Thursday, May 3, 2018

Best PC Games of 2017: Part 1 - Ports/Remakes

Now I am going to make another list that I can mostly base on my 12 month coverage. Although one this might include a few things I have overlooked in my list making throughout the year.

I will try to divide this list into two parts because once again PC has a lot of good remakes/ports this year. I will also try to focus on the games that are platform exclusive for PC or rather built for PC gaming.

This is the part one of my post for best PC games of 2017, focusing on the ports and/or remakes of old games.

These games are listed in order of their release date and not in any particular order of ranking.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

It is bundle containing the first two games in the series Zero Escape, which is a series of adventure games directed and written by Kotaro Uchikoshi. Each game in the series follows a group of nine individuals, who are kidnapped and held captive by a person who goes by the name "Zero", and are forced to play a game of life and death in order to escape. The gameplay is divided into two types of sections: Novel sections, where the games' stories are presented, and Escape sections, where the player solves puzzles in escape-the-room scenarios. The stories are affected by player choices, and include multiple endings. This bundle containing the first two games, titled Zero Escape: The Nonary Games, was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in the West on March 24, 2017.

[ One of the best Japanese style adventure game of all time finally gets ported to PC. This is a brilliant game with elements of visual novel and puzzle mixed together to tell an incredible story. As a matter of fact I reviewed the first game for DS here (my review). I also bought the second one for my 3DS as well. ]  

Bayonetta

Bayonetta is a third-person action game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega. The game was originally released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Japan in October 2009, and in North America and Europe in January 2010. Bayonetta takes place in Vigrid, a fictional city in Europe. The game stars the titular character, a witch who is capable of shapeshifting and using various firearms. She also possesses magical attacks, and she can use her own hair to summon demons to dispatch her foes. The game features a rating system, which gives players a grade based on their performance, and a combat system that is similar to the Devil May Cry series. A port for Microsoft Windows was released in April 11, 2017.

[ I have been waiting to experience this hack & slash masterpiece for a long time and this one finally gets ported to PC. ]

The King of Fighters XIV

The King of Fighters XIV is a fighting game in The King of Fighters series developed and published in Japan by SNK. The game is notable as the first main-series The King of Fighters game rendered entirely in 3D, in contrast to previous installments which used 2D raster imagery. Critical reception to The King of Fighters XIV has been generally positive with video game publications praising its fighting system that would appeal newcomers and experts of fighting games. Nevertheless, it has also been criticized for its use of dated 3D models. It is developed for the PlayStation 4 released on August 23 in North America, August 25 in Japan, and August 26 in Europe. It was later ported to Steam for Microsoft Windows on June 29, 2017.

[ I am a fanboy of the 'King of Fighters Franchise', and have been for a long time. While this new entry might not be what I expected initially, it was quite an enjoyable experience and a Steam port just is just what a PC gamer like me was waiting for. ]

Ys Seven

Ys Seven is an action role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom and the seventh installment in the Ys video game series. It was released in Japan during 2009 for the Sony PlayStation Portable and was released by XSEED Games in North America on August 17, 2010, in Europe on November 3, 2010 and in Australia on February 20, 2013. The game was released for Microsoft Windows in China on June 20, 2012, and worldwide on Steam in August 30, 2017.

[ Latest Ys game to be ported to PC, and this series is something that is to experienced for any fans of Japanese RPG's. ]

.hack//G.U. Last Recode

Log back into the .hack//G.U. trilogy and return to “The World,” as Haseo tracks down Tri-Edge in .hack//G.U. Last Recode, now with enhanced graphics, improved gameplay, and brand new modes!
This collection includes all 3 original .hack//G.U. titles, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption, all fully restored and remastered. As well as an all new exclusive 4th Volume: .hack//G.U. Reconnection.
15 years of .hack – Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the beloved global cross media franchise that first released in 2002
Fully restored – Graphically enhanced gameplay and cut scenes now in 1080p and 60fps
Improved system features – Enhanced battle balance and game pacing to provide an optimal experience for new and old fans alike.
It was released on November 3, 2017 for Microsoft Windows on Steam and PlayStation 4.

[ All 3 original .hack//G.U. titles packed together and published for PC. Not something I thought I would ever see, but a welcome opportunity to experience nonetheless. ]

Ōkami HD

Ōkami  is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. Set sometime in classical Japanese history, the game combines several Japanese myths, legends and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess, named Amaterasu, who took the form of a white wolf. It features a distinct sumi-e-inspired cel-shaded visual style and the Celestial Brush, a gesture-system to perform miracles. The gameplay itself is modeled off The Legend of Zelda, one of director Hideki Kamiya's favorite titles. The high-definition port was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in December 12, 2017 worldwide.

[ Ah, another gem finally comes to PC. And Ōkami is another long anticipated port as well. This one was one of most unique action-adventure of the PS2 era and is just as fun to play after all this years. ]

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