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Back at work, eh? Or is it school? Or perhaps, worst of all, you've had no time off in the past few weeks? Stay cool, ice cold — stay cool.
Whether we like it or not, 2017 is already roaring ahead at full steam.
And with the ever-present passage of time comes a bounty of brand-new video games. Are you prepared for a brand-new "Mass Effect" game? How about a brand-new console from Nintendo, called Switch?
Both are coming, and so, so much more. This is 2017 in video games.
The original "Gravity Rush" is a gorgeous, ambitious cult-classic. It was released as an exclusive on Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld — a portable game console that sold less-than-impressively. Though the original game eventually ended up on other PlayStation platforms, fans (including us) are anxiously anticipating "Gravity Rush 2" — a full-fledged sequel to the original, made for the (far more powerful) PlayStation 4.
In "Gravity Rush 2," you are Kat: a woman with the ability to manipulate gravity. Take aim at a surface, press a button on the PS4 gamepad, and that surface becomes your new floor. It's the kind of experience that's fun enough on its own, without all the gorgeous artistry and mysterious storytelling.
Release Date: January 20, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
The latest main series entry in the long-running "Resident Evil" franchise is a bit of a reboot. Unlike the last several games in the series, "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" doesn't focus on third-person action/combat. Instead, it's a survival horror game — that means low ammunition and health, with a focus on survival over mastery. It's also the first major entry in the series to move from third-person to first-person, in addition to being playable in entirety using the PlayStation VR headset with PlayStation 4.
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"For Honor" is a brand-new game from a major studio — Ubisoft Montreal, the "Assassin's Creed" folks — that takes thousands of years of human history and blends it into a fantastical slurry. Imagine battling as a viking warrior against a Japanese samurai! Or as a medieval knight against... one of those two! That's the gist of "For Honor," which arrives just in time to pit you and your Valentine against each other.
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
The "Halo" series is loved by millions. The lore of the "Halo" series is loved by a fraction of that overall fanbase, and it's games like "Halo Wars" that help keep that dedicated fanbase loyal. If you love the tales of Master Chief and The Covenant in the first-person shooter series, chances are you'll enjoy the tactical gameplay of the "Halo Wars" series. While the gameplay is a complete divergence from standard "Halo," it's a heavy-hitter in its own genre (real-time strategy games). "Halo Wars 2" looks to carry that torch forward.
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
From the creators of the "Killzone" series comes "Horizon Zero Dawn," an action/role-playing game played from the third-person perspective. You're on a distant-future Earth, where hulking metal dinosaurs seemingly rule the land and humanity has reverted — or evolved? — to some form of neo-tribalism with pseudo-technological underpinnings. If nothing else, it's gorgeous and packed with giant metal dinosaurs. Why do so few games have dinosaurs?!
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
If you're one of the millions of people who left your childhood home, then returned at some point to find it feeling alien, "Night in the Woods" is a game you can relate to. It stars a character named Mae who, after leaving for college and subsequently dropping out, returns to her hometown. Rather than the place she left, she finds it different than she remembers. Also, she's a cat and everyone in the town is some type of speaking animal. This isn't a game about interactivity as systems to master, but a game about exploration and storytelling — it's also critically lauded ahead of its release. Keep an eye out for "Night in the Woods."
Release Date: February 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Mac
The latest entry in the Tom Clancy-verse takes place in a sprawling, gorgeous open world that can be navigated with cars, boats, helicopters, planes and more. But why? To take down nefarious drug cartels, of course. Put a stop to the cocaine nightmare on your own or with three friends in a four-player co-op mode that looks downright chaotic.
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
One of the best — if not the best — game series on the previous generation of consoles was the "Mass Effect" trilogy. It's an incredible first- and third-person story-based action franchise that enables players to build a character, a crew, and relationships across dozens — and, for some people, hundreds — of hours and three games. The next game in the series, "Mass Effect Andromeda" is set long after the events of the original trilogy, and features entirely new characters.
Release Date: March 21, 2017
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
"PaRappa the Rapper," for millions of people, was an early mainstream introduction to hip-hop. The game is simple: mash the right buttons on the controller along to the music. Do it well enough and the game rewards you with a steady, fresh flow. And in 2017, the game is getting re-mastered for the PlayStation 4! There's even a free demo right now if you wanna check it out early.
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4
To call the "Persona" series a "cult classic" would be to undersell the seriousness of its fandom. The folks that love "Persona" love it with a depth and loyalty most human beings will never understand. On paper, the hooks sound simple: It's a third-person Japanese role-playing game, with a heavy focus on the bizarre. It's stylish, and memorable, and nigh-inscrutable to non-fans. The long-awaited fifth entry is due out worldwide this year, having already launched in Japan many moons ago.
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
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