Video game preview 2017: Part 4 - Injustice 2, Pikmin 3DS, Halo Wars 2 and more

Part four of our rundown of 50 games to get excited about in 2017 includes an enormous superhero smackdown, an unexpected Halo Wars sequel on Xbox One, Pikmin's 3DS debut and more.

There's also the next game from the team behind Saints Row, Team Ninja courting the phrase "Souls-esque", a potential indie delight that's been delayed several times over, and a couple more that we hope aren't.

Below you'll find 10 more of our most anticipated video games of the year ahead.

Injustice 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Injustice: Gods Among Us was a surprise hit, taking the excellent work NetherRealm Studios did with its Mortal Kombat reboot in 2011, and applying it to a dark version of the DC Comics superhero universe. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman will, of course, appear in the sequel, alongside Aquaman, Supergirl, Harley Quinn and more.

Release date: TBA

Halo Wars 2 (Xbox One, PC)

Nobody expected a sequel to Halo Wars, the eight-year-old real-time strategy (RTS) off-shoot of the beloved Xbox franchise. The original didn't exactly set the world alight, but with RTS gods Creative Assembly at the helm, it's in the best possible hands.

Release date: 21 February

Rime (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Here's what we wrote in our 2016 preview: "Some games on this list are bound to be delayed beyond next December, it's as inevitable as the tides. One which made our list last year and appears once more is Rime." Well, it got delayed yet again and appears for the third year in a row on our list here. The good news is that it'll be released in May, as developer Tequila Works announced on 3 Jan.

Release date: May

Nioh (PS4)

Nioh takes a great deal of inspiration from FromSoftware's Dark Souls series and will undoubtedly be labelled a clone. With Team Ninja, the team behind Ninja Gaiden, in charge however, and with initial impressions being quite positive, there could be reason to get excited.

Release date: 8 February

Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3 (PC)

The Dawn of War series is considered among the very best in the RTS genre, so when a third game was announced last year strategy fans were very excited by the prospect of a return to the grisly Warhammer 40K universe.

Release date: TBA

Pikmin 3DS (3DS)

Nintendo announced in September that Captain Olimar and his colourful companions would finally be coming to handheld in their first 3DS title. Touted as being developed "with action in mind" and given the game is a side-scrolling platformer, at least in part, expect a very different Pikmin game, but hopefully one worthy of being played on the go.

Release date: TBA

Snake Pass (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

From Sumo Digital, the team that has had a hand in LittleBigPlanet and Forza Horizon to name just two series, Snake Pass is a new take on the 3D platformer genre. Central to the game is the player-controlled snake, the movement of which requires more thought than your Marios or Banjos. Snakes can't jump, so instead players manage the weight of the snake's lengthy body as they weave and wrap themselves around the environment to climb and collect items across multiple worlds.

Release date: TBA

Tokyo 42 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Tokyo 42 is a stylish action game set in a series of large, diorama-like settings viewed from distant isometric angles. Players take on the role of an assassin, who must move through the world taking out targets through a variety of means. Should things kick off, chaos can ensue with civilians scattering as enemies hail bullets down on you in a 'bullet hell' style. Developer SMAC Games describes the title as the "lovechild of Syndicate and GTA 1".

Release date: Q1 / Q2

Agents of Mayhem (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Volition's Saints Row series is on hiatus right now but the studio's next title is still set in the same barmy over-the-top universe. Agents of Mayhem is an open world game in which players complete missions with a selection of three unique heroes they can switch between at will, out of a roster of twelve.

Release date: TBA

State of Decay 2 (Xbox One, PC)

Zombie games aren't as common an occurrence as a few years back but the undead well is still one the games industry returns to on a regular basis. State of Decay is an open world survival game that puts a focus on co-op play in tandem with the leadership and resource management aspects of the well-received original.

Release date: TBA

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