Best of 2022: Bryan's Picks
Another year has passed and it's time to partake in that most exciting of gaming traditions: The creation of the Games of the Year List! Before we get started I wanted to give a quick overall summary of what gaming was like for me in 2022. I think it's pretty easy to say that one game stood tall over my gaming year (you probably know the one), but that didn’t keep me from experiencing an absolute ton of great games in 2022. In fact, I think even without the inclusion of said game, 2022 may be one of the strongest years in memory for me from a ‘games released’ perspective, and a year that I actually managed to play most of the games that are in the GOTY conversation writ large. I also learned a ton this year about how to approach and evaluate games, and am really pleased with how our podcast has come along as a reflection of that. This was the first year I guested on another creator’s podcast as well! I’d encourage anyone reading this to listen in to the Gaming in the Wild Podcast, as its always a fun and informative listen.
As with years past, I did not do a straight up ‘top 10’ this year and opted for a few superlatives since the games I liked most tended to coalesce around a (sometimes vague) theme. These are chosen from the games I have played this year, not necessarily games released this year (platform I played in parentheses).
Best Narrative: NORCO (PC)
In a year that had a ton of great narrative experiences, NORCO stood out to me. The game has you observing and interacting with the titular town’s inhabitants and locations as only a local can: With a deep knowledge of its history and the forces at work within it and upon it, such as capitalism, ecology, and religion. These forces shape the world that the team at Geography of Robots have created into a striking and highly specific form of science fiction. I haven’t played a game that so perfectly blends setting, characterization, and history since Disco Elysium and NORCO does so in such a short run time, teaching us that local stories are interesting stories.
Runner Up: Citizen Sleeper (PC)
Best Tactics: Triangle Strategy (Switch)
The turn based tactics genre has been pretty fallow in recent years, but then 2022 brought a sudden explosion of titles (see Mario + Rabbids, Diofield Chronicle, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, etc.). The one that I played was Triangle Strategy. Triangle Strategy is an extremely competent tactics game, with a solid political intrigue story, engaging battle mechanics, and a well-realized, lived-in world. Throughout the game one central mechanic, alongside its extreme focus on narrative, stood out to me: the Scales of Conviction. The Scales of Conviction are initially shown as a decision making apparatus, but that kind of misses the point. You’ve already made decisions up to that point that have led you down the path you’re likely, if not required, to take, and now you need to see that path to completion. It can be frustrating when you’re not in total control of the final outcome, but it’s actually a feature in this case. It’s intentional. The game asks you to have your convictions be strengthened by your actions… but try not to handwave any genocides in the process. Triangle Strategy is a step in the right direction after Octopath for this team. We’re seeing more story and character interactions along with meaningful player interactions determining the outcome. If they stay on this trajectory I have a strong conviction that I’ll be picking up their next title.
Best Roguelike: Boneraiser Minions (PC)
In a year that saw the release of Vampire Survivors, which almost invariably took the crown for ‘Arena Survival’ game (if such a thing yet exists), Boneraiser Minions was my own offbeat favorite. If Vampire Survivors is the most distilled version of this game, then Boneraiser Minions is the most convoluted to an almost comical degree, and I mean that in the best way possible. Adding in the summoning/combining mechanic, architecture mode, and a host of character/build/perk options, this game iterates towards a much higher level of build variety and encourages the player to experiment. The pixel art is gorgeous though it can be a bit unclear, and the music is fantastic.
The gorgeously detailed interiors were really something special.
Most Cute: Stray (PC)
Stray is a very competent feline tone piece featuring one very charming cat, and while that may have caused this game to go viral, it's clear right away that the rest of the game is competently designed as well. With its simple and satisfying parkour-style platforming and breezy runtime, I found it to be the perfect combination of easy, engaging, and short. Speaking as a highly cat-allergic person: Stray, unlike most cats in my life, did not overstay its welcome. And while playing a cat with human-level intelligence doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny, it also doesn’t really matter. Those with any eye for analysis are probably too immersed in the future cyberpunk dystopia drawing on the legacy of Hong Kong's resistance culture and the Kowloon walled city to think about it too hard. It's trite to say it, but the Walled City 99 setting, its atmosphere, and all of the small stories of the android companions inhabiting it are the real stars of this video game.
Runner Up: Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)
Best Multiplayer: VRising (PC)
Vampire survival game with an diablo-style isometric perspective. You awaken after the countryside has been long since been retaken by the living and its your job to change that. Vampire games are typically power fantasies. You are an immortal, superhuman which is anathema to the survival genre which dines out on disempowerment. It’s interesting to see a vampire on their back foot but it also creates some weirdly arbitrary hurdles. Why am I getting my ass kicked by farmers and soldiers? Why do I need to huddle in the corner of this wooden fort waiting for the sun to set? Why, for the love of God, do I have to manually walk all of my freshly mined ore across the country instead of using the teleportation portal I created? That being said, the dream of building a vampiric empire and ruling over your thralls with an iron fist does provide a great deal of satisfaction, and it's always fun to play with friends. Creating a vampiric empire with Josh and Clint was one of the highlights of my video gaming year.
