PlayStation
PlayStation
We asked you to vote, and you showed up! 2017’s Game of the Year polls saw an astounding 1.6 million votes across all categories, with over 150k votes in the “Best PS4 Game” category alone. Thank you!
There is definitely a clear winner this year — Guerrilla’s Horizon Zero Dawn stole the show, securing the Platinum Trophy in nine of our 18 categories. We’ll make sure Aloy hears about it!
Read on to see who else took home the Platinum (and the Gold, Silver and Bronze) in more categories like Best PS VR Experience, Best Independent Game, Most Anticipated PS4 Game, and lots more.
So, what do you think? Agreed on the winners? Did you vote differently? Did you not vote, but now wish you had? Discuss (nicely!) in the comments.
Best PS4 Game
Horizon Zero Dawn
You’ll notice a distinct theme this year. Horizon Zero Dawn swept the polls, earning more votes than its closest competitor by more than 2:1. Epic’s Fortnite earned the most write-in votes, but not enough to crack the top four.
Call of Duty WWII
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Persona 5
Honorable Mentions: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Nier: Automata, Resident Evil 7
Editors’ Choice
Nier: Automata. Through all of 2017, I pretended it was going to be tough to choose my final GotY pick as megaton after megaton dropped. But it’s Nier. It was always Nier. No game can make me cry over sexy robots fighting a proxy war on an abandoned far-future Earth the way Nier Automata can.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Persona 5. Persona 5 threads an oddly specific gaming needle and stands as one of the most invigorating and interesting releases of the year. I was equally invested in the outlandish and increasingly elaborate Persona and boss battles as I was making new friends and finding my place as a school boy in Tokyo.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Horizon Zero Dawn. A big-budget blockbuster done right. Guerrilla’s post-post apocalyptic vision is compelling enough, but the superior visuals, ferocious combat, and surprising plot twists inject fresh life into the action-RPG genre.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy pulls off an impressive feat: it manages to deliver some of the best writing, performances, and action moments from a franchise already overflowing with them, while at same time shaking up the Uncharted formula in thrilling, open-ended ways. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had this year, and might just be my favorite Uncharted game.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
What Remains of Edith Finch. In a year of amazing game stories, Edith Finch stands out for being a powerful narrative that is only possible in games. Each mini-story told within the game is accompanied by a unique art and gameplay style that build towards a profound emotional experience.
— Andy Yen // SIEA PS Store
Best PS VR Experience
Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Another blowout in the polls, this time for Capcom’s survival-horror revival Resident Evil 7, though Skyrim put up a muscular defense. Rec Room stood out for write-in votes.
Skyrim VR
Gran Turismo Sport
Superhot VR
Honorable Mentions: Doom VFR, Farpoint, Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Editors’ Choice
Resident Evil 7 biohazard. Capcom gives a master class in how to reboot a classic series. The first-person perspective adds a terrifying new layer to the survival-horror gameplay, and the PS VR support is second-to-none.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Superhot VR. The game where time moves when you move is magnitudes better in the world of VR where the PlayStation Move controllers can track your entire body’s movements. It’s the closest you’ll get in real life to bullet dodging in The Matrix without needing to do an apocalypse rave before.
— Andy Yen // SIEA PS Store
Gnog. Ko-op’s virtual reality toybox made me feel like a kid again. Pushing, pulling, turning and tweaking knobs, bells and whistles has never felt so rewarding.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Independent Game
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Voters again had a clear favorite, with Ninja Theory’s well-regarded Hellblade earning the nod. Epic’s Fortnite led the field in write-in votes.
Undertale
Superhot
Everything
Honorable Mentions: What Remains of Edith Finch, Night in the Woods, Pyre
Editors’ Choice
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. One of the best psychological horror games I’ve ever played – Hellblade was an amazing journey as an 8th century human suffering from psychosis. The threat of permanent death via save deletion made every combat encounter a thrilling sweaty palms affair.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Undertale. Okay, I get it. Now that I’ve finally played Undertale (multiple times), I understand why its fanbase is so… vocal. Toby Fox’s heart-warming/wrenching underground RPG marries fresh gameplay ideas with tack-sharp writing, unforgettable characters, and one of gaming’s most toe-tapping soundtracks. This one is going to stay with me.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
What Remains of Edith Finch. Giant Sparrow’s journey through a cursed family’s history takes you from the highest whimsical highs to some delicately devastating lows, all with a flourish of magic-realism that swept me away.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Superhot. Like being caught inside the world’s best story. The gameplay gimmick is inspired, the pacing alternately exhilarating and exasperating, and the mood ice cold. Even the war3z-styled Easter eggs go above and beyond. One of the year’s very best.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Best PS Vita Game
Undertale
No surprises — Undertale dominated on PS Vita, scoring the lion’s share of votes. Steamworld Dig 2 took top write-in honors.
