The best upcoming games of 2017

The best upcoming games of 2017  and more

Injustice 2

Platform(s): PS4 Xbox One

Release date: May 16, 2017  

Batman, Superman, and a slew of other heroes and villains are back to duke it out in Injustice 2, Netherrealm Studios' return to the slick new engine that powered Mortal Kombat X. There's a ton of fanservice in this 2.5D fighter for anyone with even the slightest knowledge of DC Comics, and Injustice 2 is taking an interesting gamble with the addition of gear in a fighting game, gathered over time to give your preferred character enhanced abilities and a personalized look.

 Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release date: August 2017

The Tolkien's Creed open-world action in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor easily warranted a sequel - we just didn't know when it was coming, until now. Shadow of War brings back the undying ranger Talion and his fused wraith Celebrimbor, who have forged a new Ring of Power despite those things always ending in tears. The stellar Nemesis system will be making a return, where ordinary orcs may develop into bitter rivals over the course of many battles, and new Nemesis Fortresses serve as these villains’ imposing domains. But never fear - you'll have your own loyal army at your disposal to raid these strongholds - all good practice for when you finally have the forces you need to take on Sauron himself.

State of Decay 2 

Platform(s): Xbox One, PC

Release date: TBC 2017

If The Walking Dead has taught us anything, it's that forging bonds between survivors and building up a community is essential to surviving the zombie apocalypse. State of Decay 2 will take those values to heart with co-op for up to four players, provided you all agree to work together instead of backstabbing one another for precious supplies. To build up your encampment, you'll need to scavenge on foot or four wheels, splattering the skulls of countless undead along the way. What we saw in State of decay 2 looked promising, so here's to hoping that the gameplay lives up the cinematic vignette.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release date: TBC 2017

Anyone with a penchant for deep, story-driven RPGs viewed from the isometric angle like the PC adventures of old already knows and loves the first Divinity: Original Sin, which presents a fantasy world on a massive scale with support for two-player co-op play the entire way through. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is upping the ante two-fold, allowing for four players to team up, each making their own decisions that have repercussions on the narrative and combat alike. If you're a sucker for RPGs that really emphasize the role-playing, where your character's race, class, demeanor, and actions all send ripples throughout the rest of the game, this is one to watch.

God of War

Platform(s): PS4

Release date: TBC 2017 

Having torn the Greek pantheon asunder, Kratos (now sporting a scruffy beard) has set his sights on a new mythology to conquer: Norse. The fourth main entry in the legendarily brutal PlayStation series - God of War - drops the numbering and looks like it'll force Kratos to control his endless rage, as he acts as the father figure for a young, as-yet-unnamed boy with latent lightning powers. Don't worry, you'll still slay plenty of fantastical creatures along the way - but expect a lot more character development and quieter moments in between all the carnage. 

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Platform(s): PS4

Release date: TBC 2017 

This isn’t a brand new Uncharted game, but its not an expansion either. In The Lost Legacy you play as Chloe who teams up with Nadine Ross (yeah, from A Thief’s End) to track down an ancient Indian artefact. Does that mean it’s co-op? Unlikely, as the pair will likely assume the same dynamic as Nathan and Sam in the main game. It’s more Uncharted, which is a great thing, and you don’t have to own the original to play.

Days Gone 

Platform(s): PS4

Release date: TBC 2017

If you think zombies have been done to death, well... you're right, but that isn't stopping the PS4-exclusive Days Gone. The enemies in this open-world post-apocalypse aren't technically undead - the so-called 'Freakers' are actually infected humans who have gone feral and seem eager to devour our hero Deacon (voiced by and modelled after Sam Witwer, who you might recognize as Starkiller from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). What really sets the Freaker horde apart is just how many can be chasing you at once; there are times when they're practically flooding out of the environment, and all you can do to survive is simply run. Another PS4 Pro optimised game that promises to look incredible.

Outlast 2

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release date: TBC 2017 

You are Blake Langermann (where do they get these names?), a freelance cameraman who visits a small, isolated village in Arizona to investigate the murder of a young, pregnant woman. What follows is lashings of the same non-combat horror we saw in the original. You have a camera to look through - and because Blake is a cameraman, expect his to be more advanced - and legs to run away with. Early trailers make this look chilling, as you’d expect. 

Detroit: Become Human

Platform(s): PS4

Release date: TBC 2017 

As is the trend nowadays, Detroit is an adventure about Androids achieving sentience. Remember the Kara tech demo Sony showed off years ago? Well, it’s the same character from that. We follow her as she makes her way into a futuristic version of Detroit. It’s a game of staggering ambition - it took David Cage two years to write the script, and 100s of actors have done mo-cap work for it. Let’s hope it’s a bit more than just a ‘moral decision making’ game, which early trailers suggest. 

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release date: TBC 2017

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is like a historically accurate Skyrim

, because this large-scale, first-person medieval RPG takes place in a massive open-world devoted to the real-world history of Bohemia (no Rhapsody here). In some ways, it's even more hardcore, stripping away the HUD indicators and minimap markers you've probably come to expect from giant RPGs. And amazingly, quests and world events will carry on with or without you, adding a real sense of urgency to your hero's actions; stopping to chit-chat with every NPC could mean missing out on the melee battle of a lifetime. Kingdom Come's refusal to hold the player's hand sounds like a refreshing change of pace, and if the finished product can pull off the kind of grandiose living world suggested by our preview, it should be something special indeed.

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