Leia’s Games of 2022
This is my top list of games I played in 2022. As opposed to most lists, this is games that I’ve played in ’22, not games that came out in ’22. So you’ll see mostly not new stuff.
Its a long one, so look below if you want.
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Special Recognition:
Destiny 2 (PS5/PC-Steam~~/Stadia~~)
Destiny 2 has been on my list every year since it came out. I don’t even put it in the top list anymore so I can talk about other games too. It never comes up as my top played game on any service, but that’s because I play on multiple.
My content is purchased on PC, so that’s where I do all the new story stuff. On PS5 I play “ritual activities,” things that don’t need paid content. Vanguard Ops, Seasonal Playlists, that kind of thing. On Stadia I played when I was in a lot of pain. It was nice being able to play my big game on a tiny phone. Might have to investigate a Backbone. (Just looked it up, Sony doesn't support the Backbone for PS Remote Play on Android. Dang.) I do wish content was bound to the Bungie account rather than the Platform account, but C’est la vie. Hopefully that’ll be the case after the Era of Light and Dark.
This year, The Witch Queen, has been excellent. While last year, Beyond Light, rivaled year 2, The Taken King for best year, I think The Witch Queen is the best yet. Beyond Light’s campaign was better, and I loved Season of the Splicer, but all of the seasons this year have been great.
Season of the Risen started slow, but the final week was a surprise, Season of the Haunted, or “Eris’ group therapy sessions” is my new favorite season. The analysis into Zavala, Crow, and Caital’s fears and worries was very resonant. The Leviathan’s return gives a fun new area and Calus has gone full Black Hat. Good shit. Season of Plunder was a filler episode, but learning more about Misraaks, Eido, Eramis, and even a bit of Drifter was great, and the overtly queer end to the season was fantastic. (First on screen kiss is between two older men.) And now, Season of the Seraph is really digging into characters that haven’t been heard from in a while.
It all is really setting up the endgame of the plot. Pieces are falling together, people are picking sides, plays to deny resources are taking place. I’m really loving where things are going.
And all that says nothing about the gameplay. What is there to say at this point though? It’s arguably the best looter shooter around. Bungie has nailed the gunplay, they’ve refined the grind and rewards, and there are plenty of people playing. I’m excited for whatever happens after The Final Shape.
Favorite games
Honorable Mention: Gems of War (PS5) Most played game on Playstation
This one was a surprise. I started because I got free cards from PS+. For those who’ve never bothered, like I hadn't for years, it’s essentially Bejewled with a freemium card game bolted on top. It’s addictive in a Skinner box kind of way, but what I appreciate is that unless you’re doing PvP, paying money really isn’t necessary. Plenty of cards to free players to be able to do the PvE and keep things fun. Especially if you get into an active clan. I’ve got more cards than I know what to do with.
Great mindless fun. I would play this when I couldn’t focus my eyes enough to play anything else.
#10. Evan’s Remains (PC-Steam) COMPLETED
I beat this game back in January, so trying to remember what I liked about it is tricky. I do remember thinking, “is this going to be my game of the year like Oneshot was last year?” as I had played both in January. Turns out no, but it’s still a good game. And the only Indie on here.
…Maybe I should make an Indie list too…
It is a 2D platformer with a good plot. The platforming consists of jumping on platforms that can disappear after you jump off and switches to affect said platforms. The latter ones can be quite tricky.
You play as Dysis, a woman stranded on a beach. You talk to someone on a comm, and eventually meet someone on the island studying it. I won’t get deeper into the plot (as I’ve forgotten a lot of the details,) though I remember going “oh fuck you” to a character at the end of the game.
I would suggest buying it on Itch.io instead of Steam. I got it from a Humble Bundle, but Itch.io is better for developers. :D
#9. Gears 5 (PC-Steam) ~25% completed, still installed.
Gears is…interesting for me.
Back in the 360 era, the Gears of War series were some of my favorite games. The aesthetic, the gunplay, it’s all very Aughts. The Karen Traviss books really gave the series a plot. I really enjoyed it all back then.
Since then, though, I’ve really become tired of the “Fascism is the best option in the situation” sci fi of that era. Gears of War’s Coalition of Organized Governments and Halo’s It’s-technically-a-democracy-but-really-a-fascist-military-state shit.
So playing Gears 5 is...interesting. They brought back the COG, which was defunct by the end of 3. You’re playing as a woman who might be related to the Locus Queen somehow? They’re trying to unfuck the plot points of 2, which is admirable. It was rather fucked plot-wise. And Marcus voicing against the COG is I guess in character, but does feel like The Coalition (the new developer) is trying to justify going back to a fash state. The gunplay is as good as ever. I’m also a slut for winter environments, and this game has them in spades. The open world is cool…but I tend to be far worse at completing open world games, so the likelihood that I’ll finish 5 is far lower than 1-3 and Judgement.
But we’ll see.
If you can get past the politics, the game is solid.
