I just picked up Again the Storm a few days ago and have been enjoying that. I like that the settlement building isn’t drawn out like other strategy games, and I don’t really feel bad about it when I lose since I can still earn perks and bonuses that persist throughout the campaign.
GOTY for me is definitely Balder’s Gate 3. Enjoyed it start to finish, and there was enough content that my second playthrough didn’t feel like a rehash of the first.
Snowrunner (still)! Only a few missions left on Island Lake, then I can explore Drummond Island 🚚
I also played Pavlov VR a bit on PC to see if there were many more players from Christmas. Ran into a few new PS5 users that were fun. I hope the servers don’t die out, PC players are already a minority in the crossplay maps!
Lingo. It tickles my brain in wonderful ways. I’m currently working through the custom level Liduongo, sequel to an earlier map named Duolingo, and I continue to be surprised, delighted, and utterly perplexed.
It’s a rules-based puzzler that doesn’t tell you the rules buried in a confusing labyrinth. The only downside is that it requires a strong grasp of English, limiting its audience.
Absolutely Hi-Fi Rush. I loved many games this year, but Hi-Fi Rush was so fun, so wholesome, so loveable that the music it used carried me through some insanely hard times. It is very obviously a passion project made by incredible creators, and I legitimately cannot find a single issue with it (which I can’t say of any other game this year).
I still feel swells of emotion listening to the music from that game. Absolutely incredible.
I’m surprised I don’t see Alan Wake 2 as its own entry in the list so far.
I don’t like horror games, and I didn’t care that much for the first game, or even necessarily Control, but Alan Wake 2 was really impressive. Showcased the power of the format of video games for cinematic narrative in a way that raised the bar even higher than it’d been before, similar to how BG3 and TotK raised the bar in player choice and open ended game design.
I’m honestly just waiting for it to go on sale (<$25 cause I’m stingy and my backlog is huuuge) for Xbox. Looking at sales numbers it’ll probably be soon Z
I just got an ergonomic mouse after struggling with wrist pain for most of the year, so I'm putting it through its paces in Pillars of Eternity. I'm loving it so far, but it gives you vague notions of "this is really tough, so come back later" for a few different areas, but I don't know how much later they mean. I'm nearly level 6, and I know the level cap for the game before the DLC was 12. Do they mean come back at level 8? Or level 12? Or 14? I've still got plenty of other areas to explore first, but I'd still like to know...you know? I've also only got 5 party members, so I'm on the lookout for a sixth.
I'm still trying to hit master rank in Street Fighter 6. Inching closer, in diamond 4 now.
I beat Wargroove 2. It's a solid iteration on the previous game, and I'd recommend it if you want more Advance Wars with the bonus of being able to play it on better hardware than a Switch.
Baldur's Gate 3 was my favorite for the year and one of my favorites ever. It was just too hard to top.
The levels / balance in Pillars can be a bit weird. If you do all the side content, or you're doing the DLC, when it's available, you're going to be overleveled. However, the game asks you once or twice, if you want to raise the enemies to your level, so they're still challenging. I didn't do that (I didn't help all those old ladies over the street, just so that some random bad guy gets some free exp), which meant a lot of the story fights were pretty easy by the end. There are still some fights designed for (near) max level though, which were really hard.
Thanks for the tip! I actually heard from some friends that the combat was pretty tough in this game, and so far it's manageable, but I will absolutely take a level advantage that I've earned if the game gives me that prompt, lol.
It was a return to nostalgia for me. My wife bought this for me for Christmas. I was worried that I would lug into a very dated game, however:
The gameplay is so exquisite and the track design so carefully thought out that it’s really an exhilarating game. The tracks never get boring because they sprinkle in just enough variation and style to keep them engaging. The tricks you can pull in a podracer do not break suspension of disbelief the way normal car games do when pulling amazing stunts. The flow is smooth and fluid even now.
Between the minimap, rearview, braking, air breaking to sustain airtime and cushion landings, self-determined boosting (rather than relying on external powerups or boost zones), and repair management you’re never not adjusting to something. The game keeps you busy while you’re flying along the track.
To boot, the obstacles and shortcuts are carefully distributed and used, playing into the themes of the tracks. Most are small influences, but useful or interesting. One track will force you to reconsider your playstyle for it, however. Despite that it’s not so jarring that you want to stop playing.
You also get a bevy of racers to choose from and the ability to buy and juggle upgrades and pit droids keeps your gameplay evolving. You can even be rewarded for being a skilled player by adjusting the finish placement payouts.
Unfortunately due to careful planning and purchasing, as well as a better sense of how to play as an adult, the game has some shortcomings. Instead of being neck and neck, I was regularly 7-12 seconds ahead of the second place racer, regularly unable to see them in my rearview. A complete lack of a story mode and a low difficulty bar meant I was done in three days even with limited play time and inconsistent access. While this could have been saved with an Online mode added, I still had fun completing Tournament mode and would gladly give this to anyone who wants high-velocity adrenaline with more complex mechanics than your average racing game.
I love Roadwarden! My only issue is that I’ve taken a break for a while mid-playthrough, and now I don’t remember what I was doing. I may just have to start fresh. I also just picked up Vagrus: The Riven Realms, which is similarly awesome.
On a bit of a side-scrolling trip these past few weeks: Mario Wonder, Metroid Dread, Yooka-Laylee, etc.
The two big(ger) games I’ve played this year are Street Fighter 6 and Mario Wonder which are both fantastic. I haven’t played BG3 or the latest Zelda or any other major releases, but my partner and I were all in on SF6 for weeks. Wonder, though, is a great throwback to what made us both start gaming: very easy to pick up and play, things to collect, and a tiny bit of grinding.
Probably a toss up between Hi-Fi Rush, Doom Eternal, and Guilty Gear Strive. I suck at fighting games, but I love learning all the unique mechanics of the characters.
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Aktywne