The Most Anticipated Games of 2017 (Part 1)

Now that 2016 is behind us, it’s time to look towards the future of gaming.

When we looked over the landscape of new games hitting consoles/PC in 2017, we spotted a pretty nice lineup of exciting titles. Capcom’s looking to revitalize its long-running survival horror franchise with a complete deviation from its formula. There’s a few big upcoming fighting games that we’re ready to throw hands in. Plus, a bunch of returning franchises and brand new IP’s are looking to make 2017 a year that gamers will look back on with fond memories. The games we’re set to mention should be on your radar.

Let’s get into preview mode and speak on the most anticipated games of 2017.

Resident Evil 7 biohazard

Resident Evil 6 sapped whatever was left of the good standing Capcom’s survival horror series held at one point. The dedicated devs behind that series clearly knows this, which is why they went back to the drawing board for the 7th official entry. The reveal of Resident Evil 7 biohazard made a lot of fans scratch their heads once it was noted that the game was strictly a 1st-person affair. Now that more info and gameplay has been provided to those curious about it, folks like us have had their interest peak a bit more. The focus on true scares, a lack of items/ammo and a story that hasn’t been fully told yet lends to the mystique of this early 2017 release. We can’t wait to see what the hell that family and their mansion is all about.

Pre-Order Resident Evil 7 biohazard here.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

The rumors circulating around a brand new Marvel vs. Capcom was the talk of the internet before last year’s PlayStation Experience. Once Sony hit the stage for their fan expo presentation, the hype was indeed too real. That was the moment when we found out that the next “Vs.” crossover fighter would be dubbed Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. This battle between Capcom and Marvel’s most notable heroes/villains will take its mechanics back to the 2v2 basics, place a bigger emphasis on the Infinity Gems and feature more fan favorites. Mega Man X and Captain Marvel have joined the roster as newcomers, while Ryu, Iron Man, Morrigan and Captain America are back for more. Now that we know that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a thing, we’re so ready to “take it for a ride.”

Pre-Order Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite here.

NieR: Automata

One of the more unsung action RPG’s from the last-gen of gaming was NieR. If you happened to play it, you either loved it and told everyone around you to give it a chance. Or you hated it with a passion and couldn’t understand why this thing was made in the 1t place. Square Enix hasn’t given up hope on NieR’s enigmatic world and are ready to bring it back for another go-round. But this time, it’s going to be a slick action/adventure game developed by the masters of fast-paced melee gameplay (PlatinumGames). NieR: Automata’s late 2016 demo gave everyone a taste of what’s to come – fast and fluid swordplay, top down bullet dodging, huge bosses, mech combat etc. NieR: Automata might be the saving grace for one of Square Enix’s lesser known IP’s.

Pre-Order NieR: Automata here.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

PlayStation’s marsupial mascot from the 90’s hasn’t been featured in a platformer dedicated to him in a very long time. Ever since he’s been sold to Activision, Crash has been featured in mediocre games that haven’t been as good as his 1st three adventures. Sony knows just how much people love Crash’s PlayStation games and are ready to update them for past/modern audiences. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a dream situation that’s become something we can actually play this year. Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back and Warped have all had their visuals updated, plus all three games will feature welcome changes that modernizes them for today’s gamer. The unified checkpoints, pause menus, and manual/automatic saving mechanics featured in Warped will now become a part of the other two games and make them even better than before.

Pre-Order Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy here.

Cuphead

Could this be the year that Cuphead FINALLY releases? We think so! Studio MDHR have been toiling away on this game for a good while now and it shows. This side-scrolling shooter’s 1930s animated sheen looks like it’s pretty hard to animate, so we totally understand why Cuphead is still in development. But the mid-2017 release period for the game looks like it’ll come to fruition. Cuphead’s on our radar because of its stunning visuals, of course. But we’re also hyped for it due to its tough as nails platforming, couch co-op, new side scrolling stages and daunting boss fights. This indie gem is one of the shining stars of the 2017 release schedule for the Xbox One/PC.

Injustice 2

Ed Boon and the rest of the team at NetherRealm Studios did everything in their power to make Mortal Kombat X one of the best fighters on the market. Mission accomplished! So now it’s time for them to transition into crafting the much-deserved sequel for the all DC Comics fighter. And from what we’ve seen of Injustice 2 thus far, we’re convinced that it’s going to be one of the best games of the year. The graphics look amazing and the impactful moves landed by each hero/villain look and sound insane. As for what’s new, a new gear system has been implemented in order to give players the chance to craft their own take on popular characters. Batman Beyond taking on a more glossy shielded version of Supergirl? Yep, you can do that! Injustice 2 looks to be the DC Comics battle royale that will rule 2017.

Pre-Order Injustice 2 here.

Prey

Remember that sequel to Prey that sported some type of bounty hunter taking down alien bounties? Welp, it’s alive no longer. Arkane Studios decided to offer their vision to Bethesda on how they’d like to represent the Prey universe and now we’re here. 2017’s version of Prey still relies on 1st-person shooting, but it includes the “many ways players can accomplish a goal” mechanic that’s been a part of both Dishonored games. Confronting a severe alien race means you can rely on man made firearms or combine their use with alien abilities that warp your character into something unrecognizable. Prey looks like a dangerous good time and we can’t wait to face our fears in deep space.

Pre-Order Prey here.

Tekken 7

Tekken 7 is one of the few examples where a new fighting game has remained in arcades and gotten updated long before it hit consoles. Early 2017 has been tied to this upcoming Bandai Namco fighter for such a long time, but the wait is almost over. The home release will bring everything featured in the arcade cabinet edition and throw in so much more. Street Fighter’s Akuma, brand new tournament entrants, returning fighters and a deeper Story Mode means Tekken 7 will excel as expected. We’ve been watching this thing get played at a pro level on Twitch for far too long. We’re so ready to compete in the next King of the Iron Fist Tournament.

Pre-Order Tekken 7 here.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Commander Shepard’s journey has come to a close. 600 years later, a new interplanetary trek has begun and now we’ll get the chance to take on the role of a new hero. Mass Effect: Andromeda makes us one of the newest members of N7 and places our male/female Ryder into the role of “Pathfinder.” This means plenty of planet exploring, heated gunfights with hostile alien races, discoveries of new species of animal and deeper conversations to participate in. BioWare has gone all out with this game, as evidenced by the extensive cover story on the game that was featured in Game Informer. We’re all about brand new BioWare RPG’s, so count us in for the next part of the Mass Effect legacy.

Pre-Order Mass Effect: Andromeda here.

Nioh

Nioh was supposed to come out a long, long, LONG time ago. Koei Tecmo put this one on the back burner for a good while, but last year it came out of hiding. And it looked a whole hell of a lot better. We hopped into the demo and came away impressed. It’s this great mix of Onimusha samurai elements and the super punishing gameplay that the Dark Souls series is known for. The game’s main hero can clash with demons and other samurai’s with different sword stances, parries, blocks and tons of other combative maneuvers. The spirit animals, dangerous bosses and varied open world has given us a reason to keep Nioh on our radar. As far as PS4 exclusives go, this action/adventure title is one of 2017’s best.

Pre-Order Nioh here.

Heavy, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. Our product recommendations are guided solely by our editors. We have no relationship with manufacturers.