2017's Best Of The Year - Games

Yknow I love making Best Of The Year lists, but I am merely just one simple manboy. I don't go out of my way to do any of these things for a job, which means I don't always have the best all rounded opinion on everything that came out this year. But I do want to share my thoughts on things I did see and did enjoy, so here is MY Games of 2017!

5. Puyo Puyo Tetris

Although previously released in Japan, 2017 was the year this game was released in english to the west. Although not a huge blockbuster of a game from this year it was one that I took a chance on and I loved it. The game mixes both popular puzzle games into several different modes, you can also play just Tetris or just Puyo Puyo. Absolutely worth it.

4. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm

The prequel to the great game Life Is Strange, Before The Storm had a lot of things riding against it. The protagonist of this game was a secondary character of the original game, with most players previously not being a huge fan of her. It had the voice actor strike, which meant every reoccuring character in this series had to have a completely new voice actor. Also it was pretty obvious that the hook of the original (the reverse time power) would not be returning for this game. All of this added to the fact that Dontnod wouldn't be making the game instead Deck Nine. And I've gotta say almost every change created a better game, although the original was amazing this hit some emotional notes that I don't think the original did. Absolutely incredible episode experience.

3. Persona 5

Admittedly while writing this I have not finished this game, 100 hours of game play is enough bang for your buck but the game gives you more than game time. Probably one of the finest RPGs, you are a kid in high school who happens apon a secret realm where you fight monsters to cure horrible peoples hearts, along with the crazy premise it presents lovely character progression with all party members you find in the game. An experience I never had before, a must play for PS4 owners.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Mario's triumphant return to 3D open world platforming was just the game everybody needed this year. Tight controls along with stunning visuals, sometimes incredible difficulty, Mario had it all and it could be enjoyed by anyone at any age. The game was a perfect system seller for the Nintendo Switch, which had an awesome opening year. The game has so much to give to the curious and the skilled.

1. Horizon Zero Dawn

Although next to other games I've played this year, Horizon looks like a perfectly average game. For me however Horizon has completely broken boundaries in Open World Action. I've never played a game that has weapon controlling that feels so slick and fluid, these weapons are just a joy to fire, especially the main weapon the bow. Along with the weapons the game play of shooting certain mechanical parts of robot animals is some of the most fun game play I've ever played. With that point, the idea of a post apocalyptic world that has now created tribes once again but the technology of the previous world has stayed and become animalistic creatures is so intriguing, and that story does not disappoint. If you get a chance to try this game or pick it up, please do you will not regret it.

2017's Best Of The Year - Albums

Yknow I love making Best Of The Year lists, but I am merely just one simple manboy. I don't go out of my way to do any of these things for a job, which means I don't always have the best all rounded opinion on everything that came out this year. But I do want to share my thoughts on things I did see and did enjoy, so here is MY Albums of 2017!

I don't have a lot to talk about here because my year of music is usually a mix between music that was released this year and everything that hasn't, so for me I've only really listened to about 10-12 albums that came out this year, and I didn't enjoy all of them, so I could make a full 10 list, but near the bottom of that list would be stuff I just don't like, so in the spirit of giving props to things that are the 'best' I'm going to give you my Top 4. I'm still going through some of the stuff from this year so maybe this is in contention for a revise in the future.

4. IDLES - Brutalism

Politically charged, thrashy punk music that feels legitimately angry and gritty. Their is real protest here, real issues that can be felt, unlike (a favourite of that year to be honest) Slaves and their album 'Are You Satisfied?' this record does not pull any punches. The one difficult thing here is that some tracks can drag and blend into each other, especially within the middle, but both ends of the album have some absolute bangers. My favourites include, Mother, Well Done, 1049 Gotho, Rachel Khoo and Slow Savage.

3. Paramore - After Laughter

I did a full review of this album when it came out, and although I didn't think it was as good as Paramore's previous effort it still manages to provide an amazing up-beat catchy pop record that completely infects you with happiness and dance. Hard Times is absolutely on of thee singles of the year, no question. If you are looking for a great pop record this year then After Laughter is the way to go. My favourites include, Hard Times, Rose-Coloured Boy, Told You So, 26 and No Friend.

2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN

Probably the most high profile Hip-Hop record of this year is one of my favourite records of all time. As someone who was introduced to Kendrick last album and didn't understand the hype (I still thought TPAB was a 3.5-4 calm down) this album makes me understand now. An album that is catchy from start to finish, has very interesting subject matters from start to finish and that is just so easy to listen to, DAMN is one of those Hip-Hop albums that will be talked about for years and years. My favourites include, DNA, YAH, ELEMENT, LOYALTY, HUMBLE and LOVE.

1. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION Trilogy

The most insane, out-of-left-field, incredible music project of 2017 is obviously the one that came out of relatively unknown hip-hop boy band BROCKHAMPTON. Some of the most refreshing, incredibly layered music to come out this year, but not only that, this band went out of their way to do 3 full length releases in one year, with amazing production quality and filming, editing and releasing all the music videos and a TV show. This groups worl ethic is incredible and they have music to match. I couldn't stop listening to all three of BROCKHAMPTON's SATURATION albums this year and any fan of hip-hop and pop need to sit down and devote their time to trying all or any o these albums out. Because these are three seperate albums and that they are all incredible it is gonna be hard to whittle this down to a few song recommendations, so here is 5: HEAT, GOLD, JELLO, SUMMER, BOOGIE.

2017's Best Of The Year - Films

Yknow I love making Best Of The Year lists, but I am merely just one simple manboy. I don't go out of my way to do any of these things for a job, which means I don't always have the best all rounded opinion on everything that came out this year. But I do want to share my thoughts on things I did see and did enjoy, so here is MY Top Ten Films of 2017!

