Creating a list of the top upcoming adventure games is not an easy task. There are a number of great titles we’re looking forward to playing. We decided to look at some of our more anticipated adventure video game titles coming in 2017. From thrilling stories and gameplay mechanics that will likely be tough to set our controllers down, here are our picks for the top upcoming adventure games coming in 2017 so far.
The Walking Dead Season Three
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PSV, X360, XB1, Mobile
Release Date: TBA 2016-2017
Telltale Games has had plenty of successfully video game hits based off of popular media franchises, one of which being The Walking Dead. This will be the third season of Telltale Games The Walking Dead franchise and its set to draw in new players.
Season three is set to take place several years after The Walking Dead Season Two and it will tie in all the possible endings that players could have experienced from the previous season installments. Once again, players will be taking on the role of Clementine who has been looking after AJ, the infant she rescued at the end of The Walking Dead Season Two.
Being an episodic video game release, the first episode of season three is expected to launch towards the end of this year with future episodes releasing in early 2017.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: TBA 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will mark as the nineteenth main installment to The Legend of Zelda franchise. This time around, players will be placed in a large open-world environment with the ability to play through the game’s dungeons in any order.
Within The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players will take on the role of Link after he awakens from a deep slumber that lasted a hundred years. A mysterious voice alerts link to reach a ruined Kingdom known as Hyrule where he will learn of Calamity Ganon, the antagonist who had previously destroyed Hyrule, though, during the process, he had trapped himself within the Kingdom. Ultimately, Link will have to train and prepare for a battle against Calamity Ganon before he escapes and destroys the world.
Sea of Thieves
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platforms: PC, XB1
Release Date: TBA 2017
Sea of Thieves is all about being a pirate with a crew. Scavenge for treasure, loot islands, take to the open sea, and battle against other crews that are unfortunate enough to come across your pathway.
User-generated content is a big feature for Sea of Thieves as well. Players will be able to craft their own custom stories using the various in-game tools. From there, these campaigns can be uploaded online for other players to download and enjoy on their own.
Detroit: Become Human
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4
Release Date: Expected 2017
From developers Quantic Dream, comes Detroit: Become Human. If you enjoyed the past video game releases from the development team such as Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, then you’ll likely feel right at home with their upcoming video game release.
Detroit: Become Human is an action-adventure video game where players will be taking control of multiple characters. In the neo-noir thriller story, these characters can die and as a result, the storyline will adapt and continue without them. Furthermore, there will be a series of choices players can make which will also result in the narrative story being branched out further.
Scorn
Developer: Ebb Software
Publisher: Ebb Software
Platforms: PC
Release Date: TBA 2017
The horror title Scorn is all about immersion with the video game tossing players into a creepy atmospheric world that’s filled with grotesque creatures. One of the ways that Ebb Software is hoping to immerse players into this nightmarish world is by playing the entire game without any cutscenes. In fact, according to the past Kickstarter campaign page, Scorn doesn’t have a conventional plot but instead allows players to interpret the events and themes.
Another interesting aspect that will hopefully allow players to go through Scorn without being taken out of the gameplay experience is that the title will not have a HUD displays. Everything within the world is living and as players progress through the game, new areas will open up, however, don’t expect Scorn to hold your hand. You’ll have to think carefully about how to complete tasks and accomplish game goals.
We Happy Few
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Compulsion Games
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Release Date: TBA 2017
We Happy Few allow players to step into a world where society has been controlled by taking away their emotions and morals. The video game being developed by Compulsion Games takes place in a fictional English city that follows an alternate timeline of events following World War II.
Now as humanity strives to live a better life within the 1960s, they’ve become accustomed to a new law and order, one of which that requires all citizens to consume a drug regularly. This drug blinds citizens of the real world, allowing them to only see joy. Gamers will take on the role of three individuals who decide to pass on their drug intake to complete a task that is not only important to each individual but personal.
Being discovered as a “downer”, or a person who refused to take their drug dosage, the city is out for blood wishing to cleanse you from stumbling out from the chosen path the government laid before you.
Nier: Automata
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release Date: TBA 2017
Nier: Automata is an upcoming action role-playing video game. Taking place after the fourth ending of the previously released Nier installment, Nier: Automata follows YoRHa, androids sent to Earth in order to fight the invading force in a proxy war.
Being set in an open world environment, players will control multiple characters with combat mainly focused on melee weapons. Unfortunately, while Japan has a confirmed release date within 2017, a specific western release date was not officially revealed.
A Hat in Time
Developer: Gears for Breakfast
Publisher: Gears for Breakfast
Platforms: PC
Release Date: TBA 2017
Developers Gears for Breakfast is working at a platformer that resembles some of the more beloved platform titles released for the Nintendo 64. The upcoming release, A Hat in Time, will play out similarly to Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, as there is a heavy emphasis on collecting missing pieces scattered through the game world.
In the overall story, players will take on the role of a young girl named Hat Kid. Hat Kid has the ability to interstellar travel, though during her way home she is intercepted by a Mafia group under control of the evil Mustache Girl.
Stranded, Hat Kid must collect her missing “time pieces” that have been scattered throughout the world before she is able to refuel her ship, but she will be racing against the clock as Mustache Girl and her goons are seeking these precious time pieces as well.
Shenmue 3
Developer: Neilo, Ys Net
Publisher: Ys Net
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release Date: December 2017
Shenmue was a popular franchise when it first launched into the market for the Sega Dreamcast. The series was set to have a several installments to fully unveil the narrative story. However, due to the development cost, the Shenmue series was ultimately shelved after its second installment.
That was until E3 2015 when Shenmue 3 was officially unveiled with a Kickstarter hoping to reach a goal of $2 million USD. Fans couldn’t flock to the campaign faster as the goal was accomplished in just eight hours with the total campaign reaching just over $6 million USD.
From what we know so far about Shenmue 3 is that the title will follow the events of Shenmue II with Ryo Hazuki seeking out his father’s killer, Lan Di. During his journey, Ryo meets a mysterious girl named Ling Shenhua who has appeared in his dreams. The two pair up to learn why destiny has united a path between them.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Horizon Zero Dawn will mark as the first IP developed by Guerrilla Games since their release of Killzone in 2004. This is an action role-playing video game title that is set a thousand years into the future.
Mankind has mysteriously fallen with cities only a shell of a once thriving society. Now only small tribal groups remain with giant mechanical beasts roam the world openly. The plot will revolve around a female hunter named Aloy who sets out on a journey to explore the open world, meet with other tribes, and potentially learn of the reason mankind fell to being with.
Vampyr
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Release Date: TBA 2017
Development team Dontnod Entertainment really gained mass exposure for their Life is Strange video game release. Now the studio has taken a much darker tone for their next IP, Vampyr. This is a title that is set during the 1918 London Spanish flu pandemic.
Players will take the role of a doctor named Jonathan Reid who happens to be a vampire. Johnathan is fighting his own inner demons as he has sworn towards the Hippocratic Oath, but understands his need to feed on the blood of humans in order to survive.
Similar to Life is Strange, it appears that Vampyr will present players with a variety of choices and dialogue options that will likely steer the narrative overall. However, unlike Life is Strange, this is an action role-playing video game where players can battle enemies rather than focusing on communication and choices to progress the campaign story.
