Welcome to my 2022 list of games that I loved.

2022 has been another wild ride but I probably will give it the credit of being a little less cataclysmic than last year. Is this because I left Twitter? Maybe.  

Welcome to my 2022 list of games that I loved. 2022 has been another wild ride but I probably will give it the credit of being a little less cataclysmic than last year. Is this because I left Twitter? Maybe.

*

Some supplemental awards first.

‘Oh, thank my stars co-op arrived’ award:

§ Halo Infinite

*

  ‘Please stop releasing your games in December’ 2021 awards:

§ The Gunk

§ Tunnel of Doom

*

‘You are a compelling game, but my word, your politics suck’ award:

§ Police Simulator: Patrol officers

*

10. As Dusk Falls XBO, XSX/S

As Dusk Falls is pitched as having meaningful stories and heartfelt performances brought to life by motion comics. The game follows multiple people across different threads involving a heist gone wrong, telling the story from the robbers’ and victims’ perspective. As Dusk Falls’ other big pitch is that it can be played online with up to 8 friends, and each time a choice must be made each player places a vote with the ability to override all votes. As all my friends are complete misfits, this means that instead of anything being accomplished, characters in As Dusk Falls will spend most of their time doing the worst things. To its credit, the game does a great job of keeping things on track. I am pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to laugh this much, but As Dusk Falls certainly brings it when played with chaotic pals.

*

9. Broken Pieces PC, XBO, XSX/S, PS4/5

Broken Pieces is pretty great. A 3D adventure with a focus on puzzling and some minor combat. Set in a remote French Village that seems to exist in a post-event world where it’s not entirely clear what that event was. The localization is all over the place and adds to the unnerving nature of the game. Broken Pieces’s peers are Deadly Premonition and Syberia. If either of those names make your ears prick up, then you have to try this game.

*

8. The Quarry PC, XBO, XSX/S, PS4/5 Review here

Supermassive consistently release titles that hit my top ten. Never in the top 5, but I still look forward to playing them. The Quarry is no exception. Larger and a bit longer than its Dark Pictures compatriots, it starts slower but ends up being rewarding by leaning into a goofier horror story. One of the things I’m enjoying is that the writing team started to become aware of its own tropes and then learning how to subvert them. For example, they’ve loved giving the players a ‘Drew Barrymore’ character for the tutorial – someone that shows up briefly to get murdered or sidelined. Not this time, and it’s great to see the writing being experimental and finding new ways to spin the story. However, it’s the multiplayer that keeps things entertaining as the hot-seat means that I could not predict the story twists.

Below is a heavily spoilered example:

Later in the story, after The Quarry had set up two characters and framed them as the protagonists, things turn to a pitched battle with a murderous family, everything slowed down for a second and required one of my friends to make a pivotal shot… And he missed. Both the protagonists die. The story continued without them.

What a great game.

*

7. Tunic – PC, XBO, PS4/5, XSX/S, Switch

I was unimpressed by Tunic’s demo, outside of the very nice, squidgy pastel-colored models that made everything look like it was made out of opaque jelly sweets. What I played of the demo felt like someone was just retreading Legend of Zelda. That’s not to say the full game of Tunic surprised me and didn’t ape Link’s adventures, but it’s doing so much more. The element of ‘aha!’ when a level circles around on itself made me appreciate how clever each layout was, and the unlocking of each piece of the in-game instruction manual leading to even more ‘aha!’ moments is inspired. Then, when I realized what the liner notes meant… Well, it was the first time I fully appreciated what made Fez so appealing to players. Finally, when I hit a pretty nasty bug right at the end that meant that the final boss was much harder than it needed to be, Tunic just didn’t give a shit that I made myself invincible and beat the boss without trying. The journey and the exploration was more important.

*

6. Windjammers 2 – PC, PS4/5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch, Stadia Review here

Windjammers is a unique game in many ways, I played it in the arcades back in the ’90s and then again on emulators in the 2000s. The back and forth of throwing a disc in a sort of air hockey/Frisbee hybrid is so simple, but the tactics and mind games that emerge contain so much depth. All I had craved for the last couple of decades was a decent port on my preferred console, but DotEmu (a company that is very much on a roll after Streets of Rage 4) went one better. Not only did they manage to make Windjammers 2 bigger with more varied abilities, trickshots and techniques, but also better. Although the skill ceiling is higher, it doesn’t detract from the crazy amount of simple fun able to be had. It also helps that the online multiplayer is rock-solid too.

