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I don’t have too many complaints about The Witch’s House MV. Yes, the game is short, and sure, the story is lacking. But when this game is on point, it’s really on point. The Witch’s House MV expertly utilizes its creepy atmosphere, unsettling sound effects, and delightful jump scares to ensure at least a few moments of increased adrenaline. While I wish the game was longer, there is a decent amount of replayability, with the newly added difficulty mode offering different puzzle solutions and an ending you’ll definitely want to obtain. For such a short and simple game, it was certainly a memorable experience.
Supermassive Games successfully concludes the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology on a thundering note. Powerful performances from a diverse cast of characters and an extremely interesting premise based off of real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes allows The Devil In Me to outshine its predecessors in just about every way. Sure it’s got nothing to do with the supernatural, but a Saw-inspired murder house with a twisted mastermind behind it does more than enough to induce fear and tension.
Ultimately Sea Horizon was a very solid and enjoyable experience. While the quite steep difficulty and dual-component RNG can be tricky to deal with, and may push some gamers away, this is sure to appeal to hardcore fans of the deckbuilding genre. If you’re looking for something challenging and unique, I’d give Sea Horizon a shot.
The team at Digital Eclipse has done some of their finest work with Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Creating a collection that could quite easily be translated into a museum exhibit, they’ve set a new standard for the presentation of retro collections, one I hope future collections will follow. While ultimately held back from being the ultimate Atari package, it could have been by holes in the game lineup, Atari 50 is still a fantastic experience. It’s just one that all but the most die-hard Atari faithful will enjoy for a few afternoons before moving on. Still, even those who have never held an Atari joystick could benefit from those few afternoon sessions as they take a crash course through a fascinating history.
Few games released in 2022, or any year for that matter, are as well designed and made as God of War Ragnarök. While it doesn’t completely move beyond its predecessor, it eventually offers enough fresh content to stand apart, and additional variety helps make it the stronger game of the two, even if it’s perhaps a bit less focused. A beautifully told story that carries the themes of the prior game while allowing Atreus to stand on his own kept my interest until the very end. If you didn’t care for 2018’s God of War, then Ragnarök won’t change your mind, but everyone else should absolutely check it out.
While The Entropy Center sticks very close to its Portal-esque roots, the well-crafted puzzles work perfectly with its simple but effective time travel mechanic. There are some sections where too many enemies can be an annoying distraction from the puzzling, but these are forgivable because the temporal manipulation powers provide such unique challenges. Time is our most precious resource, but it’s well worth spending it here.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a fantastic action role-playing game that features an endearing narrative, an addictive yet sleek combat system, and a colorful cast of characters. Just because it doesn’t look as visually advanced as some games might nowadays doesn’t mean you should overlook this gem of a title. There’s little incentive for fans that already have a copy of another version to purchase the PlayStation 5 port again. But this is an absolute must-play for anyone seeking an adventure. It’s wonderful to see so many players across different platforms being able to enjoy Nihon Falcom’s magnum opus.
Harvestella is hard to readily recommend to the farming simulator crowd, but for those who miss PS2-era JRPGs/dungeon-crawlers, this is not a game you’ll want to pass up. Everything here feels comfortable but fresh, like a beloved, clearly worn jacket tailored to current measurements. Its streamlined approach to farming allows players to focus on a rich story set in an even richer world, featuring exploration and combat mechanics that actually make you want to stick around in the dungeons for hours. If you’re looking for a JRPG/farming sim that doesn’t compromise on story or beauty but allows you to turn your brain “off” after a long day, Harvestella is ripe for picking.
There’s a lot more to Bayonetta 3 than there was to the series’ prior titles. A lot of it works really well, offering a game that’s far larger in scale while still nailing the core action the series is known for. While the lack of focus may stop it from being quite as strong a total package as its predecessor, the high points here are as good as the series has ever been.
Having said all that, despite the fun that co-op brings, it isn’t enough to turn The Last Oricru into a recommendation, unfortunately. The amateur-hour writing and uneven combat are just too difficult to overlook especially considering just how stuffed the genre is with competing titles that do just about everything The Last Oricru does, only better. Sure there is fun to be hand in exploring Wanderia and its intricate level design, but every “wow” moment is typically followed by a facepalm, as Silver says something that is tonally deaf, or falls to yet another attack that should have had no business hitting him. If you’re after another slice of Soulslike action in 2022, then your $40 can absolutely be spent better elsewhere, with The Last Oricru serving as little more than a pale imitation that struggles to even nail the Soulslike fundamentals.
