If there's one game on this list I really think you should give a shot, it's Tunic. In a strong year, I really do think it's a GOTY contender. It's 5 bucks off over on www.bestgameprice.net/tunic right now!
Taking a chance on a 2.5 hour Bioshock Infinite Critique in my feed, followed by days worth of listening to you and your buds bond over Kingdom Hearts like I did with best friend was such a good thing to add into my 2022. Thank you for all your content and I'm now always looking forward to when you post next. You won me over Monty and I'm glad to be along for the ride.
Signalis has burrowed its way into my brain in a way that few pieces of art have managed, I whole heartedly recommend this game to anyone I get the opportunity to
Pentiment was just released last month, and I effin love it. It's a point-and-click Renaissance murder mystery with an art style that's like playing a tapestry or illuminated manuscript. Absolutely baller game for history/mystery nerds. I'm probably not doing a great job describing it, but take a look and see if you're not intrigued.
God Of War for me is better than the sum of it's parts. It had the best game direction of the year, the best score, the best performances of the year. BUT, overall, Elden Ring is easily the best game of the year. Which is quite funny, because you would expect a game with singular flawless aspects like God Of War to win, but Elden Ring actively felt like it changed gaming. More and more friends of mine decided to try it out when they would've never touched a Souls game before. It really opened up Fromsoftware to the general public like none other.
My issue is ..IMO... that elden ring had the worst world design of all modern fromsoft The level guiding you in the wrong direction... the leveling being badly paced... all of this simply made me miss dark souls 3
@@danielfinegan6717 even if all that is true (which I believe not to be) ER still is easily the most unique open world game out there. Compromises were obviously made and I hate them too, but gosh does it not deliver a once in a lifetime experience…
@@danielfinegan6717 I'm with you. I prefer the tighter level design of Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3. I have a love hate relationship with Elden Ring. I love the exploration but the difficulty spikes have been doing my head in. Regardless of that, it still deserves game of the year because of the huge impact it's had on gaming this year.
I find that the best games are in some way flawed,there’s always something,and I think that’s fine as long as there’s something that elevates the experience,Skyrim and sandbox,ER and exploration,Witcher and it’s writing etc. God of war does everything extremely well,for the most part,it’s just it doesn’t do anything exceptionally imo,it’s a fantastic game though,and ER is flawed,arguably very,but god dammit it does exploration and sense of wonder like no other.
Funny, Elden Ring is my 2nd least favorite Soulsborne game, was good at first, but fell off very hard and it also felt like the worst game to try and replay as well.
This is gonna sound buck wild but there's a half life 2 mod called entropy zero 2 and I love a lot about it, especially it's writing/ voice acting. It also feels like a proper Half Life game, with some new mechanics and a focus on varied level design that feels really professional at it's best.
Best game of 2022 was for me STRAY. That one game truly touched my heart and made me cry and jump for sheer joy. Simple but oh so effective and just beautiful in it's story and characters. I'm so pleased to see that there are still games like that being made.
Yes, Immortality is fascinating and if somewhat obtuse depending on how it ends for you, will keep your brain in the feels. Also, 'The Entropy Centre' is a worthy Portal 2 progeny, with a unique time reversal mechanic that does that best thing good puzzles do - present you with a scenario that looks impossible to solve until you solve and get that good good dopamine. Merry Christmas :)
I loved the concept of Immortality, but I got the first “reveal” half an hour in, called the story, and spent the rest of my time with it looking for something else. I didn’t.
I can recomend Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Triangle Strategy and Rune Factory 5 out of games that came out this year and I played a lot of or just enjoyed very much/finished story. I played only Xenoblade Chronicles 3 out of all Xenoblades and I can assure you it didn't make me neither confused nor lost in a story. For me it was more about gameplay, open worlds and amazing soundrack. Triangle strategy has interesting story where your choices actualy matter and can determine what party members will join your camp, or who leaves it. Combat is turn based strategy which I enjoyed for what it was. Rune Factory 5 is just a game where you can chill until you realize that raising corn is the quickest way to become rich and that is when the game becomes serious. I spent 60 hours in that game and am planing to spend more when I am done with some others. Lastly I hope you have great holidays.
These are the Games i finished this Year - Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons - Elderborn - Shadow Man - Guardians of the Galaxy - Saya no Uta - The Secret of Monkey Island - Panzer Dragoon - Elden Ring - Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk - Yakuza 4 - Iron Lung - House of the Dead Remake - Postal Brain Damage - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - In Sound Mind - Wildermyth: Age of Ulstrix - Emily is Away - Powerwash Simulator - Gunfire Reborn - Scorn - Faith: Chapter I - The Complex: Found Footage - The Quarry - Soma - A Plague Tale Requiem
i found you through your bioshock videos and quickly became obsessed with your unique style of critic and ended up watching every single kh lore dump because i live alone and it gave me comfort. thanks for becoming my new fave channel!!
Probably not going to be on anyone else's games of the year list, but Chained Echoes just came out. A 16-Bit styled JRPG about...lots of things. Sci-Fantasy, with mechs and magic and all sorts of sun stuff. Just came out today, but I'm enjoying it a lot. It was published by Deck 13, who do get behind studios making unique, well made experiences like Cross Code.
