My top 5 games of 2022 (Along with some extras!)

 Whoa, boy, 2022 was a year. Let it be in both my private, outside-of-the-internet life or in it. I am incredibly proud of the work I did all year, and oh yeah, the amount of games I played as well. While there is still games I have yet to play that I want to (at the time of writing this, *cough* Sonic Frontiers and Crisis Core *cough*) I figured I have a good enough list for this year alone.

So, without further ado, let's talk about some games! After what feels like, forever, wow. But first, some honorable mentions.

Honorable mention #1-Scorn (Xbox series X)

(image credit; Ebb software)

-For those whole were (somehow) not aware, Scorn was a title I was waiting for, for what honestly seems like forever. A horror/adventure game in the style of HR Giger, that is so squishy and pulsating it could make the easily squeamish want to throw up. The game is gross, nasty, void of any dialogue or story and, well, absolutely gorgeous. I just wish the combat was better, as the 'shooting' mechanics are seemingly put into the game as an afterthought. But, the games world and atmosphere has stuck with me since I first played it, and the haunting OST with the visuals make it something bound to stick in your head. Plus, ya'll have no excuse. It's free with a game-pass subscription! 

Honorable mention #2-GunGrave G.O.R.E (Xbox series X)

(image credit; Steam)

-Does everyone remember the types of character action games that released on the Xbox 360 & PS3 during the middle of their life cycles? That ran on insane violence and the sense of feeling unstoppable? Well, do you remember just how fun they felt? Gungrave screams all of that, with an insanely fun combat system and the sense you are, indeed, an immortal mafia hitman trying to take out a very anime-style of villains. I find Gungrave the most fun when you have a heavy metal playlist going in the background, and living on those nostalgic early generation fumes. 

Alrighty, now that my honorable mentions are out of the way, it's time we discussed the main hitters of this year. (Keep in mind, like last year, these are in no particular order!)

1. God of War Ragnarök-Playstation 5

(image credit; Playstation)

-Oh my god, what else can I say that hasn't already been said? God of War's comeback is a story filled with heavy emotion and incredibly hard hitting combat. If you had told me, say, 10 or so years ago that the game to hit me emotionally in 2022 was a God of War title, I would have called you crazy. The performances, the relationships between characters, and watching Kratos become a loving and caring father to Atreus is a story that is going to resonate with so many people on a level games very rarely hit. Ragnarök is an achievement in every sense of the word, and the gaming landscape is truly better for it existing. 

2. Signalis-Xbox Series X

(image credit; Eurogamer)

-Quiet honestly, if God of War hadn't of come out this year, Signalis would have been my game of the year. Normally, when I finish a game, I think about it for a few days, maybe a few weeks, and that's it. But this is different. I beat Signalis early-November and I am still thinking about it. The way the game handles horror, how it pays homage to the survival horror titles that came before and how it uses it's minimalistic graphics to contrast the highly detailed anime-style cutscenes. We need more games like Signalis, but nothing will ever top this experience.

3. World of Warcraft Dragonflight-PC

(image credit; Gamestop)

-Shadowlands was such a long time ago. I spent so many hours doing the same quests and dungeons over and over in a dreary, dark world of WoW's underworld. But, Dragonflight has thankfully reinvigorated WoW in a way I never thought an expansion could. Gorgeous visuals, varied areas and absolutely fantastic writing has rose Dragonflight into the pantheon of the one of the best MMO expansions of all time. I just recently hit the end game, and now can only prepare for what the content updates bring us. 

4. Neon White-PC

(image credit; steam)

-For those who don't know, I love watching speedruns, but I'm not a fan of actually doing them. Except for, well, Neon White. You get the best satisfaction beating others, and watching your time skid past your friend's on the boards feels insanely satisfying. The story is handled well in it's humor, and the characters are great and stand out in the year of some of the best protags in awhile. The gunplay, while immensely satisfying, takes some getting used to. But once mastered, you feel like an absolute god. \

5. Disney Dreamlight Valley - Xbox Series X

(image credit; Xbox)

-One of the many games to get me through the last few months, Dreamlight Valley is everything I wanted Animal Crossing to be. Quests to do, characters to me, and as a Disney person, this game is just so relaxing, calming. It's fun top dress yourself up, fish with Mickey or pick flowers with Goofy. Your not fighting anything, your not deal with the overwhelming sense of dread...your just having a great time attempting to connect more with your inner child and decorating the entire valley to your own specifications. Sometimes, we all just need a bit of calm, yeah?

