Firstly, Prey is mostly unrelated to the 2006 game of the same title. It’s a new and original story closer to a sequel to System Shock than anything else. The setting is an alternate timeline where President John F. Kennedy wasn’t assassinated, and thus a lot more money was poured into America’s space programme. You play as Morgan Yu, a researcher on the space station Talon 1. There, an alien species called the Typhon, which is known to be hostile, are being studied. That makes it a huge problem when the Typhon escape onto the station. Morgan has to use weapons derived from the Typhon themselves to fight back, survive, and eventually escape from Talon 1.

While the map of Talon 1 begins quite limited, as you progress through the story and gain key items and abilities it becomes entirely open world on the station. It’s a cool setting for sure and a unique way of opening up the map for players. The combat is fun, and the story is interesting and includes some choices for players to make. But it’s definitely the setting and map that makes Prey land on our list of the Top 10 PlayStation Games of 2017. It’s an immersive sci-fi environment, and when you can explore it freely, you can play to your heart’s content. For science fiction and shooting game fans, Prey is a must-play for exploring the environment alone - and of course, enjoying everything else it has to offer!

In Destiny 2, you play as a Guardian who is protecting Earth’s last safe city from a variety of alien invaders. Previously, these Guardians wielded a power called the Light. But when an alien race called the Cabul make it into the city, they strip all of the Guardians of this power. You have to find a way to get it back, and to defeat the powerful army of the Cabul as well of course! The fate of this last safe city lies in your hands. The journey takes the player across a part science fiction, part fantasy world that is what Earth has become.

Destiny 2 is an online multiplayer game, so be aware of that going into it. For PlayStation Plus members and fans of this style, though, it’s definitely worth the money! With a mix of player vs. environment and player vs. player missions, the gameplay stays diverse as you explore the world. Destiny 2 allows you to search for groups to join based on what they need, allowing for easy and stress-free teaming up with other players to complete missions. You have a choice of three character classes to pick from as well, adding a role-playing element to this fast-paced, first-person shooter game.

Call of Duty: WWII is the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise. It’s the first game in the series since 2008 to take place entirely in World War II. Set in the European theatre, it follows the 1st Infantry Division in their missions on the Western Front and Operation Overlord. You play as a member of this platoon as they fight their way across Europe against the German forces, engaging in real skirmishes and full battles from history. In the multiplayer mode, there are even more battles and locations to discover.

Of course, Call of Duty: WWII appeals to fans of the long-running series, lovers of first-person shooters, and history buffs. But it’s not just another ‘take it or leave it’ kind of shooting video game. With a great soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and a story that leaves you feeling emotional and like part of a real brotherhood, this game leaves a lasting impression on players. And the multiplayer mode offers a lot of variety and customisation if you get tired of the story campaigns, or they feel at all monotonous. Plus if you are interested in fighting Nazi Zombies (let’s face it, who isn’t?!) then Call of Duty: WWII has you covered!

Middle Earth: Shadow of War is the direct sequel to the 2014 game Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It’s an original story set between the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, influenced by both the original books and the films by Peter Jackson. It continues the story of the ranger Talion and Celebrimbor, the elven spirit inside of him. In the face of Sauron’s growing armies, Talion (whom you play as) wants to create his own ring of power to raise an army to face him. Doing so has dire consequences for Celebrimbor, however, who is captured by Shelob. This time, Talion’s story goes beyond the borders or Mordor and Gondor as well as he faces all new enemies - and some familiar faces, too.

While some sequels never live up to their predecessors, Middle Earth: Shadow of War does a pretty good job. What also makes it stand apart is that is is a genuinely successful game based on a movie, which is also quite rare. Of course, Tolkien fans will easily get the most pleasure out of Shadow of War. But even players that just enjoy fantasy action-adventure and stealth games can get lost in this story. Shadow of War has more RPG elements than the first game as well, making it more personalised for each player. Plus the dynamic weather and day/night cycles that actually affect the game are pretty cool. Finally, the “nemesis system” that allows you to collect a variety of followers whose behaviour changes based on your interaction with them is really fun and unique to experience.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is, contrary to its name, the 11th main game in the Resident Evil series. The player takes the role of Ethan Winters, a man looking for his lost wife Mia who has been missing for three years. While searching for her, he ends up at the derelict Baker Estate, and has to fight the Baker family as well as a humanoid bacteria called the “Moulded.” Ethan must escape from all of this with his life, solving puzzles and trying to figure out what happened to Mia. Whereas previous Resident Evil titles were focused on action, Biohazard focuses on exploration and survival.

The shift from an action-adventure title to a survival horror title was a big step for the Resident Evil series, but it worked for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The game is played in first-person, which makes it even more real and scary (doubly so if you use the PlayStation VR headset!). It gives fans of the long-running series something new and exciting to keep them interested and challenged, as well as presents a way for new fans to get into the series easily since the story is all-new. And trust us, it’s really really scary. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is not at all for the faint of heart, but it’s thrills and chills are delivered brilliantly for those brave enough to face them.

