TheLeon Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 3 hours ago, stepee said: Man Kirby is getting robbed. I expect Sonic to get robbed but cmon why my boy Kirby getting this disrespect. I don’t know what a patrick’s parabox is but it’s no Kirby I know that much. I had never heard of Patrick’s Parabox, but it looks like a pretty cool puzzle game. I want to check it out, but I’m afraid it might be this year's Baba Is You, the clever puzzle game that’ll make me feel like a total dumbass 10 levels in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatoneshere Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 There's clearly consistency among the different lists, clearly there are some indie games that were either (a) not on my radar, or (b) not my thing but clearly very good since such and such is showing up on multiple top ten lists. You expect stuff like these AAA games, though I am surprised not to see Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or Bayonetta 3 on any lists yet (I don't own a Switch and so I haven't played those games but they seem well regarded): -Horizon Forbidden West -God of War: Ragnarok -Elden Ring -Gran Turismo 7 -Kirby and the Forgotten Land And then as usual indie games and AA games are the more interesting breed, though no Plague Tale or Dying Light 2 on any lists so far is weird: -Sifu -Stray -Tunic -Vampire Survivors -Neon White -Signalis -Pentiment -Immortality -Norco -Citizen Sleeper -The Case of the Golden Idol And then random choices or games I wasn't aware were this good: -Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge -Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga -Trombone Champ -Hardspace: Shipbreaker -PowerWash Simulator -Patrick's Parabox And finally no Pokemon games on any "official" lists posted in this thread yet, also interesting (whether that's Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Pokemon Scarlet and Violet). Edit: totally missed Arceus on Polygon's list. Still not on as many lists so far as I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy4000 Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 From the podcasts I listened to this year, Rogue Legacy 2 seems like one of the most undeservedly snubbed indies so far. Maybe because it’s too derivative. Maybe because Vampire Survivors exists. Rogue Legacy 2 Reviews OPENCRITIC.COM Rogue Legacy 2 is rated 'Mighty' after being reviewed by 54 critics, with an overall average score of 89. It's ranked in the top 2% of games and recommended by 100% of... 4 hours ago, Greatoneshere said: And finally no Pokemon games on any "official" lists posted in this thread yet, also interesting (whether that's Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Pokemon Scarlet and Violet). It’s Polygon’s #8. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaseknox Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 2 hours ago, crispy4000 said: Rogue Legacy 2 seems like one of the most undeservedly snubbed indies so far. No, that would be Asterigos: Curse of the Stars which is easily one of the best games that I’ve played this year and one of the best indies that I’ve played in general. It deserved a lot more attention and popularity than it received, it’s a shame to see such a deserving game go so unnoticed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy4000 Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 9 minutes ago, Phaseknox said: No, that would be Asterigos: Curse of the Stars which is easily one of the best games that I’ve played this year and one of the best indies that I’ve played in general. It deserved a lot more attention and popularity than it received, it’s a shame to see such a deserving game go so unnoticed. Don't doubt it's underrated, but a lot critics didn't come away as positive, so I'm not surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaku3 Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 Move over Elden Ring. Darktide is my game of the year. I just found out the plasma gun can blow up on you. Absolutely glorious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLeon Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 8 hours ago, crispy4000 said: From the podcasts I listened to this year, Rogue Legacy 2 seems like one of the most undeservedly snubbed indies so far. Maybe because it’s too derivative. Maybe because Vampire Survivors exists. Rogue Legacy 2 Reviews OPENCRITIC.COM Rogue Legacy 2 is rated 'Mighty' after being reviewed by 54 critics, with an overall average score of 89. It's ranked in the top 2% of games and recommended by 100% of... I keep forgetting that game even came out this year. I was a huge fan of the first one, and I bought 2 when it left early access, but it faded into the background almost immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSpreader Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 On 12/5/2022 at 11:20 AM, Xbob42 said: Sex Chess Sex Gym 3D 少女妖精弹珠台 Elf Girl Pinball Virt-A-Mate + vamX MILF Conditioning Loot Box Waifus Furry immersion/Fury Glory (Tie) Cow Girl 2 Adult Only Content 18+ 重回哩世界 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Thank you!! I had to dig through all the bs to get down to the meat and potatoes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 Eurogamer's editors and writers are posting their year-end Feature articles, including their respective "Games of 2022": Alan Wen, Contributor: Games of 2022: Hindsight was the best for invoking the brilliance of Terence Malick and Wong Kar Wai WWW.EUROGAMER.NET A look at Hindsight for our games of 2022 series. Quote In a year of innovative games that didn't quite stick the landing or super polished blockbusters that left me cold, when it comes to considering game of the year contenders, I've found it ever more important to prioritise my heart picks. In 2022, Hindsight was that game for me. I'd argue it's gotten more difficult to find a game that can hit you in the feels when many indie games feel compelled, at times mawkishly, to make players cry. Hindsight also has the unfortunate position of being the second Annapurna Interactive joint released this year that centres on a similar conflicting parent-child relationship, though the premise is immediately more gut-wrenching, as protagonist Mary's introspective journey is brought about by the sudden news of her mother's passing. The images conjured forth, however, make it one of the year's most cinematic experiences. Robert Purchese, Senior Staff Writer: Games of 2022: A Plague Tale: Requiem provided the best big sister WWW.EUROGAMER.NET I think fiction sometimes forgets about the bonds between brothers and sisters and how powerful they can be. I guess we… Quote I think fiction sometimes forgets about the bonds between brothers and sisters and how powerful they can be. I guess we usually see siblings as a way of showing two sides of the same coin - one who turned out evil while the other turned out good, like me and my brother. But if a story wants us to feel that harrowing sense of fear or loss, and desperation, it's usually a parent-child set-up they go for. But A Plague Tale doesn't - A Plague Tale goes for the sister-brother bond. It's the whole central concept to the series: experiencing the brutality of 14th century France through the vulnerability of two children. Well, 'children' - one is a teenager, 15-year-old Amicia, and the other is a five-year-old boy, Hugo. The series begins with them on the run after their family is attacked, and they never really stop running until the end of A Plague Tale: Requiem. Oisin Kuhnke, Contributor: Games of 2022: Sephonie was the most nuanced nostalgia trip WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our games of 2022 series continues with a look at Sephonie. Quote Nostalgia as a concept is probably one of the most alluring things in art at the moment. Hollywood is desperate to cash in on the memories of those raised in the 80s with reboots, sequels, and the like. We're constantly inundated with reminders from the games industry of how good games used to be, with remakes that don't quite capture how we remember things being. So when a game like Sephonie comes around, and manages to take my fond recollections of all those 3D platformers I played as a kid while offering a more mature, contemplative idea regarding what nostalgia can be, you can absolutely guarantee it will end up being one of my favourites of the year. Sephonie, if you haven't been treated to the knowledge of its existence, is a 3D platformer with a strong emphasis on parkour-esque movement. It follows three biologists on their exploration of the titular island. Stylistically, I personally think it feels like a forgotten 3DS game (the highest of compliments I can offer), though it is obviously inspired by platformers from the N64-era all the way up to the PS2. Robert Purchese, Senior Staff Writer: We've had some wonderful people on the podcast this year WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Instead of listening to relatives this festive season, why not listen to me talk to some brilliant people from the worl… Quote Instead of listening to relatives this festive season, why not listen to me talk to some brilliant people from the world of games? Just pop a woolly hat on and they won't even see the earbuds. I know: you're welcome. I've had a great time recording One-to-one this year. If you don't know, it's an in-depth interview podcast where I spend about an hour learning about the lives and careers of some well known people. The whole point is to take time to get to know people. Henry Stockdale, Contributor: Games of 2022: Stranger Of Paradise was the best prequel we never knew Final Fantasy needed WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our games of 2022 series continues with a look at Stranger of Paradise. Quote 35 years ago, Final Fantasy redefined RPGs when SquareSoft pushed the boundaries of 8-bit storytelling. Playing as the four Warriors of Light, you're tasked with rescuing Cornelia’s Princess Sarah, who’s been kidnapped by a former royal knight, Garland. What follows is a quest to save the world, restoring the elemental crystals' power by defeating the Four Fiends that drained them, and eventually defeating Chaos itself. Basic storytelling by today’s standards but, aging gameplay aside, Final Fantasy 1 remains iconic. There’s strength in its simplicity and it felt complete. So, when Square Enix revealed Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin as both an alternative retelling and prequel, that initial trailer left me sceptical. Reimagined as an action RPG with a dark fantasy setting, you now played as a different Warriors of Light group: Jack, Jed, Ash, Neon, and Sophia, each determined to destroy Chaos. I wasn’t convinced at all, and the broken demo left me concerned about the project's quality. Soon after launch, my curiosity bested me, and I’ve never U-turned on a first impression this drastically. Jennifer Allen, Contributor: Games of 2022: Gran Turismo 7 had the best musical