Danganronpa V3
Xenon Valkyrie +
Ys Origin
Honorable Mentions: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, A Rose in the Twilight, Tokyo Xanadu
Editors’ Choice
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Games about high school murder mysteries don’t come along every day, especially with the twists and turns of the Danganronpa series. Perfect for on the go play, V3 even has cross-save capability when you finally get home to your PS4.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Undertale. Undertale is a perfect “multiple playthrough” game — I got halfway through my second run in a coffee shop! Protip: If you’re playing this one on the go, make sure you have headphones.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Performance
Ashly Burch
Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn
An array of excellent performances this year, with Ashley Burch’s Aloy landing the coveted Platinum pick. On the write-in front, Nathan Fillion’s Cayde-6 from Destiny 2 saw significant attention.
Claudia Black
Chloe, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Melina Juergens
Senua, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Janina Gavankar
Iden Versio, Star Wars Battlefront II
Honorable Mentions: Laura Bailey // Nadine, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy; Kira Buckland // 2B, Nier: Automata; Brian Bloom // BJ Blazcowicz, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Editors’ Choice
Melina Juergens for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. A quest through the Norse underworld was never going to look easy, but Melina Jeurgens’ excruciatingly raw performance highlights Senua’s paranoia, pain and determination with perfect clarity.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Ashly Burch for Horizon Zero Dawn. It’s hard to believe Aloy was just introduced to us fully in 2017, as she already feels like an iconic character in games. Chronicling her journey from a young girl to stoic heroine, Ashley’s performance in Horizon Zero Dawn was unforgettable.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nyasha Hatendi for Mass Effect Andromeda. Bioware’s latest introduced Angarian resistance fighter Jaal Ama Darav, and he’s a memorable addition to the Mass Effect pantheon. Nyasha Hatendi’s portrayal is warm and wistful — a perfect fit for this enigmatic character.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Best Art Direction
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another big win for Guerrilla Games, with Horizon Zero Dawn soaring out ahead of the competition nearly 3:1. Star Wars Battlefront II scored the most write-in votes.
Persona 5
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Destiny 2
Honorable Mentions: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Gravity Rush 2
Editors’ Choice
Persona 5. That dynamic battle UI. The bonkers boss battle reveals. Those stylish Palace-crawling costumes. And of course, your talking cat companion turning into a van. Persona 5 truly had a vision and executed it with flair.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Superhot. Sometimes less is more. Superhot’s ersatz environments and faceless, crystalline enemies radiate creepypasta levels of uneasiness.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Destiny 2. When it comes to epic, galaxy-building design, few come close to Bungie’s talents. From varied world settings, to unforgettable set pieces, Destiny 2 is breathtaking to look at and play in. Not to mention that sweet sweet exotic gear design.
— Andy Yen //SIEA Store
Best Soundtrack
Horizon Zero Dawn
A squeaker, with Horizon edging out Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Destiny 2 for top honors. FIFA 18 netted the most write-ins.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Destiny 2
Nier: Automata
Honorable Mentions: Persona 5, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Sonic Mania
Editors’ Choice
Persona 5. I always let the opening sequence play all the way through… and sometimes waited to let it play through a second time. This game’s range of kinetic to ambient jazz was the perfect backdrop for being a Phantom Thief.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Nier: Automata. The unexpected, eclectic nature of Nier: Automata’s story is matched only by its score: sweeping orchestral set pieces give way to charming children’s choruses and chiptune arrangements, but somehow, no song ever feels out of place.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Undertale. Epic sounding chiptunes that will make you both nostalgic for yesteryear and pumped up for battle. It’s rare that a game has instantly recognizable character themes, and Undertale’s are unforgettable.
— Andy Yen // /SIEA Store
Prey. After the breakout success of his DOOM soundtrack in 2016, composer Mick Gordon scored TWO huge games in 2017: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and Prey. Both sounded exceptional, but the blend of cyberpunk-electronic beats with classic horror ambience made Prey my favorite soundtrack of the year.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best Multiplayer
Call of Duty WWII
Call of Duty ultimately overcame Fortnite in this hard-fought deathmatch, with Friday the 13th cleaning up in write-in votes.
Fortnite
Destiny 2
Star Wars Battlefront II
Honorable Mentions: Injustice 2, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Tekken 7
Editors’ Choice
Destiny 2. The ultimate game for both PVE and PVP in a single package. No other shooter does 6-player co-op quite like Destiny’s raids while also including pro-caliber competitive play in the same sandbox.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Call of Duty WWII. A true return to form for the classic shooter. Sledgehammer wasn’t asleep at the switch: War mode, Nazi Zombies, Divisions, and Headquarters all brought fresh new ideas to the most polished multiplayer shooter on the market.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. The arrival of the Stormblood expansion brought a beautifully crafted story, a refined combat system, and more exquisite music to the Final Fantasy XIV experience. But this is still an MMO, and running through dungeons to face towering boss battles with friends remains one of the game’s principle delights.
