Ground Punch’s Most Anticipated Games: 2017

Congratulations to Horizon Zero Dawn and the folks over at Guerilla Games! You have officially won the title of Ground Punch’s ‘Most Anticipated Game’ of 2017. Set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic landscape, Horizon Zero Dawn sees humanity regressed to its tribal and primitive roots in a world of forgotten technologies and robotic dinosaurs. In a desperate quest to learn about her mother and her past, heroine Aloy must come face-to-face with the mysteries of the “Old Ones” and overcome those who protect and/or fear their secrets. Here is why we at Ground Punch’s can’t wait to play what promises to be one of 2017’s best games.

Horizon Zero Dawn offers the most unique world I have seen crafted in recent memory, not to mention that it looks to be delivering everything I have ever wanted from a video game; a compelling and intriguing narrative, a gorgeous world steeped in mystery and lore, an expansive open-world ripe for exploring, dynamic and exhilarating  gameplay, and a soundtrack — my God that soundtrack — that is nothing short of a feast for the ears. I have no doubt that Horizon will be nothing less than exceptional.

Praise has been high since Horizon was revealed at E3 2015, and the promise of roaming an open world full of dinosaur robots whole-heartedly has my intrigued. Still to this day, there continues to be a Witcher-sized hole in my heart, but Horizon Zero Dawn has a huge opportunity to not only fill that hole, but possibly become an all-time favorite. – Kevin

Horizon stole E3 last year and then again when it was showed off at the PS4 Pro reveal. It has the potential to be an amazing game that has me super excited to explore that world full of robot dinosaurs – John

Guerrilla Games is making a complete 180 with this title. Known for the first-person shooter series; Killzone, Guerrilla is entering the fray of third-person, character-action, role-playing games. Inhabiting the shoes of Aloy, a native of this futuristic yet pastoral world, you set out to discover new locales and find the truth of where these machines came from. Guerrilla sure can make a beautiful looking game, and Horizon Zero Dawn is no different. I cannot wait to trek through the engrossing land and collect everything per my gotta-have-it-all mentality in open-world titles. – Jeremy

Horizon Zero Dawn speaks to me as a fan of open world RPGs, and as Guerillas first excursion beyond the Killzone series, I am excited to see what they have to offer narratively and artistically – Jordan

Since 2004, Guerilla Games has made nothing but the Killzone franchise, a series of rather bland, but well made first person shooters that have continually failed to grab my interest. Now, Guerilla is making a third-person, open world, action RPG set in a ‘post-post-apocalyptic’ world filled with robot dinosaurs. Count me in! – Kelson

Zelda is a game that forged many childhoods, and is a franchise that holds a special reverence in gaming that has been forged from love, nostalgia, and some of the best games to ever be released. Breath of the Wild is the latest game in this iconic series, offering revised combat, new mechanics, and is giving a truly expansive open-world for the first time. Add into the mix that the game is set to release on Nintendo’s upcoming console-handheld hybrid the Switch, and we can’t wait to get our hands on Link’s latest adventure.

I have been hearing about Breath of the Wild for so long now, and even with the delays and the recent announcement of the Nintendo Switch, my excitement has continued to grow. I love The Legend of Zelda, and knowing that Breath of the Wild will have a huge, beautiful open world makes me want to dive in right now. – Jacie

The Legend of Zelda is one of those games that is at the very core of my being and is a massive part of what got me into video games in the first place. Everything I have seen about this latest iteration looks incredible and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. All the teasing about its connections to Ocarina of Time only further serve to stoke the flames of my excitement. – Nikhil

Whenever a console-based The Legend of Zelda comes around, it’s an event. With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the same grandiose event looms ahead. With the promise of a living and breathing open world set in the Zelda universe that fans adore, Breath of the Wild has the opportunity to ring in a brand new age of The Legend of Zelda. – Kevin

Alternating between their sci-fi and fantasy epics, Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Inquisition Bioware is a leading contender — if not outright winner — for best developer of RPGs in the industry. Bringing together charismatic characters, absorbing worlds, gripping narratives, and satisfying gameplay, all coated in the delicious freedom that comes from their signature and extensive player-choice-based game design there is quite simply no game like a Bioware game. Add to all of that, that Andromeda is going to give us the chance to explore a new galaxy with a new protagonist and we can’t wait to sink our teeth into Bioware’s latest.