@@flapjackgd937 Chained Echos wears its influences on its sleeve, with a bit from Chrono Trigger, a lot from Final Fantasy Vi, and even some sprinkles of Grandia and Gundam thrown in. It has a huge world, and a lot of fun being a real political intrigue type of story, which I love, while keeping a good pace, and always making sure you, the player, know what's going on, even if sometimes the characters don't. Meanwhile Cross Code is...a lot. A 16 bit, action-RPG, puzzler, with a 'trapped in the mmo' storyline, except it's SO far in the future the MMO is a real planet turned into a game space with avatars made of fake matter, with the story of why your trapped being the thing that drive the game plot, but playing the MMO is in there too. It has one of the best DLCs of all time(Better in many ways than Minerva's Den, and if you saw Monty's video on that, you know that's a high watermark), which not only wraps up the story, but gives an interesting dive into the world as it is. Oh, and both have New Game +, with Cross Codes being a real treat, as it has in game achievements that earn you points to spend on the new game setup, from what you carry over, to some things that make it harder, to a damage hack used at one point in the game being permanent(1 shot just about everything, fun times for me). Both are a great time if you're into what they have on offer, and are great experiences too.
Some games I've really enjoyed this year: *Betrayal at Club Low* - I've been waiting for a computer RPG that successfully captures the atmosphere of a tabletop one-shot zine roleplaying game for a long while now, and this single-developer project is the first game I've tried that does that. *Shadows Over Loathing* - Another comedy-focused singleplayer RPG from the people who made *West of Loathing* and *Kingdom of Loathing.* If you've played and enjoyed either of those, this one is well worth getting. *Cultic* - A boomer shooter by a solo dev, with gunplay and level layouts that I find extremely satisfying. *Metal: Hellsinger* - Taking *Pistol Whip's* rhythm mechanics out of VR and slapping a coat of *Doom*-styled metallic paint over it works really well. (Even if *Pistol Whip* is still easily my favorite of the two) Honorable mention for *Samurai Gunn 2,* the most entertaining party game I've played this year. It still isn't _fully_ out though.
My game of the year was Yakuza 0-7 and Judgement 😅 I know they’re not new but new to me! They’re incredible. Outside of that, actual games that came out this year: I liked Cult Of Lamb a lot. Elden Ring had me for about 75% of the run time before it drove me absolutely up the wall. Anyways, hype for Like A Dragon! Ishin is at a fever pitch imo
BRO same just started on the series some months ago and I'm still just at Yakuza 3, and its been an experience! Kiwami 2 and 0 were my faves so far. Hyped for the rest!
For me, it's the McChicken. The best fast food sandwich. I even ask for extra McChicken sauce packets and the staff is so friendly and more than willing to oblige. One time I asked for McChicken sauce packets and they gave me three. I said, "Wow, three for free!" and the nice friendly McDonald's worker laughed and said, "I'm going to call you 3-for-free!". Now the staff greets me with "hey it's 3-for-free!" and ALWAYS give me three packets. It's such a fun and cool atmosphere at my local McDonald's restaurant, I go there at least 3 times a week for lunch and a large iced coffee with milk instead of cream, 1-2 times for breakfast on the weekend, and maybe once for dinner when I'm in a rush but want a great meal that is affordable, fast, and can match my daily nutritional needs. I even dip my fries in McChicken sauce, it's delicious! What a great restaurant.
Turbo Overkill is probably the best, most high-octane, most thrilling shooter I played this year, and I played a lot this year because boomer shooters are basically all I played outside of Starcraft II and mods for older games.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is such an awesome complete package for anyone who can handle 100 hour games! Whether you’ve played the older ones or not. That and Tunic are my top picks, closely followed by Elden Ring.
Good list! Maybe I'll pluck up the courage to try elden ring over the holidays :) I'd say an honorable mention should be given to Horizon Forbidden west, as far as open world games go I feel the first game was perfectly balanced and I think FW follows that legacy, it might be a bit big but I still got that sense of awe while running around the world. With something or someone to discover in every nooks and crannies. Thanks for the content.
The game that I've spent the most time going back to again and again this year has been the game Gunlocked. It's a roguelite bullet hell with a ton of great design choices to make it super easy to jump in and out of. It also just came out of early access and each update has come with so many fun new ways to play it. It's $5 on Steam and I cannot recommend it enough.
Also I gotta mention I'm so happy I found your channel. I love video essays and critiques so when your Evil Within videos appeared on my feed I fell down the rabbit hole. I've now seen every video on your channel and I eagerly await more.
So you didn't like Immortality that much? Altho it was an experience that marked me I understand how some people don't even consider it a game and don't like it because of how it plays, but I'm really interested in your concrete thoughts
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is phenomenal imo, a mix of Ori and dark Souls. It came out last year I think, didn't get enough attention tho. Can't recommend enough
Perfect time for a video drop, i was just listening to a bunch of your vids while I worked! I cannot recommend Tunic enough. As someone that grew up pouring over LOZ fansites, reading manuals and practically drinking official artworks, this game felt like it was made for me. Legit broke out in a big goddamn grin several times playing.