*

5. Pick Pack Pup – PlayDate

Not only does this entry give me an opportunity to brag about getting a PlayDate earlier this year, it is also a way to celebrate my favourite entry of the first season of curated games. Pick Pack Pup manages to find a new spin on the ‘match three’ genre with the character having to connect items first to package them, then they dispatch the packages, the more dispatched at the same time, the better the bonus. The game finds new ways to change up the format as the story progresses with different objectives, and the challenge modes add extra incentive to return. The story itself is a criticism of Amazon (and capitalism at large). Entertainingly, the protagonist steals a rocket and goes to Mars. For me, the most charming part of Pick Pack Pup was that it was a compulsive 3-4 hour game, perfect for a plane or car journey, and it fit perfectly into the PlayDate’s weekly offering. For those who get a chance to try the diminutive crank handheld, make a beeline for this one.

*

4. Elden Ring PC – PS4/5, XBO, XSX/S Review here

I mean, I am sure it isn’t much of a shock that Elden Ring is on this list. It’s a phenomenal achievement by From Software to pack so much into this game and still make it feel like it had a personality. It is also by far the most accessible in the franchise, with a ton of neat elements that made it so I could finally talk to some of my friends about the experience. There is something in there, though, that weirdly rubs me the wrong way – like, I am resentful that the game is basically Assassin’s Creed, only with its excel spreadsheet checklist of side missions hidden from the player. When I realized that I was ticking off a series of boxes (during a fire giant fight) it soured a game I think I otherwise might have considered perfect. Still, I have high hopes that From Software will go from strength to strength after Elden Ring’s performance and that leaves me with hope that I’ll finally get another Armored Core game. Never mind, Armored Core VI got announced this a great end of year for me. Get me a mech!

*

3. Gunfire: Reborn Switch – PC, PS4, XBO, XSX/S, Android, iOS

With one of the most forgettable names ever (frequently referred to as ‘Ghostmaster: Remix’ or ‘Gunblast: Remaster’ in this household) Gunfire: Reborn is a fantastic co-op, first-person shooter with roguelite elements. Each run allows the player to pick a class, accrue levelling-up points, better weapons, and scrolls that can buff/debuff, and the developer seems to delight in allowing the player to create utterly broken builds that allow players to go on rampages. The four player co-op elements (once players are higher level) allows for people to see the great range of different builds like the dual-wielding dog and the glass-canon bunny rabbit, while mixing and matching different styles. It’s on Game Pass right now, and even if you don’t have friends you should be playing it.

*

2. Roguebook Switch – PC, Mac, XBO, XSX/S, PS4/5, Stadia Review here

“A top ten and I only have one roguelite on here” I saym as I realize I haven’t written about Roguebook. Every year I find a game that hits me like meth — hitting me with wide-eyed nights of hours slipping by in some sort of fugue state as I play ‘one more game’.  What Roguebook improves for the Darkest-Slay-the-Monster-Train-Dungeon formula is that it lets the player feel like they have more agency in their path towards the bosses, and there feels like there’s an ability to course-correct a half-failing run with the two hero system. The most roguelite addicted have complained that there is not enough variation in deck discovery, but that wasn’t something that bothered me as I climbed through the ranks while unlocking more cards. Charming, and a fantastic entry point for people curious about deckbuilding roguelites.

*

1. Severed Steel – Switch, PC, XBO, XSX/S, PS4/5

I booted up Severed Steel before writing this to check if I was really going to make it my game of the year and got into a new game+ playthrough. Played in first-person, perspective this is a game that muses on what it would be like if Max Payne was just an endless stream of slow-motion violence set to a propulsive beat. Every level requires jumping, sliding, wall running and shooting — it’s like Cliff Bleszinski made good on his comment about how worried he was we hadn’t seen the gunplay in Mirror’s Edge and then built a game that had flawless gunplay/parkour. It’s just a cacophony of good times.

*

Most Disappointing of the year: Plague Tale: Requiem

I am still enjoying Plague Tale, and I will likely finish it, but the disappointment I feel is that it seems that the developers and I have very different ideas of what we wanted from this game. Plague Tale: Innocence was a surprise – a gorgeous title on a budget that squeezed just enough gameplay into its cutscene heavy adventure that kept me engrossed. This first entry offered up a range of tools for stealthing and killing, but rarely had big enough areas to explore the possibilities with them.

What I had hoped for the sequel was that Requiem would build on this solid foundation and provide more open areas to fully realize the promising stealthy/fighting dichotomy. Instead, Requiem is about a lot of walking and talking and ‘push forward to win the game’ setpieces. These are impressive, they just indicate that, given a bigger budget, there will be even fewer interesting things to do in the next game and more emphasis on bombast. I hope that is not the case, because I love the world.