interlude from Idris Elba WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our games of 2022 series continues with a real banger. Quote If you asked me to describe the Gran Turismo series in one word, it would never be 'cool'. Vast? Yes. Detailed? Definitely, but cool? Not really. When I want to play a 'cool' racing game, I head to the latest Forza Horizon or maybe even an old copy of Need for Speed Underground (cheesy cool, OK?). I didn't go into Gran Turismo 7 expecting to be wowed like this. But then Idris Elba came along. Alan Wen, Contributor: One night at Marufukuro, the Nintendo hotel WWW.EUROGAMER.NET When you're Nintendo, creator of some of the most beloved games of all time that are just bursting with playful innovat… Quote When you're Nintendo, creator of some of the most beloved games of all time that are just bursting with playful innovation, wonder, and creativity, you might expect that to be reflected in the building where the magic all happens. Sure, maybe it's not Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory or even Google's gimmicky offices that exude a cringey big-kid energy, but you wouldn't think Shigeru Miyamoto, or all the other creative minds of Nintendo EPD, would spend their day-to-day in a giant corporate concrete block, which another developer I spoke to jokingly referred to as, "the place where dreams go to die". Yet that seemingly oppressive exterior also lends it a curious enigmatic quality, if you think of that concrete block as a giant question block instead, one that dedicated fans want to reach out and bump for the chance to find out a little more about the company they love. Christian Donlan, Features Editor: Games of 2022: Marvel Snap offered the best moments of reflection WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our games of the year series looks at Marvel Snap Quote Games are good at moments of reflection - a very specific kind of reflection anyway. You might call it the "Well, That Didn't Work" Moment. In games we get do-overs, so when an approach isn't working, you get to rethink it. Rather than in real life, say, where I just try the same failed approach again but grumpier. Card games are particularly good at this, and Marvel Snap is a particularly good example of a card game that is particularly good at this. Whenever I lose a game - and I lose all the time - I get to spend a pleasant few moments working out what went wrong, picking over my deck, and swapping cards in and out. There's a reward for being bad at the game. How kind. Victoria Kennedy, News Reporter: Games of 2022: Kirby and The Forgotten Land was the best start to a family tradition WWW.EUROGAMER.NET What makes Kirby and the Forgotten Land my GOTY. Quote There have been many great games released this year - a quick squint at Eurogamer’s Essential reviews from the last 12 months is a testament to this. We had the monumental Elden Ring, the charm-infused Tunic (complete with its nostalgic instruction manual) and the oh-so-stylish it hurts Rollerdrome. Yes, 2022 has delivered us some truly brilliant games. But for me, the one that really stands above the rest is Kirby and the Forgotten Land. There’s a specific reason for this. The Forgotten Land was the first game that I played together with my kids from the very start, and right through to the end credits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 PC Gamer's "Game of the Year 2022": Best Ongoing Game 2022: Guild Wars 2 Best Ongoing Game 2022: Guild Wars 2 | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM A new expansion and an old return. Best Strategy Game 2022: Total War: Warhammer 3 Best Strategy Game 2022: Total War: Warhammer 3 | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Immortal Empires makes this the biggest, most exciting strategy release of the year. Best Early Access 2022: Disney Dreamlight Valley Best Early Access 2022: Disney Dreamlight Valley | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Finally, a great Animal Crossing alternative comes to PC. Best Roguelike 2022: Vampire Survivors Best Roguelike 2022: Vampire Survivors | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM The numbers go up. Best Puzzle Game 2022: Strange Horticulture Best Puzzle Game 2022: Strange Horticulture | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM A little shop of horrors. Best Sandbox 2022: Teardown Best Sandbox 2022: Teardown | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM The heist of the year. Best RPG 2022: Persona 5 Royal Best RPG 2022: Persona 5 Royal | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Hundreds of hours later, we still love Atlus's masterpiece. Best Design: Card Shark Best Design 2022: Card Shark | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM An honest win. Best Co-op 2022: Monster Hunter Rise Best Co-op 2022: Monster Hunter Rise | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM A monster time with friends. Best Platformer 2022: Neon White Best Platformer 2022: Neon White | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Every millisecond counts. Best Story 2022: The Case of the Golden Idol Best Story 2022: The Case of the Golden Idol | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM A detective's dream come true. Best Comedy 2022: Trombone Champ Best Comedy 2022: Trombone Champ | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Nasty! GOTY Runner-Up: Marvel's Midnight Suns GOTY Runner Up 2022: Marvel's Midnight Suns | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM The superhero game of our dreams. Game of the Year: Elden Ring Game of the Year 2022: Elden Ring | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM FromSoft's biggest and best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 VG247 Game of the Year 2022: Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor: Tunic (Personal GOTY) OlliOlli World Marvel’s Midnight Suns 2022 Games of the Year: Tunic, and Dom’s other GOTY picks WWW.VG247.COM How a tiny little fox fought off the industry’s most imposing behemoths, armed soldiers, and a superhero team-up. Jim Trinca, Video Producer Pentiment (Personal GOTY) Marvel's Midnight Suns Weird West 2022 Games of the Year: Pentiment, and Jim’s other picks WWW.VG247.COM A time-machine fuelled by the power of art, a comic book epic about sharing your feelings, and one of the most inventive RPGs we’ve seen in decades. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief: Vampire Survivors (Personal GOTY) Best of 2022: Vampire Survivors – Tom’s one true and only choice for GOTY WWW.VG247.COM I’m not even picking runners-up. Nothing else comes close. Sherid Saef, Staff Writer: Elden Ring (Personal GOTY) Sifu Marvel Snap Best of 2022: Elden Ring, and Sherif’s other GOTY picks WWW.VG247.COM In which I explain why 2022’s most obvious pick also happens to be the best game I played all year. Connor Makar, Staff Writer: Signalis (Personal GOTY) DNF Duel Best of 2022: Signalis, and Connor's runner-up choice WWW.VG247.COM Signalis is an absolutely brilliant horror title created by Ros Engine, which is why I've picked it as my game of the year for 2022. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer: Pokemon Scarlet (Personal GOTY) Stray Signalis Best of 2022: Pokemon Scarlet and Kelsey’s other GOTY picks WWW.VG247.COM It's that time of year where we all discuss the best games of 2022, so here are Kelsey's GOTY picks. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor: Elden Ring (Personal GOTY) God of War Ragnarok Horizon Forbidden West Marvel's Midnight Suns Grounded Best of 2022: Elden Ring, and James' other GOTY picks WWW.VG247.COM My picks are vanilla ice cream, but it’s the posh stuff that has the little black bits of pod in. Haagen Dazs at the very least. Stephany Nunneley-Jackson, News Editor: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Personal GOTY) Dying Light 2 - Stay Human Best of 2022: Lego Star Wars – The Skywalker Saga, and Steph’s other GOTY pick WWW.VG247.COM It's that time of year at VG247 again: here's Steph's Game of the Year picks. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor: Elden Ring (Personal GOTY) Vampire Survivors Marvel Snap Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Pentiment Marvel's Midnight Suns Immortality Sonic Frontiers Pokemon Legends: Arceus Best of 2022: Elden Ring, and Alex's other GOTY picks WWW.VG247.COM Sometimes picking out a best game each year is a painful, difficult choice. Sometimes it’s easy. This year, it’s… sort of both? Let me explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 48 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said: Games of 2022: Kirby and The Forgotten Land was the best start to a family tradition WWW.EUROGAMER.NET What makes Kirby and the Forgotten Land my GOTY. @Brian 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 GamesRadar+ - The 25 Best Games of 2022 (Top 10 Posted) 10. Pokemon Legends: Arceus 09. Pentiment 08. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope 07. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 06. Vampire Survivors 05. Immortality 04. Horizon Forbidden West 03. Stray 02. God of War Ragnarok Spoiler 01. Elden Ring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
best3444 Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 I don't know. I may switch Ragnarok as my GOTY over Elden Ring. My second playthrough has made me realize this. It's extremely close. Both are phenomenal. Kirby got some love @stepee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatoneshere Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Updating the list to reflect new additions, etc. from the new best of 2022 top ten lists that have since been added to this thread (going to ignore some of Eurogamer's and PC Gamer's one off articles because Stranger of Paradise c'mon lol). These games have been put on multiple best of 2022 top 10 lists: -Horizon Forbidden West -God of War: Ragnarok -Elden Ring -Gran Turismo 7 -Sifu -Stray -Tunic -Vampire Survivors -Neon White -Signalis -Pentiment -Immortality -Norco -Citizen Sleeper -The Case of the Golden Idol -A Plague Tale: Requiem -Marvel Snap -Xenoblade Chronicles 3 -Pokemon Legends: Arceus -Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope -Kirby and the Forgotten Land And then games that have only received one mention or so across multiple best of 2022 top ten lists so far (one-offs): -Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge -Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga -Trombone Champ -Hardspace: Shipbreaker -PowerWash Simulator -Patrick's Parabox -Hindsight -Sephonie Still no Bayonetta 3 or Dying Light 2 surprisingly but Xenoblade 3 and A Plague Tale finally got on some lists. There's definitely a good number of indie games that I should clearly check out. Everything I listed between Sifu to The Case of the Golden Idol are a murderer's row of apparently great indie games from 2022. