Most anticipated games of 2017

It's hard to believe the year is halfway over already. The first half of this year brought us some incredible games - Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5, Yakuza 0, Nioh, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild...to name a few. I haven't had enough time to get through all the games I want to play this year, and there are a whole lot of great games yet to come out. I really need a two-week staycation to catch up on my backlog.

Here are just a few games coming out later this year that I am really excited to play.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - June 30

Unlike my husband and most of my friends, I didn't grow up playing Crash Bandicoot. I never had a PlayStation, and didn't play Crash until I met my husband eight years ago. Even without the nostalgia factor, I love Crash and I am so excited that the games are being remade for PS4. The N. Sane Trilogy is coming to PS4 in a little over a week! (Pro-tip: If you pre-order the game on the PlayStation Store, you get some awesome Crash themes and avatars.)

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Aug. 22

I've written about this before, but I can't emphasize how very excited I am for The Lost Legacy, which is shaping up to be a very lengthy single-player DLC for Uncharted 4. I'm beyond stoked to finally get to play as Chloe; she's always been one of my favorite characters. I'm anxious to learn more about Nadine, as well, who I feel I didn't get to see enough throughout Uncharted 4's campaign.

Yakuza Kiwami - Aug. 29

Yakuza 0 finally came to America earlier this year, and I clocked over 50 hours into it. I absolutely loved it...even more than Yakuza 3, which had previously been my favorite in the series. Since Yakuza 0 was a prequel to the original Yakuza for PlayStation 2, I'm now in the perfect place to start Kiwami, which is a remake of the PS2 classic. I never had a chance to play the original Yakuza, so I'm really excited to play it on PS4.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Aug. 31

Life is Strange was one of my favorite games of 2015. Before the Storm, not to be confused with Life is Strange: Season 2, is a three-episode prequel to the events of the first season. We will learn more about Chloe and Rachel Amber's relationship, and how Chloe slowly transformed into the cigarette-smoking, blue-haired girl we know and love. The first of three episodes comes out on Aug. 31.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole - Oct. 17

If I'm perfectly honest, I'm not a huge fan of RPGs. There are very few that hold my attention, one of them being South Park: The Stick of Truth. I'm a big fan of the TV show, and the game far surpassed my expectations. The Fractured But Whole is going to look and play very similarly, and I am anxious to play it. This game will focus on the adventures of Coon and Friends. I can't wait to go back down to South Park and have myself a time...again.

Super Mario Odyssey - Oct. 27

I've been playing Mario games nearly my whole life. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were fantastic games, and I have high hopes that Super Mario Odyssey will be a Mario game on that same level; the Switch needs it. From what we've seen so far, the game looks like the perfect mix of solid platforming, creative level design, and straight up weirdness. This could be the weirdest Mario game yet; I say, bring it on.

What games are you excited for this year? Let's talk on Twitter: @gottosaurus