I would argue that Urban Trial Tricky is one of the simpler, yet more fun games that I’ve played in recent memory. It’s got a straightforward formula that works well and has a nice visual sheen. While it won’t be graphically stunning, the gameplay more than makes up for it. Overall, it’s quite one-note, but in a way that’s serviceable, fun, and unoffensive.
Golf Club: Wasteland caught my eye as a game that was visually pleasing with an interesting twist. It was far more than I expected, showcasing a ton of value. I found it to be a fun, challenging and interesting spin of what our future could be. While it is short, roughly four hours or so, it’s exceptionally effective with the time it provides. With over 30 stages and tons of dialogue, Demagog Studio has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about the future. Here, they’ve made a game to represent that.
Truly, I love Deathloop. It's the most exciting new AAA title I've played in quite a while. The learning curve is always challenging, but never frustrating. From the moment it started, the premise sucked me in and made me care about what was going on. I'm happy to say that this is a case in which delays really did a game a lot of good. Deathloop is easily one of the best titles to come out this year. Arkane Studios put their best foot forward in trying times and delivered an instant classic.
Overall, NBA 2K22 is serviceable, if not slightly better than average. The game functions as it should, but it’s clear where the focus is. The graphics become more impressive each year, especially for the newer platforms. Gameplay isn’t very different, but it definitely has a level of polish that I didn’t see in previous years. It’s just too bad that the fun of the game is bogged down by the clunky transitions and the constant nagging to spend real money on in-game items. NBA 2K22 is exactly what the franchise has been; a fun, familiar, and accessible competitive sports title.
As someone who grew up with all of these characters, it’s beautiful to see them re-contextualized in a game that shows them the love and care they deserve. While it lacks content and a key component of Nickelodeon’s formula in the absence of voice acting, it is a fun, inviting fighting game. If you’re someone who holds Nickelodeon and it’s character’s close in any way at all, or if you’re just a fan of the Super Smash Bros. style fighters and need a break from them specifically, I would pick this one up.
Riders Republic at first glance seems like something that’s too good to be true. An action sports game with real attention to detail that showcases the true, adrenaline filled spirit of the sports it features.
I had a good amount of fun with Chorus. I walked in looking for a take on the space combat genre that could finally get me invested. There was definitely a good amount of love and care put into this title. The team at Fishlabs has put together something flawed but ultimately really exciting. For years, games based on flying around in space and shooting other space ships just did not appeal. Chorus has changed that and I hope that it does well so the developers will capitalize and make it’s next chapter even better.