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This list is going to be kind of weird because a lot of 2022 games are not on it because I only got employment towards the end of the year (and bought a PS5 literally days ago) so a lot of the stuff on a lot of people's lists have been stuff that I just watched from the sidelines and went 'oh im sure i'll be into that someday when i can finally get it' so 2023 is gonna possibly be a lot beefier of a list, but here goes! HONORABLE MENTIONS Unpacking - fun little indie game about unpacking stuff and watching someone grow up over the course of like 15 years. its short and sweet and definitely a delightful experience, and the ost is really good De Blob 1+2 - i apparently bought these both on my switch a while back but never got around to em til i had to directly babysit a kitten we had just rescued that was too small to be left alone. its basically singleplayer anarchist splatoon. you know the gist. Cyberpunk 2077 - i never finished this so thats why its down here. i never played this until they'd patched all the bad poo poo out. game's decent, will probably finish it someday, maybe. Train Station Renovation - it's in the same genre as stuff like powerwash simulator but the game itself is just you cleaning up train stations. it feels like an asset flip but i had a surprisingly fun time with it nonetheless. Yugioh Master Duel - this is what mtg arena should've been And now, the list proper:  10. Escape Academy - If you like escape room puzzle games, well, you've probably already played this, but in the chance you haven't, well, here's another one! The story is basically centered around, well, an academy devoted to training and developing people's skills in puzzle solving, cryptography, hacking, and breaking and entering.  It's got a lot of heart, and it's a really short game at about 8-10 hours at most; I saw that there was going to be DLC with more story, but I haven't looked into it at all so I can't speak to that. Also, this game has co-op if you want to solve puzzles with a friend or partner! 9. Neon White - Ok lets be clear I REALLY do not like the writing of this game lmao, it's very similar to the justin roiland game for me in terms of leaning way too hard into a sense of humor that's very easy to gently caress up. Yeah I get it cringe is dumb and people should lean into being embarrassing or whatever but man you gotta at least have something to cut through the cringe with sincerity besides having a cynical straight man and it gets to a point where the cringe feels almost insecure after a point, like they're afraid to be clocked as anything deeper. Anyway the game itself is massively fun with its gameplay loop of blazing through environments firing your guns and discarding them to double jump and teleport and poo poo, and more games need to get machine girl to do their OST. If you can stomach some deep cringe and love precision puzzle platformers this is definitely going to be your poo poo.  8. Superliminal - Look everyone knows what this game is, and if you don't, hey, it's Portal but with perspective puzzles, go play it! Another really short but very strong game experience that doesn't overstay its welcome, and one I'm glad I finally got to have myself.  7. The Zodiac Trial - I think I was maybe three routes deep on this VN when I hit the point of 'oh poo poo, I want to LP this REAL bad, this RULES'- and, well, I am now, if that proves how much I like it If you've ever touched an ontological mystery game before like Zero Escape, Danganronpa, etc, then you basically already know the setup- group of strangers wake up in an unfamiliar place, have death collars on their neck, are told by a mastermind they have to participate in a game if they want to escape alive, you know the gist by now- but this game is a prime example of how having a good core story can go a LONG way to make up for any other shortcomings the game might have (wonky art style, lack of illustrations, photo backgrounds, etc). Definitely became one of my favorite indie VNs after I finished it, and I'm excited to get to the sequel sometime in the future. 6. Life is Strange: True Colors - The general consensus on this one was that it's probably the best after the original game, but I honestly think it's my favorite of the whole series to date, even if it is still mostly lower stakes than the previous games. They definitely kicked the presentation and graphics up to a new level, and I honestly think Alex is my favorite LiS protagonist just because of how charismatic she is. I honestly hold it up with stuff like Night in the Woods in terms of how well it portrays specific slices of small town/backwater American town vibes, too.  5. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet] - Okay, obviously this game's launch was... "eventful", to say the least. But most of the issues were technical, not design failures, as far as I'm concerned, and I honestly think this might be tied for my favorite mainline Pokemon game in the whole franchise. If this is where they want to take the series going forward, they've absolutely gotten me on board here, and unlike Sword/Shield I absolutely will snap up any DLC they decide to release.  4. Sonic Frontiers - They hired that man, finally!!! Jokes aside, as someone who grew up with Sonic being the franchise that shaped me as a kid, this is hands down one of my favorite Sonic experiences in the history of the franchise, even if I was skeptical about the open world idea, but what cemented it for me as one of the most hype game experiences was the first true boss fight of this game- If you know, you know, lmao. Similar to Pokemon, I'm 100% buying the announced DLC, and the fact we're going to be getting playable non-Sonic characters again, for the first time in loving ages? Sonic's back, and I hope they keep doing stuff like this with the franchise going forward. 3. The Great Ace Attorney - This is only the first game, as I haven't managed to start the second one. Anyone who's played any of the AA series has probably heard nothing but praise for this game, and hey, wouldn't you know, it's true? While it's not my favorite game in the series overall (that one's still AA6, lol), it's absolutely in top 3, and the official localization is incredibly good quality, in a way that I hope will eventually extend to the missing Investigations 2 game (yes, I know there's a fan translation, but considering how messy the fan translation for GAA was... yeah.) Now we just need AA7, guys   2. Warframe: The New War - I am invoking XIV expansion rules here to allow me to put the latest main story expansion for Warframe in my GOTY list, and I'm not sorry  This story expansion was, no joke, functionally for Warframe what Shadowbringers was for XIV, and I wish more people were willing to give modern Warframe another try as it's a very, very different beast from the Warframe of a few years ago. Without giving too much away, the scope of their vision and how gamechanging this expansion was for both the lore and the mechanical workings of their game and system is still wild to me even now. They broke from the usual Warframe story tradition in multiple ways here, and also fleshed out and properly rooted the broader stakes of the world Warframe takes place in while also introducing concepts that open up brand new story paths in ways I can't wait to see come into play going forward. (Duviri Paradox will probably be on my GOTY list for the year that comes out, based on what we've seen so far!) 1. AI: The Somnium Files: Nirvana Initiative - Similar to my GOTY for last year, while this may not be the most technically competent nor the most impactful, it's the one that I was most hyped for literally since its first announcement and once again is proof that a sequel doesn't HAVE to be worse than the original. Any criticisms I may have don't match the sheer joy I had playing this and revisiting the characters and world from one of my favorite games of all time, and the game also has some quality of life improvements that show they were listening to feedback from the first game, too! If we ever get an AI3 I'm on board from the word go Uchikoshi fan for life at this point.Easy list for Rarity: 10. Escape Academy 9. Neon White 8. Superliminal 7. The Zodiac Trial 6. Life is Strange - True Colors 5. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet 4. Sonic Frontiers 3. Great Ace Attorney 2. Warframe: The New War 1. AI: The Somnium Files: Nirvana Initiative
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Dec 27, 2022 04:03
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Mix. posted:(yes, I know there's a fan translation, but considering how messy the fan translation for GAA was... yeah.) As someone who did a little bit of work on the fan translation for AAI2, I can assure you it's top-notch and feels as official as it can.
