Happy New Year! 2023 will be in full swing after midnight. I find it exciting! This weekend, I’m pushing through more games from 2022. Despite many delays, a zillion games came out this year and it was difficult to keep up. Seriously, I heard many complaints about a thin 2022 release schedule. I can’t relate. If anything, too many games were released and several of them needed extra time in development. Regardless, here are five more games I played from the 2022 calendar. I’m beginning this post with a controversial take on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Personally, I really enjoyed both editions. It seems like the main Pokémon fanbase was very negative with this new generation. Some of their criticism makes sense because Scarlet and Violet have a slew of technical issues, such as stuttering, weird camera angles, frame rate problems, hard crashes, and everything else imaginable. Also, the environments are very bland and uninspired. It looks like the developer created this open world environment in a big hurry. I would say Pokémon Scarlet and Violet should have been the main holiday release for 2023 instead of 2022. We already know the new Pokémon games have issues, but it didn’t ruin the experience for me. In fact, I didn’t pay attention to these inconveniences very often. Pokémon was always a turn based series and technical problems are less distracting with this type of system. On the plus side, Scarlet and Violet have a giant open world environment that’s genuinely fun to explore. Players can find goodies, pokémon, encounters, and useful items virtually everywhere. The new terra raid battles are a nice addition and combat is still entertaining. These games have a large variety of pokémon, including new creatures and several fan favorites. The story is massive with an emphasis on gym battles, titan pokémon, and a group of troublemakers, called Team Star. TMs are easy to find in the environment and you can alter any pokémon’s move set freely. You can also boost pokémon stats by eating in restaurants or making sandwiches. Ultimately, I think the latest Pokémon games are worth the money. They’re a really decent step in the right direction, even though the execution wasn’t perfect. The gameplay is a blast and let’s face it. That’s the most important part in almost every video game. The Devil in Me is the latest annual release in The Dark Pictures Anthology. It’s a graphic adventure and horror game rolled into a single experience. This particular title features a serial killer who’s trying to wipe out a film crew with elaborate death traps. It’s a bit like the Saw and Hostile movies. Just like every game in The Dark Pictures Anthology, this one has mediocre animation and voice acting, plus it’s a little bit low on the scare factor. Personally, I think last year’s release, titled House of Ashes, was a better game with more impressive animation. Keep in mind, The Devil in Me is still a pretty good experience for gamers who enjoy the choose-your-own-adventure format. It has a variety of gruesome deaths scenes, tense moments, and unpredictable plot points. Sure, the story isn’t very complex. What do you expect from a horror game? The Devil in Me has decent replay value because you can find ways to keep the characters alive or meet a new set of brutal deaths. The game is short and sweet with brisk pacing. Some of the puzzles slow down the game’s momentum, but I’ve seen much worse. Should you brother to play the newest entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology? Basically, it’s fine if you enjoy horror games and graphic adventures. It’s not the type of game that features guns, open world environments, or combat. The Devil in Me is a budget title at $40. That’s a pretty good buy, in my opinion. It’s a good thing Gungrave G.O.R.E. is on Xbox Game Pass because I don’t recommend spending money on this game. Gungrave G.O.R.E is a linear action title and probably one of my biggest disappointments this year. You’re not going to find useful exploration, side quests, or substance in this game. However, that’s not the negative part. This release feels outdated with awkward gameplay, dull environments, and comically bad voice acting. For some reason, you have to press the trigger button constantly to fire Grave’s weapons. You can’t simply hold the button down. That means your finger is going to become sore after a short period of time. Boss fights are forgettable and the sheer quantity of enemies can become overwhelming because the combat is imprecise. Did I find any positive elements? Well, you can play it on Xbox Game Pass. Players can experiment without purchasing the game. This one didn’t work for me, but you might feel differently. In the end, Gungrave G.O.R.E. isn’t worth a $50 price tag. It’s archaic and bland with repetitive gameplay. 2022 had a ton of releases. I recommend spending your time and money on other games. Evil West feels like another homage to earlier games. It’s a straight forward, single-player adventure without extra side missions. Surprisingly, this formula with linear traversal works really well. The combat system is quite entertaining with a variety of weapons, special abilities, evasion, and more. Evil West has an impressive roster of terrifying creatures, ranging from vampires, werewolves, killer bugs, and all kinds of beasts. Weapons have infinite ammo, but special attacks require a cooldown period. It’s fun and simple with challenging combat and fantastic boss fights. Your skill tree and weapon upgrades add an extra layer of entertainment value with visceral bloodshed. I really enjoyed this game, although some people might feel otherwise. It’s a short, linear adventure that costs $60. Evil West lacks an open world environment, side missions, an expansive story, or well crafted characters. So, it might not meet the standards of modern releases. Furthermore, Evil West has audio problems, such as a recurring crackling noise in some levels. This game also has questionable choices with bright colors. Many environments are overloaded with bright reds and yellows that are harsh on the eyes. Evil West isn’t a perfect game by any means, but it’s fun and worth playing. If you’re not a fan of narrative single-player games, this one won’t make a difference. Players either appreciate this style of gaming or they prefer other choices. You might want to wait for a sale if $60 sounds too steep. I ordered a physical edition of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from Limited Run Games and played it for the first time. At this point, I’m failing to understand why this game was such a hit during the PlayStation 2 era. Like a couple more games on this post, The Force Unleashed is a single-player adventure with linear traversal. I won’t be hard on the graphics because this game was originally released in 2008. Now you can play it on the Nintendo Switch, although the game hasn’t aged very well. The gameplay is repetitive yet awkward. I’m surprised to see a lack of enemy variety, locations, and weapons. The Force Unleashed has a decent number of force powers and upgrades. However, combat feels frustrating because enemies swarm the protagonist in massive quantities. So, it’s like a power fantasy and annoying at the same time. The Force Unleashed has a lot of quick time events and you have to execute them perfectly to defeat every boss character.
Who is the target audience for this game? I suppose it’s a gift for hardcore Star Wars fans who played these games when LucasArts was still operational. There was a time when the market was almost oversaturated with Star Wars games. It all came to an end when LucasArts was closed and the Star Wars brand was licensed to other studios. I doubt many gamers will feel nostalgic about this one. In fact, Star Wars fans might see this game with rose tinted glasses. Suddenly, it might not feel so great if you’re playing it on the Switch. The gameplay is adequate, but the story and repetition have something to be desired. I don’t remember this game’s price and it doesn’t matter. The Force Unleashed isn’t a good title for modern audiences. It might be okay for gamers who grew up playing Star Wars titles from several years ago, but that’s a niche market. I’m sure many gamers moved on to different franchises, styles, and genres. You’ve officially reached the end of my final post in 2022. Now we get to start over with brand new topics for next year. I don’t have any long term plans, so most of my topics will be spontaneous. At some point, I’ll cover my favorite video games of 2022. I still need to review God of War: Ragnarok, Bayonetta 3, The Callisto Protocol, and New Tales from the Borderlands. Most likely, I’ll cover them in January. Some of these games are pretty long and I’m simply not done yet. Have fun at your New Year’s Eve parties and gatherings! Be safe and I’ll see you in 2023!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2019
Categories |