100%. It really kills me this game seems to be going pretty unrecognized. It's reviewed really well, but there just doesn't seem to be any buzz and I feel like the devs really deserve more.
Hmm, idk what would be off-putting with Signalis's artstyle but it was by far the best thing I played that came out of 2022. I won't say Elden Ring because I never played it, and never planned to.
for ANYONE who likes a deep story with a living world i recommend "the legend of heroes trails in the sky" this came out in 2014 and its still the best game i have played to date, there is nothing that comes close to it. a story with twists, joy and sadness around every turn, a party with different kind of people banding together to take down the bad guy. its a turn based rpg with a grid system and the most customizable combat magic system i have ever seen, a magic system that even ties into the stats of the characters. only a warning if you decide to try it, the legend of heroes serie´s is a long one and is not finished to this day as there are 5 confirmed games that is yet to come in english and a good chunk of the game world the player has yet to explore. almost every trails game has a 50-100 hour gametime (although lower now when there is a speedup button as combat animations in the older titles are slow af) this is a game i will always recommend to everyone and i game i replay every year with the same type of enjoyment even though i know the game in and out. right now im waiting for the fan VA mod to finish as they are almost halfway through the first game and it already sounds good
Hey Monty new fan and here this year and honestly these kind of videos have been growing on me for a more indepth look at some games I truly love and the best ways to get thru work
Am I the only one that had forbidden west in my top 3 games for this year? 🤔 God of war, elden ring, horizon forbidden west. 2021 was not a great year for gaming but 2022 has been firing on all cylinders with just non-stop bangers
You've got the first 'best of year' video out of all the gaming channels I follow. A nice list. I discovered your channel this year and I've been loving your work. Have a great holiday and I look forward to what you've got in store for us in 2023 😃
Scorn would be an absolute seal for top ten in my book. Bit of a divisive one but for shear artistic design and "vibe" there is nothing else like it that released in 2022 (or ever come to think of it). The only game that has effected my dreams haha. Other than that a very good list. Great to see the appreciation for Signalis.
I really enjoyed Clanfolk, Scotland in the 1300's, gets compared to rim world a lot. Yes it has Scottish winters, long cold and harsh. I really enjoyed herding my little family through them.
Great list, I think 2022 is underrated because it didn't have a series of blockbuster hits. Even if its had its fair share of disappointments, I've enjoyed many a good game this year. God of War and Elden Ring are the obvious ones for sure, honourable mentions to: Nobody Saves the World, Pokemon Legends Arceus and Plague Tale Requiem.
I just got an Xbox and game pass and I saw signalis on there and was thinking about downloading but haven’t heard anyone talk about it yet, and then here you are to praise it.
Not here to recommend any games, just want to say this to anyone new: the lore dump kingdom hearts series was so much fun, honestly i would listen to them while studying sometimes and just had to stop because i would find myself cackling at something they say, i absolutely recommend it
The Horizon series just can't catch a fucking break, man. Such a great story in both games, but they both had the rotten luck of releasing alongside one of the greatest games of all time.
If horror is your thing, give Beacon Pines a look. It doesn't _look_ like a horror game; it's bright, vibrant, cute, and apparently happy. But it doesn't take long before horrible things start happening to those cute characters. It's a game that, once I started, I could barely put down until I had finished. Its setup as a book whose author is looking for just the right ending to her story. She hasn't been able to find it on her own, and she needs your help. As you play the game and experience the story, you acquire token words that let you change certain branching points in the story. Maybe one branch leads to a horrible end, but it gave you a tool that lets you take a different path elsewhere in the story tree. The game is beautifully rendered with hand-drawn art, the narrator is wonderfully voice acted, and the writing is equal parts funny, endearing, and chilling. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Nice video, even if I don't agree with some of the choices (Cult of the Lamb conditions you to think you're enjoying it even though you don't, and Signalis was nowhere near the best horror game of the year - that honor belongs to The Excavation of Hob's Barrow. But it was better than most). Thanks to you, I might give Tunic a second chance after I lost my patience with it... If you're looking for recommendations, I can recommend the aforementioned The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, A Plague Tale: Requiem, The Case of the Golden Idol, Beacon Pines, Return to Monkey Island, Escape Academy (for co-op), and of course the Frog Detective saga. And also - Martha is Dead appears twice on your list twice. It's a crap game and playing through it once is more than enough. Road 96 too but I haven't played it... Also also - how is The Chant?
Martha is Dead being there twice was a mistake - my bad! Agreed on it, found it irritating, not scary. The Chant is.. fine. What you think of it an hour in is what you’ll think of it 6 hours later - it’s a couple of cool ideas but otherwise unremarkable. Hob’s Barrow is news to me though, adding it to the holidays list!
Personally I'd reccomend I Was A Teenage Exocolonist. It definitely hits less hard the further away from teen you are but the world, characters, and gameplay really make up for it. It's part visual novel part deck building puzzle game
It’s here! Outer Wilds Helped Me Quit Smoking th-cam.com/video/sWPMlYD-Itc/w-d-xo.html - it’s very old and it got copyright struck, but here if you want it!