Best Experiment: Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch)
Pokemon is the most formulaic of all of the great video game franchises… Until now. The last couple of years has seen Game Freak finally dipping its toes into taking the flagship entries in the series to 3d, and while 2022 also gave us Scarlet and Violet, which I have not played, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the game that made my list of the year’s favorites. Bucking the trend of “Travel to 8 Gyms, Beat Elite 4, Become Champion” Arceus embraces free-form, relatively open world Pokemon catching. It has a chill, almost Monster Hunter-like loop that is all its own and rounded it out with some extremely chill vibes in its main hub Jubilife Village. Speaking of the village, one of the most enjoyable and endearing parts of the game is how you serve as a bridge between the pokemon of the land and the people of the village. You sow the seeds of fostering the relationship between people and Pokemon, that is seen ubiquitously in the mainline series. Its an experimental change in perspective and gameplay for the series and I am here for it.
Most Beloved Characters: God of War: Ragnarok (PS5)
What more can you say about the followup to one of the most brilliant franchise reboots of all time? Does it improve upon the gorgeous visuals and world detail found in its predecessor? Yes. Does it enhance the combat, deepening it from a mechanical and variety perspective? Also, Yes. Does it do all of this while expanding the cast of characters by taking Kratos’ and his son, Artreus’ journey and turning it into an all-out ensemble finale to rival an Avengers movie? It does, indeed. I loved a lot about God of War: Ragnarok, but I cannot help but come away feeling like it did not hit the heights of its 2018 counterpart. There were some serious pacing issues in the mid-section, and some tonal whiplash in the normally whip-sharp writing, but these flaws only served to highlight what I know to be true: When you have a game as polished as God of War: Ragnarok, the flaws stand out in sharper contrast to the whole. Ragnarok is a truly spectacular game, and in any other year it would be a sure fire contender for the top spot… however this year we had…
Game of the year: Elden Ring (PS5 and PC)
In the past decade open world games have become one of the most popular genres in AAA game development. When I first heard that Elden Ring would be taking FromSoftware’s formula of tightly designed action RPG’s into an open world, I was admittedly a bit skeptical, but I could not have been more wrong. Elden Ring stayed true to the series while pivoting to an exceedingly popular genre, giving up surprisingly little in the process. Not compromising with this new iteration, but refining and augmenting its formula. Almost all of my favorite aspects of the souls-borne games are present and most are done here better than ever. It is unmatched in the industry or by its predecessors. It's clear to me that Elden Ring is the product of decades worth of lessons, and it could never have happened without the souls games, bloodborne, and sekiro. It is truly an apotheosis of the studio's efforts in the form of a gigantic open world game. Like Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule before it, The Lands Between provided an unforgettable experience that I’ve already enjoyed revisiting and I’m sure I’ll continue to revisit for years to come.
My PC character at the end of their quest to become Elden Lord.
On my way to Game of the Year…
Now the hard part… If I had to put them in order:
Elden Ring
Triangle Strategy
NORCO
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
God of War: Ragnarok
Stray
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Citizen Sleeper
VRising
Boneraiser Minions
And finally, here are some 2022 games I reserve the right to put on my list next year since I’m playing them right now and thoroughly enjoying them but didn’t finish in time:
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Chained Echoes
Lil Gator Game
Case of the Golden Idol
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
And of course… the Best Non-2022 Games I played this Year:
Death’s Door (PC) - Throughout my time with Death’s door I could not get over how polished it felt. The art style was clean, and clear, yet detailed, the controls were tight, responsive yet simple and natural. And the music, wow, the music always fit the area and mood perfectly.
Unpacking (PC) - Throughout the course of playing Unpacking it became apparent that the protagonists' collections of figurines and books, video games and dvds were not just items to place. They were a surrogate for the character and their own personal story. The items that stay and those that disappear somehow convey an entire character arc told in the space between the lines outlined by the levels of the game. It's an incredibly effective video game narrative and kind of a miracle how well it works. (see podcast episode)
Caves of Qud (PC) - Caves of Qud is a towering achievement of procedurally generated gameplay, representing a creative, artistic, and mechanical tour de force in the genre. If you have any interest in roguelikes whatsoever it behooves you to at least give caves of qud a look. (see podcast episode)
Half Life: Alyx (VR) - 2022 was also the first year I had a VR Headset (I got my Oculus Quest 2 in January). Playing Half Life: Alyx was extremely eye-opening to the potential of the medium for evolving the traditional video game experience into VR.
Walkabout Mini-Golf (VR) - On the other side of the VR coin, Walkabout is a polished and extremely well crafted mini golfing simulator for VR that is tailor made for the platform. I had an excellent time playing multiplayer with this one as well!
Last but not least - some games I’m looking forward to in 2023:
Baldur’s Gate 3 (seems likely to leave Early Access this year, at which point I will dive in!)
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
The Inveitable Cavalcade of Indie Gems Waiting to Surprise and Delight Me (TM)
Take Care and Keep on Gaming in 2023!