My top 5 games I've played in 2022-so far!

 Whoa hey, one of these again. I know I've been silent and I apologize, but hey, freelance work has had me busy and so has my actual human job. But anywho, i've played some games in 2022 and dammit, I really wanna talk about them. 

Just a heads up for this list, not all games I played and have super enjoyed this year have come out this year. So if something doesn't seem right release wise, it doesn't. Also, obviously, this list in any particular order either. 

But anyway, LET'S GO.

1. Ghostwire Tokyo (Tango Gameworks)

-Goddammit I loved Ghostwire Tokyo. Created by Tango, the same team behind The Evil Within and ran by Shinji Mikami, the story follows a early-twenty-something named Akito as he attempts to save his sister from a masked cult-leader as he tries to use her to make Shibuya the new home for thousands of spirits. But, you have a ghost inhabiting your (dead) body named KK who grants you crazy powers to fight said spirits and get your sibling back.

Many have compared the gameplay of Ghostwire to 'Far cry style' open world games, but they couldn't be anymore wrong. Nothing feels as satisfying as shooting magic towards no-faced skinny spirits and running towards them to rip the cores from their chest. The game is beautiful, taking fully advantage of the PS5's graphical prowess. KK and Akito have fantastic chemistry and the voice acting is incredibly well done (play with Japanese voices!) 

I just wish more people gave this a chance! 

2. Final Fantasy Origins; Stranger of paradise (Tecmo Koei & Square Enix)

(credit; zmooz)

-I swear this isn't a joke. I mean, well, the game sure acts like one. The main character Jacks spews about chaos every five seconds, and he also drops the f-bomb before punching a boss square in the jaw. So basically, this isn't the Final Fantasy game you remember.

Stranger of Paradise is a take on the events leading up to Final Fantasy, the original. I don't know if anyone truly wanted to know what made Chaos, well, Chaos, but here ya go! In all seriousness, hidden under the mid-2000s dad-rock style story, you have a incredibly engrossing combat-mixed-with-job-system that means no matter what job Jack is, every combat encounter is going to be different. 

Your entire party just oozes the bro vibes that the boys in Final Fantasy XV gave us, and you actually deeply begin to care about these characters as the story goes on. While this title does have it's flaws, like an incredibly bloated inventory system, I have a feeling Stranger of Paradise will go down as a cult classic as it becomes cheaper and more people pick it up. You know, for the meme?

3. The Dark Pictures; House of Ashes (Supermassive games)

(credit; Rely on horror)

-The horror genre as of late really has had a tiny bit of a dry spell. Since Resident Evil Village, it's been a bit quiet. But leave it to Supermassive for comic back everytime. The third game in the anthology series, House of Ashes it's a prime example of taking what one has learned from the past installments and making everything ten times better.

You follow a group of soldiers as they fall into an underground labyrinth in the desert, fighting against ancient vampire creatures as they try to make it to dawn. Of course, it's up to you (or you and a friend) to make sure everyone makes it. It's hard to discuss this title without spoiling it, and I'm so legitimately shocked I haven't seen many doing as such. The one thing about the Dark Pictures titles is there always an homage to another horror property or trope.

And while House of Ashes is the same, something about it just is so more original then the others and makes it much more fun. The QTEs are still sweaty-palm inducing, and the accessibility features make it far less terrifying and more fair. It's an incredibly high, well, high for this series, and it's going to be fascinating to see if the next title, Devil you Know, can raise that.

4.  Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo & HAL Labs)

(credit; NME)

-Come on ya'll, it's KIRBY! Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an absolute delight of a 3D platformer, just easy enough for anyone to play it with enough depth and timing in fights to make it the fun type of challenging. We follow Kirby as him an all the waddle-dees are teleported to a mysterious, post-apocalyptic land that looks very identical to our own, helping the puffball find where he is and saving his friends in the process.

Playing pretty much handheld mode on the switch OLED, Kirby is a beautiful and bright experience that just makes you smile the entire time your playing it. I could easily go into how bonkers the final boss is, but frankly, I won't spoil you. That's rude.

In the middle of a rough few years due to you know, *rapid arm motioning*, Kirby is exactly what we needed to just smile for a bit.

5. Pokemon Legends Arceus (Gamefreak & Nintendo)

(credit; Nintendo)

-Let's be real, Pokemon has been the same for decades at this point. Yes, they can add new Pokemon and new region for us to explore...but nothing has changed the formula so intensely as Legends Arceus has. You pick your gender as every Pokemon title has, but your character gets teleported back in time by the Pokemon god Arceus to stop two other recognizable gods from destroying time and space itself.

Unlike the normal Pokemon formula, you don't do constant battles, but instead, you sneak up behind the critters, throw a ball-and hope for the best. While this may sound repetitive as all hell (and yes it is), you fall into the routine quiet quickly, and one can easily spend hours doing this same action over and over.

But, it doesn't take away from what makes Pokemon...Pokemon. Cute creatures, fun boss battles, great characters...if this is where the Pokemon franchise is going, and Scarlet & Violet takes from this...we're in for a fantastic future.

So you wanna date cute anime guys - The top 5 starter Otome games everyone needs to play.

 WELL HERE IT IS. You nerds asked for it! You wanted it, and here it is! I COULD HAVE EASILY WRITTEN ABOUT SOMETHING DARK LIKE HORROR OR THE TRAUMA BEHIND TALES OF ARISES' MAIN CAST...

But no. Noooo. Ya'll wanted me to dig through my giant pile of anime dating sims to recommend some! Which, let's be real, is incredibly daunting of a task.

Some context; I'm sure everyone has heard of the dating sim genre. A spin-off of the visual novel, it's basically the same thing but you are picking options to romance a character in the story. Some are more intense then that, with different options forcing you to a bad ending, good ending, etc. For some, it's incredibly daunting and, well, a lot. Dating sims are meant to be replayed more then once, and your meant to find your one character you've fallen in love with.

Otome, which translates to 'Maiden', are a type of dating sim where...it's basically a reverse harem. You are a (more often then not) female main character who has a bunch of anime dudes after your hear. It's filled with the stereotypical 'man whose head over heels' and 'man who couldn't care less but secretly loves you', etc etc. You basically have anime men crashing their way to get you to love them. Which, let's be real, for people who are into that? 

Is fantastic.

But! Otome is a huge genre and there is so many games in it. Thankfully, while the genre is still niche over here, there is plenty to choose from-and their easy to get, too! So in this list, I will go through my personal top 5 starter otomes someone can easily buy right now. I'll try to mix it up with the genres and such, and even will include one that teeters on the line of erotic...you know, for those of you over the age of 18.

NOW LET'S BEGIN

1. Pub Encounters -Switch, PC, Mobile

((image; switch player))

-Alright fine, I'm starting with the erotica out of the way first. Also, my all time favorite one. Pub Encounters is the only game on this list that has borderline erotic scenes. We're talking sex, here, folks. Kinks, public displays of (very graphic) affection. And hell, if that's your thing, Pub Encounters is your game! 

You play an average office lady, bored on her walk home as you take a detour and find...a pub in an alley. Walking in, you meet some fantastic men. Yuze the executive, Arashiro the Yakuza lawyer, Kodama the detective, Hodo the author and the bar manager, Toyoizumi. We ain't talking anime boys here--this are men in their 40s-50s. The heroine herself is implied to be early-30s. So if your getting tired of your average otome with nothing but boys, I highly recommend Pub Encounters. Especially if you like your romance steamy and angsty! 

Just a quick heads up for those looking to try this one out, be warned of some content warnings! Mentions of assault, abuse, voyeurism...Pub Encounters is not for the feint of heart, and I do not recommend it to everyone! 