Absolutely not I was obsessed with it for months and hated 40% of it. Nobody wants that, I’m not enough of a JRPG guy to give it the thought it deserves!
@Monty Zander LMAO Fair enough. I'm not either, but I'm happy that you gave it a shot regardless. At the very least you can see how so many people enjoy it now that you've been in it, and that's more value personally than any critique. Ya good, man.
hey man, im new to the channel and i absolutely love you critique videos about the The Evil Within can i suggest the same treatment for Dead Space games while waiting for the remake ?
It’s on my list, but definitely won’t be covering them before 27th January - maybe once I complete the projects I’m working on for the first half of 2023 I’ll come back around to it!
Ive been umming and ahing about GOWR - really enjoyed the previous game when I picked it up late last year, but that was at a considerably lower cost given the wait! Always a few years behind, me. Once I burn out on Horizon Zero Dawn again (picked up after GOW and got overwhelmed by lol) I'll have to pick it up though, I've heard so many good things and have seen very little in the way of game-spoilers.
Skip Ragnarök and replay GoW 2018. If GoW 2018 is a 9/10 due to development issue in the game. Then Ragnarök is a 6/10 at best. Story is "a thing that happened" instead of a central theme. Many realms feel ether out of place or heavily forced. Combat has not been improved but downgraded with the removal of mechanics. Sound design of most major fights are terrible. Many bosses in the game are just copy pastes because instead introducing interesting mechanics with different solutions in each boss fight. They instead have you dealing with mechanics that look different but are all solved with the same solutions. Worst a number of main characters had their characters butchered in order to force a narrative on them. This is game meh. Highly do not recommend.
I only recently discovered your channel. It's amazing. Love the insightful and well paced video essays, love Noobus Humanus. As a fellow insomniac, your videos have kept me company many a night. Wishing you continued channel growth and can't wait to see what you do next! Love from a gal gamer who's favorite Souls game is 100% Bloodborne. Noobus just doesn't get it, lol.
Damn, really called me out for loving sonic frontiers. I know what it is, but as a sonic fan who's been waiting for an actual good game since gens, im happy with what I got.
Please check out Inscryption! It's a fantastic inde game from the creator of Pony Island. It's centered around a card game that's very well designed and fun to play.
If there's one game on this list I really think you should give a shot, it's Tunic. In a strong year, I really do think it's a GOTY contender.
It's 5 bucks off over on www.bestgameprice.net/tunic right now!
Last video of the year?
@@danielfinegan6717 Last video of the year for sure. Taking a bit of a break to get a headstart on the critiques for 2023!
I am sooooooo glad I played Tunic and I'm mad at myself for giving up and looking up the answer to the true ending at the last step 😢
Love Tunic. Make sure to check out Nobody Saves the World. Keep that accent sexy !
Taking a chance on a 2.5 hour Bioshock Infinite Critique in my feed, followed by days worth of listening to you and your buds bond over Kingdom Hearts like I did with best friend was such a good thing to add into my 2022. Thank you for all your content and I'm now always looking forward to when you post next. You won me over Monty and I'm glad to be along for the ride.
I’ll take it!
Signalis has burrowed its way into my brain in a way that few pieces of art have managed, I whole heartedly recommend this game to anyone I get the opportunity to
Pentiment was just released last month, and I effin love it. It's a point-and-click Renaissance murder mystery with an art style that's like playing a tapestry or illuminated manuscript. Absolutely baller game for history/mystery nerds. I'm probably not doing a great job describing it, but take a look and see if you're not intrigued.
God Of War for me is better than the sum of it's parts. It had the best game direction of the year, the best score, the best performances of the year. BUT, overall, Elden Ring is easily the best game of the year. Which is quite funny, because you would expect a game with singular flawless aspects like God Of War to win, but Elden Ring actively felt like it changed gaming. More and more friends of mine decided to try it out when they would've never touched a Souls game before. It really opened up Fromsoftware to the general public like none other.
My issue is ..IMO... that elden ring had the worst world design of all modern fromsoft
The level guiding you in the wrong direction... the leveling being badly paced... all of this simply made me miss dark souls 3
@@danielfinegan6717 even if all that is true (which I believe not to be) ER still is easily the most unique open world game out there. Compromises were obviously made and I hate them too, but gosh does it not deliver a once in a lifetime experience…
@@danielfinegan6717 I'm with you. I prefer the tighter level design of Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3. I have a love hate relationship with Elden Ring. I love the exploration but the difficulty spikes have been doing my head in. Regardless of that, it still deserves game of the year because of the huge impact it's had on gaming this year.
I find that the best games are in some way flawed,there’s always something,and I think that’s fine as long as there’s something that elevates the experience,Skyrim and sandbox,ER and exploration,Witcher and it’s writing etc. God of war does everything extremely well,for the most part,it’s just it doesn’t do anything exceptionally imo,it’s a fantastic game though,and ER is flawed,arguably very,but god dammit it does exploration and sense of wonder like no other.
