The 3 Best and 3 Worst Games of May 2017

Find out which games were the best and worst of May.

The 3 Worst Games of May 2017

NBA Playgrounds

NBA Playgrounds had the potential to be the next big arcade basketball hit since NBA Jam. While the intentions were good, the game came up short and failed to meet expectations.

When NBA Playgrounds launched in early May, players quickly uncovered a handful of problems and grievances that were hard to ignore. Shooting was unintuitive, making for unbalanced gameplay and stalled progression. While there are many playable characters to choose from, the grind to unlock new players was a real slog. Plus, there was no local multiplayer at launch, and no penalty for dropping out of online matches.

Many of these issues have since been addressed, but it seems to be too little too late for many players who had high hopes for this title. Perhaps over time, NBA Playgrounds can develop into the nostalgic arcade basketball experience that fans were hoping for, but its initial problems at launch knocked it down to one of the worst games of May. 

Friday the 13th Game

The new Friday the 13th game is a thrilling slasher based on the popular film franchise of the same name. Just like in the movies, players run around as vulnerable teen camp counselors who must fight to survive while being chased through the woods by the masked murderer, Jason Voorhees. The spooky setting makes for an immersive, intense experience. However, the game is mired by annoying bugs and a lack of content, causing Friday the 13th to be more frustrating than terrifying.

Jason is also notoriously hard to kill, which makes sense to a certain degree, but the level of teamwork and cohesion required to take down this iconic villain is enough to turn away those who tend to play solo.  Friday the 13th is better when played with friends, but even then, the replay value seems minimal at best. 

Strafe

Roguelike gameplay elements and old-school shooter charm clash in a bloody, retro-style FPS called Strafe. Despite its intriguing premise, Strafe ended up being yet another game that generally failed to live up to nostalgic expectations. Strafe taps into the attitude of classic ‘90s shooters like Quake and Doom, but even with its blocky aesthetic, it still fell short in several regards.

The difficulty of the gameplay is rather inconsistent. Some enemies can be mowed down easily, while others seem unkillable at times. Being a roguelike, health and ammo are scarce. You end up having to play more carefully, which is counter to what these sort of fast-paced, high energy arena shooters are all about.

Don’t get us wrong, the game isn’t terrible, and there are elements that it does well. But, from the overly expensive boosts, to silent enemies that hinder the experience, there’s enough to criticize in Strafe to make it one of the worse games of May. 

What were some of your picks for best and worse games of May 2017? Let us know in the comments!

Writer

Larryn is a full-time editor who has written guides and editorial features for various gaming websites. She is obsessed with Witcher 3 and is known to put hot sauce on everything.

Mics

Shop Now

Mice

Shop Now