The game I am most looking forward to playing next year is Mass Effect: Andromeda. As a total science-fiction nerd, I am champing at the bit to get lost in a brand new galaxy. I already know this is one game I’m going to lose hours of my life to and be the better for it. I can’t wait to see wait decisions and story paths players will be exposed to! – Nikhil

I didn’t play the Mass Effect series until post-Mass Effect 3, but when I finally played the games in succession, I immediately fell in love. Although Dragon Age: Inquisition was later outclassed by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I’m hugely optimistic and excited that Bioware has taken the time to craft a brand new saga in the universe of Mass Effect that I’ll surely adore.” – Kevin

Assassin’s Creed. It’s a franchise that some people loathe, it’s a franchise that some people love, a game that some highly anticipate every year, others pick up for half price six months later. Over the years Assassin’s Creed has offered a unique combination of beautifully crafted open-worlds, highly realised historical locales, ‘collect-athon‘ heaven, a fascinating story, and great gameplay. Sadly though, the franchise has failed to deliver a single title that has combined all of the above in a knockout hit. The great stories of Assassin’s Creed II and Brotherhood were accompanied by restricted gameplay, Black Flag offered outstanding ship-to-ship combat yet lacked a compelling story despite its tropical cast, Syndicate and Unity feature gorgeous worlds and yet are plagued with familiar gameplay inconsistencies that resulted in an experience that feels dated in a franchise that appears tired. Yet for all of that, there is simply no game quite like an Assassin’s Creed game. Fingers crossed that with a year of rest and recuperation, the franchise can return with a sensational hit.

Taking a year off is very unlike Ubisoft, but I’m optimistic about this approach with AC Empire (working title). Rumors of an Ancient Egyptian setting intrigue me, and I’m looking forward to how the present-day story has progressed in two years. Most importantly, how does a grappling hook fit into 1500 B.C. or so? I hope Assassin’s Creed, my favorite game series, returns with a bang next year. – Graydon

For the longest time I wanted the perfect Assassin’s Creed game – one that could combine gameplay, narrative, and an expansive open-world to create a truly exceptional experience. This was my hope for Black Flag, and while I loved the game — to this day counting it amongst my favourite games of all time — the narrative was tepid, lacklustre, and hugely disappointing. But despite a part of me still wanting the perfect Assassin’s Creed game the truth is I missed Assassin’s Creed this year. Whatever else the franchise fails to accomplish, every year it offers an amazingly-realised historical playground to explore and appreciate – an experience that no other game offers, and I want that experience back in my life.

The word ‘iconic’ is one normally assigned to something that has been long standing, something with a long history and is able to maintain a sense of relevance despite how popular culture might have changed since. Even so, despite Red Dead is in its infancy when compared to other franchises, it has earned its place amongst gaming’s most iconic franchises – even if you’ve never played the game, you have almost certainly heard its name, and friends’ tales from the Wild West. Red Dead Redemption was, by all measures, a knockout hit, that to this day is still considered one of the greatest games of the past decade, and we can’t wait to see what Rockstar will do next.

Red Dead Redemption was a masterpiece, and is still one of the best games I have ever played. I can’t wait to explore Red Dead Redemption 2, which is made from the ground up for more powerful machines. – John

I’m excited to see how Red Dead Redemption 2 will turn out. I would say the Red Dead games are totally unique and provide a completely different experience apart from other games. It has an awesome setting in the old western frontier days where everything was lawless. There aren’t any other games that can deliver a huge beautiful open western setting like Red Dead Redemption. I am definitely excited to see how everything has evolved from the last Red Dead game almost 7 years ago. – Jacie

And so that’s a wrap on our top five most anticipated games for 2017. Congratulations to all of the winners and their respective developers. Now let’s take a look at the other games that we can’t wait to get our hands on next year!

