-Laylee

Developer: Platonic Games
Publisher: Playtonic, Team17
Release Date: Q1 2017
Platforms:Xbox One, PS4, PC, Wii U
Genre: Platforming

The spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee, has also been pushed back into 2017, and for now, it’s one of our most anticipated games of next year. The game is made by BK designers Chris Sutherland, Steve Mayles and Steven Hurst, and Grant Kirkhope is set to return as a composer. We received our first Yooka-Laylee gameplay trailer earlier this week, and we’re hoping to see more at E3 2016.

14. Crash Bandicoot Remastered Games

Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platform: PS4
Genre: Platformer

One of the biggest announcements to come out of E3 2016 was the announcement of a few Crash Bandicoot Remastered Games, including Crash 1, 2 and 3. We’ve all been waiting for Crash’s return, and soon, we’ll be able to play his games on our PS4s. We still don’t know if the remastered games will be packaged as one retail offering, or if they’ll be sold individually, but if Sony really wants to knock it out of the park, they’ll bundle them all together. Despite how they’re going to be sold, we can’t wait to learn more details about the upcoming remastered Crash games.

15. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Horror, Thriller

It was an incredibly well done reveal on Sony’s part, and they surprised everyone at E3 by announcing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, despite the fact that it’s not a PS4 exclusive. The game will also be coming to PC and Xbox One in January 2017. For the first time ever, Resident Evil will go first-person, and Capcom says that gamers shouldn’t expect a “gun fest.” What’s more, herb gathering is back, baby! And, there will be no quick time events in the game. It’s quite possible that this could be the best Resident Evil game ever made, or it could be Capcom just cashing in on the brand — only time will tell.

Pre-order Resident Evil 7 here.

16. Quake Champions

Developer: iD Software
Publisher: Bethesda
Release Date: TBA
Platform: PC
Genre: Arena Shooter (possibly hero)

We’ve all been waiting for Quake to make its return to kick ass in the FPS genre, and now iD Software and Bethesda are ready to make that happen with Quake Champions. Strangely enough, the game was only announced for PC, but the devs have already said that they aren’t ruling out a console outing for the game. The game will feature a large roster of playable characters, each of which has their own unique skills — similar to Overwatch. Details aren’t widely available yet, but hopefully it turns out to be more than just a Quake-branded Overwatch.

17. Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game

Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: TBA (likely 2017)
Platform: PS4
Genre: Superhero Adventure

We’ve been waiting for Spidey to swing back into our lives with a proper, quality game, because it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to actually enjoy a Spider-Man game (not that many haven’t tried to win us over). So, Sony orchestrated a team-up between Marvel and Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank) for a new as-yet-to-be-titled Spider-Man game, exclusively for PS4. We don’t have a release date for the game just yet, but given the fact that we don’t even have a proper name for it, and Amazon’s placeholder is set to 2017, we’re going to tentatively suggest it’s going to be a 2017 release. For more info, check out our Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game: Everything We Know So Far round-up.

Pre-order Insomniac’s Spider-Man Game here.

18. Prey

Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda
Release Date: TBA 2017
Platform: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: First Person Shooter

The return of Prey is upon us, and oddly enough, it’s getting rebooted after its first try. Now, Arkane Studios will try to revive the long dormant Prey franchise with a new psychological first person shooter that looks to be a formidable and thrilling experience with an interesting story. We know next to nothing about the game so far, but it appears to involve a Groundhog’s Day-esque timeloop. We’re hoping our goal will be to find the differences in that loop to make it out, because that would be an incredibly interesting video game story that hasn’t been done before (at least to our knowledge?). We’re excited to learn more about Prey, and we’ll keep you posted here at Nerdmuch.com as we learn more.

Pre-order Prey here.

19. Halo Wars 2

Developer: 343 Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Platform: Xbox One, PC
Genre: Real-Time Straegy

Halo Wars wasn’t all that great in its first release, but it was good-enough that we’re curious about a sequel. Hopefully, Halo Wars 2 will take a less dumbed-down approach to the console RTS genre than its predecessor did, because the original was a bit too basic — to the point where it didn’t have a ton of replay value. The game will have two factions, the UNSC and the Banished, and the campaign will have thirteen missions. There will also be an Ultimate Edition version that includes a DLC season pass, access to the game four days early, and a copy of Halo Wars: Definition Edition, an enhanced version of the first game. Here’s to hoping that it’s a big enough release, content-wise, to fill the current void of RTS games on consoles.

Pre-order Halo Wars 2 here.

20. Days Gone

Developer: SIE Bend Studio
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: TBA (likely 2017)
Platform: PS4
Genre: Zombie third person shooter

I think a lot of people are sleeping on Days Gone following its E3 debut, simply because it’s another zombie game. However, it appears to be an attempt at making the ultimate zombie game with a realistic tone, as we saw in the Days Gone gameplay demo. There’s not going to be some random kid following you around, you’re not going to have to save the day, and by the looks of it, your only goal is your own survival. The gameplay we’ve seen so far has some interesting highlights, such as the sheer number of zombies on screen, and the fact that Deacon, the protagonist, decides to leave a man to die so that he, himself, can live. We’re anxiously awaiting more soon, and hopefully we don’t have to wait until Fall 2017 to get our hands on it.

Pre-order Days Gone here.

21. God of War

Developer: Sony Santa Monica
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: TBA (likely 2017)
Platform: PS4
Genre: Action-Adventure

Kratos’s return was possibly the most interesting E3 2016 trailer, as it completely changes what we thought we knew about Kratos and God of War as a franchise. Now, we’re entering into Norse mythology, and Kratos has taken on a sort of father figure role, similar to how Joel took Ellie under his wing. There appears to be some mystical elements in the game as well, as we see frost magic, deer with sparkling antlers, and volcanic-looking beasts. By the end of the demo, we were nearly in tears, as Kratos helped the boy push his knife into that deer, and we can’t wait to see what sort of emotional and action-packed journey the new God of War takes us on.

Pre-order God of War here.

22. For Honor

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Platforms: PS4, PC and Xbox One

For Honor was also revealed at E3 2015, and it’s safe to say that it pretty much stole the show. Not one single person thought Ubisoft would bring anything new to their show, but For Honor looks like nothing else we’ve played before. There are three factions (Knights, Samurais and Vikings) facing off against each other in 4 v 4 battles, with both teams in a match also facing their enemy’s army. They had us at samurais.

Pre-order For Honor here.

23. Ghost Recon Wildlands

Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is an upcoming tactical shooter that will be the tenth installment in the Ghost Recon franchise. It will feature an open world environment, and looks to draw influences from Just Cause 3 and Grand Theft Auto 5. The game will be set in modern times this time, and the open world will feature a variety of environments (indicating that the map is likely huge).

Pre-order ‘Ghost Recon: Wildlands here.

**I’ll note that there are plenty of other games that were announced at E3 2016 that we’re looking forward to. However, many of them might not even make it into 2017 for a release, so they’re not included on this list (for example, Death Stranding). Let’s also not forget that this is a dynamic list, and as new games are announced, it will be updated and possibly expanded if it’s warranted. I mean, who knows what sort of Nintendo NX games we’re going to get at launch!

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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Top up coming games of 2017