Somehow, a Life Is Strange prequel without any time-travel powers is actually more compelling than the original. Runner-up: Life Is Strange: Before the Storm Perhaps that's why, in this age of antiheroes and misfits, he feels like a breath of fresh air. Throughout its missions and side quests, it's hard not to feel the same sense of duty that drives Bayek, Origin's noble main character. While the game starts out as a revenge story, I was more compelled by simply helping out the people of Egypt. But once I moved beyond the (admittedly clunky) opening sequence, I had a hard time putting it down. I didn't think I'd have patience for yet another massive open-world game, let alone one in a franchise that's embodied the worst elements of big-budget game development. Thanks to strong writing, a compelling lead and a gorgeous rendition of ancient Egypt in 4K and HDR, it's easily the best game in the series.

I never expected that an Assassin's Creed game would end up being one of my favorite games this year.

25 best games of 2017