#5 Ultra Street Fighter II

2017 was the year of amazing video games. 2017 was also the year the fighting game genre experienced a new rebirth. Brand new entries into the Tekken, Marvel Vs Capcom, Injustice  and Guilty Gear, it was the fightpocalypse. However out of all the new titles released, I still only play one of them on a consistent basis. Yes the online isn't the best and Way of The Hado mode is absolute garbage, despite all that I love playing this game. The added changes breath new life into a game for a whole new generation.Ultra Street Fighter II is proof that a game can have many flaws, but still be enjoyed to the fullest.

#4  Xenoblade chronicles 2

I'M REALLY FEELING IT! When I first saw the Nintendo Switch I had the feeling it would an RPG machine, but one thing I didn't expect to come out this year was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. For the better part of December this game consumed my life, I couldn't put it down and a majority of it goes to it's exhilarating the combat system is, in short Xenoblade 2's battle system is difficult to understand in the early hours of the game, but once mastered the game becomes that much more fun. I know people have been making fun of the character designs and how it clashes with the environment and I don't disagree with that idea I just don't care. I absolutely love the character designs, they ooze personality and distinguish themselves from the rest of the world. The story is your typical JRPG tropes that you've seen before but it's the characters that hold this narrative together. The only aspects of this game I didn't enjoy were that certain side quests were completely based on RNG and the quest marker was absolutely broken (both of these killed my enthusiasm for side questing). Yes this game will only appeal to a small niche set of fans but I'm proud to be among that niche.

#3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

The Legend lives on. Are you really surprised that this is on my list? From the linear narrative experience that was Skyward Sword, Nintendo went the opposite direction with this latest installment. Hyrule has never looked this gorgeous nor felt this expansive, I could and did get lost within the ruins of this once great Kingdom. I've always associated Zelda with exploration and that's where this game excels. Yes the game points you to specific points but I had the most fun venturing off on my own finding my way. I know that many people are super critical of Breath of The Wild's story due to how it's told. I deeply loved how the story unfolded, seeing Zelda struggle with her destiny with doomsday right around the corner made her actually feel like a real character and not just another princess to be rescued, and the tragic fall of The Champions of Hyrule just breaks my heart as I think about them. Breath of The Wild was not a perfect game, but it's a game that I'll gladly enter time after time.

#2 Sonic Mania

Sonic is dead. Long live Sonic! If you're not familiar with me, then you might assume that I was a huge Nintendo fan growing up. While I lucky enough to grow up with both a SNES and a Genesis, it was the Genesis that I gravitated to. Specially Sonic The Hedgehog. This game actually brought tears to my eyes, this was a trip down memory lane with new houses on said lane. Some might try to dismiss this game relies to much on it's nostalgia and I can't disagree with that statement but the amount of love that Christian Whitehead and his team put into the games proves that you can still make a great Sonic game in the modern era. Even if you didn't grow up with Sonic your doing yourself a disservice by not playing this game. Plus you can have two Knuckles on the same screen at the same time! What's not to love?!

#1 Nier Automata

Most people see games as mindless entertainment, something to relax your brain after a stressful day of work. However it's been proven that games can tell thought provoking stories and every now and then a game will come along and tell one of those stories. Nier: Automata shook me to my very core, I haven't thought about game's story this much since Metal Gear Solid 3. Nier explores the notions of identity, questions our reality and turns our very expectations upside down and out the window. This isn't a game you only play once, this is a game that you need to play multiple times to understand the scope of the story. Yes the combat is pretty simplistic but it is serviceable and for a game like this that's all I really need. Nier: Automata will make you think, Nier Automata will make you weep. That is why Nier Automata is my Game of The Year for 2017.