Nioh- Feb. 7 (PS4)
February looks to start off strong with the PlayStation 4 exclusive Nioh, which is easily one of the top 5 most anticipated games of the year.
Developed by Team Ninja — known for the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series — Nioh is an action-RPG set in Japan during the 1600s and draws heavy inspiration from the Souls series.
It’s basically a samurai-themed Dark Souls, but still brings along plenty of its own personality. Garnering high praise during its three demos, the first of which was downloaded over 800,000 times, Nioh is guaranteed to be one of the first big hits of 2017.
For Honor- Feb. 14 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
For Honor is an online third-person action fighting game from developers Ubisoft Montréal. Players choose between three factions — knights, samurai and vikings — each with four separate classes.
For Honor takes elements from the MOBA genre, though developers have stated that it is not exactly a MOBA, instead combining several different genres, in what they describe as “a shooter with swords.”
Gamers will appreciate the attempt at original gameplay, but the game’s success rate is still up in the air. An open beta is running Feb, 9 to Feb. 12, available to all players on PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One.
Sniper Elite 4- Feb. 14 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
The Sniper Elite series is unique for its “designed to be boring” gameplay. The third-person tactical shooter style approaches sniper-based gameplay with a realistic take, meaning ballistics take into effect wind, bullet drop and other factors, and unless you play on easy difficulties you won’t be a one man army.
Because of its commitment to a less “actiony” shooter, Sniper Elite has gained a cult following made up of those who enjoy spending hours on a single level to perfect it. Sniper Elite 4 should be another solid into into the successful series.
Horizon Zero Dawn- Feb. 28 (PlayStation 4)
Originally one of the most anticipated releases of 2016, a delay pushed this PS4 exclusive to the end of February 2017.
The action RPG takes place 1,000 years into the future, where robotic creatures rule the world. You play as a hunter who is tasked with hunting down the machines to harvest for resources.
Think prehistoric setting, like Far Cry Primal, but replace all the animals with giant robots. Developed by Guerrilla Games — makers of the Killzone series — many are hoping this will be the start of a long lasting IP.
Torment: Tides of Numenera- Feb. 28 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Torment: Tides of Numenera has an interesting development story. In March 2013, inXile Entertainment began a Kickstarter campaign for a spiritual successor to a wildly successful 1999 RPG, Planescape: Torment.
By the end of the campaign, Torment had set the record for the highest-funded video game on Kickstarter with over $4 million pledged. Needless to say, the isometric RPG is surrounded by overwhelming hype, which only grew after the game was pushed back from a 2014 release to 2017.
With both fans and critics expecting Torment to be a hit, it will most certainly be a historic moment in the new era of crowd-funded gaming.
For Honor, a third-person action fighting game, was released Feb. 14.
