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Just Dance 2022 is the latest entry in the long-running series from Ubisoft. Boasting a selection of tracks that will cater to a wide variety of musical preferences, there’s much to love about the game despite the lack of innovation from year to year.
Riders Republic takes the extreme sports gaming genre and marries it with their Ubisoft style open-world exploration and it surprisingly works. They've created an accessible world where you don't have to be skilled or even interested in the sports provided to be able to enjoy.
Don’t let the retro exterior fool you. Demon Turf, for all its quirks, is a fun and challenging platformer to pick up if you like platformers like Psychonauts 2 and even if you’re looking for a replacement for Balan Wonderworld. Extra points if you like the 90s cartoon aesthetic and style and while I might find the story cringe-inducing, others may find it endearing.
Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is highly enjoyable because of its classic JRPG roots paired with a fantastic audio-visual onslaught that results in a short but sweet adventure. While I wanted more out of the experience, I very much liked what I got plus it tickled my appetite for more NieR. The adventure was easy to get into and the collectibles kept me around until the eventual end.
Eidos Montreal has managed to take the appeal of the MCU's Guardians and crafted an alternate universe that is just as interesting, and easily worth expanding on for future installments. For their latest adventure, this dysfunctional team of superheroes has definitely made a splash and we're definitely all in for more adventures with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
House of Ashes is a welcome entry for The Dark Pictures Anthology as the action-horror pivot really works for this series. With the addition of several mechanics, it draws you into the story with its slightly creepy start and goes all out as it escalates the title all the way to its rip-roaring finale. The combination of likable characters and a semi-serious horror adventure leans into many of its tropes and embraces its campy nature, allowing you to have fun with it.
Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is a case of a game that will certainly appeal to fans of the anime but may not pull in a wider audience. The overall content of the game feels sort of shallow, considering the anime is still only in its second season, opening the game up to the possibility of adding more fighters via DLC. That said, if you’re in the market for a simple game that’s based on one of the most popular animes in recent memory with fantastic characters and an interesting storyline, Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is certainly one title to consider.
Back 4 Blood provides fantastic action with some of the best shooting offered this year. The card system provides long-term value by allowing players to experiment with the 8 characters to choose from, offering a variety of ways to go about the game. In its current state, the difficulty is a mixed bag, proving to be very inconsistent and impossible at times, especially if you mostly play with randoms. Team play with friends is highly encouraged because Back 4 Blood puts a premium on synergy and communication, which may be hard to come depending on your habits.
Given a chance, Lost in Random is one of the delightful surprises this year, providing a fresh take on an action-adventure combat system by combining it with a deck-building mechanic. It fits with the thematic arc of the story while adding a decent collectible mechanic in the game that efficiently streamlines its main gameplay loop. This results in a tight 12-hour adventure that gives you enough story, gameplay, and extras for a complete experience that respects your time and money.
You have to admire the amount of thought and effort put into the intricate level design of Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. Yet no matter how much appreciation I have for this genre, it takes a specific kind of player to enjoy this game and it definitely isn’t for everyone. A lot of emphasis is placed on modernizing the game, adding as many accessibility options and extras which newcomers will certainly appreciate.
Unfortunately, Darksiders III is an example of a flawed port, where the hardware deficiency really shows its weak points. If you’re able to forgive its framerate issues and other frustrating hitches, you’re left with a decent adventure that puts a focus on deliberate and thought-out combat.
Ubisoft has tweaked the formula to a reasonable degree, but Far Cry 6 remains a familiar game. Newcomers will surely find a lot to see and do, but veterans know full well what to expect. This is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, since it mostly means a polished, playable, and relatively fun game where the one question that looms over their head is how long into the game before it gets tiresome and repetitive.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with BPM: Bullets Per Minute, evidenced by the dedicated cult following from its PC launch. Ultimately, the enjoyment of the game will be dependent on the player and how well they’ll be able to cope with the rhythm-related mechanic on top of its difficulty. There’s always the option to switch to Auto if you can’t quite cope with the beat, but this is the biggest selling factor of the game and turning it off relegates it to being a generic shooter.
Lost Judgment may divide audiences depending on taste and threshold for certain quirks but is a solid title with enough content in this game to entertain just about anybody. Its biggest achievement is solidifying Takayuki Yagami as a mainstay for years to come. He’s no longer a mere skin change from Kazuma Kiryu, boasting of unique mini-games, fighting styles, and perspective only present from Yagami’s point of view.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits makes a strong first impression with its beautiful visuals, engaging soundtrack, and decent combat that you'd mistake for a AAA title making its rounds. After a while though, the many little hiccups that I've experienced in the game wore me down, ending my journey with a whimper.
Just like the original from over two decades ago, Diablo II: Resurrected proves to be another great outing from the folks at Vicarious Visions. Not only were they able to keep the charm and feel of the original game intact, but they also introduced very sensible upgrades that fully realize the vision of Diablo II.
So here’s the thing – Death Stranding is Death Stranding. It is a highly divisive game that some will love while others will hate with a passion. If you don’t like it, nothing in the Director’s Cut will change your mind about the game. If you do like it? This version simply elevates the experience.
NBA 2K22 is not just a roster upgrade. Overall gameplay upgrades make it a blast to play, offering some of the best action compared to recent years. 2K has certainly listened to the community, making meaningful changes that try to accurately reflect the state of the game as we can see it.
Deathloop is one of the year’s best games and you shouldn’t let the marketing fatigue fool you because Arkane has delivered quite a fresh take using one of the most saturated themes in today’s gaming market. Deathloop has some of the best ways to ease you into a complex world, waiting for you to walk until you can run, but at the same time treating you with enough respect to figure things out.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate may not offer anything groundbreaking and may feel average by current gaming standards, but to longtime fans, it’s definitely a return to form for a beloved fast running, ring snatching, wise-cracking, and robot smashing video game icon.