Looking back at the gaming landscape of 2017, it was a year bursting with incredible experiences that left a lasting impact. IGN's editors, after reviewing over 200 titles, awarded their prestigious Editors' Choice Award to a select group of games that scored between 9.0 and a perfect 10. These weren't just high-scoring reviews; they were titles that profoundly impressed critics at launch and have stood the test of time, remaining absolutely essential plays even in 2026. This list represents a curated collection of brilliance, from open-world epics to intimate indie gems, each offering something uniquely memorable.
🎮 The Pinnacle of Action & Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A true watershed moment for open-world design, Breath of the Wild completely reinvented a legendary franchise. It presents a vast, mysterious sandbox of Hyrule where every hill, forest, and ruin begs to be explored. The sense of discovery is unparalleled, with players crafting their own unique stories through emergent gameplay. Even after dozens of hours, new secrets and fascinating moments continue to emerge, solidifying its status as a generational masterpiece.
Horizon Zero Dawn
This title juggles a vast, beautiful open world with incredible polish. Its standout feature is the supremely satisfying combat against magnificent machine-creatures, each requiring strategic thinking to defeat. While some side content could be more imaginative, the game is propelled by a central mystery that leads to a genuinely surprising and emotionally moving conclusion.
Super Mario Odyssey
Proving that Mario never stands still, Odyssey is a masterclass in joyful, innovative platforming. It distills the series' irreverent charm and best-in-class action, introducing a steady stream of new and unexpected mechanics—most notably Mario's sentient hat, Cappy. It's a vibrant, creative adventure spun together into what many consider the plumber's finest 3D outing.
⚔️ RPGs That Redefined Depth
Persona 5
This massive, stylish JRPG offers well over 100 hours of gameplay for completionists. It boasts the series' strongest narrative to date, set within a fully realized, ultra-stylish world that's an absolute joy to explore. With sprawling dungeons, deep social sim elements, and incredibly fun turn-based combat, it set a new gold standard for the genre.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Built on the spirit of classic RPGs like Baldur's Gate 2, Larian Studios created something expansive and revolutionary. It allows for an astonishing degree of flexibility in problem-solving, supported by rewarding tactical combat and a powerful, reactive story. The world feels truly alive, reacting to the player's choices in meaningful ways, making each playthrough a unique discovery.
Nioh
This action RPG carves out its own fierce identity by building upon its inspirations with a highly refined, deep combat system. Its challenging campaign and many side missions could consume over 100 hours, but it's a test of skill well worth undertaking. It blends a gritty, feudal Japanese style with supernatural elements for a uniquely satisfying experience.
🏎️ Racing Games at Full Throttle
Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels Expansion
This expansion is pure, unadulterated joy. It transforms the already excellent Forza Horizon 3 into a bedroom fantasy come to life, with a city-sized network of insane, bright orange stunt tracks. It's a delightful, daring, and different addition that reinforces the game's reputation as one of the best racing titles ever made.
Dirt 4
A glorious return to form for Codemasters' rally series. Accessible yet tough, grimy yet gorgeous, Dirt 4 sets a new standard in the rally racing subgenre. Its well-considered career mode and practically endless, randomly generated stages give it tremendous staying power. It successfully captures the spirit of the classic Colin McRae games.
Forza Motorsport 7
Pitched as the ultimate automotive playset, it's hard to argue. With a car collection that could fill museums and the most generous track selection in the series to date, the amount of driving and racing content is mammoth. It remains accessible for newcomers while being a deep love letter to car culture for enthusiasts.
🥊 Fighters, Shooters & Competitive Thrills
Injustice 2
NetherRealm's fighter improved on its predecessor in nearly every way, with better movement and new mechanics. While the story is unnecessarily grim, the DC roster shines visually. The sheer volume of single-player content, especially the highlight Multiverse mode, and the incredibly high skill ceiling make it easy to lose entire days mastering its depths.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
A fantastic single-player shooter powered by its brilliantly written characters and stellar performances. Protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz and his crew are full of spirit, while General Engel stands as one of gaming's most memorable villains. MachineGames once again made mowing down Nazis an exciting, cathartic, and strangely poignant act.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG)
This title took the survival shooter genre and boiled it down to its most intense, best parts, creating quick and accessible rounds of pure, hassle-free action. Despite its rough-around-the-edges Early Access state at the time, its groundbreaking battle royale formula was absolutely worth playing and laid the foundation for a gaming revolution.
Rocket League
A golden example of a simple, absurd concept—cars playing soccer—executed to perfection. It masterfully meshes arcadey, energetic gameplay with deep, team-based strategy. It's that rare multiplayer game that is welcoming to newcomers but so intricate that the best players can build careers mastering its physics-based depths.
🧩 Standout Indies & Puzzlers
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
A masterclass in atmosphere, storytelling, and the marriage of mechanical and conceptual design. Ninja Theory's care in portraying Senua's journey through psychosis created something truly amazing and emotionally resonant. It's a powerful, harrowing experience that everyone should play, offering a brief but profound glimpse into a troubled mind.
Pyre
From Supergiant Games, Pyre is an adventure that excels in every area—art, music, story, and tactical gameplay—all woven together artfully. It's an epic journey that evokes thrill, devastation, and awe, set around fast-paced mystical sports rituals. Its emotionally charged endings, tinged with melancholy even in victory, leave a lasting impression. Many consider it the developer's best work.
Opus Magnum
A collection of brilliant, open-ended puzzle games that subtly encourage boundless creativity. Players hunt for ever-more elegant solutions to alchemical engineering problems, and the game fostered a community dedicated to both competition and collaboration. It feels one-of-a-kind and stands as one of the best puzzle games of its era.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
This expansion added more of the beloved, unpredictable roguelike action that made the original great. It's a tough but fair game that balances challenge with the refreshing feeling of the unexpected. The wild item combinations and varied enemies make it endlessly replayable and wonderfully wacky.
🔄 Enhanced Editions & Definitive Versions
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
The most complete package of this retro-inspired masterpiece. The Specter of Torment expansion, in particular, improved on the original in nearly every way, from story and writing to the fluidity of platforming and combat. It represents the pinnacle of Yacht Club Games' celebrated title.
StarCraft: Remastered
A loving preservation of a real-time strategy titan. While its interface lacks modern conveniences, Blizzard has never outdone the elegant, asymmetrical balance between the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss achieved in Brood War. It's a timeless piece of gaming history, well worth visiting or experiencing for the first time.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The definitive version of an already phenomenal kart racer. It remains gorgeous and incredibly addictive. The overhauled Battle mode with five additional ways to play gave returning players a great reason to double-dip, cementing its place as the best entry in the long-running series.
🏆 Other Notable Masterpieces
| Game | Genre | Why It Shone |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin's Creed Origins | Action RPG | A stunning dive into ancient Egypt with rich cultures, genuine characters, and challenging, thoughtful combat. |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of War | Action | Expanded the brilliant Nemesis system with greater variety and epic fortress sieges. |
| Total War: Warhammer II | Strategy | Featured distinct, fun-to-play factions and a story-driven campaign that was a league above previous series entries. |
| Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood | MMORPG | Delivered an unforgettable story, great new content, and lands that rewarded exploration, perfecting its formula. |
| Tekken 7 | Fighting | Struck a perfect balance between accessibility and technical depth, with tremendous character customization. |
In summary, 2017 was a landmark year that gifted players with an astonishing variety of high-quality experiences. From the quiet introspection of Hellblade to the chaotic fun of Rocket League, and from the strategic depths of Divinity to the boundless exploration of Breath of the Wild, this collection represents a high-water mark for interactive entertainment. These games didn't just earn high scores; they earned a permanent place in gaming history, and their brilliance continues to resonate nearly a decade later. 🎯
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