Destiny 2

Destiny is far from a perfect game, in fact it is highly flawed. The narrative is weak for the most part, there’s a lack of end-game content, and compared to other MMO’s the game is rather shallow – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. That being said, Destiny is a game I have played for over a thousand hours, it’s a game that has helped me forge new friendships, and for all of its flaws Destiny is a gaming experience I had never had previously – and one I doubt I will ever have again. Destiny 2 probably won’t fix all of the problems that Destiny currently has, but even so, Destiny for me has been a journey and I can’t wait for the second chapter in this voyage that me — and so many others — embarked on back in 2014.

For Honor

For Honor is a multiplayer-centric game with a compelling premise: Vikings, knights, and samurai all face-off on the battlefield. Touting the “Art of Battle”, For Honor aims to simulate swordplay in a way that feels pseudo-authentic to actually holding a blade (or axe). With an enthralling narrative that oscillates between the three factions, and multiple classes for the factions while playing multiplayer, I’m looking forward to cutting down the enemy with my katana on the battleground. But then again, I’m just a sucker for Japan and samurai. – Jeremy

Halo Wars 2

The first Halo Wars brought one of my favorite series to the RTS genre, and despite its flaws, delivered a fun title begging for a sequel. With Halo Wars 2, Creative Assembly looks to build upon the formula, hopefully producing a deeper experience than that of the first entry in the Halo Wars series. – Kelson

Injustice 2

Having spent more than 300 hours in Mortal Kombat X and being a big fan of the first Injustice, I am incredibly excited for Injustice 2. The new characters and reveals have kept me going, and I sincerely hope it comes out sometime this spring. – Jordan

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 HD

I am a massive Kingdom Hearts fan that has lapsed in recent years and am looking to get back into the series before the third entry drops. So a complete remastering of four games in 1080 60fps for $50 is a purchase I can’t wait to make. – Jordan

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Kingdom Hearts fan, so I’m pretty excited to play the new 0.2 Birth By Sleep demo/game that’s in 2.8 as a teaser of sorts for what is to come with Kingdom Hearts 3 – which itself cannot come out fast enough! – Nikhil

Little Nightmares

I love creepy games, and Little Nightmare gives off all kinds of creepy vibes. You play as a small child who has been kidnapped and — from what I’ve seen — the visuals are amazing and unsettling for a Dollhouse platformer. I really wish this could release sooner so I could get my hands on it. – Jacie

Nioh

Team Ninja (the studio behind the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises) are back with another third-person, character-action game. An amalgam of Onimusha and Dark Souls, Nioh is as challenging as it is rewarding. You play as William, an American who visits Japan during the Warring Period (Also known as Feudal Japan or the Sengoku Period) to fend off the oni (Japanese for “demon”). A game that has been in development for almost 15 years, and has had two playable version available just a few months ago, I’m excited to finally get my hands on the full game to run through Japan as a samurai cutting stuff up. – Jeremy

Pyre

Supergiant Games is one of my favorite developers in the indie scene. Their first two games, Bastion and Transistor, are two masterclass titles that show just how much an indie developer can stand out in a sea of AAA titles. I expect nothing less with Supergiant’s next project, Pyre. – Kelson

Resident Evil 7

Ever since I played the Resident Evil 7 demo after this year’s E3, I have been excited to play the full game. I like horror games, and when I found out the whole game can be played in PSVR I was beyond sold on it. – John

Sea of Thieves

When I first saw Sea of Thieves’ reveal at E3 2015, my jaw fell to the floor. The game looks like a cartoonish, online version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, complete with ship battles and pillaging. I can’t wait to jump in and take control of my band of scallywags from atop the Crow’s Nest, and plunder the high seas with my friends! – Graydon

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

If you’re an enormous South Park fan like me, then this should be at the top of your list. The follow-up to The Stick of Truth looks just as hilarious and true-to-form as its predecessor, and this time you get to be part of Coon & Friends! What’s not to like about that? I hope the delay brings yet more awesomeness to this long-awaited sequel. – Graydon

So there you have it, a list of all the games we can’t wait to play next year! I think it’s safe to say 2017 is shaping up to be one hell of a year. Fingers crossed that all of the above games can deliver on our oh so high expectations!

So what do you think of our selection, are there any games we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments!