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)
-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)
-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
-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
-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
-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
-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
-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?
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