— Ryan Clements // SIEA Social Media
Best Story
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another commanding win for Horizon, with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy mustering a fierce defense. Among write-in votes, Destiny 2 led the pack.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Persona 5
Nier: Automata
Honorable Mentions: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, The Evil Within 2, Injustice 2
Editors’ Choice
The Evil Within II. Tango Gameworks surprised me. The setup is interesting enough, but the escalating stakes combined with several memorable characters and boss fights elevate this to must-play status, whether you played the first game or not.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Nier: Automata. What begins as an almost generic Japanese sci-fi tale becomes one of the most profound stories I’ve ever experienced. As you experience plot points from other perspectives, the onion layers peel back, and you’re contemplating what it truly means to be human.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Horizon Zero Dawn. Horizon Zero Dawn had me hooked from the moment Rost raised little baby Aloy to the sun, but unravelling the mysteries of both Aloy and the Earth’s past was extremely satisfying thanks to the well written characters and intricately fascinating lore.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Best Sports Game
FIFA 18
FIFA 18 managed to head off an aggressive offense from a resurgent GT Sport to cement the lead. Interestingly, Pro Evolution Soccer 18 led handily among write-in votes.
Gran Turismo Sport
NBA 2K18
Madden NFL 18
Honorable Mentions: Everybody’s Golf, Disc Jam, MLB The Show 17
Editors’ Choice
Madden 18. I’m an on again off again Madden player, so I’m not as hardcore into Ultimate Team and the competitive angle as some, but as a casual, I really enjoyed the meaty new “Longshot” single-player story mode that was added this year. Mixing “Friday Night Lights” (with some actors from the TV show even!) with Life Is Strange and Madden gameplay is a formula that works surprisingly well.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Everybody’s Golf. It may go by a new name, but the spirit of Hot Shots lives on. Few games manage to balance instant accessibility with the idea of “I could have done that better… let me try it again” the way this series does, and Everybody’s Golf brings that — and so much more — to PS4.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Everybody’s Golf. As a Hot Shots fan from waaaay back, Everybody’s Golf is nothing short of a miracle. It’s everything I loved about classic Hot Shots gameplay, but packed to the gills with an absolutely insane amount of bonus activities — driving! fishing! Shuhei! — not to mention the unique open-course multiplayer. The art style is charming, the music is joyful, and the course design harkens to a utopia that only exists in my dreams. My Everybody’s Golf persona is the man I aspire to be.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best Post-Release Content
Horizon Zero Dawn
A nail biter, with Horizon squeaking past GTA Online by only one percentage point and Battlefield 1 leading among write-in votes.
Grand Theft Auto Online
Final Fantasy XV
Overwatch
Honorable Mentions: Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Editors’ Choice
Darkest Dungeon. Surprise, surprise. The Crimson Court expansion is a literal gamechanger, with new mechanics that ripple through content both old and new. Just when I thought I was out…
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Final Fantasy XIV. FFXIV’s Stormblood expansion introduced revamped gameplay elements, new jobs to master, an entire soundtrack’s worth of excellent new music, and numerous quality-of-life upgrades, but where it really impressed me is with its story — easily the ever-growing MMO’s best yet.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds. A meaty addition to the world of Horizon, The Frozen Wilds organically adds a huge area for Aloy to explore whether you’ve finished the game already or not. The new characters and story missions are as in depth and lovingly crafted as they were in the original game.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. Okay, technically this is a standalone experience and thus not “post-release content,” but whatever (sorry Justin). (Editor’s note: I’ll allow it. -JM) Dishonored: Death of the Outsider needs some much-deserved praise. The focused scope and mechanical tweaks resulted in a Dishonored experience that encouraged playstyles that felt exciting and fresh, even to a Dishonored vet like myself.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best PlayStation Console Exclusive
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another big win for Guerrilla Games, though Uncharted and Crash managed strong support.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Crash Bandicoot: The N-Sane Trilogy
Persona 5
Honorable Mentions: Nier Automata, Gran Turismo Sport, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Editors’ Choice
Horizon Zero Dawn. A perfect example of a platform-selling blockbuster, Horizon excels across the board with astonishing visuals, superior PS4 Pro features, and unique combat you can’t find anywhere else.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Persona 5. Persona 5 is not a short game, but its length shouldn’t put you off from experiencing its unique brand of style, storytelling, and relationship building. By the end of it you’ll feel like a high schooler again, with a new group of best friends forged through shared experience.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nier Automata. Big surprise, I know. Nier Automata is a game that’s going to be with me for a long time, for lots of reasons. Its DualShock 4 control layout was part of the fun, too — I found myself shifting into “Combat Mode” (basically just shifting my middle fingers up to R2 and L2 so I could keep R1 held down with my index finger) every time I came across a formidable enemy.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best PS4 Theme
Uncharted 10th Anniversary Theme
Uncharted dominated this category handily, with Horizon leading among write-in votes.
