Google has recently been releasing its top search data for 2017, and it's not just the top trending actors that has been gaining interest. Instead, video games have been the subject of many a search on Google this year, as the gaming industry grows ever larger.
2017 has been a massive year for video games, and so some of the top trending games of the year won't come as much of a surprise. Indeed, some of the most anticipated games of 2017 appear here, but there are also a few surprises along the way. Throw in some of the biggest video game talking points of the year, and the list certainly shows what's been important to video game fans in 2017. That said, there are some strange omissions, in particular Star Wars: Battlefront II and its loot box controversy.
Without further ado, here's a rundown of the top trending video games on Google for 2017. However, do bear in mind that these are not the most popular games of the year by any means, but instead those that came up as Google's top trends for the year as a whole.
10. Friday the 13th: The Game
Much like Jason Voorhees himself, the buzz around Friday the 13th: The Game refused to die down over the course of the year. Picking up an army of interested gamers prior to the game's May release date, the Kickstarter-backed title struggled at launch with server issues and a wealth of bugs that lingered for longer than Gun Media and Illfonic would have necessarily liked.
Nonetheless, Friday the 13th's players persevered, and the charm of the asymmetrical horror title's gameplay managed to bring in the crowds, particularly with a steady stream of updates to keep gamers occupied and the searches coming. However, Friday the 13th still needs that long-promised single player mode.
9. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands brought back the Ghost Recon franchise this year for its tenth installment, and a lot has changed from previous entries in the series. The recent focus on futuristic warfare was gone, instead throwing players just two years ahead of present day, and the game includes what Ubisoft claimed was its largest open world to date.
Given the expectations that surrounded the game, and the slight disappointment in the final product, it's not surprising that this much-anticipated game was a top trending game this year. Then, of course, there was also that controversy where Ghost Recon: Wildlands was criticized by the Bolivian government for its portrayal of the country.
8. Assassin's Creed: Origins
Although Assassin's Creed has always been something of a big hitter, it's taken the series a while to get over the notoriety that came with the buggy mess that was Assassin's Creed: Unity. Thankfully, Assassin's Creed: Origins was a much more stable - and fun - release than the recent games in the franchise, and the breathtaking vistas of ancient Egypt did much to capture the imaginations of the players.
On top of this, the game also filled to the brim with secret content to keep gamers hunting down things to do in its open world. It also helped matters from a trending perspective that the game was subject to questions over the canon of the Assassin's Creed movie.
7. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Guerrilla Games' Horizon: Zero Dawn is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year. It delivered and enthralling gaming experience, with a compelling post-apocalyptic story and some of the best gameplay available on the PS4. As such, it's no surprise to see the title sitting on the list of the top trending games of the year.
Alongside the game's well-earned reputation, there may be another reason why Horizon: Zero Dawn has seen such a spike in searches. After all, the game is chock full of secrets and Easter eggs, so there's a reason for even the game's most hardened players to hit up Google for some answers.
6. Madden NFL 18
A game from the Madden NFL series is a no-brainer for a list of the top trending games of the year. Madden is one of the biggest sports franchises alive in video games, and this year's entry was no different in terms of popularity from those that have gone before it, once again jumping straight to the top of the sales charts upon release.
There was, however, something of a talking point in Madden NFL 18. The game introduced the Longshot story mode, a game mode that brought a character-centric narrative to gameplay that's normally affiliated with the world of the sports sim. The mode has split players down the middle, and as such it's even heightened the game's Google presence.
5. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been a major departure from the standard gameplay of the Resident Evil series. Eschewing the franchise's traditional viewpoint, Resident Evil 7 instead throws players into a first person view, with gameplay closer to modern Western horror titles such as Outlast and Amnesia.
Something about this change inspired gamers, however, with the title gaining solid reviews and a heap of praise for its rural American setting. It may feel very different from previous games in the series, but Resident Evil 7 is proof that sometimes change is a good thing. With the demo alone breaking download records, it's easy to see why the game was a big hit with Google.
4. Injustice 2
The original Injustice: Gods Among Us was something of a fever dream from the 1990s brought to life, combining DC Comics characters with Mortal Kombat gameplay into one brutal fighting game. The follow-up, Injustice 2, has further upped the ante, improving the game in effectively every way and bringing with it a wealth of interest from gamers.
Something that has certainly helped matters for the game is the steady release of new characters and content in the months since release. After all, there's nothing quite like being able to face off against the likes of Wonder Woman and The Flash with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Hellboy.
3. For Honor
Although For Honor went into the year as one of the most intriguing games to be released, it's fair to say that the title didn't exactly meet expectations. The game's potential to be the next big Ubisoft franchise was clear for all to see, but the promise of its gameplay didn't quite match up with the end experience, particularly when awkward microtransaction balancing was taken into consideration.
All in all, then, For Honor proved to be a prime example of one of the biggest issues of 2017 overall: a solid core idea ruined by the implementation of an unpopular business model. It's that mixture of hype and disappointment that likely explains why For Honor has been such a top trender.
2. Destiny 2
Speaking of jarring microtransaction mechanics, another prime example of this is Destiny 2. Bungie's latest game was generally successful from a core game perspective, with improvements in terms of narrative seen as a big plus, although some players felt as though the game was lacking in content overall. However, it's in the game's less positive moments that Destiny 2's trending status could have truly shined.
Be it Destiny 2's rigged XP system or the fact that some end-game content was locked behind DLC, Destiny 2 has never been far from trending. That, along with the game's regular updates and intriguing mysteries, will be part of the reason why Destiny 2 has been one of the top trending games of the year.
1. Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty is a juggernaut with each and every yearly release, but there's been something about Call of Duty: WWII that has particularly caught the interest of the gaming community. After all, there's no getting around the fact that the game was hitting double the sales of the previous game in the franchise just after launch, with a lot being pinned on the game's return to the series' roots of World War II.
Given that massive popularity, it's understandable why Call of Duty: WWII would be a top trending game of the year. Of course, the game has had its fair share of controversies too, with network difficulties at launch and the inevitable loot box backlash that has permeated gaming this year.
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