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I’ve had a spiffing time. I’ve loved perching on gargoyles, sneaking up on enemies, shooting them in the face with Red Hood’s guns, meeting the Court of Owls and prowling around their hidden abodes. I’ve loved all the different suits and filling out the skill trees. I’ve loved Alfred and his fatherly advice and the family’s grief for Bruce. I’ve loved adjusting to evading instead of countering. I’ve loved the villains and the humour. I’ve loved trying to work out which hero is best and which to take with me on particular missions. Gotham Knights is a GOOD game and while it does deserve a decent helping of criticism it also deserves a lot of praise.
I thoroughly enjoyed Modern Warfare 2, the game plays out like an 80’s action movie as I mentioned, it’s never going to be the most sophisticated game, but do you want that, really? Mission variety is refreshing, visuals are outstanding and characters are realistic and a key reason why this is a brilliant offering.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is an excellent follow-up to one of the surprise hits of 2019. It builds on the foundations of the first game and uses the investment you have in the characters to craft another gripping narrative. The beautifully gruesome world is a technical marvel, but one that at times can be let down by an inconsistent frame rate. Aside from that though, this is one of the best single-player experiences of 2022.
Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova sets out to achieve a certain thing – we could, perhaps uncharitably, call this a Lego clone. It largely achieves this whilst not matching the levels of refinement – both visually and gameplay – in that series of games. Fans of the Prodigy TV show will absolutely enjoy this more but even for those who aren’t familiar with it there is a decent, if uninspiring, game here to be played.
Jack Move is brilliant. It is a bite-sized JRPG that will appeal to both newcomers like myself and seasoned veterans of the genre. A beautiful art style, captivating story, interesting characters, funny dialogue, compelling battle system and off-the-charts charm all blend together to make this one of my favourite gaming experiences of 2022.
I really enjoyed The Gallery. For a while now I have found the FMV genre a great palate cleanser between bigger, more gameplay-heavy titles. The story here is good, and it plays out with mostly good acting from a recognisable cast. Certain areas of the story can be picked at, and depending on your decisions you may not get the ending that you want, but I think you’ll enjoy the ride.
Splatoon 3 is an absolute joy to play. It manages to refine and fix many of the problems found in the previous two games, leading to a highly polished third entry. With continued support and new content, the series looks set to reach new heights, so long as Nintendo are able to fix the connection issues holding it back a little. This is a wonderful game that should keep you coming back for more. At least til Splatoon 4.
My favourite Saints Row game to date is the third entry. It was just the right mix of over-the-top action while still producing a story I cared about in a world that felt interesting and fun to explore. This Saints Row reboot is unfortunately a step back in that regard. It is still fun for sure and I enjoyed my time with it, but repetitive missions, some cringe dialogue, and a world that feels soulless detracts from what I expected to kick off the next generation of Saints Row.
Two Point Campus is a superb sequel to one of the best management sim games ever made. It takes the winning formula and puts it in a new setting with both interesting and hilarious consequences. The difficulty has been tweaked for the better and quality of life additions are peppered throughout the game. Minor performance issues on the Switch aside, it’s an A+ from me.
I love this game! Sleeping Dogs to me absolutely nails the blend and balance needed for a strong open world experience. It doesn’t do everything perfectly and for me personally having the whole of Hong Kong speaking English really breaks the immersion but it does do a very good job of what it sets out to – an open world action adventure, heavily focused on hand to hand combat in the bustling neon lit streets of Hong Kong. Don’t sleep on it!
There are very few games this year that I have enjoyed as much as Rollerdrome. It may lack a proper story and be light on levels, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is nearly flawless. Because of this, there is plenty of replayability and challenges to work towards. The introductory price of £16.49 is a good deal and one I recommend everyone intrigued by this review, checks out!
Super Perils of Baking is a tough and rewarding 2D platformer that will challenge you every step of the way. The beautiful 16-bit visuals, catchy soundtrack and tight platforming are all wrapped up in a superb price point. Highly recommended.
Evil Dead: The Game blew away my expectations. As a fan of the series I was both excited and worried going in. Could an Evil Dead game would be done right in 2022? The answer is a resounding yes. This is absolutely the best example of an asymmetric multiplayer game to date and one that fans of the series and horror fans in general should check out.
If you are still reading this review then what are you waiting for? Piss off and go buy the Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. It’s one of the most unique games you’ll ever play and an experience you won’t soon forget. Brilliant.
The Sorrowvirus: A Faceless Short Story is a game I am glad I checked out. I went in not knowing what to expect and came out with a story that stuck with me long after I rolled the credits all four times. It’s not without its shortcomings, but this is a great example of what a small team can accomplish on a limited budget.
Trek to Yomi has its issues, but as a package I loved it. The gameplay has its shortcomings for sure and there is even the odd moment when the artistic direction negatively affects the gameplay such as wide shots. But the presentation is up there with the most stylish games ever created and for that alone it’s one I recommend playing.
I was really impressed with Road 96. I always enjoy these narrative adventure games, but few have managed to deliver such a powerful story while also incorporating over the top characters. There are a few niggles like dialogue options moving with the character and the graphics certainly aren’t anything to write home about, but the overall presentation is good and fits the style of the game. Road 96 is a journey worth taking.
I would absolutely recommend Ayo the Clown. I went in expecting little more than a functioning platformer, but Cloud M1 has put together a beautiful world, a cute cast of characters and a cracking soundtrack all topped off with some fun gameplay. This is the type of platformer that we don’t see enough of on PlayStation or Xbox and it is certainly a welcome addition!
PSVR has seen some excellent titles over the years. Blood & Truth, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Superhot, Walking Dead Saints & Sinners and the first Moss title are just some of the games that spring to mind when discussing the best experiences on Sony’s headset and Moss Book II is another one to add to that conversation. A fitting swansong for PlayStation’s debut headset.
I recommend picking this one up. This title does play it safer in terms of anime girl outfits than some of the other entries and the soundtrack got on my nerves pretty early doors, but it’s nothing a mute button and a good podcast can’t solve. Speaking of – the latest episode of the Pure Dead Gaming podcast is available now, where we discuss this title among many other topics.