10. Dunkirk

A film like this only really comes around every so often, and when it does it becomes absolutely breathe taking. Dunkirk is a masterclass in story telling, with a story out of order, similarly to my favourite film of all time Pulp Fiction, it allows the viewer on first watch to try and piece together the timeline of the film, and when the films stories cross paths into a single moment it is amazing. To the same effect the story prevails through lack of dialogue, the quiet stillness of the film is atmospheric but communicative too. The sound design in this film is ultimately the best and worst part, the sounds that you hear in the cinema are completely riveting and encapsulate you in it's world, but because of this I don't think this film would have the same effect in a normal living room. This film is made for a cinema and seeing it in anything else probably conveys it as a dull war movie.

9. Thor Ragnarok

As the MCU keeps going the luminous 'superhero fatigue' feels less and less likely, Thor is the perfect example of why this is, Marvel allow themselves to take such creative directors and give them a boat load of money allowing them to do what they please. Taika Waititi takes everything great from he's previous work like What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Most specifically the comedy! In reality it is just a very charming, hilarious and sometimes emotional movie.

8. Killing Of A Sacred Deer

Imagine finishing a movie and really really enjoying it, your brain all over the place constantly thinking about it with a big grin on your face, then all of a sudden, an old man from the back of the theatre says: 'That was fucking shit.'. Welcome to Killing of A Sacred Deer, as polarising as Mother! but more interesting and enjoyable to watch. This probably has loads of amazing layered meanings, probably some allegories, I love to think about that stuff, but for a post-modern film to be as enjoyable just on its face as a story is truly a mark of greatness. Immediately creepy from the get go, intense and strange, Killing Of A Sacred Deer is a film I absolutely fell into, after IT earlier in the year and Stranger Things last year turning me onto Horror films, Killing Of A Sacred Deer felt like a new form of Horror a refreshingly creepy and quiet movie. Definitely worth a watch if you are the open minded movie goer.

7. Get Out

Get Out uses the current social climate about racism to not only create a film that is just inherently 2017, but also a film that creates genuine real life horror around racism. I'm sure (as a white man) I would connect more to the lead character in Get Out if I were black but this still makes it a great film, not only does it scare me it makes me uncomfortable to watch, knowing that there are white people out their who are probably one step away from actions that are shown in the movie. If that wasn't enough add a dash of fantastical horror ideas and you've got a scary but also madly entertaining flick that also does a lot of social talking.

6. IT

Probably thee film that changed my perceptions on genre and allowed me to be more open to EVERY film that I could see. As someone who has always avoided horror films whenever he could, the immediate buzz around IT was too intriguing not to try. I finally understood the thrill of being sacred and the amazing story telling that can live around it. IT (like Stranger Things) feels like a labour of love for all things Stephen King and all things 80s, not shying away from some of the weird and creepy subjects of the book, but also not being afraid to take out the worst parts either, IT will go down as one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming

It took long enough, but finally, we got to see Spiderman interact with other heroes in the MCU, the next challenge was making the best Spiderman movie since Spiderman 2 in 2004. Well I'm happy to report that they did just that. Homecoming purposefully is not an origin story, which we have already had 2 of. It is a coming of age story, a high school romance story and a underdog story, some of the lowest stakes out of the most recent MCU films and it stills feels important, we have amazing performances from Tom Holland and Michael Keaton who manage to make these characters problems, which are small in the grand scheme of the MCU, feel like the most important thing to them, not only that but the basis of both their characters stems from the 10 years of the MCU we've had and that is possibly the most refreshing aspect.

4. Baby Driver

One of my favourite directors, Edgar Wright, releases he's fifth feature film this year and it is possibly his best. Baby Driver is one of the most unique movies of this generation. Creating an action film that could also be classed as a musical, syncing up moments from the film with pieces of music is one of the most satisfying and incredible visual/audio experiences you can have within a film. Possibly my favourite movie scene (at least top 10) of all time comes from this movie purely because of the track picked and the way actions in the film sync up with it. Although later shadowed by the whole (horrible) Kevin Spacey sexual assault, it still is a superb film that deserve a watch by everyone who reads this.

3. The Disaster Artist

If you haven't seen the best worst movie The Room, then this movie will not make much sense to you, it would still be enjoyable and it will be very funny just on face value, but the true joy of this film comes from being a fan of The Room. In that sense is this really Top 3 best films of 2017? For me it definitely is. As a fan of The Room, The Disaster Artist creates a genuine story from something that is completely ridiculous. Not just that but James Franco absolutely nails Tommy Wiseau and that only boosts it to this spot. Compelling drama and emotion, covered with hilarious moments and incredible acting.

2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

After a great but by-the-numbers Star Wars movie in The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson provides the most refreshing and shocking take on Star Wars and it prevails in every aspect. The Last Jedi takes your expectations and twists them several times in a way that completely enthrals you. It is the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy by virtue of it playing with story beats and ideas that the films feel like they purposefully ignore. Their is one character that I particularly hate in this film but is the only aspect of the movie that annoys me. I can't say more nice things about this movie and the fact that it is getting so much backlash from fans is completely baffling me, I just don't understand it.

1. Blade Runner 2049

Dennis Villeneuve has quickly become one of my favourite directors, with last years movie Arrival being in my Top 5 and now Blade Runner 2049 being this years number 1, I feel compelled to watch every movie he has put out. Blade Runner 2049 is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen, not only that but the story carrying on from the original is even more compelling than that first movie. I feel the 1982 movie was made to set up this one. It is an absolute crime that this movie flopped at the box office but I'm so glad I got to see it anyway. A modern masterpiece in every sense, if you haven't seen this you owe it to yourself to give it a watch.