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Dec 27, 2022 04:28
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Waffleman_ posted:As someone who did a little bit of work on the fan translation for AAI2, I can assure you it's top-notch and feels as official as it can. It's also almost certainly all we are ever going to get, so just play it, it's good
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Dec 27, 2022 04:54
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I am still working my way through this thread to read everyone's lists but just created mine and thought I should post it  I have felt like I haven’t played a whole lot this year. Moving to Japan at the end of last year really changed things for me and I’ve only just truly settled in and can play games more. Getting a Steam Deck recently has really helped revitalise my appreciation of games and I can’t wait to play heaps of things I’ve got in my backlog that I now have a more comfortable way of playing. Also just want to say, I really enjoy all the time I spend reading the forums and thanks everyone for being around. Anyway, onto the list! Honorable Mentions Picross S Mega Drive & Master System Edition I really love all of the Picross S games I have played so far. Of the main series I have finished 1-3 so not even halfway through them all yet! I have picked to highlight this here because the theme was quite fun. Getting to solve puzzles which resulted in the sprites from some classic games was a compelling change, some of the fun of this series is the little image you are constructing coming to life in colour. Fun solid puzzleness, Picross might just be my favourite type of puzzle. Link’s Awakening Remastered I had played a bit of the original version of this game a long time ago on an emulator. I remember enjoying what I had played but I think I was too young to really understand what was going on. I still had a bit of nostalgia though, and with the cute graphics, fun enough simple combat, and a world which was enjoyable to travel around I got a solid time out of this. The framerate might not be perfect but it doesn’t detract from the game at all and I really enjoyed this! Grand Theft Auto V I thought I was done with this game. I had played through most of it when it came out originally, and then did actually play it through to completion at a later time on PC. I don’t know if I really like the GTA humour anymore. Sometimes I do think the jokes are clever, or at least stupid enough that you can’t tell if the writers think they’re writing high class comedy when it’s really just dumb and that somehow makes it funnier. I don’t really know how to describe it. Anyway I decided to try it out a bit on the Steam Deck to see how powerful the thing is and I got sucked back into this game!! The story is pretty drat stupid but the driving is fun enough and the shooting is not too bad either. I’ve realised that Rockstar really tried to create a “simulation” of life (or at least parts of it) and I think the game really succeeds in it’s strange blend of realism and not-realism. May have ranked higher if I had started playing it earlier in the year and had time for my feelings to percolate The List 10. Bayonetta I have purchased this game on so many different platforms now at this point, but I had never actually finished it! I think the furthest I got the original time I played it was just after the Space Harrier level, I guess I was pretty close at that point. It really isn’t that long either so it really is a surprise I hadn’t. I started playing it again once the hype for Bayonetta 3 started (I still haven’t got to that, have Bayo 2 to finish) and fell in love with it again. The cutscenes are very silly but Bayonetta is awesome and all the characters are cheesy and fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously and the combat is still very satisfying. 9. Spyro Reignited Trilogy I loved the Spyro games as a kid. I remember playing the original at my cousin’s house when we visited one time. Spyro 2 came one Christmas and my brother’s and I played it like crazy, spending a long time collecting all the orbs and completing the game. Then Spyro 3 came for one of my birthdays and it was again so much fun! As a kid I found a lot of fun in the variety of the game even though now in hindsight that was a sign of where the series was going to head. This remaster of the original trilogy is still so great. I played it on release on PS4 and completed everything within a couple of weeks, it was the only thing I did after getting home from work. Playing it through to completion again this year on Switch, I realised that I love these games so much, flaws and all. Solid platforming fun with fun characters and a good gimmick. 8. Final Fantasy VII One of my brothers borrowed this game from a friend when I was a kid. I played through the intro to this game so many times that a lot of it was stuck into my head as the image of this game. From being on the internet so much I of course knew of the big spoiler AERIS DIES EVERYONE but there were actually other pieces of the story that I did not know that really blew my mind as having only played the intro to the game so many times over and over I would never have guessed! This game is really good, the reputation this game holds should never be in question. It does really rule, Cloud rules, Sephiroth is an overdramatic goth but he also rules. The story is really interesting and was a good message about the environment for the time it came out. This has motivated me to try giving more JRPGs a chance. 7. Fire Emblem: 3 Houses I tried to get into this when it first released (got pulled in by the hype) but something just didn’t click with me back then. Gave it another shot this year and it consumed my life for a couple of weeks. I haven’t really played too many SRPGs so it was a really fun new experience. Even though I didn’t play on the really hard difficulty I was fine with it. The story was what pulled me in, I really wanted to know what would happen to my fellow students and really enjoyed getting to see everyone again after the time skip. I think similar to the above I will give some more SRPGs a shot, I’ve got Tactics Ogre ready on my Deck to try out at some point. You should really give this game a shot! 6. Kirby and the Forgotten Land Kirby is great. Kirby is very cute. Really fun levels, fun to use powers, and very fun Mouthful Mode transformations, this game just knows how to be fun. Kirby is one of my favourite characters and I couldn’t not love this game. 5. Bloodborne I had finished all of the FromSoft Souls games except for this one in the leadup to Elden Ring coming out. I took this as a good opportunity to correct that mistake. Bloodborne is an amazingly exciting game. The combat is fast and satisfying, the setting and environments are beautifully designed, and the world as a whole is just really well imagined. Miyazaki and all of the FromSoft team just created something so special with this. This game is an amazing spooky adventure. 4. Sackboy: A Big Adventure This was not a game I expected to rank so highly for me. I was a fairly big fan of the 3 LittleBigPlanet games, even with all of their jankiness. My wife is a fan of Sackboy since she thinks he’s a cute character so I bought this to surprise her. We have played through a lot of the game so far together in co-op and it has just been some of the best times I’ve had this year. Although sometimes a bit stressful we always have a laugh about it and the levels are all really varied and fun. This is a great platformer! (I love platformers!) 