Nioh’s samurai era design is compelling enough on its own – there are not nearly enough games that draw upon that era – but the game’s combat and loot systems truly set it apart. No, Team Ninja actually managed to replicate the most difficult aspects of Dark Souls’ design – its obscurity, atmosphere, and almost puzzle-like combat system – and used them as the basis for an experience that is undoubtedly a labor of love. However, this is not one of the many games which simply copy the Dark Souls formula and apply some new aesthetics. To be fair, there are many elements of Dark Souls within Nioh’s grand design. That was certainly the narrative that surrounded the last of the game’s many months in development.

You’re forgiven if you initially wrote Niohoff as a Dark Souls clone. Team Ninja | PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows Obscure, terrifying, and often downright clever, Darkwood is a horror game for pure horror fans. Your imagination grows more intense as the fuel in the generator that keeps your lights on begins to dwindle. There are few gaming experiences this year that compare to your first few nights listening to the creatures that creep outside your cabin. What makes Darkwood special is the way that the developers manage to find the inherent horror in survival. He must scavenge for supplies, interact with a few Lovecraftian locals, and survive the unspeakable horrors that come out at night and try to work their way into his cabin. Darkwood is about a man who is trapped in the woods.

That move shed a little light on a game that emphasizes the darkness. The highly competitive 15th spot on this list goes to a game that initially drew attention when developer Acid Wizard Studio uploaded a legal copy of it to torrent sites in an effort to combat the shady game key re-seller market.

Best games of 2017 list scwerattack