Cultic: Chapter One is quite honestly my favorite horror experience of the year, with some of the finest booming and shooting I've done. In a year that's also presented Turbo Overkill and Metal: Hellsinger, that should show you just how highly I think of the game. I only have two real issues with the game. The similar feel of the levels in nature is one of them. The only other is the episodic nature of the game leaving me I'm chomping at the bit to get Chapter 2, especially after the way this one ends. Aside from those, Cultic: Chapter One is an essential purchase for horror and shooter fans alike. It's up there with the absolute best games of 2022.
I love Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, so much so that I continue to go back night after night and get stuck in that “1 more” loop that is a true testament to a great game. Yes, I haven’t been able to perfectly follow the narrative and I’m not playing it under the most ideal of circumstances, but I still cannot get enough of it. With that said, it’s not going to be for everyone. It is still at heart a horde, team-based shooter. The more single-player-focused gamer is going to get bored much sooner than others. It’s the bloody marriage of the combat, the random missions, and the sheer presentation of the levels that makes Warhammer 40,000: Darktide such an easy game to recommend to anyone who enjoys shooters. It's an essential purchase for those that “Praise The Emperor”. I love this title and the constantly evolving nature of it means that it is only going to get better!
One Piece Odyssey manages to not only be the finest One Piece title released, but it also stands on its legs alone as a damn fine JRPG adventure. It’s riddled with all kinds of franchise fan service, but that only carries a game so far and I don’t think I would have enjoyed playing through the game’s 40-hour+ story if that was all it had. The game managed to smash every expectation I had. While it had some wonky pacing and played it a little safe at times with the genre tropes, I felt fully invested in the game from start to finish. It’s to such a point that this game has rekindled my love of the franchise which had been ebbing to the point I was happy to just play the Musou titles for a story recap. It won’t convince anyone who actively dislikes or shows no interest in One Piece to get invested, but if you have a slight curiosity and a love for JRPGs, the game offers enough to entice and entrap players. If you’re a fan of Luffy and Co, then this is the easiest game recommendation I can make. This is the game I wanted from One Piece: World Seeker and has cemented itself as the absolute gold standard of Anime tie-in titles: no more cheap arena fighting games, please!
Metroid Prime Remastered is the gold standard when it comes to “Remasters”. It doesn’t add anything of significance, but it’s not a remake nor does it tout itself as one. Instead, it takes all the iconic aspects of the original title and makes sure they are of a standard that matches the current gaming standard. The game remains to be a gritty, fun, and immersive experience. While the combat isn’t quite as good as the exploration, it still provides a must-play package not only for fans of the original but also for people who may have joined the series a little later. We can only hope that Metroid Prime 2 and 3 aren’t too far behind!
If you had told me that this year one of possibly the best games I’ll play would be Pikmin 4, I’d have laughed at you, especially after having to marathon Pikmin 1+2. But here we are with a game that I adored every second of and can’t find any faults with. Pikmin 4 could have done with a more substantial co-op component and maybe a story that doesn’t involve Olimar getting himself into trouble again. But I’m grasping at straws to find anything wrong with the game at all. It’s a little bit of a niche title but sleeping on Pikmin 4 as a Nintendo Switch owner would be a massive mistake for newcomers or die-hard Pikminions!
As someone who hadn’t played these titles originally I was very apprehensive coming into Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster. These games have a cult following and you either haven’t heard of or played them, or you love them. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground and I was worried they were overhyped or would have been outshined by more modern games. I was wrong, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster is quite possibly my favorite JRPG title of the year. The games feel, for the most part, just as fresh as they would have at release, and the QoL features help where some rust has gathered. Two genuinely forgotten gems that shine far too bright for the lack of exposure these games have had. I hope this package gives Bandai the nudge to greenlight Baten Kaitos 3. If you’re a JRPG fan and haven’t tried these titles before, you owe it to yourself to discover Bandai Namco’s best-kept secret.
Rise of the Triad Ludicrous Edition is hands down the gold standard of re-releases. It runs beautifully, it has every single officially released Expansion pack and a brand-new one on top of that. It even has quality-of-life tweaks such as "Nerf the Monk HP" and every version of the soundtrack you need. It is frankly the definitive way to play Rise of the Triad. This is an absolute labor of love and if you are a fan of the older shooters this is an absolute treat. If you were a fan of Rise of the Triad back when it was released or even the remake then you need this game in your life. The love and respect the developers have for the original game just shine through every single pore of this title.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars has always had a strong following and this remake will only do wonders in introducing this game to a whole new slew of fans. The game features enough quality-of-life changes and feels much faster than the SNES version, making it an absolute joy to play. The pacing of the game is lightning fast and this will keep gamers glued to their Nintendo Switch, and they won’t feel short changed with the smaller-than-usual run time for the genre. Yes, the game is a condensed easy ride, but it’s fun from start to finish and manages to capture the fun of a Final Fantasy game whilst also perfectly representing the world of Super Mario. It’s an almost ideal “first” RPG for any budding gamer and a perfect palette cleaner for others.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is one of the best remastering jobs I have seen. It's obvious from the second you boot the title up there has been a lot of love and care put into this one. The modern controls could do with some tweaking and the games themselves could be initially daunting for people who didn't grow up with Lara but there is a lot to love in this classic adventure package if you're willing to accept Lara Croft and her quirks. For those who have played the originals to death, there are enough additions and quality-of-life improvements to make this the essential way to now play these titles.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an amazing experience if you have the patience to deal with its jank and demanding immersion aspects, it holds your hand more than the original does, but its large world, plethora of combat options, and overbearing pawn system may still be a bit much for some players. Performance issues do harm this title, and the rather mediocre story certainly didn’t keep me around. The moment-to-moment gameplay on the other hand certainly still had me climbing on the back of monsters and polishing off side quests long after the 20-odd hour main story. I highly recommend Dragon’s Dogma 2 for gamers who want to get stuck into their adventure and focus on the violence and viscera of fighting mythical beasts, rather than picking attack options or dealing with run-of-the-mill combat.
Korean horror at its finest, few annoyances aside this is to die for
An essential horror title for those who like creativity and quirk
Nexomon Extinction proves you don’t have to have the pedigree of Ninty to provide gamers with essential monster-hunting gameplay
Chaotic and fantastic fun, take the executive decision and take the time to get Going Under
It’s only Roguelike but I like it!. Fun visuals and addictive gameplay await people who want to don the crown
A fantastic adult platformer with some of the best references around! Long live the Nerd!
All in all 30XX is shaping up to be everything the original title was and more. While a little thin on content and glitch/bug heavy, this can be reasonably forgiven due to it being in Alpha state. I have no doubt that this title is going to great places and would suggest any Megaman or Roguelike fan take advantage of the Early Access program and get in early. Even though there isn't a whole lot here right now, it's constantly updating and is certainly my current MegAddiction.
A fantastic example of how a collection of games should be done. Only 3 games available does hold this back a little.
One of the pricer but better compilation titles around, leave it to Capcom to show you a good “old” time
A fun, arcade wrestling experience worthy of the WrestleFest name