Welcome to the DDNet Awards of 2017! We have 16 categories this year, representing the full gamut of creativity and artistry that games represent. 2017 has been an incredible year for videogames, and is without a doubt one of the best years for games ever, and that has made this year’s award particularly difficult to decide on.
As always, our voting period for the “year” runs from late November the year before through to late November this year. So if you see a game released in December last year in the awards winners, that’s why.
It has been a real changing of the guard this year, with both the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS going through their respective twilights. There’s still the odd game to look forward to in 2018, but for the most part, this will be the last year the 3DS is talked about as a modern console. Just as well, then, it went out with a bang, and indeed, one of its strongest years of all.
BRONZE
Culdcept Revolt
Monopoly in itself is quite the dull game, but when you throw a CCG and monster combat over the top of that… well, suddenly it all gets a whole lot more addictive. Culdcept has always been a super-niche franchise in the west, so we were so glad to see NISA give it a real chance and localise this board game/ JRPG hybrid to the west. Get hooked on its deep strategy and rich variety, and you’re looking at a game that will last you months.
SILVER
Etrian Odyssey V
It may well be that this is the last Etrian Odyssey as we know it. The series has always relied on people playing with two screens – one for the map, that they draw in as they adventure, and one for the action. There are no dual-screen consoles out there now, so there’s a question mark over whether this particular brand of dungeon crawler can continue on. Still, if this indeed is to be the last one, the series has gone out on a real high, bringing together truly stunning art, soundtrack, and rich character development.
GOLD
Fire Emblem Echoes
Fire Emblem Echoes is the most different Fire Emblem game you’ve played. It has dungeon crawling, for a start, bringing it closer to a standard JRPG than we’ve seen before. It’s also a remake of a really old game, so there are some elements that feel a little archaic at times. But it also has everything that you love from the Fire Emblem games; the rich, entertaining characters, superb, challenging tactical combat, and truly stellar presentation. This is a series that we’re looking forward to on the Nintendo Switch more than any other.
