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Here are the greatest video games of 2017

With a year filled with great games at every turn, those deemed best of the year are truly an exceptional bunch.

Jeff Bakalar
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Jeff Bakalar
unchll
1 of 15 Naughty Dog

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

The Lost Legacy featured exceptional writing, acting and a pair of female leads that steal the show. Its action and puzzle-solving mechanics helped seal the deal as one of 2017's must-plays and a satisfying supplement to the Uncharted series.

zelda
2 of 15 Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Arguably the best Zelda game ever made, Breath of the Wild not only supplied new Switch owners with an epic title to kickstart the console, but also smartly evolved the franchise in a way that cements it as one of Nintendo's most important milestones.

cup
3 of 15 Studio MDHR

Cuphead

After years of tedious development, Cuphead and its jaw-dropping 1930's cartoon inspired gameplay finally saw the light of day. As if its wholly unique visual style wasn't enough, Cuphead's seriously challenging platforming made it a knockout.

nier
4 of 15 Platinum Games

Nier: Automata

One of 2017's biggest surprises, Nier: Automata featured a strange and compelling story combined with stunning combat and varied play styles and presentations.

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5 of 15 Tango Gameworks

The Evil Within 2

The follow-up to a title that never really got enough attention turned heads with a much more refined survival horror offering. Between its improved narrative, smartly designed levels and more, The Evil Within 2 succeeded where its predecessor faltered, with improvements along nearly every step of the way.

metroid
6 of 15 Nintendo

Metroid: Samus Returns

The 3DS received one of the best Metroid titles in recent memory this year in Metroid: Samus Returns. The game is a remake of 1991's Return of Samus, but for all intents and purposes it felt like a brand new game. Excellent progression and satisfying combat made it a must-play on Nintendo's veteran portable system.

wolf2
7 of 15 Machine Games

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

The follow-up to 2014's reboot of the franchise, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus had a lot to live up to. Its heavy-handed story and over-the-top cutscenes complement the overall zaniness of the experience as you lead a resistance against a Nazi-inhabited US in 1961.

hellblade
8 of 15 Ninja Theory

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Hellblade was a departure from Ninja Theory's typical game style, but this narrative-driven experience that deals with the difficult subject of psychosis is an undoubtedly bold approach towards understanding such a sensitive affliction.

nightmares
9 of 15 Tarsier Studios

Little Nightmares

Little Nightmares is a brief platformer that features a beautifully realized albeit macabre presentation. Its environments are ripped from dark fairy tales and its sense of scale makes the player feel all the more helpless. It's not an overly cheerful title, but definitely worth playing.

per5
10 of 15 Atlus

Persona 5

Persona 5 is a highly-engaging and uniquely stylized experience, featuring smartly refined game play systems all while telling a compelling story of teenagers who fight adult authority figures in an alternate reality.

smo
11 of 15 Nintendo

Super Mario Odyssey

In one of Mario's best games yet, Super Mario Odyssey blends decades of nostalgia with fresh platforming, expertly designed worlds and ultra-satisfying game play and discovery.

pubg
12 of 15 PUBG Corporation

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

One of 2017's runaway hits still hasn't been officially "released." As part of Steam's Early Access program, PUBG managed to sell millions of copies thanks to its addictive, 100-player survival mode

re7
13 of 15 Capcom

Resident Evil 7

Without a doubt, Resident Evil 7 is the best in the series since Resident Evil 4 debuted back in 2005. RE7 is not only profoundly in touch with its roots, it also stands confidently as its own independent work of interactive horror.

horizon
14 of 15 Guerrilla Games

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn presented a wonderfully new world with imaginative enemies, compelling lore and a great open-world action-RPG experience.

finch
15 of 15 Giant Sparrow

What Remains of Edith Finch

A beautiful and emotional narrative experience, What Remains of Edith Finch is a smartly crafted piece of interactive storytelling that has some serious heart and masterful execution.

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