Persona 5 Character Themes
Legacy Dashboard Theme
Undertale Dynamic Theme (Ruins)
Honorable Mentions: Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 Preorder Theme, Pyre Theme, Burger Love Returns Dynamic Theme
Editors’ Choice
Legacy. I’m usually not one for nostalgia plays, but man, this dynamic, 3D theme recreating the old PS2 system screen is an awesome trip down memory line.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Rez Infinite Singularity Theme. Rez Infinite is pretty much a religious experience in PlayStation VR, especially Area X — the new area added for the Infinite release. This theme brings the feeling of Area X’s final section to your PS4 dashboard, and I don’t plan to change it anytime soon.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Use of PS4 Pro
Horizon Zero Dawn
Despite tight competition, Horizon racked up another win. Star Wars Battlefront II was the leader among write-in voters.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Call of Duty WWII
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Honorable Mentions: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Gran Turismo Sport, Destiny 2
Editors’ Choice
Horizon Zero Dawn. Guerrilla’s technical excellence is on proud display here. The 4K output looks razor sharp, while the HDR features make color and vibrancy pop. Love that you can emphasize resolution or performance now, too. Developers: this is how you do it!
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice. Senua’s descent into madness is best experienced in 4K with a pair of the Platinum Wireless Headset. The game looks absolutely jaw-dropping in 4K resolution, but the 3D positional audio mix steals the show here, making you feel like you’re hearing the same voices in her head.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nioh. Nioh’s exhilarating combat made for one of the best action games of 2017, but its use of PS4 Pro brought quality-of-life improvements that elevated it to another level. For coming out so early in 2017, Nioh established one of my favorite implementations of the Pro’s added horsepower: allowing the gamer to choose between modes that prioritized frame-rate or resolution.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Most Anticipated PS4 Title
God of War
A tight competitive field here, but God of War lands the Platinum nod. Dragon Ball FighterZ saw the most write-in votes. You don’t have long to wait, folks!
Red Dead Redemption 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Far Cry 5
Honorable Mentions: Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Death Stranding
Editors’ Choice
Shadow of the Colossus. I’m fascinated by Bluepoint’s work here; they’ve enhanced this 2005 classic to the point where it can hang with 2018’s elite crop of AAA titles. The game is almost too gorgeous to believe.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
God of War. Kratos’s new odyssey on PS4 is poised to be my first can’t miss game of 2018 – I can’t wait to see where venturing into the world of Norse mythology takes the series. We all know the game will deliver the goods on the action front, but I’m personally looking forward to seeing where his story goes in his grizzled years as a father.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Marvel’s Spider-Man. I’ve been a Spider-Fan for as long as I can remember, and everything we’ve seen on Peter Parker’s upcoming PS4 outing indicates that Insomniac is the perfect studio to realize the potential of the character.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. Legendary heroes and villains meet on a battlefield unbound by space and time. A true embodiment of light versus darkness. You will be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated fan of the Dissidia series than me, and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT continues the RPG fighting tradition with a gorgeous visual overhaul. January 30 can’t come soon enough.
— Ryan Clements // SIEA Social Media
Most Anticipated PS VR Title
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
An easy win for Rick and Morty, though Ace Combat 7 saw extensive write-in excitement.
Blood & Truth
Star Child
Firewall Zero Hour
Honorable Mentions: Golem, Moss, The Inpatient
Editors’ Choice
Moss. Based on what I’ve played of Polyarc’s tiny, huge VR adventure, it strikes a perfect balance of old-school platforming action and an immersive virtual reality wow-factor. Plus, Quill is the cutest lil’ hero I’ve seen in years. Gimme!
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
The Inpatient. Part of what made Until Dawn so tantalizingly creepy were the sequences taking part in an old abandoned asylum. Now you’re telling me I get to play a fully-realized prequel set in that very asylum, and in VR? Sign me up.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Firewall Zero Hour. A no-brainer. This back-to-basics 4v4 FPS is an electrifying VR experience, especially when paired with the PS VR Aim Controller. It will appeal hugely to fans of Rainbow Six and the old SWAT games.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Blood & Truth. I’ll never forget The London Heist: it was the very first PS VR demo I tried, and still stands up as one of the most immersive and action-packed PS VR experiences out there. Blood & Truth takes the fundamentals they explored in that demo and fleshes them out into a full-length game, and I could not be more excited.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Studio of the Year
Guerrilla Games
Though Guerrilla Games and Sledgehammer dominated voting, we saw a strong write-in showing in support of Naughty Dog (who won the Platinum in this category last year).
Sledgehammer Games
Capcom
PlatinumGames
Honorable Mentions: Atlus, Ninja Theory, Arkane Studios
Editors’ Choice
Guerrilla Games. I’ve never seen an established studio pivot so radically, or so successfully. Horizon feels like the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the veteran studio.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Supergiant Games. This small, San Francisco-based studio exudes pure heart in their work in a way no other developer does. Pyre, their newest, is the culmination of the studio’s expertise thus far, marrying music, story, and visuals with a truly unique approach to gameplay. If you’re not familiar with Supergiant yet, you should be.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Square Enix. Our colleagues at Square Enix made a tremendous impact last year. Not only did they publish the riveting and critically acclaimed Nier: Automata, but the team behind Final Fantasy XIV continues to define world-class MMO development. The launch of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood thrust the game in a new direction, with awe-inspiring villains and an overhaul of the combat system. Spectacular.