#8. Need for Speed Heat (PS5) ~15%
This one is a surprise. I like arcade style racing games. My favorite racing game ever is Burnout Paradise. Still bummed that EA moved Criterion over the Need For Speed. I tried Need For Speed Payback when that was free on PS+ and it felt like a second (or third) rate Fast and Furious. I didn't even get though the intro.
So boredom with what I had installed was the only thing that got me to try Heat. And I’m glad I did! The racing is far less sim that Payback, the story is less in one’s face. Not really anything to write about, but works.
The gameplay is divided by day and night. Day is official races where you earn cash. Night is races where you earn reputation. And you need the latter to get into better races in the former. An additional wrinkle are the police, whom will chase you, especially at night after a street race. The more races you compete in per night, the more rep you get, but also the more cops after you. If you get busted, you lose the multiplier on the rep. It’s a good mix.
It’s the best modern racing game I’ve played in years. And far less real cash bullshit than Riders Republic. I hear Need For Speed Unbound is even better, but it wasn’t free from PS+.
#7. Pokémon Scarlet (Switch) 1 Badge, just started
This one is a Christmas present this Christmas. My last Pokémon game was Let’s Go Eevee, so it’s been a while.
Yes, there is weird optimization and pop-in and other hinky stuff going on. This game absolutely needed another 6-12 months to bake.
That said, what there is of it though is good. I really like the new open world and that you can see the Pokémon wandering around. The combat is…Pokémon. Nothing revolutionary being able to have them do their own thing is nice. The super gimmick is alright.
While I disliked having to deal with school in any context anymore, the variety of plotlines already available is great. The old formula was very tired. Also, I really like that clothing isn’t gender locked anymore. Even if they axed skirts to do it.
Hopefully patches will improve the rough edges.
#6. Psychonauts 2 (PC) ~40% complete, still installed and want to play more
This was a gift from a good friend last Christmas. I deeply enjoyed the first one on the PS2. For being so long from that game to this, Double Fine didn’t skip a beat. What’s amazing about this game is that it plays by what I remember 1 played. Not by how it actually played. In reality this is far better than 1 was, it just doesn’t feel different. Controls are smoother. Menus are snappier. It looks the same but so much better. The story does take place after The Rhombus of Ruin, a VR game that they made that I've never played because ew VR, but the events of that game are quickly caught me up.
This is a great 3D platformer with a fantastic sense of humor.
#5. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5) Lord, maybe 10% done with the critical path.
I am terrible at open world games. It is rare for me to finish a game, but nearly impossible to finish an open world game. That said, Night City feels worth coming back to. The story is very much within the well dug treads of the cyberpunk genre, (I mean, the genre's name is in the game's name,) though Johnny Silverhand’s involvement is a unique twist to me.
What I like about it is the gameplay. I compare all open world games in a modern setting to Grand Theft Auto. By which I mean I don't really care for the driving or most other aspects of GTA. Cyberpunk's shooting is good. The hand to hand combat is pretty good. Clunking a cyberpsycho with a wrench is fun. The driving compared to GTA is divine. Night City feels lived in and dingy as fuck. It also looks great and runs great on the PS5. High quality visuals and low load times. I’m sure high end PCs are better in both regards, but my PS5 cost a quarter of that. I'm not even sure if my PC can run it at minimum specs.
I started playing after the 1.5 patch, so I missed out on all of the terrible flaws the game was released with. I haven’t played since transmog was introduced in 1.6 I think, but being able to have good stat clothing and keep my latex miniskirt will be nice. Because I look like trash right now [in game], even more so than most games like this.
If you want an modern open world game to play that’s fun and don’t mind the occasional glitch where scopes stop working, litter turns gold, or you just hard crash, it’s worth the time.
#4. Splatoon 3 (Switch) ~50% story mode, will complete someday
Woomy!
I got into Splatoon 2 too late. Like after The Final Splatfest late. So I didn’t want to miss out on 3. And since Nintendo games never go down in price anymore, I got it on week one.
The game is a true iteration. Better main area with an actual social area, more maps at the start, Salmon Run is always on, new guns, etc.
For those that have never played, it’s a third person shooter that instead of killing the other people as the main objective, in Turf War you are trying to cover the most of the arena with your color ink. Its hectic and you can “splat” opponents ("kill") which gives you the advantage to press. There are very few PvP games I will play without friends and this is one of them.
The style is as cool as always too. Fashion is a big part of the game and they do it very well. Everything is shinier too, and as a latex enjoyer, shiny is always good. The new hosts are fun as well. Their band/hosts is Deep cut; Shiver, Fyre, and Big Man. A trio this time around to pair with the three team Splatfests new in 3. (Also, Shiver is nonbinary, no matter what Nintendo says.) While they’re personalities don’t clash as strongly or as fun as the band Off the Hook’s did in 2, their ramblings are fun all the same.
And the story mode! Better than 2’s Octo Expansion and by 2's original story by far. Its got actual plot! The Squid Sisters and the Captain, (who was Agent 3 in the first two games,) and more. And snow! As I've said earlier, snow is a bonus.