Persona 5 lets you take on the role of the protagonist, a Japanese high school boy with a criminal record who has recently been transferred to Tokyo on probation. His strict orders to live an honest student life are disrupted when he discovers that he and his friends are able to use a mysterious app on their phones to enter people’s ‘mind palaces.’ From there, they are able to change people’s distorted desires and make them turn from their crimes. But with Tokyo already in chaos due to people losing their minds, is Japanese society really ready to embrace the Phantom Thieves of Heart? And is their goal really as noble as they think?

Despite its name, Persona 5 has an all-new and original story, so don’t think you have to play the other Persona titles to enjoy this one! One of the biggest draws of Persona 5 is the animation style of the game. It combines 2D fully animated, anime-style cutscenes, 3D environments, and 2D visual novel-style stills to tell it’s (incredibly long) story. The game is half social simulator where you choose dialogue options and how to best spend your time and half turn-based battles within the palaces. It lets you build friendships and relationships, play mini-games, level up your skills, craft gear, and personas, and fight all in the same game. And all while experiencing visually stimulating gameplay!

Nioh is set in a dark fantasy version of the 1600s in Japan, just before the Edo period when Japan was largely at war with itself. On top of the war between the clans, yokai have started to appear and are creating a high death toll themselves. You take the role of William, an Irishman who arrives in Japan and is recruited to help fight the yokai threat. The main enemy in the game is another foreigner who is creating and controlling the yokai using dark alchemy and magic. William encounters not only famous yokai from Japanese folklore along their way but also real historical figures from Japanese history.

Nioh is an original story and an interesting one at that. But get ready for quite a challenge; this game is really difficult. But with great difficulty comes great satisfaction, and Nioh doesn’t disappoint. When you finally defeat enemies and finish quests, you undeniably feel accomplished. The world itself is also amazing, especially for fans of Japanese history and folklore. But even for players not that interested, the aesthetic and style of the combat and world are amazing, with attention to detail and cool battle animation.

Following the trend of titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Nioh gives PlayStation gamers a real challenge; something you can truly sink your teeth into and be proud to boast that you conquered.

Set in a world far in the future, Horizon Zero Dawn tells the story of Aloy. Her world is one overrun by hostile machines that are reminiscent of dinosaurs and Ice Age beasts, and what remains of humanity living in fear of them. Aloy begins as an outcast from her tribe from birth, the secrets surrounding her background a guarded mystery. Her life in the wilderness carves her into a talented archer and a master at stealth and prepares her for the journey ahead. Aloy must discover the secrets of the machines and the metal world that came before them, and where her place is in the story.

Horizon Zero Dawn is a combination of stealth and action gameplay. A lot of the machines are best taken down through strategy, exploiting their weak points and using stealth and traps rather than just charging in. It gives the game more challenge than just another hack/slash adventure. The open-world map is massive and beautiful, letting you explore open wilderness where nature has taken back the land, as well as the remnants of the mysterious machine world that are incredibly science fiction.

Aloy herself gives the gaming world what it is still severely lacking - a strong female lead who can stand up for herself, and whose story and motivation isn’t a love story with a man. Horizon Zero Dawn is an original and unique game, and definitely worth playing.

Assassin’s Creed is quite a well-known game series, and Assassin’s Creed Origins tells the story of how it all got started. This time, the game takes players to ancient Egypt to tell a fictional story that takes place alongside real historical events. You play as Bayek, a Medjay who later becomes the first assassin. The story is his struggle against the Order of the Ancients, which will eventually become the Templar Order of later games in the series. Bayek comes into contact with a lot of famous historical figures along the way, including Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is a truly immersive experience. The world of ancient Egypt is done in great detail, and in a massive open-world environment ripe for exploring. While other games in the series have not been as well-received recently, many critics call Origins one of the best Assassin’s Creed games to date. It balances stealth, combat, and exploration beautifully to create a game that is really fun to play. And let’s face it - climbing pyramids and exploring tombs is incredibly cool! Fans of the Assassin’s Creed series or similar stealth games, along with RPG fans or people that just love ancient Egypt (because let’s face it, that’s quite a few of us) will love playing Origins.

NieR: Automata is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the last remnants of humanity are trying to fight back against an invasion of AI trying to wipe them out. The AI has been created by invaders from another world, and what remains of the human race are mostly in hiding. They fight back through a proxy, using their own created machines as weapons. The YoRHa organisation makes many of these weaponised androids. NieR: Automata follows one of these androids named YoRHa No. 2 Type B, her companion YoRHa No. 9 Type S, and one more fugitive prototype.

NieR: Automata is a sequel to the 2010 game NieR, but it’s not necessary to have played the first game (or the Drakengard series they are a spin-off from) to enjoy Automata. For fans of these older titles though, the release of NieR: Automata is extra exciting, though! The gameplay combines elements of action-adventure and role-playing games to create something really fun. While simultaneously controlling melee and shooting attacks, the perspective switches between third-person, top-down, and even side-scrolling views. On top of this dynamic cross-genre gameplay, NieR: Automata has beautiful graphics, a deep story, and a riveting soundtrack. These all bundle together to make an unforgettable gaming experience.