— Ryan Clements// SIEA Social Media
There is definitely a clear winner this year — Guerrilla’s Horizon Zero Dawn stole the show, securing the Platinum Trophy in nine of our 18 categories. We’ll make sure Aloy hears about it!
Read on to see who else took home the Platinum (and the Gold, Silver and Bronze) in more categories like Best PS VR Experience, Best Independent Game, Most Anticipated PS4 Game, and lots more.
So, what do you think? Agreed on the winners? Did you vote differently? Did you not vote, but now wish you had? Discuss (nicely!) in the comments.
Best PS4 Game
Horizon Zero Dawn
You’ll notice a distinct theme this year. Horizon Zero Dawn swept the polls, earning more votes than its closest competitor by more than 2:1. Epic’s Fortnite earned the most write-in votes, but not enough to crack the top four.
Call of Duty WWII
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Persona 5
Honorable Mentions: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Nier: Automata, Resident Evil 7
Editors’ Choice
Nier: Automata. Through all of 2017, I pretended it was going to be tough to choose my final GotY pick as megaton after megaton dropped. But it’s Nier. It was always Nier. No game can make me cry over sexy robots fighting a proxy war on an abandoned far-future Earth the way Nier Automata can.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Persona 5. Persona 5 threads an oddly specific gaming needle and stands as one of the most invigorating and interesting releases of the year. I was equally invested in the outlandish and increasingly elaborate Persona and boss battles as I was making new friends and finding my place as a school boy in Tokyo.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Horizon Zero Dawn. A big-budget blockbuster done right. Guerrilla’s post-post apocalyptic vision is compelling enough, but the superior visuals, ferocious combat, and surprising plot twists inject fresh life into the action-RPG genre.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy pulls off an impressive feat: it manages to deliver some of the best writing, performances, and action moments from a franchise already overflowing with them, while at same time shaking up the Uncharted formula in thrilling, open-ended ways. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had this year, and might just be my favorite Uncharted game.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
What Remains of Edith Finch. In a year of amazing game stories, Edith Finch stands out for being a powerful narrative that is only possible in games. Each mini-story told within the game is accompanied by a unique art and gameplay style that build towards a profound emotional experience.
— Andy Yen // SIEA PS Store
Best PS VR Experience
Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Another blowout in the polls, this time for Capcom’s survival-horror revival Resident Evil 7, though Skyrim put up a muscular defense. Rec Room stood out for write-in votes.
Skyrim VR
Gran Turismo Sport
Superhot VR
Honorable Mentions: Doom VFR, Farpoint, Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Editors’ Choice
Resident Evil 7 biohazard. Capcom gives a master class in how to reboot a classic series. The first-person perspective adds a terrifying new layer to the survival-horror gameplay, and the PS VR support is second-to-none.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Superhot VR. The game where time moves when you move is magnitudes better in the world of VR where the PlayStation Move controllers can track your entire body’s movements. It’s the closest you’ll get in real life to bullet dodging in The Matrix without needing to do an apocalypse rave before.
— Andy Yen // SIEA PS Store
Gnog. Ko-op’s virtual reality toybox made me feel like a kid again. Pushing, pulling, turning and tweaking knobs, bells and whistles has never felt so rewarding.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Independent Game
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Voters again had a clear favorite, with Ninja Theory’s well-regarded Hellblade earning the nod. Epic’s Fortnite led the field in write-in votes.
Undertale
Superhot
Everything
Honorable Mentions: What Remains of Edith Finch, Night in the Woods, Pyre
Editors’ Choice
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. One of the best psychological horror games I’ve ever played – Hellblade was an amazing journey as an 8th century human suffering from psychosis. The threat of permanent death via save deletion made every combat encounter a thrilling sweaty palms affair.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Undertale. Okay, I get it. Now that I’ve finally played Undertale (multiple times), I understand why its fanbase is so… vocal. Toby Fox’s heart-warming/wrenching underground RPG marries fresh gameplay ideas with tack-sharp writing, unforgettable characters, and one of gaming’s most toe-tapping soundtracks. This one is going to stay with me.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
What Remains of Edith Finch. Giant Sparrow’s journey through a cursed family’s history takes you from the highest whimsical highs to some delicately devastating lows, all with a flourish of magic-realism that swept me away.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Superhot. Like being caught inside the world’s best story. The gameplay gimmick is inspired, the pacing alternately exhilarating and exasperating, and the mood ice cold. Even the war3z-styled Easter eggs go above and beyond. One of the year’s very best.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Best PS Vita Game
Undertale
No surprises — Undertale dominated on PS Vita, scoring the lion’s share of votes. Steamworld Dig 2 took top write-in honors.
Danganronpa V3
Xenon Valkyrie +
Ys Origin
Honorable Mentions: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, A Rose in the Twilight, Tokyo Xanadu
Editors’ Choice
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Games about high school murder mysteries don’t come along every day, especially with the twists and turns of the Danganronpa series. Perfect for on the go play, V3 even has cross-save capability when you finally get home to your PS4.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Undertale. Undertale is a perfect “multiple playthrough” game — I got halfway through my second run in a coffee shop! Protip: If you’re playing this one on the go, make sure you have headphones.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Performance
Ashly Burch
Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn
An array of excellent performances this year, with Ashley Burch’s Aloy landing the coveted Platinum pick. On the write-in front, Nathan Fillion’s Cayde-6 from Destiny 2 saw significant attention.
