Charles Blades — Staff Writer
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
No game has captured more attention this year than an early access title on Steam. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds took the industry by storm, not by displaying the polish or seasoned development experience that came with dozens of other AAA games this year, but instead by putting forth and executing on a new idea that captured gamers for hours on end. The tense nervousness that comes with every descent onto PUBG’s island and the absolute joy that comes with winning your first chicken dinner is a feeling that hasn’t been matched in years and one that perfectly encapsulates what PUBG has to offer.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Coming off of more than a decade of the Killzone series, Guerrilla Game’s track record in the industry was firmly in the average first person shooter territory. The idea of them putting together one of the most beautiful and expansive open-worlds with terrific combat, an interesting story and one of the best new characters of the generation was not something a lot of people would’ve put money on. However, that’s exactly was they were able to put together with Horizon: Zero Dawn this year, and the PlayStation was all the better for it.
Night in the Woods
An adventure game led by a cartoon cat is a surefire way to get the internet to take a look at your project. Adding depth to a lovable group of personified cartoon animals by exploring things like mental illness, sexuality, family issues and the overall bleakness of growing up in a lost midwestern town, is a perfect way to get acclaim. Night in the Woods, a game that was kickstarted way back in 2013, is the perfect experience this year for any late-teens, early-twenties midwestern kid who is just trying to figure life out.