Best PS4 Video Games of 2017

Gravity Rush 2

The Best PS4 Video Games of 2017

Gravity Rush 2 turned out even better than its lauded predecessor, continuing the action-adventure story of Kat alongside a host of visual and gameplay improvements.

The game picks up right where the original Gravity Rush left us. Kat and her friend Raven head off to investigate a gravitational disturbance near the air city of Hekseville, but quickly find themselves in the odd Banga mining village and surrounded by another set of challenges.

Kat continues to be her lively, entertaining self, with a set of new abilities and a world to match. Her gravity powers are a joy to use in the gorgeous open world, though the game’s camera struggles to keep up at times. Overall, the story, character development, graphics, and gameplay are fine-tuned and more engrossing than the original’s, making for the first of many fantastic 2017 PS4 video games.

Yakuza 0

The Best PS4 Video Games of 2017

Yakuza 0 originally release in Japan in 2015, but made its way over to the US this year. The open-world action-adventure game takes to fictionalized 1988 Tokyo, serving as a prequel to the Yakuza series.

While it’s not as technically refined as other PS4 video games of 2017, Yakuza 0 masters the fine line between drama and inanity. You’ll find yourself doing all kinds of activities in this world, from dealing with yakuza struggles to buying adult magazines. The game can’t help but be a gripping tale dotted with relentless hilarity.

The combat and animations do suffer; the former is formulaic and the latter feel noticeably dated. Regardless, there’s mounds of fun to be had in Yakuza 0’s world, making it one of the strongest PS4 games of 2017 so far.

Nioh

The Best PS4 Video Games of 2017

Nioh swept expectations this year, releasing to wide acclaim and proving that souls-like games will always be in style. The story follows William Adams, a westerner travelling to a fictionalized 1600s Sengoku period in search of his enemy.

Gameplay focuses on challenging boss fights, intelligent builds, and incredible amounts of patience. If you plan to play Nioh, plan to die. A lot. There’s exceptionally little mercy to be found here, but on the bright side, its encounters stay enthralling to the very end of its massive campaign. Players should look forward to mastering strategic samurai action, utilizing special spirit guardians and weapons like katanas.

The comparisons to the Souls series have been many. The world is dangerous. You turn in experience at shrines in order to level up. Potions even work the same. But regardless of similarities, Nioh is an utter star on its own, and a PS4 game you shouldn’t pass up if you’re up for the challenge.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

The Best PS4 Video Games of 2017

Yes, we’re all getting a little sick of Kingdom Hearts games that aren’t Kingdom Hearts III, especially ones with increasingly complicated names. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue may be a mouthful, but if you’re a fan of the series, it’s definitely worth your time.

This release is a bit of a bundle. It includes an HD remaster of 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which was originally a 3DS exclusive title. It also comes with Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover, a movie version of a mobile Kingdom Hearts game. Both of these titles are mainly rehashes of old KH story, but provide a lot of background to the narrative in case you missed these games on their initial platforms. The real star of the show, however, is the third bundled game: Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. We apologize deeply for the complexity of its name.

A Fragmentary Passage is totally new Kingdom Hearts content that follows Aqua from Birth by Sleep. It follows additional events of the keyblade war, and is the direct tie between KH II and the upcoming (someday) KH III. It also uses the engine that will power Kingdom Hearts III, so all around, it’s the perfect way to prepare, both in story and in graphical ability, for the anticipated third installment.