Funny, Elden Ring is my 2nd least favorite Soulsborne game, was good at first, but fell off very hard and it also felt like the worst game to try and replay as well.
This is gonna sound buck wild but there's a half life 2 mod called entropy zero 2 and I love a lot about it, especially it's writing/ voice acting. It also feels like a proper Half Life game, with some new mechanics and a focus on varied level design that feels really professional at it's best.
Best game of 2022 was for me STRAY.
That one game truly touched my heart and made me cry and jump for sheer joy.
Simple but oh so effective and just beautiful in it's story and characters.
I'm so pleased to see that there are still games like that being made.
Yes, Immortality is fascinating and if somewhat obtuse depending on how it ends for you, will keep your brain in the feels. Also, 'The Entropy Centre' is a worthy Portal 2 progeny, with a unique time reversal mechanic that does that best thing good puzzles do - present you with a scenario that looks impossible to solve until you solve and get that good good dopamine. Merry Christmas :)
I loved the concept of Immortality, but I got the first “reveal” half an hour in, called the story, and spent the rest of my time with it looking for something else. I didn’t.
OH and merry Christmas!!
I wasn't gonna play Tunic but you won me on the Outer Wilds comparison
I can recomend Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Triangle Strategy and Rune Factory 5 out of games that came out this year and I played a lot of or just enjoyed very much/finished story.
I played only Xenoblade Chronicles 3 out of all Xenoblades and I can assure you it didn't make me neither confused nor lost in a story. For me it was more about gameplay, open worlds and amazing soundrack.
Triangle strategy has interesting story where your choices actualy matter and can determine what party members will join your camp, or who leaves it. Combat is turn based strategy which I enjoyed for what it was.
Rune Factory 5 is just a game where you can chill until you realize that raising corn is the quickest way to become rich and that is when the game becomes serious. I spent 60 hours in that game and am planing to spend more when I am done with some others.
Lastly I hope you have great holidays.
These are the Games i finished this Year
- Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons
- Elderborn
- Shadow Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Saya no Uta
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Panzer Dragoon
- Elden Ring
- Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
- Yakuza 4
- Iron Lung
- House of the Dead Remake
- Postal Brain Damage
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
- In Sound Mind
- Wildermyth: Age of Ulstrix
- Emily is Away
- Powerwash Simulator
- Gunfire Reborn
- Scorn
- Faith: Chapter I
- The Complex: Found Footage
- The Quarry
- Soma
- A Plague Tale Requiem
I adored Stray with my whole soul. I actually didnt expect the storyline, I was happy enough to just be a meow meow cat wandering kowloon walled city.
i found you through your bioshock videos and quickly became obsessed with your unique style of critic and ended up watching every single kh lore dump because i live alone and it gave me comfort. thanks for becoming my new fave channel!!
Thanks for being here! And for giving Lore Dump a shot!
Probably not going to be on anyone else's games of the year list, but Chained Echoes just came out. A 16-Bit styled JRPG about...lots of things. Sci-Fantasy, with mechs and magic and all sorts of sun stuff. Just came out today, but I'm enjoying it a lot. It was published by Deck 13, who do get behind studios making unique, well made experiences like Cross Code.
Adding a +1 to both Chained Echoes and Crosscode. If you have any interest at all in RPGs, they should be on your radar.
@@flapjackgd937 Chained Echos wears its influences on its sleeve, with a bit from Chrono Trigger, a lot from Final Fantasy Vi, and even some sprinkles of Grandia and Gundam thrown in. It has a huge world, and a lot of fun being a real political intrigue type of story, which I love, while keeping a good pace, and always making sure you, the player, know what's going on, even if sometimes the characters don't.
Meanwhile Cross Code is...a lot. A 16 bit, action-RPG, puzzler, with a 'trapped in the mmo' storyline, except it's SO far in the future the MMO is a real planet turned into a game space with avatars made of fake matter, with the story of why your trapped being the thing that drive the game plot, but playing the MMO is in there too. It has one of the best DLCs of all time(Better in many ways than Minerva's Den, and if you saw Monty's video on that, you know that's a high watermark), which not only wraps up the story, but gives an interesting dive into the world as it is.
Oh, and both have New Game +, with Cross Codes being a real treat, as it has in game achievements that earn you points to spend on the new game setup, from what you carry over, to some things that make it harder, to a damage hack used at one point in the game being permanent(1 shot just about everything, fun times for me).
Both are a great time if you're into what they have on offer, and are great experiences too.
Some games I've really enjoyed this year:
*Betrayal at Club Low* - I've been waiting for a computer RPG that successfully captures the atmosphere of a tabletop one-shot zine roleplaying game for a long while now, and this single-developer project is the first game I've tried that does that.
*Shadows Over Loathing* - Another comedy-focused singleplayer RPG from the people who made *West of Loathing* and *Kingdom of Loathing.* If you've played and enjoyed either of those, this one is well worth getting.
*Cultic* - A boomer shooter by a solo dev, with gunplay and level layouts that I find extremely satisfying.