3. Neon White I love watching speedruns. I have tried speedrunning a bit before with the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Neon White takes the concept of speedrunning and puts it into bite sized packages that anyone can try out and succeed at without having to spend too much time on it. The almost puzzle-like way in which you figure out how to get the best time on a level. The god-awful story which I actually enjoyed to be honest. The great sense of speed and the excitement that comes with it. Just a really fun package and I think I will move over from playing it on the Switch and play it on the Deck now! 2. Vampire Survivors Drugs and gambling in a wholesome video game package which doesn’t take advantage of you. I got into VS pretty soon after it started getting traction. I really enjoyed the almost zen state you could get into when you got powerful enough to get to the 30 minute timer. There’s just something so addictive about the way you kill enemies and pick up gems to level up. After taking a break for a couple months I’m back into it again and there’s so much stuff to do and the DLC to play. This game is a beautiful example of simplicity and created a fun genre of games which I’m enjoying seeing the evolution of. 1. Elden Ring I mean, it had to be, right? From the moment the game was released, for about 3 or 4 weeks, I couldn’t think of anything else other than this game. While at work I kept thinking of different things I could do, places I could try travelling to, and bosses that I had left behind that maybe I should go back and fight now. I love all of the Souls games and Elden Ring just elevated them to the next level. It really is the culmination of everything FromSoft have made for the last 28 years. I can honestly say it might be the best game released in the last 10 years. The world was enormous, and then it got bigger and I thought surely that’s all there is, then it got bigger again. This kept happening. The game was just full of new places to explore and so exciting to play because of it. Combat was great, I love Souls game combat. I love using a really big weapon and focusing more on trying to dodge, and the weapon choices in this game did not disappoint. There are still things I did not do and now that I have a Deck I may just install it again and do another playthrough with a different build. What an achievement from FromSoft, just the best. Easy List 10. Bayonetta 9. Spyro Reignited Trilogy (If I’m only allowed one game from this I guess Spyro 2? But I think this can count as a single game?) 8. Final Fantasy VII 7. Fire Emblem: 3 Houses 6. Kirby and the Forgotten Land 5. Bloodborne 4. Sackboy: A Big Adventure 3. Neon White 2. Vampire Survivors 1. Elden Ring
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Dec 27, 2022 04:54
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Waffleman_ posted:As someone who did a little bit of work on the fan translation for AAI2, I can assure you it's top-notch and feels as official as it can. Yeah I'm mostly just wary because of how slur happy the GAA one was 
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Dec 27, 2022 04:56
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Yeah, well, AAI2 is not specifically about racism, so there's no real room for slurs.
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Dec 27, 2022 05:06
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Had to update my list because I forgot Triangle Strategy was this year lmao
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Dec 27, 2022 06:06
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Mix. posted:
I know that we're not supposed to criticize each other here but "cynical" and "straight" are two of the last adjectives I'd use for White. My man's naive and queer and I found him very sincere. I'm full with you on it being cringe as hell I just found that the nature of that cringe to be its sincerity. quote:
New War is really good, though I thought the broader stakes stuff was very small potatoes compared to having some characters who you can really get some psychological chewing on (TBF they've written really good characters before like Ticker and The Business, but those characters don't really do anything they just kind of are, which is cool for what they are), New War is definitely an elevation on a game that has been pretty continuously improving for its entire run. Like I get why somebody wouldn't believe me when I try to tell them that Warframe did in fact nail a storyline centered on feminism, but like they did in fact nail a storyline centered on feminism.
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Dec 27, 2022 09:30
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I think that’s “straight man” in the comedy sense of “person upon whom the joke is played”
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Dec 27, 2022 13:41
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10. Kathy Rain: Director's Cut A decent point and click adventure. 9. Ace Attorney Trilogy The first game I played this year actually, and a really good one at that. I wish the other games in the series had PC ports. 8. Judgement Yakuza devs know how to make good action games, and Judgement is no exception. Had to switch computers in the middle of playing this, and it was a worthy game to be the first game I completed on my new rig. 7. Gloomhaven A pretty enjoyable digital version of the board game, played it a lot for a couple of months. Maybe a little repetitive? Still good tho. 6. TF 2 Still the best FPS/hat simulator. 5. Dota 2 I thought I would never play Dota again, and yet I played like a dozen matches this year just to remember it is still Dota 2. You could also put in "Ability Arena in Dota 2" here instead, but eh. 4. Dwarf Fortress (Steam) This would be higher if it had come out earlier in the year. It is dwarf fortress with readable graphics. 3. Across the Obelisk Not sure what it is about this cardbased roguelite rpg, but something about it just owned a lot. I liked the challenge, I liked the art style, I liked the music, it was a good game to play through a few times. I'll probably play it again once DLC hits. 2. Apex Legends My most played game this year by far, Apex Legends is my multiplayer game of choice and despite taking occasional long breaks from it, I love the game. There's just something about it that is hard to describe for me, something that makes me come back again and again. 1. Tunic. This cutesy zeldalike game full of secrets and nostalgia was my MVP this year, a game I bought on launch despite also being able to play it on Game Pass and I did not regret the purchase. It probably actually wasn't the 'best' game I played this year, but it was by far the most memorable, a game I'll remember fondly for a long time.
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Dec 27, 2022 14:03
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Yeah that was not a comment on his sexuality lmao
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Dec 27, 2022 14:05
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i salute all of you who listened to the dialog in neon white, you are either clinically brain dead or an immensely powerful human being, immune to any kind of psychological torture.
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Dec 27, 2022 14:21
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I'll probably elaborate a bit more on it in my GOTY writeup but I'm surprised at the virulent reaction Neon White's writing seems to elicit from people and have to wonder if this is folks first exposure to visual novel styled writing and character archetypes? I don't think that the plot they tell with those archetypes is particularly novel or engaging, but the general moment to moment writing doesn't seem any worse than say, the Danganronpa series or A.I.
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Dec 27, 2022 14:45
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Mix. posted:Yeah that was not a comment on his sexuality lmao There's this thing called wordplay. It's pretty cool. Highly recommend you check it out.
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Dec 27, 2022 14:50
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Started yet another new game during the hallowed GOTY thread period. I’m assuming I’m going to like return to monkey island tho
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Dec 27, 2022 16:38
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Making Watchdogs your goty for tyol 2022, is incredibly powerful. Gotta respect it.
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Dec 27, 2022 16:40
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Yeah. “Weird” lists are the most fun.