2. Code: Realize - Switch, Playstation, PC (and there's an anime if that's your jazz!)

((image; Playstation lifestyle))

-A lot of times, Otomes like to do this thing where they take from existing medium. Like old history, fairytales, etc. Call it a trope, call it brilliant, it's always fun. And no otome does it better then the Code: Realize series. You play as Cardia, the game's main lady. You know nothing about your past, just that your Father put a crystal in your chest that makes your skin and blood poison. Whose your Father, why did he do this...and who will you kiss??

Code:Realize is well known for it's take on historical book characters! You have Arsene Lupin, Saint Germain, Impey Barbicane, Victor Frankenstein himself and Abraham Van Helsing. This men are determined to help you, but you can only choose one to help you find your true heart!

...I'm so sorry for that pun. If you enjoy getting lost in a good book, steampunk and "whoa is me you cannot even touch me!" drama, Realize is a great otome starting point--and with so many sequels! So many....

3. The Arcana - Mobile 

((image; Mobygames))

-Out of every otome on this list, this is probably the one most people have heard of, at least in passing. And a fantastic example that western developers are creating some fantastic romance games. Arcana is also one of the games on our list that features romances for multiple genders!!

You play as a Magicians apprentice, and are sent on your own to discover the world (and the people) around you. The game plays in segments, as is based off a tarot card system. Fantastic art, a beautiful story and some of the best romances I've seen in a game! This is a great first pick as you just need a phone! 

Just know going in, as this is a mobile game, there is an option for purchases to ease the story a bit faster/unlock optional paths! So enjoy at your feelings of that! (Also as I write this, I miss this game, and specifically Julian, so much. Ahhh!)

4. Collar X Malice - Switch, Playstation.

((image; Nintendo))

-Now, everyone knows I'm kinda into true crime. I do enjoy myself some Oxygen nights and podcasts and such. Collar X Malice? Now that mixes two of my favorite things. Crime stories and otome! Now a little content warning, your main character in this title is a cop. If you can look past that, you'll be able to dive into a story about terrorist plots, hot anime guys and...a bomb strapped to you neck?

Your MC (main character) is taken hostage by a terrorist group that is threatening to bomb Shinjuku--where you work. You wake up to a group of men; Aiji, Kei, Mineo, Takeru and Kageyuki. Some of them want you dead, some want to smooch you...it's a great (and tense) combo! 

If you enjoy a side of bomb plots and collar play in your dating sim (and don't mind the cop part) I highly recommend Collar, as you'll be getting some cute romance to your heavy lore dumps! 

5. Café Enchante - Switch.

-And, last but not least, I give you a cute favorite.

Setting the scene; Kotone's favorite childhood memory is working with her grandpa in his mystical café. When he dies and she inherits it, she finds out the patrons of his little shop are anything but normal. She finds a door in the back of his office that leads into a mystical world-and mystical boys! 

Misyr the demon, Canus the headless knight, Il fado the fallen angel, Ignis the demon and, well, Karou and government agent! These men were all patrons of your grandfather--and desperately want to be your patrons as well! The main reason Enchante is on this list is just how...beautiful it is. 

Painting-style art, great guys and, a headless horsemen in a vest. Come on. It's a great starting point for people of the monster-loving variety, and someone who just desperately wants something different then standard anime boys. 

Well, I hope you all found something your interested in! My favorite thing about the otome genre is just how...welcoming it is. For people new to visual novels and those who just want a hardcore story. Their emotional, powerful, fun and most of all...romantic! 

I hope everyone has a fantastic Valentines day. Hug someone you love, friend or more. And enjoy some cute dating sims this time of year! 

Sarah's top five games of 2021!

 *Crawls out from under my rock, squinting up at the sunlight*

Holy hell, I'm alive...I'M ALIVE.

Uh, hi, hello. I realized this kind of went dead and I apologize. For those who don't know, I did some freelance work over one Moviefone for a bit and that was uh...something. Pretty crazy, ya know. Second, I really miss this place. While I adore talking about movies, talking about games is a big passion of mine and dammit, I played a lot of stuff this year, and many of it I really really loved!! So I decided I would come back at the beginning of the year and spell out to you all my top 5 favorite games of 2021. I know on my last list I picked games that not necessarily came out in 2020, but I still ended up playing them.