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stepee Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Bitch ass motha fuckas ain’t shit sleepy foooooooooooooooork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer posts for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and "Best Puzzle Game 2022". Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Lottie Lynn, Guides Editor: Games of 2022: Tunic held the best puzzle solving moment WWW.EUROGAMER.NET A look at Tunic for our games of 2022 series. Quote I love how Tunic uses the process of gathering the game’s manual pages to build anticipation for later experiences in the adventure. You may find a page mapping out an area you haven’t visited yet and, upon it, lie little hints which only make sense once you’ve reached the location. It reminds me of how I used to read Pokémon walkthroughs from cover to cover as a child, jotting down little notes in the margins about which Pokémon I’d like to catch in each route. Tunic’s manual is also where I found the secret which came to dominate most of my time with the game - the Holy Cross. Due to its placement on the manual’s inventory page, I was convinced the Holy Cross was a type of special item hidden somewhere in the world. Yet, by the time I’d reached The Quarry - an area whose dark colour palette and industrial aesthetic made me think the game’s end was drawing near - I had seen no sight of the Holy Cross. (Or so I thought…) Not wanting to miss anything, I decided to put the main quest aside and instead set myself a limit of three hours to carefully explore every inch of the world in search of the elusive Holy Cross. Matthew Reynolds, Managing Editor: Games of 2022: The Excavation of Hob's Barrow had the most unforgettable introductions of the year WWW.EUROGAMER.NET For whatever reason, I haven't played a good, honest point-and-click game in years, possibly decades (maybe not since t… Quote For whatever reason, I haven't played a good, honest point-and-click game in years, possibly decades (maybe not since the original Monkey Island, or even Hook on the Amiga?) so it's fitting my return is with the sublime Excavation of Hob's Barrow, a game which wouldn't look out of place from the genre's hay day - albeit with a slightly off kilter style that wonderfully complements its 19th century folklore story. Something I've forgotten which makes these games special is the opportunity - no, necessity - to really take your time, poking and prodding the scenery and quizzing people over and over, motions which see you become truly rooted in the world. Justin Koreis, Contributor: Games of 2022: The best update of 2022 was in Sea of Thieves WWW.EUROGAMER.NET A look at Sea of Thieves for our games of 2022 series. Quote When Rare released Sea of Thieves in 2018 the general consensus was that it was a lot of fun to play, but a bit light on specific objectives for pirates to engage with. Several years and dozens of updates later, those pirates who saw the true potential of the Sea of Thieves have been rewarded many times over. Most recently Sea of Thieves Season 8 arrived. It’s a PVP focused game-changer, and the best video game update of 2022. The optional PVP element of Sea of Thieves creates an ever present danger that any voyage can end in another crew swooping in and stealing your loot as they send your ship to a watery grave. This tension feeds into the feeling of victory after a successful voyage, and the bombastic shipboard battles are some of the most thrilling experiences in gaming. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer posts for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and "Best Sandbox 2022". Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Ed Nightingale, Deputy News Editor: Games of 2022: Elden Ring was the best game for breaking the rules WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with this piece on Elden Ring. Quote It took just over a week for someone to speedrun Elden Ring. But the race to the fastest time was only just beginning. The first recorded speedrun clocked in at just under two and a half hours. Two days later the game was completed in under an hour. No sooner had one time been recorded, it was beaten. By April, it had been finished in under ten minutes. Speedrunning a game like Elden Ring, with its gloriously dismal open world, has never really appealed to me. I am a diligent player. Rather than rush, I like to savour every grim discovery, every horrifying enemy. I set up my own rules, finishing each area of the map before moving on; not entering the sickly pungent Caelid until every dusty nook and cranny of the Raya Lucaria Academy had been explored. That's why my first playthrough took over 110 hours. Jessica Orr, Guides Writer: Games of 2022: Live A Live was the best short story collection of the year WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our games of the year series looks at Live A Live. Quote Live A Live is a short slice of the weird and wonderful world of the JRPG. When it's wacky, oh boy does it get wacky. One of my favourite stories, set in the near future, is the best episode of the Power Rangers you've never seen. Spiky-haired protagonist Akira uses his psychic powers with the help of 'local businessman' Matsu, friend of his orphanage, to foil the plot of a biker gang. Along the way you'll use Akira's psychic powers in combat to deploy powerful moves such as 'Mother's Shame', which confuses enemies with thoughts of their mothers, so they lose the will to fight. Oh, and there's also giant kaiju-style mechs, because why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 PC Gamer Writers'/Editors' Personal Picks: Tyler Colp, Associate Editor: Signalis turns survival horror into a dreamlike experience I can't forget | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Rose Engine's psychological thriller breaks the rules with purpose. Quote The last thing I thought Signalis(opens in new tab) would be is a game that stuns me with imagery, not monsters. I read "survival horror" in its description and thought of the few Resident Evil and Silent Hill videos I've seen and expected a game about the dread of not being prepared. Signalis has all sorts of discarded items to pick up and monsters to pick off, but the parts of the game that surprised me the most were purely visual. Lauren Aitken, Guides Editor: The Witcher 3 next-gen re-release solidifies its status as my eternal GOTY | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Why play new games when The Witcher 3 got a shiny next-gen update? Quote If you've somehow missed Bathtub Geralt over the last seven years, then allow me to introduce you to our lord and saviour, Geralt of Rivia, aka the Butcher of Blavikan, Sir Ravix of Fourhorn. Whatever you want to call him, he's the finest male protagonist to grace videogames, and now that The Witcher 3 next-gen update is finally here, I can tell you why The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is my game of the year. Again. The next-gen update brings with it some much-needed quality-of-life improvements, a basic but enjoyable photo mode, and you can now show Roach a little love and give her a pat. The ray tracing is still a little iffy across PC and consoles, and while it's still a phenomenal-looking game, The Witcher 3's selling point has always been its story. A new questline to tie in The Witcher Netflix series has been added, complete with Henry Cavill's iconic armour. There's also the option to switch things up and change the appearance of the Nilfgaardian armour to that of a pair of wrinkly testicles if you want to make this terrifying army look pathetic, like a slight breeze would ruin them. Jody Macgregor, Weekend/AU Editor: In a tornado of turn-based tactics, Hard West 2 went unfairly overlooked | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Cowboys versus zombies is a real good time. Quote Hard West 2 builds on the bones of XCOM with swaggering style. The familiar shield icons for light and hard cover are there, but you can ignore any pile of rock or hastily raised coffin lid between you and your target by lining up a ricochet from a nearby object. Your posse unlocks abilities by looting magic playing cards and then assembling poker hands out of them, with better hands providing improved versions of their powers. And the system for earning extra actions on your turn, which encourages you to push just that little bit further out of your hard-cover comfort zone, has the extremely fitting name: bravado. Katie Wickens, Hardware Writer: Two Point Campus takes me back to cosy, nerdy days spent with my sister | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Those memories of playing Theme Hospital on a tiny CRT will never die. Quote I've been enveloped by a cosy blanket of nostalgia playing Two Point Campus(opens in new tab) this year. Not only has it hit so many of the marks necessary for a great management game, and as a sequel to the superb Two Point Hospital has really lived up to the name, but to me it's more than just a great game. To me it feels like home. Evan Lahti, Global Editor-in-Chief: Somehow, our favorite game of 2018 got even better in 2022 | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Why Into the Breach: Advanced Edition was one of the best experiences of the year. Quote When we scored Into the Breach 93% in our review, we said it was "the most consistently rewarding tactics game we’ve played in many years." Later that year it won our 2018 Game of the Year award, where we anointed it "a perfect modern form of strategy game." Where does a game go from that zenith? Perfecter, apparently. In July Subset Games released a surprise update, Into the Breach: Advanced Edition. It added extensive new stuff, fully the size of a traditional expansion, all priced at $0. Phil Savage, Editor-in-Chief: The Witch Queen wasn't just a good Destiny 2 expansion—it was the best FPS campaign of the year | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Bungie's best set of missions in years. Quote The temperature of the Destiny 2 community these last few months has been set to 'spicy'. Players are feeling burnt out on the seasonal model, PvP influencers are doomposting about sandbox changes, and subreddit threads are quick to assume the worst in regards to any communication coming out of Bungie. Given this, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Destiny 2 was having a bad year. And yet, this year Bungie also released Destiny 2's best expansion to date. The Witch Queen was so good that I don't feel the need to qualify my praise of its campaign by saying "it's good for a live-service game". No, Bungie delivered what is easily the best FPS campaign released this year. Admittedly the competition wasn't that stiff—sorry Modern Warfare 2, I guess. Jorge Jimenez, Hardware Writer: In 2022, Tactics Ogre: Reborn reminded me why I love turn-based strategy games | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Who knew a game about the horrors of war is still a must-play after all these years? Quote There are a handful of classics that I'll always replay when given a chance. Tactics Ogre is one of the