Top 10 - Single-Player Games of 2017

Recently single-player campaigns have been targeted by a specific giant publisher seeking weed out games where microtransactions cannot be added. However, this year we saw the release of some outstanding single-player games without any of these greedy practices. Here are the top 10 best single-player games of 2017. 

10

One of the lesser known releases of the year The Surge is for those seeking the challenge. Set in a world ravaged by global warming and war players must travel through the facilities as Warren, an ex-technician now working for a research and development company called CREO. After a traumatic experience leading up to the installment of his new exoskeleton, Warren must survive the hordes of insane CREO employees and malfunction robots.

Challenging and unforgiving The Surge will punish players who act cocky. Instead, players must take advantage of the weapons, armor, and cybernetic implants available to defeat each enemy. That's right, each enemy has their own distinct weaknesses and fighting style to ensure that each area you explore encourages caution. Focusing on tactical fighting over brute forces players can expect to die, a lot in The Surge.

 

9

Since Sonic Generations gamers have been craving a classic 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game. While Project Needlemouse provided an adequate entry into the franchise Sonic Mania is one a whole different level. Here players take on a variety of stages ranging from remodeled classics like Chemical Planet to newly developed levels. Players can take control of Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles for a different experience thanks to each character's unique talents. 

8

The final installment from Naughty Dog in the Uncharted series finally released this year. Starring Uncharted 2's Chloe Frazer and antagonist of Uncharted 4 Nadine Ross The Lost Legacy delivers an acclaimed action-adventure campaign in the form of a DLC addition.

The adventure is complete with puzzles, large firefights, and elaborate environments. The only problem being that the main antagonist is one of the series weakest villains, but this is a small annoyance surprisingly. It's the relationship that delivers between Nadine and Chloe, from business partners to friends, that highlight Naughty Dog's strong storytelling reputation.

7

Are you bored with FPS games that treat their campaigns as overproduced tutorials with no substance? If you answered yes then Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is the game for you. No multiplayer, instead the people at MachineGames focused their entire attention on ensuring a captivating and fulfilling experience.

They successfully accomplish this by providing classic FPS gameplay with modern advances. You'll plow through waves of Nazis using an array of weapons through a series of linear levels. What brings the entire adventure together is the remarkable cutscenes which have been animated and choreograph for exceptional performance.

Speaking of performance Irene Engel steals the show as the dedicated and unstable antagonist. This is a vicious and violent woman who takes great delight in not only being a Nazi but torturing her prisoners.

6

Fans of the Resident Evil franchise have been vocal about the action route the franchise took following Resident Evil 4's release. Absent of boulder punching and motorcycle rides through snow mountains Resident Evil 7 returns to the franchise's roots by providing gamers with exciting fearful experience of being hunted by monsters.

As Ethan, you travel to Louisana in search of your wife. Things go from bad to worst as you are taken hostage by the Baker family who is clearly in need of some help. Consisting of Jack, Marguerite, and Ethan Baker each one of these antagonists takes on a special role in the game as Ethan is actively hunted.

5

The Legend of Zelda has always been held to a high standard and Breath of the Wild is no exception. This outstanding installment in the long-running series doesn't only provide a large open world to explore and challengings to overcome but it's considering the most difficult game in the entire franchise. Players are given absolute freedom after the opening portion tackle the game in whatever way they see fit. 

Players are once again tasked with saving what remains of Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Without proper directions, it's easy to get lost in this game but that's where the excitement lies. Exploring uncharted lands and finding new areas full of hidden treasures. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a long enduring adventure on its own but with the season pass promising to add more content players can easily sink 50 hours wandering the environment.

4

NieR: Automata seems straightforward, you're a combat Android named 2B who's in charge of aiding what remains of humanity in reclaiming Earth from an alien threat with the help of a scanner type android named 9s. Throughout you'll fight lavishly entertaining boss battles while listening to some of the best original soundtracks of 2017. The gameplay constantly shifts between third-person combat and aerial line-shooters as players avoid hordes of bullets. The customization options provide endless options of how you wish to change your battling style with weapons and chip modifiers.

If that wasn't enough the story is a rollercoaster ride of emotional tragedies and light-hearted humor that frequently challenges not only the authority but existence and purpose. Themes of death, life, meaning, and other philosophical dilemmas are constantly brought up by both the protagonists and antagonists. The combat system will keep you yearning for the next fight while the story will constantly shift due to exciting revelations that you won't see coming. 

3

The Dead Space franchise may be extinguished following the closure of Visceral Games but like Capcom with Resident Evil 7, Tango Gameworks has shown that true triple-a survival horror games are still relevant and popular. The first The Evil Within was met with mixed reception, many annoying by the slow pace and letterbox ratio, but its sequel fix all the issues from the first game.

The Evil Within 2 not only provides a challenging and terrifying adventure but improves on the game's story, gameplay, and boss battles. Traveling through the world of Union you'll encounter nightmarish monsters and disturbing people with bloody intentions. The comprehensive journey is made all the more complete thanks to a fantastic cast of characters, outstanding soundtrack, and horrifying adversaries that will haunt your dreams. Best of all the final moments of the campaign offers an outstanding finale that ends the entire campaign on such a high note you'll demand that Bethesda to green light another game in the series.

2

After spending years developing the FPS exclusive Killzone Guerrilla Games came out swinging with their first third-person action-adventure game Horizon Zero Dawn, and it was amazing. From start to finish Aloy's journey is full of dangerous machines to fight, distinct characters, and lush environments to explore. What tie everything together was the outstanding story that was full of shocking moments and surprising twists. Best of all the recent expansion, The Frozen Wilds provides the same stellar experience as the core campaign and extends this exceptional journey by providing a new area to explore. If you own a PS4 you must play this game. 

1

Super Mario Odyssey is an absolute masterpiece. Each new world is teeming with distinguished enemies, unexplored challenges, and Power Moons to collect. The mixture of modern and classic gameplay amplified the experience by providing an equal balance between nostalgic and modern gameplay mechanics while maintaining Nintendo's signature charm. Super Mario Odyssey doesn't attempt to draw you in with a dense story, instead, it focuses solely on gameplay to ensure the player is having a good time throughout. Super Mario Odyssey's campaign is long and densely compact with extensive trials that will keep you hooked until every Power Moon has been collected.  

What were your favorite single-player games of 2017? Let us know in the comments below!

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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