Top 10 Games You May Have Missed in 2017
Sitting here in January of 2018, most of us are still reeling from the explosive year the video game industry had in 2017. We saw the launch of the fastest selling console along with the biggest games the industry has seen in a very long time. From sequels to new IPs, to sleeper hits, we were given so much to fry the synapses of our brain that it is a guarantee we missed out on some particularly top-notch video games in the process. While we were busy defeating the Red Legion, collecting moons, freeing Divine Beasts, amassing an army in Mordor, and overthrowing the Nazi regime, some stellar titles slipped under our noses and between our fingers. Here are 10 of the top games you probably missed from 2017.
10. Tacoma
With the first person genre being pulled in so many directions, it can be easy to see why Tacoma may have been overlooked at first glance. Some considered it a simple walking simulator and would rather invest time in something involving more shooty-shooty and exploding. Tacoma, however, is the kind of game that gives as much as you put in. Set in the future, the player will navigate this story-driven adventure aboard a space station, accessing personal logs of the crew and unraveling an emotional story about the crew’s resolve, hopes, and fears. It isn’t a horror game, nor does it rely on scare tactics to draw you in; it simply offers you a very raw look at humanity. While not the strongest entry on this list, Tacoma deserves a bit more attention for what it gave players, and a score of 79 on Metacritic isn’t so bad, we even rated it at 77, praising it for its unique concept and phenomenal voice work. If you’ve been looking for something a little deeper, Tacoma is worth your time.
9. Old Man’s Journey
Why does the hero always have to be some young person out to save the world? Old Man’s Journey is the kind of quirky, adorable, and beautiful game that every gamer needs to experience at some point. As the title infers, it tells the story of an old man who sets out on what might be his final journey; a soul-searching, puzzle adventure game to discover the old man’s past, learn about life, lost dreams, and so much more. Having this heart-warming and occasionally tear-jerking plot alone is enough to draw you in, but it’s the game’s presentation that stands out as well: Everything feels so incredibly vibrant. Jumping through the background and exploring the environment is both fun and fantastic to look at with its unique graphical style. Old Man’s Journey currently sits at a 77 on Metacritic and is the kind of indie title we’ve come to expect to compete with the big developers: soulful and unique.
 8. Last Day of June
You’ll start to notice a theme with the games on this list: quirky, emotional, and terribly memorable. Last Day of June is a game that – while the gameplay itself doesn’t stand out, and the puzzles can be repetitive – it is the visual style and the narrative that sets the game apart. As if told by Tim Burton, the game sees Carl attempting to change the events that lead up to his loss of June. The game uses trial and error puzzle solving to try and alter these events to keep June alive, the player needing to find the right combination to do so. With an incredible visual style, the game uses everything it can to tell a somber, disturbing, yet oddly compelling story – even the use of color paints a vivid picture of the narrative. Far from a perfect game, Last Day of June slipped by many gamers who would surely find the macabre tale endearing and enjoyable. Despite its problems of repetition, the game currently holds a score of 75 on Metacritic, but we here at COGconnected gave it a 77.