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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.
Weird West is a brilliant Action-RPG sandbox with an alluring supernatural undertone. The story finds a regular beat as it jumps through five intriguing characters. Both stealth and combat work decently from the isometric perspective, with good interactions, and only some camera issues and AI navigation quirks prevent it from striking a deep vein of gold.
WWE 2K22 is a massive step up in quality for the troubled wrestling franchise. The gameplay engine is in great shape, and the mode quality is mostly solid. While there are improvements to be made going forward, I'm no longer totally hopeless about the future of the series.
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.
Ghost on the Shore is a bland walking simulator that has decent conversations with a ghostly companion. Its vague narrative, unexciting visuals, and typical formula make for a forgettable trip.
It may be several decades since the original was released, but the sportsmanship torch has been proudly passed onto Windjammers 2. It may lack a comprehensive offline arcade mode, but you can still get windswept into its addictive gameplay cycle and online competition.
Chocobo GP is a solid kart racer that includes familiar gameplay mechanics and even adds a few welcome extras that give this game its own flavour. However, despite Final Fantasy's long list of some of gaming's finest locations and characters, Chocobo GP has a surprising lack of content compared to other games in the same price range.
Tunic is an isometric action adventure with colorful visuals, fun exploration and well executed combat, though its insistence on lack of player guidance can make for a few frustrating moments.
Nobody Saves the World offers an interesting shapeshifting mechanic that is instrumental to the gameplay; however, the drawn-out reliance on repetitive quests holds it back from metamorphosising into its true potential.
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.
Martha Is Dead is a good adventure thanks to its deep look into the mind of a character under stress. Aside from performance issues and missed opportunities, the game has great attention to detail and careful pacing.
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.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a decent entry to the series. It's the shortest one to date, has the weakest story thus far, and the least content. Despite this, the third chapter is the most fun and visually impressive yet. Your time with the game may be short-lived, but it will still be time well spent.
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.
Sifu's deep combat and ageing mechanics aren't for everyone, but those keen to roll with the kicks and punches will find one of the most satisfying and addictive brawlers of recent times.
GRID Legends makes racing exciting again thanks to its concise story mode, strong AI competitors, dramatic races, vehicle variety, and strong multiplayer. It's just a pity that most tracks are too familiar and team management is lacking.
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.
The King of Fighters XV may lack the bells and whistles of its more famous contemporaries, but it makes up for that with strong combat mechanics and online play that manages to keep up with the fast-paced action the series is known for.
Dying Light 2 exchanges simplicity for scale but it is still a decent sequel. The parkour movement and combat are both excellent, but the poor story, simplified night gameplay, and broken co-op mean this is not the best zombie game from Techland.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is far from perfect. The visual issues and boring opening stretch make that clear. However, the title is still a majorly fun and exciting evolution of the franchise. Getting out there in the world and interacting with the Pokémon has never felt better. I'm excited to see where Game Freak goes from here, which is not something I would have necessarily said after prior entries.