11 Video Games That Will Define The Current Generation

Guaranteed to be talked about for years to come.

2017 Video Games
Nintendo/CD Projekt RED/Psyonix/Blizzard

Every generation of games sees its fair share of great titles, but some transcend their release windows and get talked about for years to come. Whether they changed the current landscape of gaming, were immensely anticipated or just flat-out disappointed the industry, certain games go on to represent their time periods forevermore.

The current generation of games arguably started with the Wii U's release in 2012, and has been a bit of an odd one. For the first time, Sony and Microsoft released iterative versions of their flagship consoles in the shape of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, while Nintendo has seen two separate home consoles in the same generation.

With these new consoles comes a slew of new titles and this cycle has already been defined by some of the most popular, most critically acclaimed and most downright controversial games ever to make it to market. The following games have, in their own ways, left their mark on the industry, with some of them being considered among the best games of all time.

11. Shovel Knight

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Still considered to be one of Kickstarter's greatest gaming success stories, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight is a glorious ode to a time gone by, an 8-bit adventure through a colorful land as a warrior dishing out justice and - ahem - shovelry, to his foes on a quest to rescue his partner.

Shovel Knight almost single-handedly helped prove that crowdfunding games was a viable source of financing for small developers as the game was a critical and commercial success. Immediately eye-catching with a stunning art style, Shovel Knight also has a fantastic, catchy soundtrack. Unlike Yooka-Laylee, which perhaps took a little too much inspiration from the days of old, Yacht Club's retro leanings only serve to enhance the game, rather than hold it back.

The game has now been released on virtually every platform available, and continues to see additional content being made. Shovel Knight made old feel new again, and in a generation that has seen a revival in platformers across the board, Shovel Knight certainly rises high above the crowd. For shovelry!

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Contributor

Gamer, writer and still patiently awaiting Bloodborne 2.