I feel like every time I’ve written this blurb the last few years I’d joke about how shitty the overall year was with hopes that it couldn’t get any worse and then the next year I’d joke how it did get worse and how it surely can’t get any worse the next year. This time I’m just gonna say I hope 2023 is a year, and I hope video games are released in it. Speaking of, video games are lame anyway so here are my favorite movies of 2022: The Batman, NOPE, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and RRR.
10. Tinykin
Pikmin games are great, and Tinykin is just a more relaxed Pikmin with a focus on platforming over combat/puzzles. Tinykin sees you dropped in an abandoned home, shrunk down to miniscule size, and being introduced to a society of religiously fanatic bugs who worship the long-gone human homeowner. For such a cute game, it playfully touches on some deeper topics, but the core of the game is exploring the house’s various rooms and helping the denizens with whatever their issue is. It’s full of charm and is a short game to blast through in a weekend, more so if you have a Steam Deck where it’s perfect. Read our review.
Highlight: Running around while dozens of adorable tinykin follow behind you
9. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet
Despite some initial concerns from leaked footage, it was a relief to see some of the game’s worst issues were exaggerated for the most part. Scarlet/Violet is a genuine treat to run around the open world and seeing what Pokemon you might run into; which is mostly what I did in the early portion of the game before I even touched the main questlines. Allowing you to tackle three main questlines in whatever order was a great addition as well, and really let you explore the world at your own leisure as you focus on what you wanted to do as opposed to the franchise’s usual linear approach. The only thing holding it back is the Switch’s aging hardware, which just makes me eager to see what a new game will look like on whatever the follow-up to the Switch will be.
Highlight: Getting lost in the world and getting chased by Pokemon double my level
8. High On Life
I’ll be the first to admit I came into this with extremely low expectations, mostly expecting this to be a doubling down of the worst aspects of Rick & Morty since that’s how the game was initially marketing itself. Sitting down to play it proper however, I got one of my biggest surprises of the year. Not only was it a genuinely well playing shooter, but it was consistently funny as well. Also, fuck Justin Roiland. Read our review.
Highlight: Space Applebees
7. Powerwash Simulator
I’m sure like every person who’s played this game, they assumed everyone was just memeing on this game being good and finally decided to give it a try to humor their friends. Turns out Powerwash Simulator is one of the best games of the year and was a perfect Steam Deck game. There’s just something inherently relaxing about slowly chipping away at the dirt on a vintage car, to eventually reveal its renewed exterior. As someone who spent most of their time in Mario Sunshine just cleaning levels, I was immediately enthralled in Powerwash Simulator’s hook.
Highlight: Appreciating a completed job and watching the time lapse of you cleaning it
6. God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is great, but we all knew it would be, which is probably why it’s a bit lower on my list than it’d normally be. The combat is drastically improved, the worlds even more diverse and interesting to explore, the plot is phenomenal and hits all its emotional beats perfectly, and the voice acting is stupendous. It does everything you want from a sequel and nothing less.
Highlight: Brok’s game of riddles with Mimir
5. Marvel Snap
I’ve never been much into trading card games. Building decks requires a tiring amount of research to know each card in a set and proper metas, while folk who play the game regularly are always the sweatiest of players which makes playing with others unfun. Then here comes Marvel Snap, probably one of the most accessible card games in a while, that still has enough depth to not make it feel like “baby’s first tcg”. Building decks is an effortless, and honestly fun process, and you always feel on an equal playing field with other players for the most part. The progression system is genuinely addicting, as it’s fun upgrading your cards, and the fact that you can only get new cards by playing the game (no way to use real money to pay your way ahead) is something other card games should learn from.
Highlight: Dropping a Hobgoblin and Arnim Zola combo on an unsuspecting opponent
4. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge
I’ve had a frustrating relationship with modern beat ‘em-ups. I desperately want them to modernize while they continue to stay beholden to tired staples of the genre, so it was a genuine relief to see TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge change that. In a similar vein to DOOM (2016) where the game feels like how its original played, Shredder’s Revenge keeps true to what you loved about Turtles in Time while modernizing the parts of the genre that haven’t aged well. All this paired with a stellar soundtrack that appropriately features members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and you’ve got probably one of the best modern beat ‘em-ups. Read our review.
Highlight: When the Wu-Tang song plays during the Shredder fight
3. Neon White
I’m a sucker for any game that has built-in rules for encouraging you to find ways to exploit/break its systems and Neon White is exactly that. Part speedrunning platformer, part visual novel dating-sim, Neon White splashes these genres together into a frenetic, high score chasing thrill ride that had me constantly jumping back into levels to shave off a few more seconds from my time. Read our review.
Highlight: Seeing all my top 10 leaderboard scores fade to dust the moment the game released to the public
2. Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Leave it to Bungie to pull another Taken King and rope me back into a game I thought I was done with. Destiny 2 wasn’t exactly in the best of places, similarly to how the first game was, and The Witch Queen came with a healthy helping of updates and changes that drastically altered the game for the better. On top of that, Bungie made a genuinely engaging plot that has seriously interesting lore ramifications for the game’s future. All of this was the perfect storm for my unhealthy playtime with the game that had me playing it for dozens of hours across most of the year. It’s never been a better time to hop into Destiny, and I can’t wait to see what the next few expansions hold for it.
Highlight: The entire Hive reveal in the narrative
1. Elden Ring
There’s not much to say about Elden Ring that hasn’t been said already. It’s the culmination of all of FromSoftware’s work since Demon’s Souls and a complete deconstruction of modern open-world game design. The world is haunting, yet beautiful to explore and you’re constantly being rewarded for poking your head in random corners of the game’s world. Read our review.
Highlight: RIP my boy Alexander, you’ll always be in my heart