This will be different, as if I recall, every game I played this year came out this year. So no weird loopholes or anything.

Anyway, further ado, here are the top 5 games I loved in 2021, starting with two honorable mentions I just...needed to talk about.

Honorable mention one; Tales of Arise (PS5)

(image source; digital trends)

-So the only reason Tales isn't on the official list is that I am not done. I just received the game for Christmas, and I've only just beaten the second boss. But oh my god do I love this game. Surprisingly, I'm not a huge JRPG person, as I've really only sunk my life into Kingdom Hearts and maybe one or two Final Fantasy's. Tales has been a series I grew up on, as Symphonia was a huge part of my childhood, but I never beat any of the games I played. Arise completely changes that. I am hugely invested in the story and the characters, and the gameplay is everything I want in a JRPG. Reminding me of the tactics of FF7Remake and the real time-ness of Kingdom Hearts, it had me hooked since I first played the demo months ago. I am sucker for mixing science fiction with fantasy, and the game is seemingly hitting all of my right buttons. While I am pretty much guessing major plot beast a it goes on, that's not stopping me from enjoying the hell out of Alphen and his little crew, and excitement for every badass thing they do. I honestly think people are sleeping on Arise, and should totally pick it up if they are the slightest bit interested.

Honorable mention two; Hatsune Miku Project Diva Colorful Stage (iOS)

(image source; Project Sekai wiki)

-Oh my god a phone game. A gacha phone game!! What the hell is this world coming to. Honestly, I'm really only putting this here because I have a new comfort game and will never stop. I am a huge Hatsune Miku/Vocaloid person in general, and have owned/nearly completed every Project DIVA game that has been released in the states. Colorful Stage is simple, it's a rhythm game where you tap along to the vocaloid tracks (both deep dives and greatest hits) and level up your little idol group. The story follows multiple highschool-aged idol groups as they work to make it big with their Vocaloid pals, and it's group has their own storylines where they go through the trials and tribulations of being music wannabes. Normally, I hate gacha games, as anything that forces me to spend money is annoying. But I can see with daily drops and log-in extras, I haven't spent as much as I thought I would. You get enough everyday for at least a few pulls, and more often then not, you will get the character your hoping for. The title also includes online functionality, a first for the DIVA series, where you play songs with others online to gain a total score. I adore this game, and eagerly await each new event to rise the ranks. Call it, comfort food for this stressful time.

Alright!! Now onto my top 5 of the year (no order! I can't choose, this year was tough).

Number 1; No More Heroes 3 (Switch)

(image credit; Nintendo)

-Talk about waiting long for something. As a kid, the No More Heroes games were some of the coolest I had on my Wii. Violent, vulgar, and stupidly fun. I got super invested in Travis Touchdown's rise to the top of the assassin ladder to get the girl. Suda51 has always been one of my favorite developers, and that love was enough for met to purchase a switch when he showed up on stage at the original announcement event claiming "Travis is Back". While at the time that wasn't NMH3, I still eagerly awaited the loveable dorks return and it did not disappoint. Yes, NMH3 isn't the most put together game on this list, it has issues and can sometimes stutter down to PowerPoint levels, but dammit if it isn't fun. Tying up loose ends from nearly every one of the older titles (including Travis Strikes Again), I was satisfied with the journey the title gave me. The brash humor and the dark but humorous tone stuck with me throughout the year and showed me Suda51 hasn't and will not lose his touch for a long time. Travis is his baby, and we are lucky that he was able to get Nintendo's blessing and allow the otaku to grace our consoles once more.

Number 2; Life is Strange True Colors (PS5)

(image source; steam)

-Representation in gaming is more important now then ever before. And that rains true for the representation of mental health as well. The Life is Strange games was a series I always admired, but I always beat them once and never went back for a second thought. I appreciated what they did and the messages they inspired, but that was it. Everything changed with True Colors. Never has games handled the idea of empathy and how one truly handles it like this game. Alec Chen is a protagonist that we needed, and the games handle of grief and trauma through someone who can tap into the emotions around them is profound and deeply important. I never saw any of the twists coming, and having all of my choices and decisions come to fruition at the end and give me an ending I was so emotionally invested in was so heartwarming--and heart breaking at the same time. For context, I ended up going with Ryan at the end, and for the record, he's one of my favorite romance options in gaming ever. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend going into True Colors blind, and find out why the LARPing scene is one of the most uplifting in games this decade.