Best Third person shooter on the Switch. Not the hardest title to grab, but grab it the game did all the same.
#3. Lost in Random (PS5) ~1/3 through
I’ve been playing a lot of EA stuff recently. I’ve thought about writing a blog post about my thoughts on video game publishers at the moment, but I haven’t got around to it yet.
Lost in Random has a very similar vibe to Alice: Madness Returns, which was one of my top games last year. It has that same, uncanny feeling that Alice: Madness Returns and many Laika movies have. Though Lost in Random has less of the dark streak than Alice: Madness Returns. Seriously, it feels like EA made it to give fans of Alice: Madness Returns something to play without letting American McGee make the third Alice game.
They story is fairly fairytale-esque. Engaging, but not revolutionary. Kids at the age of 12 roll the queen’s die. What one rolls, that’s where they live their adult life. The queen loaded her die to get Odd’s sister Even to roll a 6 and take Even for herself. A year later Odd sets off on a quest to rescue her sister.
What shines is surprisingly is the combat. I am wary of any game featuring luck based combat, and having a die on the player character’s back screams RNG playing a heavy part. But it’s less than I figured. Combat is Odd hitting opponents with her slingshot to get energy for her die. Charge up the die and roll. Dicey only has a 1 and 2 on him at the start, so that’s what you get. You then use the roll to play a card for things like weapons, status effects, etc. It feels far better than I expected.
Biggest knock to the game? The refer to a single die as “a dice.” Drives me up the wall.
Otherwise, it’s good.
#2 TOEM (PS5-PS+) COMPLETED main campaign, ~50% through DLC
Another gem delivered by PS+. I really miss getting games for the Vita, and they were all indies and usually my favorite game of the month.
This one is a black and white, psudo-isometric game where taking photos, (in 3d!) is the main gameplay. You're on a quest to hike to a place and take a photo of a particular thing. Its just very mellow. A great game to wind down with.
#1. Death Stranding (PS4) ~1/3 done? Somewhere around St. Louis
GAME OF THE YEAR
This one was an absolute shocker that I love it so much. I have never cared for Hideo Kojima’s games. Mostly because I suck at stealth games and never got past the first area in any Metal Gear Solid I’ve played (One and Ground Zeros) so I ignored this game completely.
I have to thank PlayStation Stars for getting me to play it. They had a thing where if you played several particular games, you got a totally-was-never-an-NFT-ha-ha-ha-what-would-make-you-think-that-the-poll-we-had-people-fill-out-about-NFTs-was-totally-speculation-and-has-nothing-to-do-with-Stars collectable. I had all but one of the games for this particular challenge. The one I did not was Death Stranding. So, I checked out the PS4 version from the library. Turns out that only the PS5 "Directors Cut" counted for the Stars challenge, but I kept playing all the same.
The gameplay is...unique. I’ve seen it dubbed a walking simulator and they’re not wrong. The getting from A to B is surprisingly interesting in it’s own right, but combined with the other challenges, it is surprisingly fun. Load weight and balance, stamina considerations, weighing speed over stability, staying kitted out verses less stuff to carry, the walking is rather involved, yet mellow. "Timefall" (rain that rapidly ages for Reasons,) puts an [albeit slow] time limit on traversal. Getting chased by MULEs is exhilarating. Sneaking around mostly invisible BTs with a fucking crying baby as your warning is tense as hell. I hate sneaking and yet still enjoyed this. That said, my methodology is that I try and skirt the outside of the area to get around the BTs. I also did quit when I was being forced to do something in BT country, but hey. I’m still enjoying it and want to get back to it.
And then there’s the story. I only know Metal Gear Solid from other people describing it, but it sounds bonkers. Death Stranding is just as bizarre if not more so. I won’t get directly into it as on one hand I think it’s better to go in cold. On the other hand, I don’t know if I could.
It also looks great. The character models are super detailed aren’t terribly uncanny. The world feels lived in, (more past tense than “lived in” usually means,) even if it’s not the America I know. Heck, the weirdest visual is the Monster drinks everywhere. It feels like a call back to the Mike Judge's movie Idiocracy. Which may be intended the intended reference as much as being an ad. Because I can't believe that the one real Brand in the game is an energy drink.
It feels like there is a LOT more going on than the player is being told. Plot points are assumed to be known by the characters and not discussed so the player can hear, or is just flat out unknown. What is discussed seems both meta and metaphysical. I read somewhere that they speculated that some of the plot is Kojima trying to come to terms with his mortality and what he believes in. There is a heavy streak through the plot that is even more heavy handed than Metal Gear Solid in “the military industrial complex is bad and wars and killing are bad” as it seems that flew over a lot of Metal Gear Solid fans’ heads. It is also a critique on Brexit, MAGAism, and xenophobia and insularism on the whole. The power of friendship will save the world.
I also like that the upside-down rainbow is a symbol for “your fucked.” A nice little Christian mythos sprinkled in there.
I liked it so much that I own it for PS5 now. Really hoping I can beat this one. If I do, it will probably be on this list next year.
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