I can’t hide my disappointment with The Chant. I had a real hankering for a supernatural game this year, after getting some hands-on time at Gamescom. Instead, I’ve been left with questions about what this game could have been. It could’ve usurped Until Dawn, one of the best recent examples of a supernatural horror game, but with a more intriguing and deeper plot. It could’ve been a new fascinating way to approach and manage combat situations with three meters that operate together in harmony, giving you complex gameplay decisions to tackle alongside challenging combat. It could’ve been a new campy horror game, a guilty pleasure, similar to some of those dreadful TV shows I named at the start. But unfortunately, it’s neither of these things. Instead, you’re left with a story that feels incomplete and lacking depth. You’re left with combat that lacks any sort of meaningful challenge. And ultimately, you’ll be left like me: very, very salty.
While I went into 41 Hours fully expecting a single A experience, I struggled to find 41 minutes of enjoyment out of my review playthrough. I honestly don’t see any quick, feasible ways to fix 41 Hours either, as there isn’t much here that isn’t a mess. Between the game’s unnaturally accurate and overpowered enemies, graphics would barely be noteworthy on an Xbox 360, and a plot does little to spurn interest, I can’t help but feel this one came out of the oven 41 months too early.
While it would be awesome if someone would come along and dethrone Shatter from being the King of the Brick-Breaking genre, the way it once did to games like Arkanoid, for now, it’s still the best this genre has to offer, and it’s great to see it become available on modern platforms. While its upgrades are mostly aesthetic, beneath them, Shatter Remastered Deluxe still somehow feels as immediate as it did thirteen years ago.
Kaichu – The Kaiju Dating Sim reinforces what makes the genre delightful. Its ingenuity is perfect for those who love looking through their Steam queue and finding a ridiculous-sounding title to sink a few hours into, and the price pretty much seals the deal. Although this casual, wholesome experience swings very, very far into the “casual” side of things, it is still a good time, especially for those who seek novelty. If you’re ready to look for love in all the tall places, Kaichu – The Kaiju Dating Sim has a gigantic pink protagonist who gives monster hugs and kisses.
Absolute Tactics: Daughters of Mercy is a solid entry-level tactical RPG that just needs…more. More enemies, more level variety, and a more compelling story. Newcomers to the genre will find a lot to like here; experts, your mileage may vary.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force admittedly has a number of issues. A poor interface, a main story which isn’t all that interesting, and certain character designs that just look bad. For me, however, its strengths more than overcame those issues, with a truly charming cast of characters, intense and enjoyable combat, and a novel twist in D.U.M.A. who makes moving around both in and out of combat a joy. It won’t be for everyone, but fans of the series or genre who have spent years waiting for a Star Ocean game worth their time will find this is exactly the sort of B game they don’t make enough of anymore.
It’s hard to recommend this de-mastered port of Alan Wake on the Nintendo Switch due to how inconsistent the frame rates are and how downgraded and blurry the graphics are. Considering this title is readily available and cheaper on so many different platforms, you are far better off enjoying this classic third-person horror shooter on a PC, PlayStation, or Xbox. If the Switch is your only option or you value portability, then I guess this version is somewhat viable, but just keep your expectations in line. At least it’s not a Cloud port, right?
Vampire Survivors is simple in so many ways. The graphics are basic, with many of the earlier versions’ assets are taken straight from other games and asset packs, but they have a look that reminds players of a beloved series and simply work. Gameplay is literally just moving a character around with some planning along the way. Yet somehow, it’s one of the most addicting games of 2022, the one I most consistently come back to, and one of my favorites of the year. If you have a spare thirty minutes now and then, absolutely check it out.
As a love letter to classic PS1 survival horror games, Signalis comes in crystal clear. Its core gameplay loop is tense and immensely satisfying, and the atmosphere and enemy designs make excellent use of the pixellated graphical style. While some errant hit detection and occasionally obtuse puzzles try to muddle this signal, this is one broadcast worth receiving.
With its numerous endings to uncover and pixel-perfect production values, Faith is one of the most unique and exciting games I’ve played in years. And now that the trilogy is available in one gloriously gory package, there’s never been a better time to take up the cross and see what all the shrieking incantations are about. Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a masterpiece in minimalist horror that no fan of the genre should miss.