reasons I fell in love with turn-based strategy games like BattleTech, the Disgaea series, or my all-timer Final Fantasy Tactics. About every two or three years since around 2001, I dig out my copy of Tactics Ogre on PlayStation and devote about 60 hours to a world filled with morally gray political intrigue, magic, war crimes, and flying bird people. Fraser Brown, Online Editor: Grounded finally makes survival fun | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM This playful co-op survival game has been the highlight of my year. Quote I've played so many survival games that have worn me out that I would never consider it one of my favourite genres, but things have definitely been looking up lately. Last year's GOTY, Valheim, was a cracker, getting rid of a lot of bullshit and instead focusing on adventures into the unknown and creative building. But it was this year's Grounded(opens in new tab) that made survival properly fun. Grounded has all the hallmarks of a traditional survival game, from its beefy crafting menu to hunger and thirst management. But everything it does is recontextualised thanks to the novelty of the setting: you play one of four teens stranded in a suburban garden, shrunk down so much that ants are as big as dogs and spiders are as big as houses. Tyler Wilde, Executive Editor: I'm hooked on Call of Duty like it's 2008 again (please don't tell any cool people) | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM I'm not even into Warzone or DMZ: I just can't stop playing regular old Modern Warfare 2 team deathmatch. Quote I started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 like an ex-smoker who's sneaking Marlboros again: just a little pew pew here and there when my Steam friends are offline, just for the nostalgia, not because I really like it. Now, of course, I'm frequently up late fiddling with handgun attachments, trying to feel a little more like John Wick in round after round of Hardpoint or Team Deathmatch. Hooked again, after all these years. Modern Warfare 2's guns are blazingly fun to wield. It's everything about them, really: the way they handle, the reload animations, those tantalizing CoD hit markers and that headshot "swizzt." The granular customization is the star, though, as Morgan talks about in his review. I've fallen deep into the gun tuning hole, and at this point I'm half playing Call of Duty and half just mucking around in the gun garage, adjusting recoil smoothness and bullet velocity and aim-down-sight speed, sometimes to squeeze a slightly better K/D ratio out of the next round and sometimes just for the joy of theorycrafting. Joshua Wolens, News Writer: Pentiment's biggest success was making me think about failure | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM The past bleeds into the future no matter how hard you scrub. Quote When I selected Pentiment(opens in new tab) as my personal GOTY pick, I knew exactly what I was going to say: Here's a game that gets the class struggle, man. Obsidian's historical materialist storytelling was born in the Mojave(opens in new tab) and developed in the Deadfire(opens in new tab), but it unfurls to its full potential in Pentiment's setting of Tassing, Bavaria. After all, this is a game in which actual lords, serfs, guild-masters and journeymen sizzle with resentment and vie for power, reactionaries conspire to keep the old world propped up even while its foundation disintegrates, and Rome's corpse continues to stink and rot and infect society a thousand years after its death. This is dialectics: the game! But having returned to Pentiment since then, I've decided I'm not going to write about any of that. I'm going to write about failure. Shaun Prescott, Australia Editor: Souls clones barely stood a chance in 2022, but Steelrising at least had style | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Coming for FromSoftware's lunch is a fool's game, but if you're going to try, you better make it count. Quote Good grief, another two-bit Dark Souls clone. Save the Nioh series, I won't even touch them anymore. The Surge? Meh. Mortal Shell? Couldn't cope with it. What else is there? I've forgotten them all. All except one, really: Steelrising. If someone tries to tell you that Steelrising isn't a clone, they're having a laugh. It's all about deliberate hand-to-hand combat, constant stamina management, foes that hide behind corners, and tight, interlocking level design. It has scant, well-earned checkpoints, and it rewards exploration. It's developed by Spiders, the French studio responsible for Greedfall, Mars: War Logs, and a bunch of other RPGs. I daresay they considered Steelrising a canny business move because Soulsborne is all the rage. But the studio had its work cut out for it: while I admire Spiders and other purveyors of ambitiously complex eurojank, it never seemed like a good idea for them to take on something so action-focused. Andy Chalk, News Lead: I can't stop arguing with my bathroom wall in Hell is Others, a bizarre top-down extraction shooter | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Hell is Others proved it to me: People suck, but the world is more fun when they're around Quote I was late to the party on Hell is Others, in part because I had no idea what to make of it. When I finally got around to giving it a go, not long after it launched in October, I still wasn't sure what to think: It's a top-down extraction shooter about a hard-bitten tough guy living in a ramshackle 1950s city, but the city is infested by vaguely insectoid monsters from another dimension, and there's a yawning chasm in your bathroom wall dispensing advice and prophetic caution. Not your usual noir yarn, to say the least. It's definitely weird, and a tough nut to crack, too. There's very little in the way of gentle onboarding: You're mostly just thrown into the world and left to figure it out. That plays well to the game's deliberately obtuse fiction, but unfortunately much of that "figuring out" time is spent in the company of other players—many of whom, as the saying goes, do not wish you well. Developer Strelka Games dropped an update in November that, among other things, made changes to matchmaking to queue newbies and veterans separately, and that helped smooth things out—it's a lot easier to finish up the entry-level quests when you're not being mercilessly hunted by people already well-versed in the art of murder, after all. Sean Martin, Guides Writer: This year Warzone 2 DMZ turned me into a key–hoarding weasel | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Question one: Where's the key? Question two: Gimme the key. Quote I like Hunt: Showdown… or at least I like the idea of it. Twelve weapon-wielding cowpokes trek into a nightmare-strewn swamp with only a few bounties between them, and anything goes as they hunt the most dangerous prey of all; flaming pig-men and giant spiders. Some get rushed by dogs or fiery zombies, some are swallowed up by the thing that lives in the water, but most just kill each other as they fight to take the prize and extract. For me, the premise is sometimes more exciting than the experience: I crawl through reeds, avoid noise traps and enemies for twenty minutes, only to get sniped by some unseen marksman. In a sandbox filled with haunted shacks and lumber yards infested with monsters, you're discouraged from engaging with them in case it draws the ire of other players. Maybe that's why Hunt never fit me even though it should; I end up wanting to explore and play around, but I'm never safe enough to justify it. I didn't expect to find the answer in Warzone 2's DMZ mode. Where Hunt often feels like it's all business, Al-Mazrah is downright playful at times, a sandbox that places emphasis on player choice and the consequences of those choices. DMZ is an extraction shooter with a simple concept: who knows where you'll be 20 minutes from now? You could be drilling a safe, cursing your greed as the corridor outside floods with armored soldiers. You could be on a boat, desperately trying to outmanoeuvre a helicopter gunship, as your squadmate blazes away with the turret. Or, like me, you may be sneaking around the city, unlocking caches and art galleries to plunder their loot. Christopher Livingston, Staff Writer: In 2022's city builder boom, this game's survival systems stood out | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Survival city builder Farthest Frontier is fraught with diseases, injuries, bear attacks, raiding parties, and even the occasional bee sting. Quote We're in the midst of a city builder boom. 2023 is already shaping up to be an outstanding year for city builders, with Frostpunk 2 (hopefully!), Manor Lords(opens in new tab), Laysara: Summit Kingdom, Aquatico, and more interesting-looking city building games(opens in new tab) headed our way. But 2022 was no slouch, either—we got to build a city on a space station in Ixion, rebuild society after a climate catastrophe in Floodland(opens in new tab), manage a norse settlement in Land of the Vikings, and survive plagues, tornados, and floods in Settlement Survival, which left Early Access in October. We even got to build a settlement on the back of an enormous dinosaur in The Wandering Village(opens in new tab). What a time to be a city planner! But the city builder I fully fell into this year came from an unexpected source, Crate Software, maker of dark fantasy ARPG Grim Dawn. Survival-wise, I quickly discovered that Farthest Frontier(opens in new tab) wasn't pulling any punches as my little villagers succumbed to cold, starvation, dehydration, animal attacks, raiding parties, and just about every illness and injury you could think of. It's got the Greatest Hits of Communicable Diseases: cholera, rabies, scurvy, typhoid, tetanus, food poisoning, festering wounds, worms (worms!), and that old Oregon Trail favorite: dysentery. Jacob Ridley, Senior Hardware Editor: Turns out I can't strategize better than Ferrari. Thanks for letting me know, F1 Manager 2022 | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM I've been humbled by my career of misfortune with Alpha Tauri. Quote There were a few candidates for my personal pick for Game of the Year. Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, the overhaul to finally rope me back into Destiny on a regular basis, would've likely been my first pick. Though Phil's already nabbed that one for his own, and his in-game hours make mine look inconsequential, so that's out. The other game was Vampire Survivors, but thankfully so many on the PC Gamer team saw fit to adorn this game with some sort of accolade this year that it's already receiving a very well deserved GOTY award. That isn't to say my actual personal pick is any less deserving of praise than these two, however. F1 Manager 2022 scratches an itch I had previously thought only possible if I quit my job and retrained as a F1 engineer. Seeing as that was never going to happen, I'm glad for my opportunity to replace Toto Wolff as Mercedes team principal with little to no relevant experience. Lauren Morton, Associate Editor: Roadwarden is the first text adventure I enjoyed as much as a good book | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Roadwarden is far more approachable than classic text games with worldbuilding on par with my favorite novels. Quote Despite my love of fantasy books and games I've rarely clicked with text adventures, though not for lack of trying. I initially said that Roadwarden felt like cracking open a giant fantasy novel, and if it were I'd now be hunting down a hardcover copy for a spot of honor on my shelf. Roadwarden nails the intersection between novel and adventure game in a way that, for the first time, doesn't make me wish it were just one of those other things instead. Roadwarden makes an excellent first impression visually. There's no accounting for taste, but I'm personally not tired of the two-tone retro pixel illustration style and this is a lovely example of the form. It's not only the style that's approachable, but the visual design on the whole. Like much older dungeon crawlers, Roadwarden opts for a multi-panel design with text in the center, stats on the right, and an illustration of your surroundings that changes as you explore each area. Wes Fenlon, Senior Editor: Dorfromantik was 2022's 'no thoughts, just vibes' game of the year | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM No game soothed me this past year like this idyllic tile-placer. Quote What was your greatest gaming achievement in 2022? Defeating Malenia, Blade of Miquella solo? Punching your way through Sifu without aging 100 years? Deciphering Tunic's mysterious language? I'll tell you what I did: I built an enormous lake out of hexagonal tiles in Dorfromantik(opens in new tab), then waited patiently—so, so patiently—for just the right pieces to fill in its last remaining gaps. When I drew the final of three water railway stations I needed to complete the lake, I knew just how Michalangelo must've felt when he finished painting The Creation of Adam. Great works demand to be admired, even by their creators. Building a tiny little cottagecore world in Dorfromantik presents no real challenge. Technically you can place any piece you like next to any other, hiding a quaint village inside a grand forest, or marooning a two-stop train line on an island in the middle of a lake. But its light goals push you towards placing tiles together in clever ways: the more sides of the hexagon you perfectly match, the more tiles it awards you to keep building. My lake was nearly perfect, but for a couple gaps near an aquatic railway station. These became my favorite tiles in all of Dorfromantik, because the reward for placing one is seeing a little boat and a little train come puttering out, fueling an imaginary economy. I don't know what they're hauling. Lumber? Apples? Bundles of fluffy sweaters? Something cute and festive, surely. Robin Valentine, Print Editor: A rough launch hasn't stopped Darktide being the best Warhammer 40,000 game ever | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM The core action is already excellent—it just needs some work around the edges Quote I think it's fair to say Warhammer 40,000: Darktide hasn't put its best foot forward. Ahead of launch, it had an early access beta for anyone who preordered—hopefully producing lots of helpful data for the dev team, but also giving a buggy first impression to hordes of fans who seemed to take it as the finished product. And then, when the full launch did arrive, it still left core progression and crafting feeling unfinished, and introduced an immediately controversial microtransactions shop. Its Mixed review status on the Steam store page is testament to a community rife with concerns about the game as it stands today. Do I share some of those concerns? Sure. Does any of that matter when I'm down in the hive, chopping up heretics by the score? It does not. Sarah James, Guides Writer: PowerWash Simulator is the perfect counter to the stress of Elden Ring | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Wash away your woes. Quote 2022 has been a fairly quiet year for games—unless you count the 67,000 (approx.) that launched in the last few months—and the shadow that Elden Ring cast over other releases has been pretty difficult to shake, too. But coming in at the absolute opposite end of the stress meter, PowerWash Simulator has been one of the highlights of my gaming year. Taking a hose to garden furniture has never been high on my list of fun things to do to wind down at the end of the day, but PowerWash Simulator has made me rethink my priorities. I picked up this game completely on a whim. I'd heard the name but hadn't seen any actual gameplay. I figured it would be good for maybe a couple of hours before I got bored and switched to something a little more exciting. I was wrong: 65 hours later—no, not in one sitting—I finally finished the Career Mode. Ted Litchfield, Associate Editor: Norco filled me with love, hope, and wonder, then immediately asked 'is that enough?' | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM A standout adventure game in a red letter year for the genre. Quote I'm really sorry everyone, but it's the end of the year, we're all cutting a little bit loose, and I think I deserve this: I want to begin this one with a quote. In Ursula K. Le Guin's introduction to her novel The Left Hand of Darkness, she wrote "Science Fiction is not predictive; it is descriptive." I don't think I've felt that in a work of sci-fi more than with Geography of Robots' miracle of a point and click adventure, Norco. It's the year 20XX or so and self-aware artificial intelligence has proliferated such that it's a nuisance on the festering internet and a simple expectation of domestic labor and security-focused robots. Climate change has advanced unchecked, delivering at least one more Katrina-level disaster to New Orleans, and the United States is in the grips of some kind of low-grade civil war, "a meme that set Albuquerque on fire." At the same time, the only sense I get of this future is one of stasis, the same stifling, dehumanizing present we're living in now extended for fifty years or so, with every potential moment of climax and resolution leading to more of the same. The Second American Civil War that lunatics like to jerk themselves off to has just led to some parts of the nation falling under the sway of "the soldiers of a popup junta," while everywhere else you can still tell your phone to order someone making less than minimum wage to bring you a burger. Rich Stanton: Years after release, Death Stranding keeps delivering | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Million Dollar BB. Quote Long gone are the days when I was so time-rich and game-poor that replaying videogames was a routine. But the excuse to return to Death Stranding this year, thanks to the Director's Cut finding its way to Steam, was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. After playing the original on PS4 I wanted to see all the PC shinies, and as a longtime Koj-fancier I knew the special editions of his games have never disappointed. What I found was a game that hadn't changed much. But the world around me had(opens in new tab), and inexorably twisted my interpretation, sense, and feeling about the experience. It's now impossible for anyone to play this game without the pandemic being some cosmic coincidence that underpins and informs it, and that triggered both self-reflection and nostalgia. What surprised me even more was that I kept coming back. When you've played a game, and then years later return to that place, one of the most powerful impressions (this is probably quite damning of myself) is always how much I've forgotten. Particularly in the ones you knew you'd enjoyed, some small moment triggering a sense of where you're going that is devoured down the chain with delight at the old synapses firing off once more. Mollie Taylor, News Writer: The best rhythm game finally came to PC this year and took over my life | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix+ coming to PC has meant I can stop relying on consoles for my rhythm game goodness. Quote Fighting and rhythm games are two genres that have been in my life for as long as I can remember. It's unfortunate, then, that they haven't always had the best run on PC. That's been changing over the past few years, though, and 2022 has been the year of my favourite rhythm games heading over to our platform: Taiko no Tatsujin and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix+. A shoddy port frustratingly mired the former, but with Project Diva it almost made me mad that we didn't get this series on PC sooner. OK, I know that rhythm games aren't everyone's cup of tea. Especially rhythm games featuring virtual Japanese idols, computerised beats and carefully placed phonetic samples to make it sound like an actual human is singing. But the Project Diva games have had a death grip on me for over eight years, and MegaMix+ is the most robust and complete entry in the series to date. Morgan Park, Staff Writer: The PC finally got a Smash Bros. worth celebrating in 2022 | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM MultiVersus was one of the year's best surprises, and it keeps getting better. Quote There was a magical time in 2018 where, for a few months after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate came out, my life was like that original Nintendo Switch ad with a bunch of 20-somethings huddling around a single 7-inch screen on a rooftop to play games together. I hauled my Switch just about everywhere (parties, restaurants, jury duty), always with two extra joycons stashed nearby in case passersby wanted to get schooled by my mediocre Incineroar. Even into 2019, Smash Ultimate was the party game we'd never put down. Then, of course, the parties stopped in 2020. All of my friends migrated to Discord and new jobs and schedules mean we gather online more often than in-person. Our Smash Bros era ended, but for a while in 2022, one of the coolest surprises of the year brought it back: MultiVersus. PC gaming finally has a Smash Bros.