Claudia Black
Chloe, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Melina Juergens
Senua, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Janina Gavankar
Iden Versio, Star Wars Battlefront II
Honorable Mentions: Laura Bailey // Nadine, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy; Kira Buckland // 2B, Nier: Automata; Brian Bloom // BJ Blazcowicz, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Editors’ Choice
Melina Juergens for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. A quest through the Norse underworld was never going to look easy, but Melina Jeurgens’ excruciatingly raw performance highlights Senua’s paranoia, pain and determination with perfect clarity.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Ashly Burch for Horizon Zero Dawn. It’s hard to believe Aloy was just introduced to us fully in 2017, as she already feels like an iconic character in games. Chronicling her journey from a young girl to stoic heroine, Ashley’s performance in Horizon Zero Dawn was unforgettable.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nyasha Hatendi for Mass Effect Andromeda. Bioware’s latest introduced Angarian resistance fighter Jaal Ama Darav, and he’s a memorable addition to the Mass Effect pantheon. Nyasha Hatendi’s portrayal is warm and wistful — a perfect fit for this enigmatic character.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Best Art Direction
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another big win for Guerrilla Games, with Horizon Zero Dawn soaring out ahead of the competition nearly 3:1. Star Wars Battlefront II scored the most write-in votes.
Persona 5
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Destiny 2
Honorable Mentions: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Gravity Rush 2
Editors’ Choice
Persona 5. That dynamic battle UI. The bonkers boss battle reveals. Those stylish Palace-crawling costumes. And of course, your talking cat companion turning into a van. Persona 5 truly had a vision and executed it with flair.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Superhot. Sometimes less is more. Superhot’s ersatz environments and faceless, crystalline enemies radiate creepypasta levels of uneasiness.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Destiny 2. When it comes to epic, galaxy-building design, few come close to Bungie’s talents. From varied world settings, to unforgettable set pieces, Destiny 2 is breathtaking to look at and play in. Not to mention that sweet sweet exotic gear design.
— Andy Yen //SIEA Store
Best Soundtrack
Horizon Zero Dawn
A squeaker, with Horizon edging out Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Destiny 2 for top honors. FIFA 18 netted the most write-ins.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Destiny 2
Nier: Automata
Honorable Mentions: Persona 5, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Sonic Mania
Editors’ Choice
Persona 5. I always let the opening sequence play all the way through… and sometimes waited to let it play through a second time. This game’s range of kinetic to ambient jazz was the perfect backdrop for being a Phantom Thief.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Nier: Automata. The unexpected, eclectic nature of Nier: Automata’s story is matched only by its score: sweeping orchestral set pieces give way to charming children’s choruses and chiptune arrangements, but somehow, no song ever feels out of place.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Undertale. Epic sounding chiptunes that will make you both nostalgic for yesteryear and pumped up for battle. It’s rare that a game has instantly recognizable character themes, and Undertale’s are unforgettable.
— Andy Yen // /SIEA Store
Prey. After the breakout success of his DOOM soundtrack in 2016, composer Mick Gordon scored TWO huge games in 2017: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and Prey. Both sounded exceptional, but the blend of cyberpunk-electronic beats with classic horror ambience made Prey my favorite soundtrack of the year.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best Multiplayer
Call of Duty WWII
Call of Duty ultimately overcame Fortnite in this hard-fought deathmatch, with Friday the 13th cleaning up in write-in votes.
Fortnite
Destiny 2
Star Wars Battlefront II
Honorable Mentions: Injustice 2, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Tekken 7
Editors’ Choice
Destiny 2. The ultimate game for both PVE and PVP in a single package. No other shooter does 6-player co-op quite like Destiny’s raids while also including pro-caliber competitive play in the same sandbox.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Call of Duty WWII. A true return to form for the classic shooter. Sledgehammer wasn’t asleep at the switch: War mode, Nazi Zombies, Divisions, and Headquarters all brought fresh new ideas to the most polished multiplayer shooter on the market.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. The arrival of the Stormblood expansion brought a beautifully crafted story, a refined combat system, and more exquisite music to the Final Fantasy XIV experience. But this is still an MMO, and running through dungeons to face towering boss battles with friends remains one of the game’s principle delights.