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Dec 27, 2022 17:50
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Coming out of the woodwork to make my list in my favorite thread of the year! Appreciate all the hard work that goes into making it and greatly enjoy reading everyone's lists! Playing games gets harder every year for me (a growing one year old takes up most of my time now!) so since I played less than 10 games (and enjoyed them) they all make my list! 7 - MediEvil Remake (2019) Downloaded this since I upgraded to PS Plus to play Stray and vaguely remembered enjoying this series on PS1. Turns out I enjoyed playing it very much here too. Just a quick silly game and I liked that each level is unique with its own gimmick. You start out quite weak and the hit detection is a bit wonky but as you start getting all the weapons you become a powerhouse. Favorite Level: There's a goal in each level to kill enough enemies to fill up a chalice so generally you are hunting every enemy down. In the town level though the chalice starts out partially filled and if you kill the townspeople you lose a percentage. Basically you need to run around dodging all the crazy townspeople (including little girls with knives, men with large hammers etc.) while solving the puzzles. Once you open the town gates then real enemies appear and you can start killing with reckless abandon. Just a memorable reversal of the standard 100% for each level! 6 - Stray (2022)  Just an enjoyable and quick game that has a great sense of style. Fun just to wander the world they built and interact with the colorful cast of characters. Also unexpectedly creepy in spots. Favorite Moment(s): Finding the cozy spots to take naps. I remember one specific spot up in a loft of an apartment you are looking through that made me want to be there napping right alongside our cat protagonist. 5 - Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)  Surprise of the year for me. I like most everyone thought this looked like trash when they announced it. Good word of mouth and a timely sale got me to pick it up and it was well worth it. I loved the dialogue between the team (there's so much of it that you can accidentally skip a lot by running through the levels or have it overlap, a problem I hope can be elegantly solved if there are any sequels), the environments, and a surprisingly effective story about loss. The combat is probably the weakest point, the star here is the characters and story. Favorite Moment: Don't want to spoil any details, but there's a point midway through the game where the gameplay and story collide very effectively, where failing it brings up the credits. 4 - Returnal (2021)  Just pure fun to play. The weapons are cool, speeding around feels great, combat is hectic but feels amazing when you get through a difficult encounter. Hope to get back to play the DLC at some point and in general I think I could pick this game up and play it anytime without it ever feeling dated. Favorite Moment: The third boss fight (but all the boss fights in this game are amazing). 3 - Tunic (2022)  Love the old 2d Zelda games so I knew I had to play this so was just waiting for it to hit the PS5. I think the description of playing Zelda in Japanese is pretty apt. Loved figuring out the puzzles and collecting the manual. The back half isn't as strong but luckily getting an ability to quickly zip around makes cleaning up fairly quick. Favorite Moment(s): Bottom of the quarry and figuring out the Holy Cross. 2 - God of War Ragnarok (2022)  I'll be honest I have yet to complete this one but I'm enjoying it so much I know it belongs here. Can't wait to continue playing and exploring the realms. The story has grabbed me, the side quests have all been worth doing and just love spending time in this world with the characters. I hope we get to see one of these built from the ground up for PS5 (hopefully before a PS6). I laughed at realizing that the loading realm actually didn't need to exist for PS5 as the door to the realm just appears right away if there is no dialogue to go through. Favorite Moment so far: Spoiling this so don't read unless you are past the first Vanaheim trip: Realizing that Freya is going to be a companion with a full skill tree. 1 - Elden Ring (2022)  Nothing came close to topping this for me, as a huge souls fan, this is the culmination of the series. There are so many amazing moments, vistas, boss fights, secrets that I can't even fathom another game coming close to this for a long long while. I strongly strongly recommend going in blind and just exploring. The beauty of this game is there is always somewhere to go if something else is giving you trouble. I'll try and say something that hopefully no one else has brought up, but as a long time souls player you kind of know that generally you can sprint past everything to get back to your body or blindly try to find the next bonfire/grace. With the open world this becomes even easier but, for me at least, I want to engage with the challenges the game has presented. I want to beat what it's put in front of me and only after I've done so will I sprint right through it the next time. Favorite Moment(s): Too many to count and I want to spoil as little as possible so I'll just say coming up on the vistas of the Haligtree and Leyndell are the two most jaw dropping moments I think I've ever had in gaming. Easy List for Rarity: 7. Medievil Remake 6. Stray 5. Guardians of the Galaxy 4. Returnal 3. Tunic 2. God of War Ragnarok 1. Elden Ring Coffee with Bullet fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Dec 27, 2022 |
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Dec 27, 2022 18:05
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Coffee with Bullet posted:
lol, that's the level that I stall out on every attempt i made to play this game on either version cause I hated it.
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Dec 27, 2022 18:19
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Coffee with Bullet posted:7 - MediEvil Remake (2019) fuckin hell, childhood memory unlocked reading this, this level gave me actual nightmares when i played it as a child. e: i think those little girls made some horrible noise. and weren't there housewives with pots and pans too that sang a little song when they tried to batter you? Foul Fowl fucked around with this message at 18:48 on Dec 27, 2022 |
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Dec 27, 2022 18:45
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Phantasium posted:lol, that's the level that I stall out on every attempt i made to play this game on either version cause I hated it. Haha, I think as a kid I probably hated this level too. Now it's not too bad since you are faster so it's kind of funny kiting like 4 of the creepy knife wielding children as you look for the next item you need. Foul Fowl posted:fuckin hell, childhood memory unlocked reading this, this level gave me actual nightmares when i played it as a child. Yeah and they were always in the small houses so you walk in and they immediately beeline for you with the pot 
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Dec 27, 2022 18:54
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My steam replay reminded me of a few games I played and gave me visual proof for my #1 pick so my list has been updated!