Number 3; Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5)

(image credit; PC gamer)

-The Guardians are some of the favorite teams in comics history. A group of misfits just trying to find their way in the galaxy, all coming together due to trauma and the need for a familial complex. And nothing has really perfected this feeling until Eidos Montreal's Guardians game that released this year. I will admit, when I first saw this title, I was intrigued by the designs, the story, but the gameplay looked boring to me, and oh god I am glad I was wrong. Guardians is a fun romp through a retelling of the groups first few months together, and does what any adaptation should do; make the group their own. Of course, some comic book influence (and movie as well, if that's your thing) squeaks it's way in, but all of it used to awesome degrees. The Guardians are their own here, and quite honestly, it's my favorite version of them in a long time. Being able to talk to them and get to know them in between missions, helping to raise your understanding to why their there and how you can connect is fantastic. Guardians is the sleeper hit of the year, and deserved every award it has won so far. Pick it up as soon as you can.

Number 4; Boyfriend Dungeon (Xbox Series X)

(image source; epic games store)

-Hello surprise pick of the year. I remember seeing the Kickstarter for this title and losing my mind. Dating sims, specifically otomes, have been a huge amount of my life that I just don't normally talk about. As let's be honest, the premise and idea of them are just a bit out there for some people (which is totally okay!) but with something like Boyfriend Dungeon, I am hoping the genre can be slowly introduced into people's libraries. You create your character, and travel to a fictional Florida city to spend summer break with your cousin and hopefully find yourself a point of romance! You travel the game's "dunj" to discovered yourself and fight your own insecurities...but you so do so with different weapons that are...also people?? I have played a lot of dating sims in my life, but Boyfriend Dungeon swiped the rug out from under me. To date, I've done every romance line, Sunder being my particular (heartbreaking!) favorite, and have fallen for every new character. The combat, while not stressful, is fun and the abilities and weapons make it so much better. I'm hoping everyone who does end up trying this out jumps into the dating sim pool. We'd love to have you! 

Number 5; Nier Replicant 1.22... (PS4)

(image credit; PC gamer)

-Remember earlier in this piece that I wrote how JRPGs are very hard to grab me? Well, obviously I somehow forgot how much Nier has changed my life, and introduced me to some of the best friends I could have. For those not aware, the original Nier released in two versions, one for the Xbox and for the Playstation. Americas got one version, Japan the other. But, that means when the game released this year (with the help of Nier Automata absolutely kicking ass) so many people got to witness the original Nier for the firs time--including me. As a kid, I picked it up a bit too early and got stuck. But with the updated combat system and the quality of life improvements, Replicant runs like a dream, and should be the standard for all remakes/remasters going forward. A beautiful story with an even better rearranged OST, if you play any JRPG this year I highly recommend it's this one. Don't let the fact the game has multiple endings scare you, as everyone needs to experience Yoko Taro's masterpiece in storytelling. Flaws, dark, sad, but strangely uplifting in all the right place. Replicant is an important piece for the medium, and it would have been absolutely silly for it not to be on this list.

Annnnd there we go! Oh my gosh, for those unaware I wrote this in a single sitting. Quite honestly, I missed my blog a lot. But my drive to write has fluctuated so much. But, I hope you all enjoy this and actually play some of these titles for yourself! 

Also, I'd just like to place a huge thank you to just...you. I made so many fantastic friendships in 2021, but I also had so many firsts this year. I've become a freelancer, I starred on so many podcasts and people are actually...enjoying my content? If you asked me this even a year or so ago, I wouldn't believe you. I know I thank people a lot, but I figured i'd do it one more time in the new year. It is a tad intimidating knowing so many people enjoy my work, but it also makes me happy at the same time. 

I will be active here again, so I hope you all stick around. Love you guys! :)