*Metal: Hellsinger* - Taking *Pistol Whip's* rhythm mechanics out of VR and slapping a coat of *Doom*-styled metallic paint over it works really well. (Even if *Pistol Whip* is still easily my favorite of the two)
Honorable mention for *Samurai Gunn 2,* the most entertaining party game I've played this year. It still isn't _fully_ out though.
My game of the year was Yakuza 0-7 and Judgement 😅 I know they’re not new but new to me! They’re incredible.
Outside of that, actual games that came out this year:
I liked Cult Of Lamb a lot.
Elden Ring had me for about 75% of the run time before it drove me absolutely up the wall.
Anyways, hype for Like A Dragon! Ishin is at a fever pitch imo
BRO same just started on the series some months ago and I'm still just at Yakuza 3, and its been an experience! Kiwami 2 and 0 were my faves so far. Hyped for the rest!
@@cchristianjeremy Yakuza 3 was my fav. Yeah, I know, it’s jank and “blockuza” jokes. Idc. I loved the kids. Kiryu deserves that peace.
For me, it's the McChicken. The best fast food sandwich. I even ask for extra McChicken sauce packets and the staff is so friendly and more than willing to oblige.
One time I asked for McChicken sauce packets and they gave me three. I said, "Wow, three for free!" and the nice friendly McDonald's worker laughed and said, "I'm going to call you 3-for-free!".
Now the staff greets me with "hey it's 3-for-free!" and ALWAYS give me three packets. It's such a fun and cool atmosphere at my local McDonald's restaurant, I go there at least 3 times a week for lunch and a large iced coffee with milk instead of cream, 1-2 times for breakfast on the weekend, and maybe once for dinner when I'm in a rush but want a great meal that is affordable, fast, and can match my daily nutritional needs.
I even dip my fries in McChicken sauce, it's delicious! What a great restaurant.
Turbo Overkill is probably the best, most high-octane, most thrilling shooter I played this year, and I played a lot this year because boomer shooters are basically all I played outside of Starcraft II and mods for older games.
Signalis blew me away. Eurothug used the term "Scifi Silent Hill" which describes it perfectly.
Starting with Cult of the Lamb? Excellent taste, sir.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is such an awesome complete package for anyone who can handle 100 hour games! Whether you’ve played the older ones or not.
That and Tunic are my top picks, closely followed by Elden Ring.
Elden ring and Callisto protocol my 2 fav of the year. Bring on silksong !
Good list! Maybe I'll pluck up the courage to try elden ring over the holidays :)
I'd say an honorable mention should be given to Horizon Forbidden west, as far as open world games go I feel the first game was perfectly balanced and I think FW follows that legacy, it might be a bit big but I still got that sense of awe while running around the world. With something or someone to discover in every nooks and crannies.
Thanks for the content.
I think everyone should play Hypnagogia: Boundless Dreams, which is so full of great writing and VIBES. Truly feels like walking into dreams
Cult of the lamb - neon white - elden ring - sifu - tunic - god of war ragnarok - stray - signalis -
sonic and fox, fox got a puzzle game just for himself, in proper 3d too.
The game that I've spent the most time going back to again and again this year has been the game Gunlocked. It's a roguelite bullet hell with a ton of great design choices to make it super easy to jump in and out of. It also just came out of early access and each update has come with so many fun new ways to play it. It's $5 on Steam and I cannot recommend it enough.
Cult of the Lamb is my number 1 this year. so simple, but so engrossing to play. and the music is bomb.
Also I gotta mention I'm so happy I found your channel. I love video essays and critiques so when your Evil Within videos appeared on my feed I fell down the rabbit hole. I've now seen every video on your channel and I eagerly await more.
So you didn't like Immortality that much? Altho it was an experience that marked me I understand how some people don't even consider it a game and don't like it because of how it plays, but I'm really interested in your concrete thoughts
Found this channel this year, and now I can say this is the channel that made my 2022
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is phenomenal imo, a mix of Ori and dark Souls. It came out last year I think, didn't get enough attention tho. Can't recommend enough
Perfect time for a video drop, i was just listening to a bunch of your vids while I worked!
I cannot recommend Tunic enough. As someone that grew up pouring over LOZ fansites, reading manuals and practically drinking official artworks, this game felt like it was made for me. Legit broke out in a big goddamn grin several times playing.
Not heard of Signalis, not usually my bag but I'll keep an eye out.
Happy New Year!
Props to you for including SIGNALIS. :)
100%. It really kills me this game seems to be going pretty unrecognized. It's reviewed really well, but there just doesn't seem to be any buzz and I feel like the devs really deserve more.