-like worth celebrating, and I'm still in shock that the corporation to make it happen was Warner Bros. Andy Chalk I thought Elden Ring was going to be hot garbage, then it took over my life | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM My new year's resolution for 2022 worked out in a very unexpected way. Quote Look, I admit it. I thought Elden Ring was going to be complete bullshit. In my defense, it was a reasonable position to take: I detest soulslikes, and since this was being built-up in pre-release to be the Ultimate Soulslike Ever, it wasn't a stretch to wave it away. And when it came time to make a new year's resolution for 2022, it was an easy joke: I'll play Elden Ring(opens in new tab). The time came, I leapt in, and boy, was I right: It was complete bullshit. The tutorial was mildly intriguing, but playing with a controller (which I'd also committed to doing) was a sin against PC gaming. I quickly cast the thumb-crippling contraption aside—and then discovered that Elden Ring's mouse and keyboard controls suck bananas too. What a surprise! A bullshit game with bullshit controls. Still, a commitment had been made. I soldiered on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 EDGE Magazine Publisher of the year: Nintendo Best visual design: Elden Ring Best Audio: Tunic Best Performance: Charlotta Mohlin (Immortality) Best Hardware: Steam Deck Best Soundtrack: We Are OFK Studio of the year: From Software Game of the Year: 10. Bayonetta 3 09. Windjammers 2 08. Gran Turismo 7 07. Poinpy 06. Hardspace: Shipbreaker 05. Roadwarden 04. Neon White 03. Pentiment Spoiler 01. (Tie) Elden Ring and Immortality The Ringer: The Best Video Games of 2022 10. Pentiment 09. Cult of the Lamb 08. Stray 07. Horizon Forbidden West 06. Sifu 05. Marvel Snap 04. Vampire Survivors 03. Neon White 02. God of War Ragnarök Spoiler 01. Elden Ring The Guardian: The 20 best video games of 2022 (Top 10 Posted) 10. Bayonetta 3 09. The Case of the Golden Idol 08. Cult of the Lamb 07. Tunic 06. NORCO 05. God of War Ragnarök 04. Stray 03. Immortality 02. Elden Ring Spoiler 01. Wordle The A.V. Cub - The 15 best games of 2022 (Top 10 Posted) 10. Saturnalia 09. Neon White 08. Sephonie 07. Marvel Snap 06. Perfect Tides 05. Horizon Forbidden West 04. Citizen Sleeper 03. God Of War Ragnarök 02. Pentiment Spoiler 01. Elden Ring But Why Tho? - Top Games of 2022 (Top 10 Posted) 10. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope 09. Disney Dreamlight Valley 08. Victoria 3 07. Splatoon 3 06. Vampire Survivors 05. God of War: Ragnarok 04. Stray 03. Pentiment 02. Grounded Spoiler 01. Elden Ring The Gamer - Game Of The Year - 2022 10. Pentiment 09. Immortality 08. Cult of the Lamb 07. Ghostwire: Tokyo 06. Neon White 05. God of War Ragnarok 04. Marvel Snap 03. Vampire Survivors 02. Elden Ring Spoiler 01. Citizen Sleeper Twinfinite - Game of the Year 2022 Honorable Mentions: Tunic, Horizon Forbidden West 2nd Runner Up: Cult of the Lamb 1st Runner Up: God of War Ragnarok Spoiler Twinfinite’s Game of the Year 2022: Elden Ring Vulture - The Best Video Games of 2022 10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge 09. Disney Dreamlight Valley 08. Victoria 3 07. Stray 06. Nobody Saves the World 05. Splatoon 3 04. Marvel Snap 03. Tunic 02. Neon White Spoiler 01. Elden Ring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 The Sixth Axis - Game of the Year Awards Best Multiplayer Game Winner: MultiVersus Runners Up: Splatoon 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Honorable Mentions: Escape Academy, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, Overwatch 2 Best Original Soundtrack Winner: God of War Ragnarök Runners Up: Citizen Sleeper, Elden Ring Honorable Mentions: Neon White, Rollerdrome, We Are OFK Best Visual Design Winner: Scorn Runners Up: Pentiment, Horizon Forbidden West Bonus Round: Tunic's In-Game Manual Honorable Mentions: Card Shark, Elden Ring, Trek to Yomi Best Independent Game Winner: Vampire Survivors Runners Up: Cult of the Lamb, Neon White, Arcade Paradise, Citizen Sleeper Honorable Mentions: The Mortuary Assistant, Rollerdrome, Strange Horticulture, Stray Tunic Best Narrative: Winner: Citizen Sleeper Runners Up: Pentiment, God of War: Ragnarök Honorable Mentions: A Plague Tale: Requiem, As Dusk Falls, The Quarry Best Single Player Winner: Elden Ring Runners Up: God of War: Ragnarök, Marvel's Midnight Suns Honorable Mentions: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Horizon Forbidden West, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Best Gameplay Winner: Marvel's Midnight Suns Runners Up: Vampire Survivors, Marvel Snap Honorable Mentions: Card Shark, Elden Ring, Sifu Best Virtual Reality Game Winner: Moss: Book II Runners Up: Red Matter 2, Bonelab Best Ongoing & Supported Game Winner: Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Runners Up: No Man's Sky, Vampire Survivors Honorable Mentions: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Sea of Thieves Best PC Game Winner: Marvel's Midnight Suns Runners Up: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Total War Warhammer 3 Honorable Mentions: The Mortuary Assistant, Trombone Champ, Victoria 3 Best Nintendo Switch Game Winner: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Runners Up: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Pokémon Legends Arceus Honorable Mentions: Bayonetta 3, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Splatoon 3 Best Xbox Game Winner: Pentiment Runners Up: As Dusk Falls, Grounded Honorable Mentions: High on Life, Narka: Bladepoint, Scorn Best PlayStation Game Winner: God of War: Ragnarök Runners Up: Horizon Forbidden West, Stray Honorable Mentions: Elden Ring, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Gran Turismo 7, A Plague Tale: Requiem Biggest Disappointment Loser: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Runners Up: Babylon's Fall, Gotham Knights Overall Winner Winner: Elden Ring Runners Up: God of War: Ragnarök, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Vampire Survivors, Pokémon Legends Arceus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 23, 2022 Author Share Posted December 23, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer posts for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and "Best RPG 2022". Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Nic Bunce, Contributor: Games of 2022: The best Pokéball of 2022 was made of wood WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at some pocket monsters. Quote It has been a strong year for Pokémon. Not only has Pokémon Go pulled in more than $430m year-to-date, but the Pokémon World Championships in London was a success by all accounts. On top of that the Pokémon Company released two of the most highly anticipated Pokémon games of all time on Nintendo Switch this year: Pokémon Legends Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet/Violet. It has also been a year where the franchise fell short of its ambitions – not least in the graphics department, with Violet and Scarlet criticised for performance issues, while Arceus had problems with draw distance, meshing and the like. Switch games are limited by the Switch’s hardware of course, but critics and fans the world over were still disappointed. However, there is one thing that Pokémon fans unanimously love, and for once it’s not even a specific Pokémon. The craftable Pokéball from Legends Arceus – a game set 1000 years in the past – is something that has captured the imaginations of Pokémon players around the world. Jake Green, Contributor - @Brian Games of 2022: Kirby and the Forgotten Land had the best road trip montage WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at Kirby. Quote I went into 2022 like many others did, cautiously, and with an exhaustion that came from having endured genuinely world-altering events for a long time prior. For many, January brought with it a collective feeling of uncertainty, as we all slowly tip-toed out of the shadows and looked forward to the approaching light of Spring. The first big releases of the year helped set the tone for what would follow. Elden Ring swallowed up most of the gamers I knew, and went on to spit them out triumphant heroes, reshaped by hundreds of hours of sheer adversity. Sifu did something similar by reforging its players with an onslaught of fists, bottles and sticks. We all grieve differently, however, and it was actually Nintendo's pinkest and roundest mascot that ended up giving me the hope I needed to push on with the rest of the year. Kirby and the Forgotten Land begins as many games do, with utter chaos and destruction brought on by swirling black portals and an ever-smirking villain. For all intents and purposes, everything that Kirby knows is ripped from him in these opening moments, before he too is sucked up into the stormy skies. He lands with a hollow thump, and sits for a moment looking around at the strange broken world that he now inhabits. There's a split second where it looks as though he might break down, but no, this Kirby we're talking about here. With a wobbly bounce Kirby thrusts himself forward, swallows an entire car, and triggers what is surely the feel-good gaming moment of this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 24, 2022 Author Share Posted December 24, 2022 Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Vivek Gohil, Contributor: Games of 2022: God of War's great dual protagonists, and a look back at Horizon Forbidden West's accessibility options. WWW.EUROGAMER.NET A look at God of War Ragnarok's narrative and some thoughts on Horizon Forbidden West. Quote This piece contains spoilers for God of War Ragnarok! I've noticed a common theme within recent PlayStation exclusives: the addition of the dual protagonist perspective. For example, you play as both Ratchet & Rivet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and as Ellie and Abby in The Last Of Us Part 2. However, I think that Santa Monica Studios absolutely nailed the dual protagonist narrative in God Of War Ragnarok. Embarking on my journey with Kratos and Atreus filled me with glee. Their father and son relationship was my favourite aspect of the franchise reboot, alongside that addictive Leviathan Axe recall thumping into Kratos' raised right hand. Here, the dual protagonists open the narrative scope and allow players to follow the perspective of both Kratos and Atreus and explore their relationship to the wider Norse realms and companion characters like Freya. It makes a big difference. The player already understands the mindset of Kratos and his thoughts on Atreus. However, as the game unfolds, the player slowly starts to unravel clues to Atreus' growing maturity and emotional strength. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, Contributor: Games of 2022: Roadwarden made money interesting again WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with this look at Roadwarden. Quote I started 2022 by suggesting that we question the prominence of earning as a "play" activity and of economic transactions generally in videogame worlds. One way of going about that is to think about the many different currencies we've all abandoned in various save files over the years. Rupees in Zelda. Glimmer, legendary shards and bright dust in Destiny. Bottlecaps in Fallout. Some of those currencies have colourful world-building attached; others plug into pleasingly volatile market simulations. But they feel pretty interchangeable to me in hindsight, because the process of earning dosh in most games is so bland and inconsequential, making little overall impact on the world even in games that give you a choice of economic backgrounds. Many single-player RPGs, especially, are just consolatory fantasies of steady, even passive self-enrichment, where the player's wealth floats alongside everything else, pacing progress in an abstract way. You can argue that this is worrying because it teaches us not to think critically about the economy in general, but the simpler observation is that it's a missed opportunity for drama: so many great stories are about following the money. One reason Roadwarden is my game of the year is that it actually got me interested in buying and trading again. Rather than a process of generic acquisition, it treats money and transactions as living elements of human relationships - tools for both surviving and understanding its gloriously mucky and disgruntled mediaeval society. True, this is to some extent another RPG built around piling up coins to spend on health refills and tasty equipment, but everything is incredibly specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 24, 2022 Author Share Posted December 24, 2022 Game Informer - Top 10 Games of 2022 10. Marvel Snap 09. Tunic 08. Citizen Sleeper 07. Marvel's Midnight Suns 06. Kirby and the Forgotten Land 05. Immortality 04. Neon White 03. Vampire Survivors 02. God of War Ragnarök Spoiler 01. Elden Ring Rock Paper Shotgun - The final RPS Advent Calendar 2022, December 24th Spoiler Vampire Survivors The running tally of awards over at ResetERA: Elden Ring - 106 (98 media outlets + 8 readers' choice) God of War Ragnarök - 22 (20 media outlets + 2 readers' choice) Immortality - 3 (3 media outlets) A Plague Tale Requiem - 1 (1 media outlet) Citizen Sleeper - 1 (1 media outlet) Cult of the Lamb - 1 (1 media outlet) Just Dance 2023 - 1 (1 media outlet) Neon White - 1 (1 media outlet) NORCO - 1 (1 media outlet) Pentiment - 1 (1 media outlet) PowerWash Simulator - 1 (1 media outlet) Sniper Elite 5 - 1 (1 media outlet) Vampire Survivors - 1 (1 media outlet) Wordle - 1 (1 media outlet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Just Dance 2023? Ubi paid someone off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 25, 2022 Author Share Posted December 25, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer post for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and the awards for "Best RPG", "Best Design", and "Best Co-Op". Updated The Sixth Axis post for more of their individual category awards. Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Alexis Org, Contributor: Games of 2022: Betrayal at Club Low was the best examination of the weird world of working WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Our Games of 2022 series continues with Betrayal at Club Low. Quote Right from the beginning, Betrayal at Club Low wants me to know that things aren't going to go my way, thanks to a spontaneous blast of sewer vapor that drenches me in hot rancid filth. It's this hapless surrender to chaos that drives me forward - I smell and probably look like shit, but the show must go on. The show, in this case, is me turning up to my job as a pizzaiolo/covert operative, dishing out pies at Club Low while trying to help a fellow agent trapped on the inside. This isn't just a game about work, but a game about the unbeatable universal high of getting away with shit while working. The act of performing labor - busywork, paid work, side quests for extra coin or experience - is an essential part of many games, and more and more we're seeing artists and developers use their work to mutilate the rigid seams of capitalism (one game I'm particularly excited about is Joel Jordan's subversive work/life sim Time Bandit). Betrayal at Club Low takes a basic gig work premise and elevates it into a higher state of consciousness - this dice-rolling adventure is an exercise in surreal survivalism, using the familiar trappings of a popular nightclub. It's a one-person joyride that crystallizes the essence of what I described as "slacker-hustle' mentality in my September review; since then I haven't stopped thinking about how its incredible moment-to-moment writing exemplifies the best and worst of work. Tom Phillips, Deputy Editor: Games of 2022: Disney Dreamlight Valley's promising world in progress WWW.EUROGAMER.NET 2022 has been full of farming and life-simulation games, though Disney Dreamlight Valley stood out for me above the res… Quote 2022 has been full of farming and life-simulation games, though Disney Dreamlight Valley stood out for me above the rest of the crop. Even in its early access state (paid, or via Xbox Game Pass), its work-in-progress storybook world already unfurls into a warm and cosy Animal Crossing-alike. I love its deep customisation and its unexpected focus on story - especially the characterful and often hilarious interactions between its heroes and villains. Above all else, though, it's the game's promise of further expansion which has kept me intrigued. Disney Dreamlight Valley primarily takes place in a cluster of biomes you gradually unlock and tame to your liking, eventually turning each land into a fitting home for the many Disney and Pixar characters you befriend. In the centre of all this sits the game's castle - a mash-up of the iconic Disneyland centrepiece with the hub experience found in Princess Peach's home from Mario 64. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 25, 2022 Author Share Posted December 25, 2022 NPR - Best Games of 2022 (Top 3 Posted) 03. Pokémon Legends: Arceus 02. Horizon Forbidden West Spoiler 01. Elden Ring Honorable Mentions: Citizen Sleeper, Tunic IGN - The Best Games of 2022 Vampire Survivors Tunic Marvel Snap Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Immortality God of War Ragnarok Game of The Year: Spoiler Elden Ring Gamespot - 10 Best Games of 2022 God of War Ragnarok Immortality Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Marvel Snap Neon White NORCO Pentiment Tunic Vampire Survivors Game of The Year: Spoiler Elden Ring VGC - 10 Best Games of The Year 2022 10. Cursed to Golf 09. Horizon Forbidden West 08. Marvel Snap 07. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 06. Vampire Survivors 05. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 04. Marvel’s Midnight Suns 03. Pokemon Legends Arceus 02. God of War Ragnarok Spoiler 01. Elden Ring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 26, 2022 Author Share Posted December 26, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer post for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and the award for "Best Platformer". Updated the The Sixth Axis post for their "Best Gameplay" category award winner. Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Liv Ngan, Reporter Intern: Games of 2022: Trombone Champ was the best way to experience failure and fun together WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at Trombone Champ! Quote Finally, 2022 has given us an answer to the age-old debate: who's better, Mozart or Beethoven? The answer is of course Beethoven, and I can prove it. "Never liked the guy," says one achievement in Trombone Champ. Getting this achievement requires you to turd (destroy) one of the game's collectible Mozart cards. I rest my trombone case. When people think of classical music, their first instinct is usually to associate it with the snobby upper classes - not toots and turds. My mind goes to people in suits and evening gowns sat down to watch a recital, performed effortlessly by a lone musician, themselves clad in black, on the stage. The music is played note-for-note, dictated by the manuscript. It's hard to get away from those connotations, even though I know they're not true, because of the history of and attitudes towards classical music. I'd forgive you for thinking that Trombone Champ would fall into that category. When you first load the game, the title is printed in a gothic font on a black and white background. A very solemn picture indeed. But as soon as you press start, a burst of colour floods the screen and you're greeted with that jaunty tune at the main menu. Caelyn Ellis, Contributor: Games of 2022: Pokémon was the best vicarious experience WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at the pleasures of just watching a game being played. Quote Surprising literally no-one, my Game of the Year is Elden Ring. It exceeded my Erdtree-sized expectations and, despite some absolute corkers being released this year, nothing else came close. The games that made me happiest, on the other hand, are games I’ve hardly played, if at all. Pokémon Legends Arceus and Scarlet brought me more joy than all the Elden Rings and Immortalities and Marvel Snaps put together. I’m not a player of these games. I’ve tried a few, but I’ve never finished one, they’ve just never grabbed me. My fiancee Rune (yes, they’re non-binary, why do you ask?) on the other hand, absolutely adores them. Sun & Moon were the first releases after we got together and I’ve been dutifully ensuring they have every new Pokémon game to hit the shelves, even during some tough times. It’s totally worth it though. Nothing compares to their delight as they experience the heady joys of something so comfortingly familiar liberally sprinkled with new surprises. I help with the all important starter selection and contribute to the names. (Would you believe that, as a games journo, I’m pretty good at puns?) Making them laugh is good. Making them groan and hit me with a cushion is even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 26, 2022 Author Share Posted December 26, 2022 GamesBeat - 2022 Games of the Year 10. Stray 09. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II 08. Tunic 07. Cult of the Lamb 06. Kirby and the Forgotten Land 05. Neon White 04. Marvel Snap 03. God of War Ragnarök 02. Pentiment Spoiler 01, Elden Ring DualShockers - Game Of The Year 2022 Winners 10. Stray 09. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide 08. Dying Light 2: Stay Human 07. Marvel’s Midnight Suns 06. Blacktail 05. Pentiment 04. Vampire Survivors 03. Horizon: Forbidden West 02. God of War Ragnarok Spoiler 01. Elden Ring Honorable Mentions: The Last of Us Part 1, Marvel Snap, NORCO, Gotham Knights, he Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2 Destructoid - Best Overall Game of 2022 Spoiler Elden Ring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 27, 2022 Author Share Posted December 27, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer post for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and the award for "Best Story". Updated the The Sixth Axis post for their "Best Virtual Reality Game" and "Best Ongoing & Supported Game" category award winners. Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Ian Higton, Video Producer: Games of 2022: Sniper Elite 5 had the best art WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with this lovely piece by Ian Higton. Quote Any game that lets you to shoot Nazis in the testicles and then watch as an X-ray cross-section of their undercarriage unfolds to show their plums popping in slow-motion has no right to be a good-looking as Sniper Elite 5. Nevertheless, I was consistently surprised by how detailed and lifelike the miniature open-world environments in Rebellion's gratuitously gory snipe-em-up could be. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the game's Spy Factory level, which is set in and around a stunning recreation of Normandy's famous tidal island, Mont-Saint-Michel. The approach to this island is littered with photo-realistic rocks and sand dunes that feel like they've been plucked straight out of the ground from the actual location. Then there's the level's twisting network of meticulously crafted passageways that run around the lower portion of the island, which are draped with lush green ivy and covered with period authentic WW2-era advertisements. The real show-stopper however is the Abbey that acts as the centrepiece to the island. Its exterior is so highly detailed that the thought of someone creating that in a video game boggles my mind, and that's before you go inside it to see the towering stained glass windows, expansive marble floors, beautiful painted ceilings and the myriad of rooms cluttered with incidental props and rich environmental story-telling. Matt Wales, Reporter: Games of 2022: Elden Ring had the year's best cosmic gods WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Warning: spoilers are here, all the way down. Did you meet Three Fingers? Far beneath the sewers of Leyndell Royal Capi… Quote Warning: spoilers are here, all the way down. Did you meet Three Fingers? Far beneath the sewers of Leyndell Royal Capital, well off the beaten track, lies what's perhaps Elden Ring's most haunting tableau. With Mohg dispatched, a vast underground catacomb is revealed, and – as you wade through the countless corpses within, each frozen in eternal anguish – a terrible, genocidal truth is laid bare. But all this horror is just the preamble to an even greater discovery; further down still lies Three Fingers and the revelation nothing in Elden Ring is quite what it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 27, 2022 Author Share Posted December 27, 2022 Rock Paper Shotgun - Our 24 favourite games of 2022 (Top 10 Posted) 10. The Case Of The Golden Idol 09. NORCO 08. Neon White 07. Ghostwire: Tokyo 06. Tunic 05. Hardspace Shipbreaker 04. Stray 03. Citizen Sleeper 02. Elden Ring Spoiler 01. Vampire Survivors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer posts for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and the award for "Best Comedy". Updated the The Sixth Axis post for their "Best PC Game" and "Best Nintendo Game" category award winners. Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Emad Ahmed, Contributor: Games of 2022: Melatonin was the best chance to manifest WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at Melatonin Quote We don't really get that many rhythm games when you think about it. There are some that are really great, and understandably many people's overall favourites, such as Rez, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Audiosurf, and Thumper. And I think the reason for this relative scarcity is a simple one: it's so dang hard to make a good rhythm game. So you can imagine my excitement when a new one, arriving just as the year wraps up, caught my eye. Melatonin is a different type of rhythm game, one where you don't necessarily travel through an abstract environment to physically reach a goal at the end of a route. Made by a one-man band, the game explores the life of a young, drifting average joe, via a spontaneous nap through his dreams and waking life. Aamir Mehar, Contributor: Games of 2022: The Radical Dreamers had the most radical dreams WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games pf 2022 continues with a lovely thoughtful piece from Aamir. Quote There is a strong sense of yearning in the opening cinematic for Chrono Cross. A book slowly falls open as a soft melody plays, and text appears on the screen: 'What was the start of all this? When did the cogs of fate begin to turn?' The narrator continues, eventually reflecting upon the times they used to laugh 'under cerulean skies'. This sense of pondering and longing exists all the way throughout the game itself. Even my own history with the game echoes this sensation, as I spent over two decades waiting to play it, listening to the soundtrack, reading articles on it, all the time hoping that it would be released in Europe at some point. Finally, earlier this year, the remastered version of the game - The Radical Dreamers Edition - gave me what I'd been longing for. It's not a perfect game; there are performance issues, and the narrative is a messy, tricky one. Ultimately, it still feels special, though. Partly it's because it carries such a strong feel of SquareSoft in the original PlayStation generation, a period that lives in my heart due to my love for older Final Fantasy games. The lovely pre-rendered backgrounds, the music, even the aforementioned opening movie are all rooted in that specific SquareSoft era of the 90's, when we (at least in England) laughed under skies that were decidedly grey rather than cerulean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 The running tally of awards over at ResetERA: Elden Ring - 145 (136 media outlets + 9 readers' choice) God of War Ragnarök - 26 (24 media outlets + 2 readers' choice) Immortality - 4 (4 media outlets) Pentiment - 3 (3 media outlets) Citizen Sleeper - 2 (2 media outlets) A Plague Tale Requiem - 1 (1 media outlet) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - 1 (1 readers' choice) Cult of the Lamb - 1 (1 media outlet) Just Dance 2023 - 1 (1 media outlet) The Last of Us Part I - 1 (1 media outlet) Marvel's Midnight Suns - 1 (1 media outlet) Neon White - 1 (1 media outlet) NORCO - 1 (1 media outlet) PowerWash Simulator - 1 (1 media outlet) Sniper Elite 5 - 1 (1 media outlet) Tunic - 1 (1 media outlet) Vampire Survivors - 1 (1 media outlet) Wordle - 1 (1 media outlet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 29, 2022 Author Share Posted December 29, 2022 Updated the PC Gamer posts for today's editors'/writers' "Personal Picks" and the award for "GOTY Runner Up". Updated the The Sixth Axis post for their "Best Xbox Game" and "Best PlayStation Game" category award winners. Today's Eurogamer editors'/writers' year-end Feature articles: Sam Greer, Contributor: Games of 2022: Signalis was the best reminder of what matters WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with a look at Signalis. Quote I played many games in 2022 that felt prescient about our current moment in time but of them, Signalis felt the most personal. A sci-fi horror that folds back on itself, tied into gripping knots by its own plot threads. Within it, as android-on-a-mission Elster, you are trapped. She's searching for the woman she loves in a labyrinth of archaic technology propping up a rapidly decaying future. VHS cassettes and floppy disks join Soviet futurist spacecraft. The game itself is rooted in the past, made to look like PS1 games, evoking genre classics like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, all to depict a haunting future. Our present is no different. Imagining our futures based on decades past with endlessly recycled nostalgia. Our media landscape dominated by whatever was popular decades ago, suffocating attempts at new expression. In the words of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, "We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, And the machine is bleeding to death". Within that decay, desperate to survive, is Elster and us both. Elster is denied love, all personal wants superseded by her function as a worker. Which of us isn't struggling to keep going when working seems to increasingly demand more and more from us while providing less and less. Our hopes and desires can feel illusory. Always out of reach. As if that wasn't enough, her identity is challenged by the forces of government and society. Suppressed where possible. Her body is not made hers to own but dictated by those same forces. For women and queer people, hatred towards our autonomy and very right to exist has felt like a rising tide. Like the red meat mass growing throughout Signalis, eating up more and more of the facility, that hatred feels like it's going to take up whatever little space remains in our late capitalist nightmare. Vikki Blake, Contributor: Games of 2022: Far Changing Tides was the best paean to survival WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Games of 2022 continues with this lovely look at Far Changing Tides. Quote This piece contains spoilers for Far Changing Tides. What would you cling to in a world where you have nothing? The future, perhaps? The hope that one day, someday, this too would pass? What would it take for you to keep putting one foot in front of the other when nothing in this frigid place can rustle up enough enthusiasm to care if you live or die? It turned out to be a carousel that I clung to. A carousel, then a duck, then a crudely carved deer, and finally a tiny ballerina in a box, the figure forever frozen in a pirouette. I hung them on the hooks placed strategically throughout my caravan-cum-ship-cum-best-friend, but always on the ones farthest away from the furnace, as though storing them far away meant I'd never have to burn them. It's not that I didn't care about the things I did sacrifice to the hungry engine. It was impossible to gather the discarded luggage and not wonder about who packed them and where they were now. But the deer and the duck and the ballerina symbolised something else, I think. By storing them separately from the rest of the junk I picked up along the way, I was making a choice. I was choosing to keep them safe for the future. Because there was a future - and I was choosing to survive. Geoffrey Bunting, Contributor: Games of 2022: Pentiment is the year's best balancing act WWW.EUROGAMER.NET A look at why Pentiment is one of our games of 2022. Quote It begins with a word: Pentiment. It comes from pentimento, an overpainted image that is becoming visible. This is itself derived from the Italian, pentirsi, to repent or change one’s mind. It’s a rare occasion in which the game’s title tells you exactly what’s coming. This is emblematic of the confidence with which Pentiment handles its themes. In modern games, it’s easy to become distracted exploring a vast world and lose sight of the story – as I did in Horizon Zero Dawn. Or, like South of the Circle, a game might focus so much on telling a passable narrative that gameplay all but disappears. In the delicate and complex balancing act between length, interactivity, and storytelling, video game stories are too often uneven. Or worse: written by Hideo Kojima. (I'm all for that dig at Kojima!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 29, 2022 Author Share Posted December 29, 2022 Digital Foundry Games of 2022: The John Linneman Collection 11. Star Ocean: The Divine Force 10. Rollerdrome 09. Cultic 08. Freedom Planet 2 07. Pocky & Rocky Reshrined 06. Kirby and the Forgotten Land 05. Tunic 04. Neon White 03. Need for Speed Unbound 02. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge Spoiler 01. Elden Ring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.