The post AJ’s Top 10 of 2022 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

As 2016 comes to a close and I look back on the last twelve months of gaming, it’s time to reflect on what I’ve played and separate the electronic wheat from the virtual chaff.

It’s time to decide what was best in 2016.

Of course, it would be impossible for anyone to play everything that deserved a critical examination, but I do what I can and go from there. However, this year was a little different… By the time I had compiled a rough list and had taken stock of what I’d played, I honestly couldn’t come up with a clear winner.

In the sixteen years I’ve been writing about games, this has never happened to me before. Never. But, I suppose there’s a first time for everything.

So, instead of choosing one single game that was the shining star of 2016, I’m going to do something different and pick a top three that share the honor equally. Any one of this trio could have taken the crown, but there’s just no clear front runner.

Now, as of the time I’m writing this, the @Gamecritics GOTY podcast has not been published. I’m not going to ruin the ending to that show, but I will say that when we recorded, we still had two weeks left in December and I was playing things all the way down to the wire. That last bit of time was key, and if we would have recorded in the first week of January instead of when we did, my final answer might have been different. While I still stand by what I said on the show, you can consider this list to be my final, definitive word.

So! Without further ado, these were the ten (plus one!) best experiences I had over the last twelve months, and a little extra commentary besides!

11>Marvel Puzzle Quest, iOS/Android (console versions are different than mobile.)

My review… From 2014!

If you’ve read any of my recent year-end lists, this tagalong comes as no surprise. What can I say? I love it, and as of this December MPQ is now the game I’ve spent the most time with, ever. As in, ever. Although it’s free-to-play, the developers are generous with rewards and don’t aggressively push microtransactions. The core gameplay is rock-solid, and the content and systems have continued to grow, evolve and improve on a continuous basis. I play it daily, I talk about it often and it pops up in my tweetstream frequently. Heck, I even ranked every character in the game for @PasteGames! It would feel wrong not to include it in a year-end roundup, so once again, it’s here at honorary #11.

10>Factotum 90, XBO/PC

My review

I am not a fan of the Xbox One. This is a well-known fact. However, I have had a few standout experiences with it, and Factotum 90 is one. Coming from out of nowhere as a totally random release I spotted on the Xbox store, I took a risk and was supremely glad I did. Although it’s small in scope, this puzzler shows clear-headed design, player-friendly choices, an interesting premise, a fresh hook and two adorable (and slightly creepy) robots who won me over immediately. I enjoyed every minute that I spent with it, and applaud the spot-on sensibilities on display here.

09>The Final Station, PS4/XBO/PC

@GC_Danny’s review

A stark take on post-apocalyptic survival and what it means to carry on in the face of hopelessness, this title from a small Russian team really stuck with me thanks to moments both small and large. On a micro scale, some of the personal stories and events shown painted a wonderfully rich world without falling back on overwrought cutscenes or a library’s worth of text logs. On the macro, its world’s response to impending death was fascinatingly pragmatic, and the ending was just right.

08>Tharsis, PS4/PC

@GC_Danny’s review

I started out hating Tharsis. Absolutely hating it. The tutorial didn’t cover the finer points of play, the difficulty curve was more like a vertical spike, and I lost game after game after game. It was frustration central brought on by a title that was aggressive in its distaste for me. And yet, I was determined to crack it. I hung in there, and once I had unlocked a few characters with better abilities and died enough times to learn some tricks, it all fell into place and I began to appreciate what a finely-tuned machine it was. I finally won a handful of times, and we parted on much better terms than when we met.

07>Downwell, PS4/Vita/PC/iOS/Android

@JohnVanderhoef’s review

I came late to the party on this once since I was waiting for a console release, but this tiny little arcade-style gem is pure elegance. Combining jumping and attacking was an ace design move, and the simplicity of it only helps to build its intensity. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’ve been dipping into it here and there all year long, and I adore it.

6>Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf: Console Edition, PS4/XBO

My review

I like visual novels, or at least the ones that do something more than the most basic attempt at them. This title goes above and beyond by combining Choose Your Own Adventure-style text with RPG systems and turn-based combat. The story moved right along, building up my character gave a sense of ownership rare for the genre, and the combat had just the right amount of meat to it. An unusual (and unusually good) experience.

5>Superhot, XBO/PC

@MikeSuskie’s review

I’m not the biggest fan of first-person shooters unless they have some sort of hook, and boy, does this one have a hook. Turning simple shooting galleries into something more akin to bullet-ridden puzzles was a stunningly original take on the genre, and the narrative dovetailed neatly into the gameplay. There’s nothing else to say except that Superhot is the most innovative shooter I’ve played in years!

