January kicked 2017 off with a number of quality releases, with Yakuza 0, Resident Evil 7 and Kingdom Hearts 2.8, starting the year off well. Coming into our second month of the year, the releases show no sign of slowing down. February is packed with a few big releases and some interesting indie titles to keep the year going strong. Here is a run down of five of the games I’m most anticipating in the month of February 2017. How I’m going to be able to play all of these before March and the release of Nier Automata is a mystery currently, but we press on.
5. Night in the Woods
A unique and wholly interesting little indie title from Infinite Fall. Night in the Woods is a deceptive little game with a cute and cuddly art style reminiscent of Animal Crossing. Underneath the games cutesy art style however, lies a much darker experience that deals with mental illness, depression, the stagnancy of the middle and lower classes, and the slow death of the small town America. Incredibly heavy and ambitious themes that make Night in the Woods a very interesting and unique release. If the game can deli
ver on even half of the interesting and unique ideas it puts forward, it could be a very memorable and exciting experience and something genuinely different in the large roster of games coming out in 2017. If there’s one kind of game I can behind its one that tackles heavy and dark themes. Make me feel some emotion and I’ll forgive bad level design or cheap production …. did I mention I’m a fan of Nier.
4. Nioh
Part Dark Souls, part Ninja Gaiden (hopefully zero Ninja Gaiden 3). Team Ninja’s long in development supernatural, action roleplaying game seems to be coming in perfect time. With From Software’s series seemingly ended, Nioh seems to be a perfect fit for the position of brutally challenging combat, crushing defeats and rewarding victories. With positive previews and early reviews, its long development, that can be traced back all the way to 2004, seems to have paid off. Nioh looks to be a note worthy game that can hopefully push past the Dark Souls like tag and forge its own name going forward. Either way I’ll cower away from it on game shelf until one day I’m feeling extra brave and then the game reminds me I shouldn’t have felt brave that day, yeah I suck at Souls games but its the thought that counts right? Read more on what we think about it here…
3. Halo Wars 2
Talk about sequels we’d never thought would happen. Halo Wars released all the way back in 2009 for the Xbox 360, was a final swan song for veteran strategy developer Ensemble Studios (the studio responsible for all those happy Age of Empires memories we all have). It sold decently but was largely forgotten, being a console exclusive strategy game is like being a goth kid on a football team. But under the ever-bright light of Phil Spencer any long forgotten exclusive can return and so Halo Wars 2 exists. Smartly releasing on both Xbox One and PC on February 21st. If it can keep players coming back with content and in depth multiplayer options, Halo Wars 2 will undoubtedly be an improvement on its predecessor and have a much longer shelf life in the process. Now if we could just get that Phantom Dust reboot and a new Lost Odyssey Microsoft, I can learn to love you again.
2. For Honor
A Ubisoft game… that isn’t a sequel? ”¦”¦ or a reskin of the usual open world design? Ok you have my attention. For Honor looks to be one of the more unique ideas in this months and perhaps even all years games. Taking influences from multiplayer shooters and games like Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, it looks to be taking a genuinely different approach to multiplayer with a heavy enthuses on team movement and co-ordination. From all gameplay and previews released so far painting the game in a very promising light, as well as a multiplayer beta now launched, it looks as though For Honor will deliver on its potential and hopefully be a refreshing new addition to the multiplayer scene. If for nothing else, how often do you get to see a Samurai and Viking fight to the death? By the time you’re done with For Honor perhaps too many times.
1. Horizon: Zero Dawn
The first new IP from Sony studio Guerrilla Games since its acquisition back in 2004, the Kilzone developer best known for cutting edge graphics and gritty realism seem to be branching out considerably, with this action role playing game. Set in the Post Post Apocalypse (that’s when you know you’ve really messed up) Horizon sees humanity sent back to the stone age by a robotic overtaking.
Boasting open world gameplay and role playing elements similar in style to the Far Cry games. It also shows off a beautiful world built with the technical prowess you’d expect from the team that brought the Helghast to life but with stunning art direction to boot. Horizon has all the pieces to be a classic and has me eagerly awaiting its March 1st release date (yes you over in the states get it on 28th of February). If nothing that I’ve said of the game so far interests you, it lets you fight robot dinosaurs, if that doesn’t make it a day one purchase then what will?
Those are just five of the games I’m looking forward too in the month of February. But what are you looking forward to? Is this month a sit out for you or is it leaving your wallet hurting? Let us know in the comments below.
