Video game preview 2017: Part 3 - For Honor, Gran Turismo Sport, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite and more

Part three of our bumper preview of the most exciting video games hitting shelves in 2017 sees a distinctly Japanese flavour added to our countdown, as well as a few potential surprises and new properties from several powerhouse publishers in the US.

If that wasn't enough, we also have the next game from the creators of the wonderful Life is Strange, a quirky new IP from Nintendo and an unexpected sequel to a game that was unanimously criticised way back when the PS4 was making its market debut.

Without further ado, below are another 10 promising games heading our way in 2017.

Scalebound (Xbox One, PC)

Platinum Games' second game of 2017 (PS4-exclusive Nier: Automata being the first) sees the return of legendary director Hideki Kamiya – the brains behind Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Scalebound promises to be an atypical Platinum-style action RPG, with the playable human character mostly relying on an oversized, customisable dragon named Thuban for combat duties.

Release date: TBA

For Honor (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Ubisoft's 4v4 'shooter with swords' has flown somewhat under the radar since its initial announcement at E3 2015, but if it can deliver on its best-elevator-pitch-ever premise – "some knights, vikings and samurais do fights and that" – the French publisher may have a new AAA franchise on its hands.

Release date: 14 February

Gran Turismo Sport (PS4)

Polyphony Digital's serially delayed racing franchise should finally arrive on current gen hardware in 2017. Ostensibly Gran Turismo 7 in all but name, Sport is to feature more than 100 "super-premium" cars and three game modes: Campaign, Sports and Arcade. Kazunori Yamauchi has even described the upcoming full-throttle racer as "the most innovative GT since the original".

Release date: TBA

Vampyr (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Likely buoyed by the breakout success of 2015's sublime Life Is Strange, Dontnod Entertainment is really out for blood in 2017 with Vampyr. Set in London during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, everything we've seen so far points to a choice-heavy action RPG, soaked in Gothic, Stokeresque iconography.

Release date: TBA

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (PS4, PS Vita)

Grab your truth bullets and prepare for despair: school is back in session for the latest in developer Spike Chunsoft's gruesome visual novel series. The first Danganronpa game to arrive on a home console sees a new roster of prodigious teens locked into an endurance test with deadly consequences. Expect frantic, Ace Attorney-like classroom trials, crafty logic puzzles and wicked one-liners from a horrifying plush bear.

Release date: TBA

Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)

From one sequel to a PS Vita gem to another, Gravity Rush 2 marks the series' full transition to Sony's PS4 after the recent remaster of the first Gravity Rush. Amnesiac heroine Kat and feline companion Dusty both return in this Newton-defying sequel that is adding more mind-bending 'Shifter' abilities and a larger, more interactive open-world set-up.

Release date: 20 January

Knack 2 (PS4)

Your eyes do not deceive you: Knack 2 is a video game that will exist in 2017. An unexpected sequel to PS4 lead architect Mary Cerny's pet project – which debuted to a 'muted' (let's be polite) reaction alongside the console's launch – Knack 2 is banking on co-op thrills to supplement its platforming, thing-smashing gameplay. It can't be worse than the original, at least... right?

Release date: Q3/Q4

Night in the Woods (PS4, PC)

At first glance Night in the Woods ticks all the boxes for another run-of-the-mill 2D indie platformer with a cutesy cardboard-cutout style. The devil is in the detail, however, as this offbeat, Kickstarter-funded tale of anthropomorphic woodland creatures focuses on villager chit-chat and exploration in unravelling the mysteries that lie within Possum Springs and the woods beyond.

Release date: February 2017

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Capcom's latest crossover brawler returns for another round of super-powered fisticuffs, complete with an oft-requested story mode. The tournament-favourite fighting series has ditched its 3v3 style for more manageable two-on-two scuffles, but the action will likely be as fierce and fan-pleasing as ever (even if the X-Men don't make the cut).

Release date: TBA

Ever Oasis (Nintendo 3DS)

With Nintendo's own Switch console muscling its way into the handheld market, the 3DS' best days look to be behind it. That isn't stopping Grezzo, though, as the team behind the excellent pair of portable N64-era Zelda remasters is readying a sun-drenched RPG jaunt around an Egyptian-themed world in Ever Oasis.

Release date: TBA

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