10 Video Games Most Likely To Be Game Of The Year 2017 Nominees
Which game will claim the crown?
The nights are growing longer, the air is colder and Christmas is almost upon us - meaning it's almost time to crown Game of the Year.
Games like The Witcher 3, Overwatch, Bloodborne and more have all duked it out to receive gaming's most prestigious award over the last couple of years. Game of the Year is a funny thing, however - almost every outlet will award its own Game of the Year, along with the official Game Awards held in December also doling out a prize.
There are always obvious frontrunners though, and some titles this year have completely blown gamers and critics away. 2017 has been an incredible year for gaming, with Nintendo exploding back onto the scene with the Switch and, perhaps more importantly, Breath of the Wild. Meanwhile, PlayStation has had a stunning year of its own, churning out quality exclusives one after the other in a relentless fashion.
With most of the year behind us, and an awful lot of the biggest hitters already out in the wild, several amazing titles are already vying for Game of the Year 2017.
10. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Format - PS4, PC
Metacritic Score - 83
Ninja Theory's Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was perhaps one of the strangest and most unexpected games of the year. Utilising binaural audio, Hellblade chronicled the journey of the tormented Pict warrior Senua, who travelled into Hel to rescue the soul of her recently deceased beloved. The game uses sound in an attempt to recreate some of the effects of psychosis - Senua is afflicted with 'The Darkness', which is the game's way of depicting mental illness.
Throughout the 8-10 hour puzzle adventure, Senua (and the player) is bombarded with multiple voices constantly disparaging the character and questioning the player's decisions.
It's an intriguing mechanic, especially when it's used to the player's advantage in combat - there's no HUD, so the player must rely on the voices during battle to let them know when they're surrounded. It adds a layer of tension, and it's impressive to see Ninja Theory trying something new.
Hellblade delicately and smartly attempts to tackle and bring awareness to mental health issues through the game. Despite some flaws and bugs, the game impressed critics, and its daring approach to storytelling is likely to get it noticed in the awards season.