The industry landscape shifted profoundly when The Game Awards announced its final selection for the top honor of 2017. Five distinct titans competed for the ultimate prize, representing a rare intersection where open-world scale, tight platforming design, deep Japanese role-playing mechanics, and the explosive rise of the battle royale genre collided. If you're looking back at how this historic lineup reshaped modern development, you'll find that 2017 wasn't just a strong year for releases—it was a structural turning point for how interactive media builds player freedom.
The five games nominated for the primary crown were The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Each contender solved a different design problem, creating a masterclass in genre evolution. Let's break down how these giants fought for supremacy and why this specific roster remains a fascinating case study in game design.
The Heavyweights of 2017
Every single nominee carried massive cultural weight, but they approached player engagement from entirely different angles. Nintendo fielded two absolute masterworks, Sony delivered a critically acclaimed new intellectual property, Atlus polished a decade-old franchise formula into a stylish phenomenon, and an early-access multiplayer shooter redefined online competition.
Nintendo's Dual Masterclass: Freedom and Precision
Nintendo dominated the conversation by sending two iconic franchises in completely opposing directions. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild dismantled the traditional linear dungeon formula. Instead of telling players where to go, the development team built a chemistry engine where fire spread naturally, electricity traveled through metal weapons, and every mountain was climbable. It proved that open-world design thrives on subtraction rather than cluttering maps with icon fatigue.
Meanwhile, Super Mario Odyssey took the opposite route by focusing on pure, unadulterated movement joy. The addition of Cappy allowed players to capture enemies, objects, and NPCs, completely altering traversal. It rewarded platforming experimentation and hidden exploration across diverse kingdoms, earning a rightful spot alongside its open-world sibling.
Narrative and Style: Horizon Zero Dawn and Persona 5
Sony and Guerrilla Games gambled on a brand-new setting with Horizon Zero Dawn. Blending prehistoric tribal dynamics with high-tech robotic fauna, the game forced players to scan weak points and strip machine components for survival. Aloy's journey combined high-fidelity open-world exploration with tactical, bow-and-arrow combat that felt distinct from contemporary shooters.
Across the stylistic spectrum, Atlus released Persona 5, proving that turn-based role-playing games could ooze modern aesthetic flair. Its jazz-infused soundtrack, striking red-and-black UI, and social simulation loops made menu management feel like an art form. It treated high school mundane life and dungeon-crawling surrealism with equal mechanical weight.
The Multiplayer Disruptor: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Before the battle royale genre became an oversaturated market, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) launched into early access and captured global attention. Dropping 100 players onto an 8-square-kilometer island with zero gear forced emergent storytelling that scripted media outlets couldn't replicate. Its inclusion on the nominee list signaled a major acknowledgment of emergent multiplayer mechanics over curated single-player campaigns.
Genre Clash and Industry Impact
The 2017 lineup created a fascinating friction point between traditional narrative-driven adventures and emergent sandbox experiences. Traditionalists argued for the artistic depth of handcrafted single-player journeys, while industry analysts pointed out that PUBG fundamentally changed how millions consumed and streamed interactive media.
According to archival coverage from IGN, the competition forced critics to weigh polished cinematic scope against radical systemic freedom. This tension influenced how subsequent studios structured their budgets and design pillars over the following decade.
Common Mistakes When Analyzing 2017 Releases
When people look back at this era, a few recurring misconceptions pop up:
- Assuming the winner was unanimous: While Breath of the Wild ultimately secured the top trophy at The Game Awards, the debate among voters was fierce, particularly given the massive cultural footprint PUBG held at the time.
- Treating early access as a finished product: Critics often forget that PUBG was nominated while still in its early access phase, making its presence on a GOTY stage a rare regulatory exception.
- Overlooking secondary categories: Many focus solely on the top five while ignoring how titles like NieR: Automata and Cuphead captured artistic and musical excellence in ways that rivaled the main nominees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which game won the top prize in 2017?
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took home the main trophy, alongside awards for Best Game Direction and Best Action/Adventure Game.
Why was PUBG nominated while in early access?
The voting jury recognized its immense, immediate impact on global player counts and the creation of an entirely new dominant multiplayer genre, bypassing traditional completion milestones.
How many total categories were featured that year?
The event featured nearly thirty competitive categories, ranging from traditional genres like fighting and strategy to emerging spaces like VR and esports.
Did any platform dominate the nominations?
Nintendo secured a massive share of the spotlight, pulling heavy nominations across Zelda, Mario, Fire Emblem, and Metroid properties.