4>Shiren the Wanderer: Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate, Vita

My review

I love a well-done roguelike, and this one is one of the best I’ve ever laid hands on. While the core experience of being tough and unforgiving is still present, there are tons of amenities that take some of the sting out of failed runs, and there’s always a sense of forward progression even when things go south. While it’s an iteration on past work, there are tons and tons of smart decisions on display here, implemented by vets who’ve mastered this form.

3>Darkest Dungeon, PS4/Vita/PC

My review

I waited a long time for this one to come to console, but it was worth the wait. This 2D dungeon crawl RPG has incredibly interesting systems based on character positioning and the artwork is stellar. Mixing and matching classes to find optimal party builds is ridiculously deep, and the game is no slouch when it comes to challenge. The only reason it didn’t rank higher is that grinding for cash becomes too much of a factor in the late game, but that doesn’t take away from everything that it gets right. Plus, big points for Lovecraft influences done right.

2>7th Dragon III: Code VFD, 3DS

My review

I don’t know many people besides myself who played this one, but WOW, y’all are missing out. Coming from a team partially made up of former Etrian Odyssey developers, this JRPG absolutely nails its mechanics and makes so many amazing quality-of-life decisions that it was sheer joy to play. Add in fantastic combat mechanics, varied character types and builds, and awesome artistic style, and this one is win from every angle.

…So those were my top seven games of 2016 in ranked order. Before I get to the three that I just can’t decide between, let me quickly address the ones that didn’t make this list at all.

>Titanfall 2. The multiplayer didn’t click with me as much as the original’s did, and while the campaign was great to play through for its action, the writing and characters were so, so dull. Superb level design, but I felt no emotional investment in any of it, at any point.

>Firewatch. I loved the premise and the voicework and the dialogue, but the ending fell flat for me. Not the relationship aspect, but the central mystery and how it resolved. Something went really wrong with how that game’s plot wrapped, and it didn’t satisfy.

>Doom. Come on folks, it’s just a shooter.

>Pokemon Go. It was an unquestionable cultural phenomenon and one of the rare times when a huge portion of the world’s eyes were all pointed in the same direction, but the game part just sucked. It was busted, it was buggy, and it was often broken. And in terms of design? The pits. I’ve heard it’s undergone some recent changes, but it’s far too late for that now.

>Hitman. I strongly suspect this one would have been on my list — and probably pretty high — but I just couldn’t find the time to play it. Simple as that. Hopefully soon.

…So with those out of the way, let’s get to what did end up at the top of the heap. The following three titles are listed in alphabetical order, and as far this list is concerned, it’s a three-way tie.

1>Let It Die, PS4

@KayinAmoh’s review

This title is a perfect example of fantastic gameplay trumping the need for flashy graphics or triple-A budgets. Running through floor after floor of a decrepit tower while scrounging for broken weapons and battling for your life against raging psychopaths is tense stuff, heightened by the moment-to-moment management of resources and the possibility of not making it back to home base before being overcome by enemies. The supporting systems give players a reason to keep coming back by awarding ever-increasing options, and it can be satisfying to play in bite-sized chunks as well as extended sessions. And the style! It’s crazy, hilarious, and brutal, all in equal measure. I haven’t been able to put it down since I started.

1>Overwatch, PS4/XBO/PC

@RichardNaik’s review

As I said earlier, I’m not a fan of first-person shooters and I’m even less a fan of online multiplayer titles in the same genre, yet Overwatch is different. Blizzard has done the impossible and gotten me hooked on a style of game that I generally detest thanks to the strategic interplay between characters, by emphasizing positive aspects of play instead of the usual stat-based dick-measuring, and the top-class charm and personality of the cast. This game quickly embedded itself into my family’s regular rotation and it shows no signs of slowing down.

1>The Last Guardian, PS4

@MikeSuskie’s review

By any measure, this game should have been a failure. After switching platforms and spending nearly a decade in development, no one would have been surprised if it flopped. But it’s not a flop at all…It’s brilliant. Not only is it absolutely dripping with Fumito Ueda’s signature style, the creature he’s created is almost chillingly real. The way the griffin-like Trico moves and reacts is utterly convincing, and by making the game about building a relationship with this animal, it delivers a new, challenging experience of the kind that I can honestly say I’ve never had before. It requires patience and understanding, so in that sense I see it as a truly mature game that’s the opposite of what generally falls under an M rating.

…And there you have it, my top ten of 2016. Agree? I’d love to hear it. Disagree? I’d love to hear about that too. Leave me a comment below if you’d like, and if I’ve highlighted some titles you haven’t tried yet, please give them a shot!

Let’s do this again next year, shall we?

The post Brad’s Top Ten of 2016 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.