Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a full-priced offering that seems like it would have been better suited as DLC, like its predecessor. It's still a solid shooter with some whacky characters and a fun story, but it doesn't take any risks or innovate on the established formula, and the multiplayer issues are an annoyance.
Ghostwire: Tokyo has an interesting setting, but a lackluster story, monotonous combat, and disappointing visuals make for a forgettable adventure that doesn't justify its next-gen-only status, or the full asking price.
Elden Ring is an unrelenting, engrossing, challenging, and marvelous experience. It brings the Dark Souls formula to an open world setting without skipping a beat, with all of its cryptic nature, punishing combat and wondrous level design. It's still not for everyone, but those who dare enter this realm may find themselves in one of the best games of the year.
Gran Turismo 7 continues to go about its brand of racing simulation in a uniquely eccentric and elegant way. It looks and handles as great as ever, though there is not much novelty here to get excited about, and the always-online requirement remains unwarranted.
ELEX 2 has a distinctive approach to RPG game design and an engaging story, but while it finally bucks the trend of having technical issues at launch, there's still much work to be done on the quality of combat and presentation.
Horizon Forbidden West is a sequel that mostly relies on its great roots to hold itself up. It's bigger, has an enjoyable main story and thrilling combat, and adds a few new branches - brittle as they may be. It looks and sounds great, and some minor technical issues aside, is an adventure that's worth experiencing.
OlliOlli World continues to kick flip its way across a variety of colorful and imaginative levels. Returning fans will be pleased with this familiar experience sporting a new art style, but newcomers may be put off by eventually increasing difficulty and repetitive trial-and-error nature of the levels.
The Waylanders tries to imitate a variety of mechanics from leaders of the RPG genre, but fails to implement any of them effectively, while offering nothing original apart from the astonishingly poor dialogue.
Rainbow Six Extraction is an experimental spinoff that has some potential, with a solid foundation borrowed from R6 Siege. But the experience is constantly torn between stealth and action, and with the repetitive nature of the gameplay and limited content, it's tough to say how many will keep fighting to the end.
Looking for Aliens is an enjoyable way to spend some downtime, with its charming art style and large levels. There's plenty to click on and much of the environment is satisfyingly interactive.
Halo Infinite offers a brief campaign with uneven writing, and a functional but safe implementation of the new open-world levels. It's still a great shooter with strong core mechanics that help carry the experience, but as multiplayer is now standalone and free, the value proposition of this full priced solo adventure is rather diluted.
Bright Memory: Infinite proves that smaller games don't always have to forego high quality visuals, but at the same time it also demonstrates that looks aren't everything.
Bloodshore finds itself stuck in a cruel circle, as a bland game adaptation of a roughly cut movie, which in turn is a bad adaptation of a game genre.
Forza Horizon 5 offers plenty to do and see in Mexico, though much of it is becoming rather familiar. The latest entry doesn't have as much impact or innovation as each of its predecessors did, but it remains the most enjoyable and customizable arcade racer around.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy offers some great dialogue, strong characters and occasionally interesting story choices. The gameplay is serviceable, and it could have used a bit more polish, but it's being in the company of these self-proclaimed good guys that you'll be most interested in.
On its own, Impostor Factory is a decent adventure with occasionally interesting story elements and mostly enjoyable dialogue. But as part of the otherwise great series, it's a disappointing misstep.
New World has the mechanical foundations of a decent MMO, with passable combat and good visuals, but its hopes are extinguished at the hands of dreadful PvE design. The few distinctive experiences that it does have, locked away behind high levels as if the game knows it has precious little to offer, are not worth the hours of mind numbing grind to get there.
NHL 22 makes a careful and mostly smooth transition to a new engine and the new console generation. The new ice looks great, and some gameplay tweaks are enjoyable, but beneath the surface the experience still feels very much the same.
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes certainly changes things up for the anthology, with a cliché over the top story and a new tone that returning fans may not enjoy. But the strong cast and some interesting choices help prod the adventure along, even as its awkward new camera and dated visuals try to get in the way.
Despite a full year since the launch of the new console generation, FIFA 22 doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, on or off the pitch. The changes are largely minor and exclusive features are not worth fretting over. It plays a solid game of football, as always, but we're still left waiting for a true next-gen leap.