Cult of lambs really is a vibe
Gotta write a comment to appreciate the effort of having a customized avatar for each video, such a nice touch
Hmm, idk what would be off-putting with Signalis's artstyle but it was by far the best thing I played that came out of 2022. I won't say Elden Ring because I never played it, and never planned to.
for ANYONE who likes a deep story with a living world i recommend "the legend of heroes trails in the sky"
this came out in 2014 and its still the best game i have played to date, there is nothing that comes close to it.
a story with twists, joy and sadness around every turn, a party with different kind of people banding together to take down the bad guy.
its a turn based rpg with a grid system and the most customizable combat magic system i have ever seen, a magic system that even ties into the stats of the characters.
only a warning if you decide to try it, the legend of heroes serie´s is a long one and is not finished to this day as there are 5 confirmed games that is yet to come in english and a good chunk of the game world the player has yet to explore.
almost every trails game has a 50-100 hour gametime (although lower now when there is a speedup button as combat animations in the older titles are slow af)
this is a game i will always recommend to everyone and i game i replay every year with the same type of enjoyment even though i know the game in and out. right now im waiting for the fan VA mod to finish as they are almost halfway through the first game and it already sounds good
Hey Monty new fan and here this year and honestly these kind of videos have been growing on me for a more indepth look at some games I truly love and the best ways to get thru work
Am I the only one that had forbidden west in my top 3 games for this year? 🤔
God of war, elden ring, horizon forbidden west. 2021 was not a great year for gaming but 2022 has been firing on all cylinders with just non-stop bangers
You've got the first 'best of year' video out of all the gaming channels I follow. A nice list. I discovered your channel this year and I've been loving your work. Have a great holiday and I look forward to what you've got in store for us in 2023 😃
Scorn would be an absolute seal for top ten in my book. Bit of a divisive one but for shear artistic design and "vibe" there is nothing else like it that released in 2022 (or ever come to think of it). The only game that has effected my dreams haha. Other than that a very good list. Great to see the appreciation for Signalis.
Damn I thought I played a lot of games at 52, and that was majority backlog.
I really enjoyed Clanfolk, Scotland in the 1300's, gets compared to rim world a lot. Yes it has Scottish winters, long cold and harsh. I really enjoyed herding my little family through them.
Great list, I think 2022 is underrated because it didn't have a series of blockbuster hits. Even if its had its fair share of disappointments, I've enjoyed many a good game this year. God of War and Elden Ring are the obvious ones for sure, honourable mentions to: Nobody Saves the World, Pokemon Legends Arceus and Plague Tale Requiem.
Great stuff man. Can't wait to see how you progress next year. Onwards and upwards!
I'd add Ghost Song, best metroidvania I've played in a while
I just got an Xbox and game pass and I saw signalis on there and was thinking about downloading but haven’t heard anyone talk about it yet, and then here you are to praise it.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Horizon Forbidden West, and Pokémon Legends Arceus are my top 3 of the year!
Let's go Monty! Thank you for all the cool videos during the year!
Vampire Survivors and Tunic bay bay!
Vampire Survivors ♥
Finished all except signalis. Gotta try that too
Really? Interesting, do also plan on making a lore video for Missing Link whenever it drops?
Just discovered you channel! Really good shit.
My 2 favorite games this year are tunic and elden ring. Tunic is the best I've felt in a long time playing games
Not here to recommend any games, just want to say this to anyone new: the lore dump kingdom hearts series was so much fun, honestly i would listen to them while studying sometimes and just had to stop because i would find myself cackling at something they say, i absolutely recommend it
I’d love to see your take on the horizon zero Dawn series! It would probably make a hilarious lore dump too.
Monty Claus bringing the cheer and recommendations
The Horizon series just can't catch a fucking break, man. Such a great story in both games, but they both had the rotten luck of releasing alongside one of the greatest games of all time.
If horror is your thing, give Beacon Pines a look. It doesn't _look_ like a horror game; it's bright, vibrant, cute, and apparently happy. But it doesn't take long before horrible things start happening to those cute characters. It's a game that, once I started, I could barely put down until I had finished.
Its setup as a book whose author is looking for just the right ending to her story. She hasn't been able to find it on her own, and she needs your help. As you play the game and experience the story, you acquire token words that let you change certain branching points in the story. Maybe one branch leads to a horrible end, but it gave you a tool that lets you take a different path elsewhere in the story tree.
The game is beautifully rendered with hand-drawn art, the narrator is wonderfully voice acted, and the writing is equal parts funny, endearing, and chilling. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Babe wake up, new Monty Zander video
I’m playing Skyrim,never finished it,great time,and mass effect,romancing Tali of course,I think I’m good for now.
Signalis is here
You are spared
SIGNALIS I played the demo a while ago and couldn’t remember the name! It was super good
Nice video, even if I don't agree with some of the choices (Cult of the Lamb conditions you to think you're enjoying it even though you don't, and Signalis was nowhere near the best horror game of the year - that honor belongs to The Excavation of Hob's Barrow. But it was better than most).
Thanks to you, I might give Tunic a second chance after I lost my patience with it...
If you're looking for recommendations, I can recommend the aforementioned The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, A Plague Tale: Requiem, The Case of the Golden Idol, Beacon Pines, Return to Monkey Island, Escape Academy (for co-op), and of course the Frog Detective saga.
And also - Martha is Dead appears twice on your list twice. It's a crap game and playing through it once is more than enough. Road 96 too but I haven't played it...
Also also - how is The Chant?
Martha is Dead being there twice was a mistake - my bad! Agreed on it, found it irritating, not scary. The Chant is.. fine. What you think of it an hour in is what you’ll think of it 6 hours later - it’s a couple of cool ideas but otherwise unremarkable.
