Personally for me :
Xbox: Hi-Fi Rush , I love rhythm games and hack and slashes and this was the perfect combo. A lot of heart was poured into this game with the devs and I wish it had a bit more recognition .
PS5: GoW Ragnarok, great follow up to my favorite game last generation with a very satisfying conclusion. Was a close one between this and Spiderman 2 where both games were more of a refinement of the original but this had way more content.
PC: Spec Ops: The Line - Great story, decent mechanics for a fairly old game and the performance was wonderful playing on max settings at 144 fps on my handheld.
I’ve also played Spec Ops this year, after having it in the library for god knows how long. I was pretty surprised, it’s pretty damn good.
I tried to go into it blind but just from so many people telling me that I know there was some bad twist to expect. It was still absolutely great regardless. Game play a little dated but enjoyable.
Hi-Fi Rush was hands down my favorite game of last year. Such a beautiful and joyful game! I even made a cosplay of Chai
Haha that’s awesome. I love that this fan base is so loud and proud. I can’t believe a shadow dropped game from Microsoft of all people turned out to be one of my favorites of the year.
Spec Ops is so damn good. I’ve been itching to replay it and see if it’s as good as I remember. It’s been so long.
Outer Wilds + DLC. Not just one of the best games I’ve played this year, but one of the best games I have ever played.
Honorable mentions:
- Cruelty Squad
- Life is Strange: True Colors (really wish it were longer)
- Budget Cuts 1 and 2 (VR only)
Outer Wilds and its DLC is my absolute favorite game of all time and the best I might have ever played. Full stop. There is just so much to it that one doesn’t expect from the surface. It was an experience I still think back to every now and then.
Currently playing Cruelty Squad and enjoying it quite, too.
Outer wilds is definitely one of my favorites too. I went in blind which was awesome. Completely caught me off guard right after the tutorial. I didn’t expect such intricate mechanics
LOVED Cruelty Squad
Hate LiS Colours—loved the first game.
Need to try budget cuts.
Out of curiosity, why did you dislike True Colors? I really loved 1/BtS, but really disliked 2. True Colors felt like a proper spiritual successor to 1
It was soooooooooooo cheesy. So much more than the first. The second was terrible, definitely worse than True Colors. But True Colors was just cheese after cheese.
Based Cruelty Squad Enjoyer.
BG3 for me. It’s been a while since a game has captured me so much.
Yeah I need to start this at some point, have only been hearing good things. I’m just not a huge fan of turn based but this might switch my mind.
I’m just not a huge fan of turn based
Me neither but honestly it fits really well into the game and it’s really enjoyable. The story, characters and gameplay really shine in this game.
Found out my cousin bought it and we both game share our Xbox’s so looks like I have no excuse now!
I did not enjoy the combat in the D:OS Larian games because I was so used to real-time with pause combat from the old Infinity Engine games. Will grab BG3 when it goes on sale in a year or so.
Dishonored. I’ve had it for ages and only ever played the very escape mission. It actually got me to buy Dishonored 2 and start that.
Let’s hope for BioShock in 2024.
You should also play the Knife of Dunwald and Brigmore Witches DLCs.
Oh yeah, I did get to those. I got the edition with all the DLC from the EGS giveaway.
Hey, I just finished the Dishonored DLC this year! This game never comes to mind when I think of my favorite games, but when I actually think about it I love so much about it.
Mechanics are satisfying and smooth, art direction has a nice oil-painting style to it, world is simultaneously bleak and beautiful. I wish the story was more interesting but the gameplay more than makes up for it.
Dishonored 2 has been gorgeous so far. I don’t know if you’ve gotten to the mansion level yet, but oh man that environment is a trip. Has to be one of the coolest maps I’ve ever seen in a game.
Man you’ll absolutely love BioShock. Still in my top games of all time. I’m not sure why I just can’t get into Dishonered. I just enjoy “so anyways I went blasting” and I feel so punished whenever I do .
Dishonored 2 took me hours upon hours to get to run properly due to some sort of processor, gfx card, driver, directx, zodiac sign, poltergeist , whirlpool of death that I couldn’t ever seem to conquer. After absolutely decimating my computer, reinstalling every, and I mean EVERYTHING, windows, drivers, firmwares, replacing ram, sacrificing goats, it fiiiiiinally ran. The trouble shooting portion essentially ruined a week or two of my life, but once it was running I had a great time. That game is the bomb.
Me too. I wasn’t too impressed while playing it for some reason but ever since I beat it it’s been growing on me.
Well the best overall for me has to be Disco Elysium. Game is just astounding. Tears at my heart. Pentiment is a close second. But my god was that one a bit more miserable. Recommend for anyone that enjoys a good story.
From purely a fun standpoint, Rollerdrome and Hi-Fi Rush were absolutely killer. Incredibly tight gameplay. Super satisfying to “get good” at. Rollerdrome was the first game I was motivated enough to 100%, it was that fun.