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Dec 27, 2022 19:16
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With Apologies To: Elden Ring - Hopefully I will find the time to sit down and devote myself to it next year. It’s not like it’s going to be close anyhow at this rate! Yakuza 0 - You're great so far and I love you, but then shiny new things came out and I got distracted and the year got away from me. I'll be back next year baby, I promise. Honorable Mentions Pokemon Legends: Arceus - What I thought for sure was going to be a disaster ended up being the most refreshing take on the Pokemon formula outside of spin-offs. It turns out that I like finishing the dex a lot more than fighting, and this entry leans into that. I truly enjoyed the period setting and the establishment that monsters were once feared murder machines. I really like what they did with the sound design on this one, and its replacement forthe EV system should be adopted in the mainline games with some slight modifications. Inscryption - This would have made the list if not for a back-half that outstays its welcome. The first half is sublime with a nice little card game wrapped with a creepy, atmospheric puzzle box. l'm still glad I played the whole thing, though! Akai Katana Shin - I've only just begun to dig into this as it was released a week ago, but dang the flow of this game gels with me just right. The tools you are given make it feel more approachable than Cave's other STG. Feels great to nail usage of your hagane and swords, feels terrible when you wiff it. I kept it off the list to avoid recency bias, but l'm having a blast. Maybe it will show up next year? Dwarf Fortress - Again something put here to avoid recency bias (even though the game itself has been out for years). Who knew all it would take for Dwarf Fortress to truly catch fire was [checks notes] an actual UI? I was one of the faceless in the crowd who attempted in vain multiple times to get into DF overthe years, but I always ultimately bounced off it. No longer, and excited to keep making forts that last longer and longer. Losing is fun! Vampire Survivors - I've only played this game for a few hours because each time I pick it up it consumes me whole and then it's several hours later and it scares me how deeply I could go down that rabbit hole, so I avoid playing it. What I'm trying to say is that maybe it's *too* good? Feels like the gaming equivalent of eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting, where it's amazing in the moment but after it’s all done you come away feeling a little sick and ashamed with yourself. Top Ten Games I Played in 2022 - or - Games I Played When I Should Have Been Playing Elden Ring 10. Splatoon 3 - I spent more time playing Splatoon 2 than any game since Team Fortress 2, so to say I was excited about Splatoon 3 would be an understatement. More of an expansion of existing ideas than an outright evolution, Splatoon 3 gives the player more of everything that made Splatoon 2 great but manages to fall on its face in a classic "two steps forward, one step back" manner. The inclusion of a timed battle pass makes little sense in a game where there's no monetization and ends up feeling a bit like busywork at the end of it all. Frequent communication errors at launch and even after a few patches mar what is otherwise a great improvement to lobbies and playing with friends. The Splatfest’s default room settings run you directly into groups of sweaty try-hard teams that make it hard not to be vaporizedinto a fine mist (I know, skill issue), which sadly soured a good portion of my regular group after a remarkably terrible (think 20+ losses in a row) losing streak in the first Splatfest. This and other execution-style blowouts make me wonderif matchmaking even exists outside of Anarchy battles. Make no mistake, however, what's here is good, especially the promotion of Salmon Run to a fully-fledged, always available game mode. The additions of the lore from single player and the even more fully realized world of the Splatlands are a wonderful sight to behold, as is the moment-to-moment gameplay that remains a new classic. The good outweighs the bad by far, but in a year with so many strong experiences to be had I couldn't bear to give this more than my 10th spot. 9. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - Even though I was spoiled on the central twist of 13 Sentinels prior to going into it, I really enjoyed my time with this game. It has a (mostly) charming cast, and the way the story meanders its way to this central reveal is wonderful, like an advent calendar of narrative twists. Every time you boot up a portion of character's story, you'll come away clearer about something and little bit more confused about something, right up until about 75% of the way through your playthrough when everything starts clicking into place. I didn't mind the RTS portion to my surprise. Vanillaware's lush graphics and some fine (JP) voice acting make this one go down all the smoother. 8. Pokemon Scarlet / Violet - Bless this mess. While it is seemingly held together with bubblegum and a prayer (not dissimilar to Red and Green) this is the best a full fat "mainline" Pokémon game has been since... basically ever? Even though the open world lacks practically any point of interest between towns, the number of quality-of-life improvements offered to the player and the freedom of choice that was lacking in the series prior to this more than makes up for it. The plot and characters are also actually decent for once. The music slaps, thanks in no small part to Toby Fox. For the first time since the announcement of Black and White, I'm excited to see where this series is going, Just give GameFreak more than a year to complete a game, please. 7. Last Call BBS - I'm still wending my way through this one, but after how much l've enjoyed most of the other Zachtronics games this feels like a worthy send-off. Here's hoping it's not truly the last call, as the world needs more of this type of game. Standout parts of the collection include 20th Century Food Court and Chip Wizard. 6. Neon White - Game of the summer. It feels like a lost Dreamcast game that you and the crew would spend hazy days obsessing over while holed up in some dingy beach house. Immaculate gameplay, wonderful soundtrack. Lump me in with the "not a speedrunner but had to beat my friend's times" group. I love the aesthetic, and the narrative concept of a dystopian heaven. Shame about the written dialogue, though. Maybe the cringe was the friends we made along the way? 5. Caves of Qud - Possibly the best roguelike ever, I've been playing this thing in early access on and off for years (I'm still terrible at it) but it makes the list this year because it's perfect forthe Steam Deck and the devs have really leaned into that, giving it a fresh lease on life for me. The amount of character customization you can do and what the game allows to be possible is nothing short of inspired. Add in a great setting and fun systems like tinkering (you can break down any tech you find in the world and build it into other stuff, it's great), and you've got a wonderful thing, It’s technically not even out yet, so like Dwarf Fortress I'm looking forward to keeping this installed for many years to come. Live and drink. 4. Triangle Strategy - What a surprise. I bounced hard off of the preview build intended to provide feedback, closing the thing out after a few turns. It's not the greatest story ever told in a game, but this game needs its story, I feel. Everything is well written enough that you get to liking most of the crew and that's necessary to give some weight (see what I did there?) to the tough decisions you must make throughout the game. The gameplay and graphics are great too! I'm not a new game plus kinda guy, but I started up a new game plus immediately after finishing my first run. 3. Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo - When playing a game like Mecha Ritz you realize how many games are created by committee. This is a work unabashedly part of its creator, a deeply personal work that says more about the person who created it than any actual message it may be trying to convey. Its visual style is strikingly ugly forthe most part, but once you stick into the gameplay that all falls to the wayside and ends up improving the readability of the game to its advantage. I've had very few shrups grab me and keep ahold of me in this manner, and honestly, I didn't expect it from a plucky little game like this I picked up on a whim. It's very friendly to newcomers with a dynamic difficulty system and forgiving items but can be made hard as nails even from the start if you wish. It has 14 different ships across seven archetypes that essentially change how the game is played. It is very much unafraid to be its own thing and I love it forthat. I could go on and on about this game, but I think the person who made it said it best. 2. Al: The Somnium Files - I had Al kicking around in my backlog since its release, but I didn't get around to playing it until well after its sequel was announced. I regret having waited this long, but I think maybe I made up forit by being able to finish up a few days before the sequel was released, letting me slide right in without missing a beat. While I feel the core story of the first Al is maybe a bit more well-structured, the pacing falls victim to the visual novel trap of restating what just occurred and what should be obvious to anyone paying attention. I love it dearly, though. Date and Aiba remain one of my favorite detective duos in recent memory, only surpassed by Harry and Kim, or maybe Ryuki and Tama. Which brings us to... 1. Al: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative - Al as a series knows exactly how dumb it is and thank goodness for that. You have a group of cops who are hunting serial killers, ignoring all privacy laws and due process to basically operate *on a hunch*. One’s a teenage CEO and the other has memory problems and is obsessed with the protagonist of the first game. They've also had their left eyes removed to house sentient blobs of jelly. And yet! Both games recognize how asinine the premise is and toe that line of silliness, but manage to dial it back when needed to build suspense or let the characters have quiet, human moments. While the first game had some issues with Somnium puzzles feeling random and inscrutable, I felt these made them feel more like actual dreams. Nirvana Initiative does away with a lot of dream logic, and it turns out that's a pretty good improvement in terms of making the Somnium a lot more playable, even if they feelless like real dreams and more like themed escape rooms. My fondest time gaming this year was spending late nights in the early summer piecing together mysteries with Aiba and Tama. I can't wait for the next game in the series, and to see what Uchikoshi comes up with after that. Play these games. EZ List: 10. Splatoon 3 9. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 8. Pokémon Scarlet / Violet 7. Last Call BBS 6. Neon White 5. Caves of Qud 4. Triangle Strategy 3. Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo 2: AI: The Somnium Files 1. AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative Tempura Wizard fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Dec 27, 2022 |
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Dec 27, 2022 20:32
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Love to see all the love the AI games are getting in this thread. 
