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TheMathlete

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My 2022 Games of the Year

Here we are once again - the end of another year. 2022 was another year that had its ups and downs for the world, for gaming and for me personally. As far as I'm concerned, it was overall a very good year - but it didn't leave much room for playing games.

As I get older it feels like my drive to put a lot of time into playing something has diminished. That's not a bad thing necessarily - there are a lot of other more important things than gaming (blasphemy, I know). It could also be a change in my gaming tastes, or a factor of putting more thought into my allotted free time.

Regardless of this, I'm here with another one of my top 5 favorite games I played this year. But before I get started with the list, I'd liked to jot down a few games I put some time into this year but didn't see entering this top 5:

  • Elden Ring - I borrowed Elden Ring from a friend of mine a few months after it came out. Bloodborne is the only Souls game that I've actually completed but the Souls formula has always been alluring for me. I put about 40ish hours into the game, but fell off after defeating Radahn. I was finding myself getting frustrated with the trial and error method of play (even though I was looking at guides) and kind of just gave up. I may try to borrow this one again though. I did enjoy my time with it. We'll see what happens in 2023.
  • Marvel Snap - I really liked the card gameplay in this one but it needs an unranked mode or some way to play with friends. I just get way to frustrated and I don't like the person that comes out when I play this one. I had to delete it before it really consumed me. It was fun while it lasted.
  • Return to Monkey Island - I've only put in a couple hours so far. Other games have kind of gotten in the way. It was pretty fun so far. Hopefully I'll get back to it soon.
  • Digimon Survive - same as Monkey Island. I'm sure I'll find some time soon.
  • Bayonetta 3 - this one is a little disappointing. I really wanted to like this game. The second Bayonetta was my favorite game the year it came out. The combat just hasn't clicked the way the first and second's did. I will go back to this one at some point in time, I'm sure. It just won't be before the end of this year.

Okay, after looking at the list above as well as below I should probably retract what I said about not spending as much time gaming as I get older. But I like what I said so on with the list.

List items

  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is probably my favorite game in this franchise... I think. The first game is still a fantastic game with great characters, but 3 takes everything that was great about the first two and refines it.

    The characters are all very interesting with great individual character arcs of their own. The music is the best in the series, with great remixes of tracks from previous games as well as some of its own amazing pieces. The combat (while somewhat overwhelming at times) is fantastic and the best in the series in my opinion. The quests are some of the best assortment that I've seen in any JRPG ever, as well.

    Overall, it's the full package with over 100 hours of gameplay that I never got bored of. That's saying something.

    Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is my overall favorite game of the year, no question and a great finish to this series. I am really looking forward to Monolith Softs next game, but I hope it's something different. Xenoblade has the finale it deserves with this one.

  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the evolution of the Pokemon formula that I've been waiting for for a long time. I love what they've done with combat and catching Pokemon in this game. It's fun and really engaging. I still like catching and collecting Pokemon, and doing it a new and interesting way is super appealing to me.

    I also like the other changes they made to the formula. Exploring the different zones was pretty cool and finding different Pokemon along the way was fantastic.

    Graphically it's definitely not pretty and it didn't run great all the time, but that's not a deal breaker for me. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a breath of fresh air for this franchise and I hope they continue this Legends series on new hardware.

  • Vampire Survivors is amazing! It's super addictive and satisfying! It's easy to pick up and put down at any time (it's a great lunch break game for me). And it runs great on phones! That's all I really have to say.

  • As someone who bounced off of Octopath Traveler midway through the game, I was a little hesitant to pick up Triangle Strategy. After completing it, I can see my worries were unwarranted. Triangle Strategy takes what made Octopath Traveler great (the art style, voice acting and atmosphere) and adds it to a satisfying tactics game.

    The main area where Triangle Strategy shines is in its characters and story. It has a relatively slow start but once it ramps up, I really enjoyed the political intrigue and the character dynamics. Everyone has their own goals and you have to weigh the goals of the group to reach your own. This was my favorite part of the game.

    Triangle Strategy is a fantastic addition to the HD2D series and I am really looking forward to the next set of games in this series.

  • I had quite a lot of fun with Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It's an excellent 3D platformer with great visuals and controls. I loved most all the power ups, as well.

    Everything had its uses and I had fun with each one.

    Kirby's "first" foray into the 3rd dimension was a huge success and one of the best games that I played in 2022.
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