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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Call of Duty: Vanguard, while another solid offering, doesn’t do enough to stand out and make it another must-buy compared to previous years. This has become increasingly important because of the fact that there are a couple of huge FPS games that will be releasing in the next few weeks that will surely give players something to think about. Call of Duty: Vanguard sticking to a safe outing might have been to its detriment for this year, just when it needed to shine the most.
Forza Horizon 5 is the gold standard of open-world arcade racers and a game packed with value and enjoyment wrapped in a glossy next-gen packaging that will hook you visually and then charm you with its many activities. If you have an Xbox Series console, this is THE game that you've been waiting for.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is an enjoyable detective simulator despite its brief runtime. The superior detective mechanics, as well as improved combat, make it an accessible experience and while the open world is ripe for improvement, what’s presented is quite serviceable and allows for a decent amount of exploration.
Bugs may vary in degree across titles in the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition release, but whether or not they are tolerable, it is puzzling to see how this got past Rockstar, especially with the output that you know they can bring out.
The Legend of Tianding hands down is one of my favorite indie action/adventure games for the year. It is a tried and tested concept improved by a fresh Taiwanese perspective usually dominated by Western and Japanese influences. You have likable heroes, fun gameplay mechanics, and a quasi-open world to explore and challenge, making it well worth the price of admission and then some.
Battlefield 2042 feels like a game that could have used another delay to position itself as something ready for the spotlight. Instead, it released with a number of annoying bugs that compounded into problems that led the community to really rail on the game. Despite these bugs being something that can be fixed by a number of patches, Battlefield 2042 really needed to make a strong first impression seeing the tight Q4 FPS landscape.
Loop Hero is quite the refreshing experience, employing a mix of features and design decisions that seemingly don’t go well together but somehow makes it work. It may look simple at first, but the game offers multiple layers of strategy that will pull in newcomers and even long-time fans of the genre. The pixel graphics and simplistic audio may turn some off, but Loop Hero is something that simply needs to be given a chance to pull you in with its addictive partly idle “one more loop” gameplay, making it a perfect match with the Nintendo Switch and its portable nature.
The Halo Infinite campaign has numerous flaws and an obvious air to being incomplete, however, despite all odds, 343 Industries delivers a serious shooter that doesn't have to rely on its brand pedigree. The groundwork of a legendary shooter is definitely present in this campaign, with hordes of unique classes of enemies, a wide arsenal of weaponry, grand vistas of the Zeta Ring, and an engaging story.
Death’s Door is a good example of a game that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but instead polishes it heavily and puts out a clean and satisfying experience that makes it a must-play. Acid Nerve has kept it simple all throughout, and the game is arguably better for it, trimming a lot of excess fat and giving players a lean 10-hour package that’s a good time from start to finish.
There is a lot of fun that could be had with Serious Sam 4, however many of its design issues make it a loud, overwhelming, and unbearable mess. There are some really great moments in this game with some entertaining cut scenes and many moments where it becomes a genuine run-and-gun fest. However, it feels like the game takes a good thing and gives you too much of it. While I appreciate all the extra content with the launch, a lot of it feels like unnecessary padding.