With a sickly world, interesting NPCs, and some truly gruesome humour, Sludge Life 2 succeeds at many of the things it tries. In my short time with the game, I was regularly grossed out and intrigued by everything in front of me. Though it will only take you a short time and not all of its risks pay off, it follows up the first game with a rewarding sequel – even if it starts to feel a bit shallow.
Demeo is a wonderful approximation of what it's like to take down the big boss at the end of a campaign. It has some slower moments but its peaks are truly wonderful.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's shaky story and reliance on grinding let down one of the most satisfying soulslikes on the market. This proves Team Ninja is more than just the sum of its parts, even if it may need a sequel to get the most out of it.
Scars Above is an interesting toe in the water for many different genres but as you start to descend, you realise how shallow that puddle really is. An interesting world and decent elemental mechanics are held back by poor exploration and an unwillingness to push the boat out.
Atomic Heart is an interesting approximation of better games that is slowed down by a tedious open world, messy writing, and jarring tonal shifts.
Forspoken is both ambitious, yet incredibly flawed. It pairs hammy dialogue and some poor pacing with a world I want to explore. Forspoken is a game tied between two worlds - losing out by never quite understanding either.
Ten Dates is a lovely but flawed experience that points to a solid future for the series. I got ten dates but wanted even more
Lone Ruin is a game all about replayability that I saw little reason to replay after the credits.
Though it has plenty of great ideas, High on Life is too overbearing and never quite commits to its best moments.
Marvel's Midnight Suns definitely has some growing pains but the form it takes after this is wonderfully nuanced, with an interesting cast and a sandbox of great moves to try out.
Evil West isn't a hugely complex game but it's fun enough to recapture both the nostalgia and fun of the early '00s. Though its story and performance can dip, its gameplay doesn't.
Mario and Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a worthy sequel to the first game with tonnes of meaningful changes and challenges. Whilst it loses steam a little the more you get on, it is still an enchanting title.
Though a lacklustre story and uninspired enemy variation may bring it down somewhat, Metal: Hellsinger is the best a rhythm FPS has ever felt.
Steelrising is a familiar game with just enough to really stand on its own two feet. It's not a revolution but it could have been the start of one.
Saints Row 2022 is a time capsule of a game and era many have moved past. Instead of building on the legacy of Saints Row, it feels like a tired retread of a game we already have.
With bugs, crashes and far too much waiting around, Arcade Paradise really tries to capture some of the highs of old arcades but never really manages to understand the joy that comes from it.
Stray is a wonderful exercise in organic worldbuilding with enough heart to hold its own against the best of this year. Despite having no people in it, Stray is one of the most human games I've played this year.
Live a Live puts together many of the things that put people off from playing JRPGs but makes it surprisingly accessible. It gives you several lives worth living and rewards you for really exploring every one of them.
Outriders Worldslayer is a DLC made for a specific type of player. It adds more endgame content and tonnes of new unlocks but doesn't revamp the story or really change all that much. If you liked the base experience and just want a little more out of it, it does exactly what it should. If you're looking for a reason to revisit a game that didn't make an impact, this isn't it.
Taking after fairy tales, Witch Strandings manages to tell a predictable story in unpredictable ways. It can often be painful to play but the experience is one I won't forget soon. Witch Strandings is a game I'm glad exists, even if I'm not sure I enjoyed it all that much.