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Dec 27, 2022 21:01
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Foul Fowl posted:i salute all of you who listened to the dialog in neon white, you are either clinically brain dead or an immensely powerful human being, immune to any kind of psychological torture. Neon White mostly just made me laugh, I'm also just such a big fan of some of the VAs (esp Sungwon Cho) that I was just hooting. It was a bit sappy and cringey but like, IDK I liked how incredibly sincere it was about that and that rather than trying to dance around being a cringe story it just utterly face tanked it. Perfect Tides on the other hand has one of the greatest living American writers putting you in the shoes of a teenager throwing temper tantrums. Even worse, a poster. I can think of several scenes that made me want to die. Mix. posted:Yeah that was not a comment on his sexuality lmao Oh I know I was goofin about that. I do truly think he's not a cynical character, nor is it a cynical story. YoshiOfYellow posted:Love to see all the love the AI games are getting in this thread. Yeah I'm not at all familiar with them but might have to check em out.
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Dec 27, 2022 21:59
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I know I spent a lot of my Nirvana Initiative writeup being a bit more critical of it, but it's still really good despite my hindsight nitpicks.
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Dec 27, 2022 22:06
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I thought nothing could possibly contest Elden Ring for goty but then Dwarf Fortress steam version came out right as the year was winding down. I think I've still got to give it to ER for being an entirely new game rather than an upgraded version, though. Lotta good games this year but nothing comes close to those two.
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Dec 27, 2022 22:11
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I knew I'd regret making my list early. I was gifted South Park Fractured But Whole for Christmas and it's a startlingly good game. Like dang it's legit a real fun RPG. But I legitimately don't know what I'd bump on my list to make room for it if I wanted to revise it. Gaming is stressful.
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Dec 27, 2022 22:46
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SpiritOfLenin posted:9. Ace Attorney Trilogy I'll specify that I'd say the first one in the trilogy belongs to this spot.
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Dec 27, 2022 23:07
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SpiritOfLenin posted:I'll specify that I'd say the first one in the trilogy belongs to this spot. Thanks!
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Dec 27, 2022 23:08
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 10) CrossCode After playing this in short bursts over the past couple years, I finally finished the story of the base game. It's a remarkably well-done action RPG that somehow manages to carve out a new niche with large Zelda-style dungeons that almost entirely revolve around ball-bouncing puzzles and top-down platforming. The mileage that the developers squeezed out of these two gameplay concepts is actually astounding -- I spent SO much time just kind of exploring the vast overworld spaces and figuring out how to jump to a chest that, honestly, probably contained something that I didn't care about. It became very meditative to play, and I wasn't expecting that at all. The story is nice, and I liked a few of the characters, but the cleverness of its design is where it really shines.  9) The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles I've enjoyed the other Ace Attorney games, and this one was lots of fun as well. It felt like the developers had a reverance for the period that this game depicts, which made it all very charming. I'm glad they packaged both of the Great Ace Attorney games together, because playing one and not the other wouldn't have had the same impact. Out of the two games, the sequel wrapped up most of the hanging plot threads, and I felt that its characters and their personalities were better communicated through their wonderful animations, so that was my favorite of the two. Also the final case was superb, so it definitely meets the standard set by the previous games.  8) Metroid Dread Moving around as Samus in this game felt incredible, it just was so fluid. There were so many times I'd look at the map and say "ugh, I don't wanna walk all the way over there", then I'd use some of the mobility upgrades I had acquired, and then all of a sudden I found myself at my destination in record time. The EMMI sections were tense and exciting thanks to the amazingly smooth controls. I had a lot of fun ducking, dodging, and trying to outsmart them. The combat was solid, and the bosses were a great challenge.  7) Super XYX At the beginning of the year, I decided to play more vertical shmups. I'd been shmup-curious for a while, so I picked out a few to try, including a game called Super XYX. Somehow I found Super XYX on Steam without knowing anything about the developer's previous work, or even the games that inspired it, and now I have to try and explain why I enjoyed it so much. I'm told that it's similar to Toaplan shmups, which to me just means that it's cool as gently caress. It has multiple playable characters to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as a few unlockable ones. You can give yourself multiple credits, which was great for me as a total newbie. It also has some weirdness and a sense of humor that I liked. I just loved the game's overall style and challenge. I don't know if shmup experts consider this one to be easy or hard, but it was perfect for me.  6) Bayonetta I played through this for the first time a few months ago, which was before Bayonetta 3 came out, and even before that other thing happened. I didn't have too much experience with character action games at the time, but I had a blast playing this. The cutscenes were hysterical works of art that never stopped getting more ridiculous, except when they needed to explain something. Each character had their role to play in the story, and it was very engaging to see their interactions. But of course, the star of this game is, well, Bayonetta, but also the way that the player becomes a choreographer of combat, which is appropriate given the way Bayonetta dances and pirouettes with her moveset. The move where she spins around on the floor and shoots enemies with her feet guns might be the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Great game, and I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of the series.  