Hob’s Barrow is news to me though, adding it to the holidays list!
@@MontyZander Hope you like point and click and folk horror :)
I'll check out The Chant, but it seems like I should look for a good price
Personally I'd reccomend I Was A Teenage Exocolonist. It definitely hits less hard the further away from teen you are but the world, characters, and gameplay really make up for it. It's part visual novel part deck building puzzle game
Might go on deaf ears but I finally played and completed the Legacy of Kain series, including the Soul Reavers and Defiance. I recommend.
I haven't played Cult of the Lamb but I've heard the soundtrack and hoo boy.
Hyper Demon maan, Gameplay and dificulty perfected
Grounded for sure ! Please play this wonderful game
I know you said roguelikes aren't your thing, but Vampire Survivors is truly something special, and super cheap to boot.
can we see a full analysis of spec ops the line? thanks and I enjoy the channel
I would not be so certain that everyone who wants to play Ragnarock has been able to. Some of us have to wait years for a PC port.
I'm tell everyone to play Cultic this year
I believe that you had at some point made an Outer Wilds video, but I can't find it. Did you unlist it or am I blind?
It’s here! Outer Wilds Helped Me Quit Smoking
th-cam.com/video/sWPMlYD-Itc/w-d-xo.html - it’s very old and it got copyright struck, but here if you want it!
So what I'm hearing is we're gonna get a commentary and critique of FFXIV from you, right?
...Right?
Absolutely not I was obsessed with it for months and hated 40% of it. Nobody wants that, I’m not enough of a JRPG guy to give it the thought it deserves!
@Monty Zander LMAO Fair enough. I'm not either, but I'm happy that you gave it a shot regardless. At the very least you can see how so many people enjoy it now that you've been in it, and that's more value personally than any critique. Ya good, man.
hey man, im new to the channel and i absolutely love you critique videos about the The Evil Within
can i suggest the same treatment for Dead Space games while waiting for the remake ?
It’s on my list, but definitely won’t be covering them before 27th January - maybe once I complete the projects I’m working on for the first half of 2023 I’ll come back around to it!
@@MontyZander ok then
Would you ever consider doing a video on Alien: Isolation?
I liked it a lot when I played at release! It’s not on my list for this year, but I don’t see any reason not to cover it in the future!
A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Monty: "If you were going to play God of War Ragnarok, you would have already"
PC Gamers: Are we a joke to you?
Ive been umming and ahing about GOWR - really enjoyed the previous game when I picked it up late last year, but that was at a considerably lower cost given the wait! Always a few years behind, me. Once I burn out on Horizon Zero Dawn again (picked up after GOW and got overwhelmed by lol) I'll have to pick it up though, I've heard so many good things and have seen very little in the way of game-spoilers.
Plus, it has Steve Blum in it.
Which one isn’t available on pc?
God of War: Ragnarok unfortunately!
Would recommend people to check out Faith, a pixel horror game about religion and some other stuff. Great video!
Skip Ragnarök and replay GoW 2018. If GoW 2018 is a 9/10 due to development issue in the game. Then Ragnarök is a 6/10 at best. Story is "a thing that happened" instead of a central theme. Many realms feel ether out of place or heavily forced. Combat has not been improved but downgraded with the removal of mechanics. Sound design of most major fights are terrible. Many bosses in the game are just copy pastes because instead introducing interesting mechanics with different solutions in each boss fight. They instead have you dealing with mechanics that look different but are all solved with the same solutions. Worst a number of main characters had their characters butchered in order to force a narrative on them.
This is game meh. Highly do not recommend.
A large part of this list is on Gamepass
If you know, you know
😉
A
rollerdrome is my goty
The link to Lore Dump does not work
My bad! I think I’ve fixed it now but it’s here just in case - youtube.com/@LoreDump
@@MontyZander Yes its fixed :D
Hey Monty, i want to recommend you to have a look at the Game GTFO, might itch your survival horror needs :)
Sweet a short form vid. Nothing against your long vids, I just don't have time to watch them with my job.
I only recently discovered your channel. It's amazing. Love the insightful and well paced video essays, love Noobus Humanus. As a fellow insomniac, your videos have kept me company many a night. Wishing you continued channel growth and can't wait to see what you do next! Love from a gal gamer who's favorite Souls game is 100% Bloodborne. Noobus just doesn't get it, lol.
Damn, really called me out for loving sonic frontiers. I know what it is, but as a sonic fan who's been waiting for an actual good game since gens, im happy with what I got.
Wow, impressive
Monty Mate, your Link to Lore dump takes a 404 error
WHOOPS - thank you! Fixed it now!
I mean ... I want to play GoW:R, but it's not on PC.
Please check out Inscryption! It's a fantastic inde game from the creator of Pony Island. It's centered around a card game that's very well designed and fun to play.
Pentiment and kirby
Cult of the lamb is overrated it’s a rogue like town building game and I mostly feel like it could have been better
God of War is not a game. It's a movie. I like to watch movies, not play them.