by Jessica Ham
2017 has been a great year for video games. Popular series have been reborn and game stories have become more in depth. The voice actor strike put a damper on the gaming industry this year, but it still managed to produce several brilliant games.
A favorite game of mine this year was Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Life is Strange has been my favorite game since its first episode came out in January 2015, so I was very excited for the prequel Before the Storm to come out this year. Each episode has focused on Chloe in the time she first began a friendship and relationship with Rachel Amber, the girl who had been mission for six months when the original game started. The prequel is brilliant, and it is everything I ever wanted. The finale was released on December 20 with a bonus episode featuring the main character of the first game, Max Caulfield, releasing early 2018. I am sad to say goodbye to this universe, but I am grateful for the wonderful memories and experiences it has brought me.
Another favorite of the year was Horizon Zero Dawn which released February 28, 2017. The game features a girl named Alloy who lives in a world overrun by robot monsters. The gameplay mechanics are challenging but very fun. The story is heart wrenching and has twists at every turn. This was a PS4 exclusive that is so amazing it is worth buying a PS4 just to play it.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is next on my list of amazing games of the year. I am a person who is easily scared but that did not stop me from loving every minute of this game. This game in the series focuses on entirely new character named Ethan who, after receiving an email from his wife who has been missing for three years, goes to a Louisiana to find her. Upon arriving he discovers a decrypted old house filled with horrors he could not have possibly imagined, including a family of zombies. I screamed often during this game, but the story kept me on the edge of my seat at all times. The ending was a little disappointing, but the game was a wonderful experience overall. This game brought a whole new angle to the Resident Evil series.
Last, but certainly not least, is Night in the Woods which released on January 10, 2017. The game features Mae Burowski, a cat who acts like a human, who has just dropped out of college and returns to her town Possum Springs to figure out what to do next. She hangs out with her old friends Gregg, Bea, and Angus and has wild adventures. The game is cute but that is not why I love it. I love it because it is a beautiful portrayal of mental health struggles, friendship, and the struggles of early adulthood. I cried a lot throughout this game because the story was so amazing. The gameplay was also easy but fun. Just this month a director’s cut version of the game called the Weird Autumn Edition was released and features new side stories, conversations with brand new characters, and the new gameplay elements. 
There has been a lot of amazing games this year, but there are four which stood out above the rest for me.
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Interesting, as always, Jessica. Thanks.
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