Game of the Year 2017: Graham's Personal Picks

As is becoming an annual tradition here at Push Square Towers, we’ve corralled our core group of staff writers and prodded them until they’ve told us what their favourite five games of the year are. With such a strong assortment to select from, added force was required in some instances. We threatened to steal Graham's hipster hat before he gave us this list.

Fifth Choice: Pyre

Supergiant’s third title continued the dev's penchant for offering a wildly different experience from previous titles, with its basketball-esque visual novel. Pyre was a truly bizarre game, but it carried with it the signature look of a Supergiant title, that is to say, some of the best art direction in the industry. While I adored the visual novel stuff, I was less smitten with the traditional gameplay, and while I came away nonetheless adoring Pyre and its soundtrack, it didn't quite reach the highs of Transistor for me.

Fourth Choice: Persona 5

The first Persona title I was there for on day one – I bought a PS Vita specifically to play Persona 4 Golden a couple years ago – I absolutely adored Atlus’ newest in the series. Possibly the most stylish game I’ve ever seen in my entire life, Persona 5 was an improvement over 4 in most ways. I must admit, though, while I loved the story and music, it didn’t end up hitting me quite as hard as 4 did. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a sublime experience, however!

Third Choice: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

For the second straight year, my top five includes an Uncharted title, and for good reason. Naughty Dog is a master of its craft, and The Lost Legacy is another incredible entry in an already incredible series. In fact, I might so far as to say this newest title is the most fun I’ve had actually playing the series to date. Many people referred to this newest one as almost like a 'Greatest Hits' for the series, and it’s true. It’s a marvellously concise package celebrating all the elements that make Uncharted one of the greatest series’ of all time.

Second Choice: Night in the Woods

This one caught me off guard. I was super excited for it for a very long time, but the actual product absolutely blew me away. Some late in the game twists and turns mixed a more sinister undertone into an immaculate representation of everyday. The dialogue and “trapped in your own life” story that the game conveyed about a post-college life hit particularly hard as I myself felt a connection with that element of the story, and paired with an amazingly vibrant colour palette, the game has stuck with me every day since its launch.

First Choice: What Remains of Edith Finch

Giant Sparrow's one of my absolute favourite developers. Its last title, 2012’s The Unfinished Swan, was my personal Game of the Year back when it launched, so it’s no surprise to me that these magicians did it again, offering a game that feels cut from the same cloth as the paint-based title, while doing its own thing and offering some of the most creative and interesting storytelling I’ve ever seen. It’s an absolute masterpiece.

Indie and AAA collide in Graham's favourite games of 2017? But what do you think of these selections? Witness an unfortunate death in the comments section below.