5) Alisia Dragoon I finally got around to playing through this for the first time on my Genesis Mini. This game kicks rear end. It's an action platformer, which were a dime-a-dozen back when it was released, but somehow it feels so fresh. The main character has an awesome design, and she attacks with lightning that charges its strength when you aren't using it. You can also call upon a dragon friend to help in battle, and you have a handful of them to choose from. Your dragons have their own health bars and levels, so it helps to consider what you're up against, and whether you should preserve your dragon's strength for an upcoming fight. It has in-game "demo" sequences, or cutscenes, that are skippable, which felt like it was ahead of its time. It has secrets galore, enough variety in the stages to keep things interesting, plenty of challenge, and it can be completed in a very reasonable amount of time. This is now an all-time classic for me, definitely one of my favorite Genesis games.  4) The House in Fata Morgana - Dreams of the Revenants Edition I had heard really good things about this game from others, so I was very curious about it. I didn't know anything about it going in, and I wasn't prepared in the slightest for the places that this story goes. The atmosphere is creepy and disturbing, and it doesn't let up in unsettling you until you truly believe that the satisfying end you've been hoping for will never come. It's an emotional rollercoaster, as they say, but it's absolutely worth checking out if you think you're prepared for the ride.  3) Dead Estate This game appeared in my Steam discovery queue, which I hardly ever make use of. But I was thrilled to find something that I was actually interested in that I'd never heard of. It's a goofy, horror-themed, pixel art, isometric, roguelite twin-stick shooter, and it's got a certain something that about 98% of the Steam reviews mention that makes it stand out. I love roguelites and twin-stick shooters, and this one had a really fun style that kept me playing.  2) NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 I played and loved the first NieR (the "Gestalt" version on PS3) a couple years ago, and I bought this one on a whim. I thought I'd prefer Dad-NieR but Bro-NieR worked about as well, and I still really enjoyed my time with it. I went in without knowing anything about the new content, so that whole section was a great surprise. It's a wonderful thing to experience if you liked the original NieR.  1) AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative A sequel to one of my favorite games, by one of my favorite directors, starring one of my favorite characters from said game? No thanks. For real though, I loved it. It feels like not just a worthy successor, but a refinement of what made the first game so enjoyable. The gameplay in the somnium sequences was much more fun this time around, and it felt like there was more of a logical thread to follow compared to the first game. The characters were still great, and the climax was incredible. It also has my favorite easter egg that I've ever seen in a game. The best thing about it, though, is that there were some really satisfying puzzles to solve throughout the game. On a few of them, I entered an incorrect answer and was forced to go back and re-think my solution. At this point I winced, as I was expecting one of the characters to outright tell me the correct answer, but the game didn't hold my hand or offer any unwanted advice. And when I finally figured it out, I was thrilled because I became the detective! I think there may have been a difficulty setting that changes whether or not you get hints, but I'm very glad that I got the exact experience I wanted with this game.
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Dec 28, 2022 00:43
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I got pulled back into Monster Hunter World by a friend who's playing it for the first time. Good god, after the 700 hours I spent up to and beyond Fatalis...I loving swore I was done. What a monumental game it is.
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Dec 28, 2022 02:47
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Sir_Phobos posted:
I probably could've just youtubed it, but yeah the new ending was awesome.
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Dec 28, 2022 02:48
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EDIT: Oops, I somehow forgot Citizen Sleeper. booting Mario Kart off the bottom of the list. My eldest daughter turned 5 this year and I used this to justify bringing a Switch OLED into my life. Listening to way too many podcasts featuring Matthew Castle (RPS Weekspot, RPS PC Gaming, the Backpage, etc) was probably a very strong catalyst for this. Anyway a good chunk of my usually-exclusively-PC top 10 list is now Nintendo games. 11. Mario Kart 8 Yeah, we played this a lot and I spent way too much on controllers for the whole family. 10. Kirby and the Forgotten Land Really cool how much effort this game went to in perfecting its 3D camera, movement etc in a way that young kids can connect with and enjoy. Wild power fantasy for kids and super fun for me too. 9. Prodeus A nice throwback FPS that can be enjoyed in bite-size chunks between chores, I'll probably still be putting 30-60 minutes a week into this for months to come. 8. Vampire Survivors I've put a good number of hours into this that I probably would rather have put into other things. It's fun, rather mindless - but hey, we all need to zone out sometimes. 7. Black Mesa The Xen sections were much better than the original HL but are still the ball-and-chain - this time because they just go on for waaay too long. Still, a super impressive remake that, imo, makes the original campaign redundant. 6. Super Mario Odyssey The creativity and perfectionism on display in this game is just astounding. 5. Super Mario 3D World This goes just above Odyssey because it's smaller levels fit more easily into my life and was more fun to play co-op with the daughter. 4. Elden Ring Knowing that I would never play through this properly (because I have no interest in mastering combat systems), I hacked a character that could just kill everything in one hit and went on what I called my Tourist Mode playthrough of the game. I liked seeing all the sights there were in the game and being able to understand the conversation around it - and to be honest, reader, though you feel sorry for me not playing it the Right Way, I felt sorry for all the people who burned out in Caelid or wherever and didn't get to see all of the vastness the game has to offer. Incredible, but not without it's flaws. The obscured nature of its questlines and item usage etc made me glad I wasn't playing it for real. 3. Manifold Garden A work of high art. 2. Citizen Sleeper I just loved the atmosphere of this game. The soundtrack has become my sleepytime music, I put it on for every afternoon nap. The dice rolling gameplay loop was fantastic and the stories were all super affecting. 1. Return of the Obra Dinn I was blown away when I found out after finishing this that it was a one-man show. Really clever, satisfying gameplay loop. I haven't finished the Golden Idol game but I love that Obra DInn has inspired others with its approach to detective work and I hope to see more. Completed games that didn't make the list: Immortality Scorn Inscryption Return to Monkey Island Chadzok fucked around with this message at 07:08 on Dec 29, 2022 |
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Dec 28, 2022 02:52
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bone emulator posted:Making Watchdogs your goty for tyol 2022, is incredibly powerful. Gotta respect it. I've honestly never seen a gaming flex quite like it.
