10 Best Video Games Of 2017 You Haven't Played

5. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

One of the most impressive games in quite some time simply because of its design ethos, Ninja Theory's Hellblade has provided the template for all future developers in how to make a budget indie video game that looks and feels like something from the triple-A scene.

From front to back, Ninja Theory took a huge risk not relying on publisher money to bring Senua's Sacrifice to life, instead using their own video editor Melina Juergens to voice and animate Senua herself. The game tells the tale of a warrior attempting to save her lover by descending into a world of twisted Norse mythology - however what's real and what's not is constantly affected by the character's own battle with psychosis.

This manifests through the constant chatter of multiple voices in Senua's head, brought to life with 360 degree audio as they constantly belittle and challenge her - though they also help out in combat by flagging an attack ahead of time. Once you learn to rely on these preternatural instincts, you can actually pinpoint and dodge thanks to the "direction" of the sound.

Now that really is something special.

Combining a weighty and unique subject matter with something of an action focus, Hellblade does suffers a tad from a reliance on repetitive puzzles, but its heart, purpose and production is a landmark moment in gaming history.