Five Games I've Spent The Year Playing
2017 has been a year with some of the biggest game releases we have ever seen. With so many good titles coming out and only so much free time in which to play them I got thinking about where my time was spent this past year. Though I still have plenty of games to get round to playing, and finishing for that matter, I looked at what five games took up most of my time these past 12 months.
Destiny 2 - Over 130 hours*
This may have only released a few months ago but it has easily been my biggest time sink of the year. From the moment it released on PC I was there and still am even among all the complaints and problems. Though I racked up a lot of time in other games across the year, Destiny 2 has seen me spending the most amount of playtime in the shortest number of weeks and it is still climbing. With the Dawning event underway I'll be playing this one over the holidays as well. No matter the time of day or week, I always find something to keep me busy in this fantastic title.
NieR: Automata - Over 40 hours*
Where do I even start with this title? NieR: Automata could easily be my personal pick for 'best surprise of the year' as to begin with I was only interested in the gameplay and yet ended up losing myself in the story. So why does it make this list? Well, considering you need to play through the game about three times just to get the true ending I ended up spending a solid two weeks playing this game. From start to finish I was glued to my controller and wanted to spend each minute I could inside this game. Even now I jump back into it from time to time just to experience the solid combat and beautiful soundtrack. If you haven't touched this title yet then make sure you do right away.
Tom Clancy's The Division - Over 140 hours*
The Division released back in 2016, so why is it on this list? Well, seeing as I spent way too much of the early months of the year grinding away in the Dark Zone for better loot, I think it fits the requirements. The Division is not a perfect game, heck it has plenty of problems, but that does not stop it from being an enjoyable title that has a core gameplay loop that is captivating. You run, shoot, loot and repeat. Not to mention that ongoing support from the developers means that even this month, The Division continues to get new content and grow. It might not be one I play every day but over the year I've put more than my fair share of time into this entertaining title. Heck, it was because of The Division I started planning farming routes.
I think I have a problem...
Final Fantasy XV - Over 100 hours*
Again, a game that released back in 2016 but this one has been getting plenty of updates and DLC's throughout the whole of 2017. Once more, the game is going to be getting more updates and DLC into 2018. That aside, I couldn't help but put hour after hour into this game and explore every inch of the world to complete all the challenges it had to offer. Final Fantasy XV does a brilliant job at giving you plenty to do and keeping you in its world. Once the multiplayer DLC Comrades released, I focused more there so I could battle alongside other players in hopes to restore light to the world. Just a shame about the load times really.
Overwatch - Over 140 hours*
Anyone who has played Overwatch has likely lost one too many hours in it. Blizzard Entertainment once again proved to us that they can capture the hearts and minds of gamers with a strong cast of characters and robust gameplay mechanics. Each match I played was a blood pumping one and with so much loot to earn and unlock, Overwatch kept me busy for a very good time. Lately I've not touched it as much due to other games taking my focus and a less than ideal community. Yet Overwatch remains installed on my machine ready for me to jump back into at a moment’s notice.
Honorable Mention: Pokémon Go - I lost count...
I open this pretty much every time I’m outside, even if only for a few minutes. I honestly couldn’t tell on how much time I have spent playing Pokémon Go which is why it is not part of the main list. Pokémon Go has proven to be a massive hit and for me, it has been a way to distance myself from the world even if just for a moment. Waiting for a bus in the cold? Time to catch some Pokémon. That said though, I'm nowhere near completing even half my Pokédex.
So there you have it, a few games that have keep me busy over the last year. I've missed a good number of releases in 2017 for whatever reason but I haven't missed out on getting my time in elsewhere. It has been a long year of playing games and an amazing one at that. Here's to 2018 and hopefully I'll spend equal if not more time playing games.
What about you? Were there games that took up more of your play time this year than any other? Let us know in the comment section below.
*playtime at time of writing
COMMENTS