20 Best Video Games Of 2017

19. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Speaking of influential, Hellblade's incredibly modest, calculated budget afforded Ninja Theory the freedom to create the first "indie game" that can easily hang with the triple-As, at least in a visual sense.

Narratively, Senua's Sacrifice shows the titular heroine descending into a world of Norse mythology to rescue her lover's spirit. She's also afflicted with psychosis, causing various shifts in the world geography, multiple voices in her head to taunt your progress, and Senua herself to suffer breakdowns throughout.

Ultimately, though Hellblade's core story and hack n' slash gameplay is solid and playable enough, what it represents to the industry going forward is the biggest takeaway. This is proof positive that game budgets don't need to break the bank, can be tied to far more meaningful subject matter and can still recoup funds on the other end.

The future of the indie scene is tied to Hellblade and Ninja Theory's accomplishments - essentially inverting everything the average consumer associates with the very label of an "indie project".