PC gamers are in for an exciting 2017. In addition to the growing sector of virtual reality add-ons such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, there are loads of traditional games to get excited over. It’s a given that the annual-release sports titles and a new Call of Duty game will come down the pike, as well as whatever surprises wait for announcement at E3. But there are already several games we know enough about to want to preorder already.
Here’s a look at the best PC games coming in 2017:
5. Prey
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developers: Arkane Studios
Release date: First or Second Quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q38yi0NmAm0
This one has little to do with the long-forgotten 2006 alien-focused FPS. A wholesale reimagining of the first game, this one places you aboard a space station in an alternate timeline in which JFK survived his assassination. As alien forces attempt to contain you, you infiltrate the base and hunt down upgrades. Think Metroid Prime, but much better looking.
PREORDER: Prey
4. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
Publishers: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Release date: March 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdJub3Kz2wI
The war against drug cartels hits the grand scale here, in the first open-world setting for a Clancy game. The setting is near-future Bolivia, which has emerged as a rising power due to the clout and funds wielded by drug lords. As a Ghost, you undermine the cartel regime by taking down outposts, knocking out trade routes and infiltrating bunkers. Multiplayer will pit teams against one another in tactical struggles.
PREORDER: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
3. Halo Wars 2
Publisher: Playdead
Developer: Playdead
Release date: First Quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjN1eWhzPeA
Real-time strategy games are rare these days, having been largely replaced by MOBAs. This game is a promising attempt to pump new life into the genre by enlisting the always-reliable Halo mythos. You wage war on a colossal scale by manufacturing bases and troops to out-maneuver enemy forces. Even though this game is built for the Xbox One, PC gamers know that the mouse and keyboard setup is the superior way to play RTS.
PREORDER: Halo Wars 2
2. Crackdown 3
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Release date: First Quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge3PQ2nQM4Q
This open-world series was a refreshing thrill ride a decade ago, and now it’s back to let you guide your super-powered law enforcement agent to new heights. Expect dizzying superpowers and maniacal vehicles, as well as a campaign that was built from the ground up to be better in online co-op mode.
PREORDER: Crackdown 3
1. South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developers: Ubisoft San Francisco
Release date: First Quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiayfb1rrs0
Series creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone are involved in every aspect of development, and insisted on more development time to make sure the RPG-lite nails the high satirical standard set by the Comedy Central series and the last game in the franchise, The Stick of Truth. The new game is a mockery of comic books and the films on which they’re based. Expect challenging combat, visuals that stay true to the TV show and endless laughs.
PREORDER: South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Order Phil Villarreal’s novel, Zeta Male, here.