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Dec 28, 2022 02:56
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Obra Dinn is awesome. Love seeing it show up here
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Dec 28, 2022 03:00
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Might as well get mine out of the way instead of sitting on it forever. 10. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet This game was a bit of a mess performance wise, but everything else about it feels pretty good. One of those cases where less expectations led to a nice surprise, and I love a lot of the new designs. The characters are also top tier for Pokemon in this one as well. 9. FE Warriors: Three Hopes I love Warriors/Musou games as turn your brain off and play games, and this one was better than most I've played. Not reaching the peaks of Hyrule and Pirate Warriors, but still way better than the first FE Warriors. 8. AI: The Somnium Files, The Nirvana Initiative This game really improved on the gameplay, where there was way less "How was I supposed to figure that out?", at the cost of a worse but not bad story. If you played and enjoyed the first this is a must have really. 7. Stray I feel like this got a bit of backlash after release, but I had a lot of fun with it. It was cute and well put together, and hit that sweet spot of a game I want to just play and beat without a ton of time investment. 6. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 This is the first Xenoblade I was actually able to beat without giving up on, and the characters were a huge part of that. Every party member was great with standouts to Eunie and Mio, and I was surprised how fast the 120 hours felt. 5. Horizon Forbidden West This was a game where the main big stuff was so good and put together, but there's a bit of death of 1000 cuts where the little issues added up. The weapon crafting isn't good, but I'm not a fan of crafting. The story stuffers from being part 2 of 3 so a lot of stuff is left hanging for the 3rd game, but I loved playing it. 4. Lost Judgement I was a little late on this one, and this one continues the theme of "Better Gameplay, Worse Story" the other sequel games on this list have. The new style is fun and almost every minigame is a hit, with the DLC Kaito Files being great as well, but the story is a bit of a mess where they couldn't decide if they wanted a gritty murder mystery or a low stakes school drama. 3. Pokemon Legends: Arceus I'm unaware of the development details and wonder if this and Scarlet could have been better performance if they had more individual time, but I truly loved the research/catching part, and the strong/fast battle styles were a neat twist if a bit shallow. Also great characters in this as well. 2. God of War: Ragnarok This really feels like they fit 2 games into 1. It's a massive game with so much in it, but so many story beats feel like they were meant for 2 sequels that they had to mesh into one to wrap the series up. As a result the story itself ranges from great to rushed without the emotional impact needed, but the gameplay tweaks are almost all for the better, outside of removing the heavy R2 that felt so good in the first game. 1. Elden Ring I love Fromsoft games with my favorite being Bloodborne, and I only feel like this doesn't beat that by having the last 20% or so dragging the game down. It's easily the best one to recommend a new player to, the open world is built so you're always finding something new, and every playing style feels like it's worth using if it clicks with you. If there's DLC I only need one ending trophy for the Platinum, otherwise this is one of those games where I did get invested in the world, and Fromsoft really did a great job in making a game that would appeal to veteran players looking for a challenge, and new players who want to know what the appeal of these games are.
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Dec 28, 2022 06:31
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Unknown yet but wanna play more: Pentiment 10. Weird RPG Just some dumb fun for a few hours, very nice. 9. Sniper Elite 5 I like shooting nazis in the balls. Level 3 is one of the best stealth levels I've ever seen, it's like sniping and sneaking through Minas Tirith (literally, the level is based on the same monastery) - on par with the greats from Thief and Dishonored. The rest of the game is much less inspired but that level is worth the price of admission. 8. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice I replayed it after playing Elden Ring, still the best. 7. Signalis A fun mash up of classic survival horror, which is not my favorite genre but I like it in this exact dosage. 6. Gloomwood Still in early access but very promising, a genuine Thief upgrade in the works. 5. Stray Very relaxing and nice to explore. 4. Card Shark A surprise I picked up, this goes high because I'm a card trick rear end in a top hat in real life. 3. Ultrakill The sickest shooter ever made, still in early access but imo blows both new Dooms out of the water. 2. Elden Ring What else needs to be said? If I'm being honest, this is an easy choice for "the magnum opus of video games." The scale, the ambition, the polish, the execution, the bravery of the design. Just a masterpiece. 1. Thief II: The Metal Age This will actually be a Fan Mission ranking within a ranking! I've played a ton of both Thief and Thief II this year. They were always my favorite games but I've discovered the FMs made in the last decade and poo poo has gotten real good. Some recommendations, in ascending order of awesomeness:
There's lots of others (Heist Society, Being Thief: Exile, Nosferatu...) but you can basically just sort the missions on thiefguild by rating and have hundreds upon hundreds of hours of well designed fun going down the list. dex_sda fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Dec 28, 2022 |
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Dec 28, 2022 10:33
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dex_sda posted:1. Thief II: The Metal Age Thief II is so loving good, excellent choice. Also quoting for using later.
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Dec 28, 2022 14:59
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Ok so the 10 games I enjoyed most in 2022, these arn't really ordered per say but the further down my list you go generally the less I played them 1. Dota 2. It's just the GOAT to me, I fully understand peoples dislike for it and I'll caveat things by saying I almost always play with friends and while high as gently caress. Its almost more of a social thing than a game to me at this point but I just don't think I'll ever enjoy a game as much as dota 2. My desert island game for sure. 2. Rocket League. I just love this game, the feeling of motion just works for me, I rarely play more than half an hour at a time but it just never gets old to me. Never. 3. Dark Souls Remastered. I liked Elden Ring, don't get me wrong for a second but I just don't think Dark Souls 1 has ever been bettered. This was the year I finally tried the DLC which was massively enjoyable, still can't beat Kalameet or Mannus though. 4. Monster Hunter Rise. I'm not a huge monster hunter guy, started with 4 Ultimate, put a decent amount of time into World, Rise was just the next step up. I should probably expand on using the Great Sword more but landing a fully charged triple combo on a downed monster just feels incredible. 5. World of Warcraft. I think this was the first year I played Wow since Mists of Panderia came out. I think it's just a magical game and although I've never had a max level character or done a raid or a 20 man dungeon theres a small part of me could happily sit and play wow 18 hours a day. 6. Powerwash Simulator. I can see why people would find this game boring but it is zen for me. I'm not OCD in real life but just slowly walking around mopping up all the filth for half an hour at the end of the day really relaxed me. 7. The Binding of Issac: Rebirth, probably the year I've played this least since launch but I still play and theres every chance that for some random month in 2023 it'll be literally all I play 8. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe edition. I did play Stanley Parable when it was first commercially released but I just love games that break tradition the way it does. It's just a clever game - something a bit different and it made me laugh and smile. 9. The Bouncer. Kind of a nostalgia pick, I don't think it's a great game but replaying it for the first time in 20 years gave me the feels, a real window into the early 2000's of videogames. 10. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. I'm an ardent Crash Banidcoot defender and this game absolutely sucks. I still liked it enough to play start to finish though. I look forward to starting Crash 4 (the only game I've bought in this steam sale) so that's me for 2022, some nostalgia picks, some mainstays over the past decade and at least one objectively terrible ps2 game that I still managed to have a great time with it, Happy gaming in 2023!
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Dec 28, 2022 15:18
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