It’s kind of crazy looking back at how many games I got through in a year. Could’ve sworn I had played these years ago. What is time, even? 🫠
I also played disco elysium for the first time this year, and it would be my answer too.
mr evrart helped me find my gun
RDR2. Yeah I’m late to the party. Still great IMHO.
Yeah I started it a while back and just returned to it. The tutorial levels are such a slog it’s hard to keep my attention.
Just wait to be free to go roaming around alone, this is where the game shines. Totallly worthy.
same for me started it three days ago, it’s good so far
Same. I played the fuck out of RDR2 this year. I’m, like…actuall replaying it again. Best campaign ever.
Finally decided to play Outer Wilds.
Wonderful game! Changed my view of the world and outlook on the purpose of life for the better
Fantastic game. So we’ll written, designed, and artistically styled. I was blown away.
It really does have the strength to do that to so many people that play it. It’s stuck with me for years and not a week goes by that I don’t think about it.
Cyberpunk has gotten so good I can’t put it down. This might be the only game I rarely even think about modding.
I think next year I’ll finally get to this. Was hearing so much about the issues I decided to be in the wait and see until people started really recommending it.
Tunic, such a great combination of classic Zelda with puzzles and mechanics that keep evolving in crazy ways, felt similar to FEZ by the end for the true ending. The manual mechanic is one of my favorite ones in a long time.
Super Mario Wonder is the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World. There is so much attention to detail and the polish on every aspect from the gameplay to the way enemies act and react.
Super Mario RPG is the ultimate remake. It kept absolutely everything about the original while adding a few minor gameplay enhancements. Best of all, the graphics look like the original CG readers from the 90s but with perfect modern sharpness.
Deathbulge Battle of the Bands was an unexpected favourite. It’s a light-hearted turned based RPG with Earthbound and Undertale vibes, an amazing soundtrack and interesting and humorous characters.
Deathbulge Battle of the Bands
Ah, I see you’re a person of culture as well
Star Wars: Racer
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.
Tears of the Kingdom
It’s not perfect, but still excellent
I enjoyed the hell out of it but quit playing at the final boss fight. I fucking hate that corrupted Lionel that’s in the way of the last boss and I can’t get around it without getting murdered. I know I just need to go darn a bazillion sunflowers for the anti gloom potions but I can’t be bothered
If you got stuck on a lynel on the way to the final boss, that tells me you were going for the final boss too early. Did you 100% the side quests? Upgrade your armor a bunch?
There’s a colosseum in the depths full of lynels; that was harder for me.
You could always place a warp point as far as you can get into the final boss area, so you don’t have to go through it all again.
I actually just beat the waves and waves of silver lynels so I’m low on everything. You’re right though I just need to restock
Inscryption!
PLEASE play Pony Island and then The Hex. I didn’t think I’d like a Mullins game more than Inscryption but I rate The Hex a point higher. Don’t look into anything and don’t let the graphics fool you. It makes sense an hour or less in.
Going to go with highly modded Fallout 4. I’ve got bunch of immersive mods like darker nights, better flashlights, and minimal HUD. Mods that make the game world scarier like radiative storms, working gasmasks, more ghouls, and more enemies in general. Rebalanced damage, added a lot of weapons, quests, and expanded existing locations. Settlements feel much more important as places of security, and are ringed in concrete walls and patrolled by uniformed Minutemen.
Going out into the world actually feels scary and harrowing. The settlements feel like actual breathers from a truly strange and dangerous world.
While I have a lot to say about the faults of Fallout 4, no other game provides such an amazing foundation for an open world experience, and the modding community is top notch.
Have you heard about the London mod coming out sometime next year? It’s massive and looks awesome! Can’t wait to try that!
I do have some UK themed stuff, I think it’s a teaser by the people making the London mod. What I have is some British people in the remains of a crashed airplane who will sell me UK themed items.
Edit, this one: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/62876
I wish that I could get it to run in ultra wide in some convenient way. I remember liking the game straight up, and was always a little perplexed by the fan base beef. Mods seem like it could really kick it up a notch though.
Strangely, I am one of those people with a beef.
Modded out, the game is a great open world sandbox.
But judging the vanilla game as an RPG and as a Fallout game, I have many problems with it.
The main plot is essentially garbled nonsense being the biggest one. The reduced dialog, the railroading of motivation and backstory, the dilution of the setting by both leaning too far into Fallout’s setting being so 1950s kitsch (Fallout’s original premise was the future as imagined by the 1950s, not just the 1950s with higher tech, there is a difference) but also at the same time making Terminator style highly dexterous endoskeleton robots part of the setting, and making the Blade Runner style replicants front and center (yes I know the idea of Replicants was introduced in Fallout 3, but there is a gap between a single one off side quest and a whole game when it comes to tone). There were numerous questionable elements of the background events in Boston, and with game pacing.
So, uh. Yeah. I loved modded Fallout 4, but really because it builds away from following what’s going on in the base game.
Talos Principle 1 + Gehenna (Had it for years in my library collecting dust), finished it to 100% and am currently playing Talos Principle 2. These games are absolute gems and not even expensive for what you get, too. The people at Croteam are genuine masters of their craft.
