18 Best Video Games Of 2017 (So Far)

9. NieR: Automata

Although for a time, NieR was the highest-rated video game of the year next to Zelda, one incredibly genius fourth wall-shattering trick does not an outright phenomenal game make. Though, let's stick to the positives.

Once again, Platinum prove why they're the absolute masters of third-person action, putting you in the shoes of 2B, an android with an array of badass weapons, a companion and a mission to cleanse the Earth of a robotic force that's set up shop whilst humanity fled to the moon.

As you do.

Thing is, NieR is actually shooting to be far deeper than its aesthetics and sensibilities would let on, delving into some fantastic subject matter surrounding what it means to be human, how and why we act the way we do - all wrapped up in this more surface-level tale of two robots kicking the holy crap out of everything.

It's this deeper layer that shows up in multiple playthroughs to an astonishing degree, climaxes with the aforementioned moment after you know the full story, and even lets you 'unplug' various parts of the game HUD as though you were customising 2B's vision.

Yes, it's that level of special and unique, and for those who really get lost in its philosophical charms, you can bump this up far higher.