— Ryan Clements // SIEA Social Media
Best Story
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another commanding win for Horizon, with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy mustering a fierce defense. Among write-in votes, Destiny 2 led the pack.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Persona 5
Nier: Automata
Honorable Mentions: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, The Evil Within 2, Injustice 2
Editors’ Choice
The Evil Within II. Tango Gameworks surprised me. The setup is interesting enough, but the escalating stakes combined with several memorable characters and boss fights elevate this to must-play status, whether you played the first game or not.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Nier: Automata. What begins as an almost generic Japanese sci-fi tale becomes one of the most profound stories I’ve ever experienced. As you experience plot points from other perspectives, the onion layers peel back, and you’re contemplating what it truly means to be human.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Horizon Zero Dawn. Horizon Zero Dawn had me hooked from the moment Rost raised little baby Aloy to the sun, but unravelling the mysteries of both Aloy and the Earth’s past was extremely satisfying thanks to the well written characters and intricately fascinating lore.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Best Sports Game
FIFA 18
FIFA 18 managed to head off an aggressive offense from a resurgent GT Sport to cement the lead. Interestingly, Pro Evolution Soccer 18 led handily among write-in votes.
Gran Turismo Sport
NBA 2K18
Madden NFL 18
Honorable Mentions: Everybody’s Golf, Disc Jam, MLB The Show 17
Editors’ Choice
Madden 18. I’m an on again off again Madden player, so I’m not as hardcore into Ultimate Team and the competitive angle as some, but as a casual, I really enjoyed the meaty new “Longshot” single-player story mode that was added this year. Mixing “Friday Night Lights” (with some actors from the TV show even!) with Life Is Strange and Madden gameplay is a formula that works surprisingly well.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Everybody’s Golf. It may go by a new name, but the spirit of Hot Shots lives on. Few games manage to balance instant accessibility with the idea of “I could have done that better… let me try it again” the way this series does, and Everybody’s Golf brings that — and so much more — to PS4.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Everybody’s Golf. As a Hot Shots fan from waaaay back, Everybody’s Golf is nothing short of a miracle. It’s everything I loved about classic Hot Shots gameplay, but packed to the gills with an absolutely insane amount of bonus activities — driving! fishing! Shuhei! — not to mention the unique open-course multiplayer. The art style is charming, the music is joyful, and the course design harkens to a utopia that only exists in my dreams. My Everybody’s Golf persona is the man I aspire to be.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best Post-Release Content
Horizon Zero Dawn
A nail biter, with Horizon squeaking past GTA Online by only one percentage point and Battlefield 1 leading among write-in votes.
Grand Theft Auto Online
Final Fantasy XV
Overwatch
Honorable Mentions: Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Editors’ Choice
Darkest Dungeon. Surprise, surprise. The Crimson Court expansion is a literal gamechanger, with new mechanics that ripple through content both old and new. Just when I thought I was out…
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Final Fantasy XIV. FFXIV’s Stormblood expansion introduced revamped gameplay elements, new jobs to master, an entire soundtrack’s worth of excellent new music, and numerous quality-of-life upgrades, but where it really impressed me is with its story — easily the ever-growing MMO’s best yet.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds. A meaty addition to the world of Horizon, The Frozen Wilds organically adds a huge area for Aloy to explore whether you’ve finished the game already or not. The new characters and story missions are as in depth and lovingly crafted as they were in the original game.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. Okay, technically this is a standalone experience and thus not “post-release content,” but whatever (sorry Justin). (Editor’s note: I’ll allow it. -JM) Dishonored: Death of the Outsider needs some much-deserved praise. The focused scope and mechanical tweaks resulted in a Dishonored experience that encouraged playstyles that felt exciting and fresh, even to a Dishonored vet like myself.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Best PlayStation Console Exclusive
Horizon Zero Dawn
Another big win for Guerrilla Games, though Uncharted and Crash managed strong support.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Crash Bandicoot: The N-Sane Trilogy
Persona 5
Honorable Mentions: Nier Automata, Gran Turismo Sport, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Editors’ Choice
Horizon Zero Dawn. A perfect example of a platform-selling blockbuster, Horizon excels across the board with astonishing visuals, superior PS4 Pro features, and unique combat you can’t find anywhere else.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Persona 5. Persona 5 is not a short game, but its length shouldn’t put you off from experiencing its unique brand of style, storytelling, and relationship building. By the end of it you’ll feel like a high schooler again, with a new group of best friends forged through shared experience.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nier Automata. Big surprise, I know. Nier Automata is a game that’s going to be with me for a long time, for lots of reasons. Its DualShock 4 control layout was part of the fun, too — I found myself shifting into “Combat Mode” (basically just shifting my middle fingers up to R2 and L2 so I could keep R1 held down with my index finger) every time I came across a formidable enemy.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best PS4 Theme
Uncharted 10th Anniversary Theme
Uncharted dominated this category handily, with Horizon leading among write-in votes.
Persona 5 Character Themes
Legacy Dashboard Theme
Undertale Dynamic Theme (Ruins)
Honorable Mentions: Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 Preorder Theme, Pyre Theme, Burger Love Returns Dynamic Theme
Editors’ Choice
Legacy. I’m usually not one for nostalgia plays, but man, this dynamic, 3D theme recreating the old PS2 system screen is an awesome trip down memory line.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Rez Infinite Singularity Theme. Rez Infinite is pretty much a religious experience in PlayStation VR, especially Area X — the new area added for the Infinite release. This theme brings the feeling of Area X’s final section to your PS4 dashboard, and I don’t plan to change it anytime soon.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Best Use of PS4 Pro
Horizon Zero Dawn
Despite tight competition, Horizon racked up another win. Star Wars Battlefront II was the leader among write-in voters.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Call of Duty WWII
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Honorable Mentions: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Gran Turismo Sport, Destiny 2
Editors’ Choice
Horizon Zero Dawn. Guerrilla’s technical excellence is on proud display here. The 4K output looks razor sharp, while the HDR features make color and vibrancy pop. Love that you can emphasize resolution or performance now, too. Developers: this is how you do it!
