Best Gameplay
Previous Winners
2012: Xenoblade Chronicles
2013: The Wonderful 101
2014: Shovel Knight
2015: Splatoon
2016: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Gameplay is by far what makes a game a game. It is how the player interacts with the world around them, the rules to follow, and most importantly the medium that spawns satisfaction after a decent play session. As the year of 2017 passed, many games with magnificent gameplay came to fruition, giving players immense fulfillment. As such, here at Operation Rainfall we strive to pick the best out of the best, in order to appreciate them all the more.
But enough talk, here is Operation Rainfall’s top five games with the Best Gameplay for 2017!
Nioh
NA Release Date: February 7th, 2017
Platform(s): PC, Playstation 4
Since its release, there have been many companies that tried their hand at the Dark Souls type of formula. A brutally punishing game, where even a single mistake can be the difference between the player’s life and death. Team Ninja is another, but unlike their competition, they aimed for something more. Instead of the slow, methodical, and movement restrictive Dark Souls, Nioh features blitz and one-to-one controls. While there is still an amount of preparation, trepidation, and methodology behind a player’s strategies, the movement in Nioh makes the experience all the more thrilling.
Persona 5
NA Release Date: April 4th, 2017
Platform(s): Playstation 3, Playstation 4
Review
Persona is definitely one of Atlus’ beloved franchises and there are a variety of reasons. Yet, one of the most standout comes in the form of Persona 5, where it continued to raise the series to even greater heights. Taking elements from the original SMT series, particularly SMT IV: Apocalypse, Persona 5 managed to create one of the most dynamic JRPGs yet. It has added guns and demon negotiations back to the equation, as well as tweaking light and dark spells to no longer simply be about instant death. Along with the new Baton Pass mechanic, battles exhibit a pristine amount of flow that makes battles thrilling. By far definitely another step-up for the Persona series.
NieR: Automata
NA Release Date: March 7th, 2017
Platform(s): PC, Playstation 4
Review
NieR: Automata is a game that has garnered praise for many categories, and thanks to Platinum Games, it even excels in gameplay. The game features thrilling and fast-paced hack and slash action, with wondrous weapon versatility to match. In combination with the player’s robot companion, they will have a fast array of options to cut, shoot, and blow up their opponents. Yoko Taro is known for his worlds and stories, but Platinum Games certainly gave NieR: Automata a fairly significant edge over the competition.
Tales of Berseria
NA Release Date: January 26th, 2017
Platform(s): PC, Playstation 4
Review
Tales of Berseria was a breath of fresh air for the Tales series in many different ways. For this category, it was the ability to map ability combos on the fly with four different buttons, allowing for great customization. Now players can truly take advantage of weaknesses and movesets, many that lead to powerful chains and Mystic Artes, allowing for maximum damage potential. The ability to switch in characters also keeps the pace going, a factor important for any battle.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
NA Release Date: December 1st, 2017
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Review
Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s gameplay is certainly complex, but for many it was a great step up. The amount of systems available allow the player to take down monsters they otherwise thought would not be possible to defeat. Due to all abilities being based on cooldowns, instead of an equivalent to MP, the player can battle as long as they want, as long as they utilize their abilities correctly. Overall, the gameplay is an evolved version of Xenoblade Chronicles, something here at Operation Rainfall is greatly appreciated.
And the winner is…
NieR: Automata!
NieR: Automata is a game that any developer should at least admire. In a similar vein to last year’s winner, the game surpasses the original NieR in a variety of ways. It offers a wonderful variety of gameplay styles, keeping things fresh from beginning to end. Coupled with the signature Platinum style of combat, it is no wonder why the gameplay is praised as it is. The game is flashy, exhilarating, and most of all extremely fun.
For these reasons, it is why NieR: Automata won our hearts and mind, and takes the title of Best Gameplay of 2017.