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice. Senua’s descent into madness is best experienced in 4K with a pair of the Platinum Wireless Headset. The game looks absolutely jaw-dropping in 4K resolution, but the 3D positional audio mix steals the show here, making you feel like you’re hearing the same voices in her head.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Nioh. Nioh’s exhilarating combat made for one of the best action games of 2017, but its use of PS4 Pro brought quality-of-life improvements that elevated it to another level. For coming out so early in 2017, Nioh established one of my favorite implementations of the Pro’s added horsepower: allowing the gamer to choose between modes that prioritized frame-rate or resolution.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Most Anticipated PS4 Title
God of War
A tight competitive field here, but God of War lands the Platinum nod. Dragon Ball FighterZ saw the most write-in votes. You don’t have long to wait, folks!
Red Dead Redemption 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Far Cry 5
Honorable Mentions: Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Death Stranding
Editors’ Choice
Shadow of the Colossus. I’m fascinated by Bluepoint’s work here; they’ve enhanced this 2005 classic to the point where it can hang with 2018’s elite crop of AAA titles. The game is almost too gorgeous to believe.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
God of War. Kratos’s new odyssey on PS4 is poised to be my first can’t miss game of 2018 – I can’t wait to see where venturing into the world of Norse mythology takes the series. We all know the game will deliver the goods on the action front, but I’m personally looking forward to seeing where his story goes in his grizzled years as a father.
— Andy Yen // SIEA Store
Marvel’s Spider-Man. I’ve been a Spider-Fan for as long as I can remember, and everything we’ve seen on Peter Parker’s upcoming PS4 outing indicates that Insomniac is the perfect studio to realize the potential of the character.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. Legendary heroes and villains meet on a battlefield unbound by space and time. A true embodiment of light versus darkness. You will be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated fan of the Dissidia series than me, and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT continues the RPG fighting tradition with a gorgeous visual overhaul. January 30 can’t come soon enough.
— Ryan Clements // SIEA Social Media
Most Anticipated PS VR Title
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
An easy win for Rick and Morty, though Ace Combat 7 saw extensive write-in excitement.
Blood & Truth
Star Child
Firewall Zero Hour
Honorable Mentions: Golem, Moss, The Inpatient
Editors’ Choice
Moss. Based on what I’ve played of Polyarc’s tiny, huge VR adventure, it strikes a perfect balance of old-school platforming action and an immersive virtual reality wow-factor. Plus, Quill is the cutest lil’ hero I’ve seen in years. Gimme!
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
The Inpatient. Part of what made Until Dawn so tantalizingly creepy were the sequences taking part in an old abandoned asylum. Now you’re telling me I get to play a fully-realized prequel set in that very asylum, and in VR? Sign me up.
— Kristen Titus // SIEA Social Media
Firewall Zero Hour. A no-brainer. This back-to-basics 4v4 FPS is an electrifying VR experience, especially when paired with the PS VR Aim Controller. It will appeal hugely to fans of Rainbow Six and the old SWAT games.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Blood & Truth. I’ll never forget The London Heist: it was the very first PS VR demo I tried, and still stands up as one of the most immersive and action-packed PS VR experiences out there. Blood & Truth takes the fundamentals they explored in that demo and fleshes them out into a full-length game, and I could not be more excited.
— Zac Minor // SIEA Social Media
Studio of the Year
Guerrilla Games
Though Guerrilla Games and Sledgehammer dominated voting, we saw a strong write-in showing in support of Naughty Dog (who won the Platinum in this category last year).
Sledgehammer Games
Capcom
PlatinumGames
Honorable Mentions: Atlus, Ninja Theory, Arkane Studios
Editors’ Choice
Guerrilla Games. I’ve never seen an established studio pivot so radically, or so successfully. Horizon feels like the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the veteran studio.
— Sid Shuman // SIEA Social Media
Supergiant Games. This small, San Francisco-based studio exudes pure heart in their work in a way no other developer does. Pyre, their newest, is the culmination of the studio’s expertise thus far, marrying music, story, and visuals with a truly unique approach to gameplay. If you’re not familiar with Supergiant yet, you should be.
— Justin Massongill // SIEA Social Media
Square Enix. Our colleagues at Square Enix made a tremendous impact last year. Not only did they publish the riveting and critically acclaimed Nier: Automata, but the team behind Final Fantasy XIV continues to define world-class MMO development. The launch of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood thrust the game in a new direction, with awe-inspiring villains and an overhaul of the combat system. Spectacular.
— Ryan Clements// SIEA Social Media