Last year, I wrote a summary of all the games I played in 2021. It was one of the ways of coping with the stress I deal with at work. And I like games. And writing. And writing about games. And digressing.

Two does not yet make for a series, but I’d like to continue the idea, and maybe I can turn it into one. So, here is my gaming year 2022 in review. I am not yet confident that I have nailed the format, so this blog post will differ in style from the inaugural version. I will start with a bit of story mode, as I am wont to do. Afterward, I’ll present the games in the order I started (or finished?) them. We’ll see. Lastly, I’ll reveal my Game of the Year in 2022.

AND DON’T YOU DARE JUMP AHEAD WITHOUT READING THE REST!

About That PC Master Race

Last year, I banished all gaming PCs from my household and was happy with it. For a while, at least. Not many people read my Kena Bridge of Spirits review, but I enjoyed that game on a PC, not a PlayStation. So yeah, I caved and built myself another of those giant money pits. I once again succumbed to the elitist side of video gaming based on two factors, both of which have to do with controller input. I shared my frustrations in a separate blog post (Why are Some Console Game Controls so Terrible?). It was not an easy decision to purchase a computer again, and although I feel my reasoning is sound, I still have doubts.

(What else is new?)

For one, controller input handling is so messed up sometimes that it makes a game unplayable for me. Take the latest Plague Tale Requiem as an example. It is just as bad as its predecessor, and were it not for the PC, I could not make myself play it. The second piece of the puzzle is my struggle with RSI. I noticed this while making a name for myself in Cyberpunk 2077. During every gaming session, after about an hour and a half, I had to decide whether to continue, which I very often wanted, or to put down the controller and rest my hands. It boiled down to playing long and then not playing anything for another week because of pain or playing only in short bursts but several times a week.

This is a sucky situation, especially during holidays when I have much more time.

For the curious, the PC is a Core i5 12400F with an RTX 3060. I went as affordable as possible, given the market, while still picking quality components.

I still use the Xbox, mainly for coop, because that’s where my sister and I play now. Depending on my mood, I choose a console or PC for single-player titles. Using Game Pass, I can mostly choose freely where to play in Microsoft’s ecosystem. Do I want to sit at a desk or be a potato on a couch? In an ideal world, all games on the Microsoft platform support cross-progression, and I can pick and choose as I want and continue the same game where I left off.

Lastly, I also got my hands on a PS5 shortly before the year ended. A major German retailer offered several pre-order bundles with one of two games – for the correct price, mind you. I went with the PS5 disc version and God of War Ragnarök. After only a short time with the hardware, I think I can play with the Dual Sense controller. It is a little taller than the PS4 controller, making it more comfortable. However, I still prefer the Nacon Revolution Pro 2, but Sony does not want PS4 controllers to work in PS5 games. I assume there are so many new buttons on the new Dual Sense that… Oh wait, there aren’t. Thanks for arbitrary backward compatibility, Sony. New rumble features do not count when I can disable them anyway.

Guerilla Games basically made this decision to buy a PS5 for me by releasing the Horizon Forbidden West DLC only on the current generation of consoles.

While still on this topic, I replaced the much-lauded Xbox controller with an aftermarket solution from Nacon that feels a bit better in my hands. The quality is mediocre for the price, and the materials feel cheap, though.

(The woes of an old man with decrepit hands 🧟.)

How ‘Bout Them Games on Hold?

Last year’s on-hold list contained a few items I want to touch on briefly. Yes, you read that right: briefly.

As a refresher, here’s the list:

• Tomb Raider 2013 (Series X).
• It Takes Two (Series X).
• Minecraft Dungeons (PC).
• The Outer Worlds (Series X).
• Wasteland 3 (Series X).

I think all of those games might as well make their way to the list of aborted titles. I could see how we could maybe pick up Wasteland 3 in coop again. And that is solely because the number of interesting story-driven coop titles is very short.

Let’s Play Games

I am trying to go in the order I started playing the games. It won’t be exact, as I never wrote down any dates. There may be some overlap since I have played several on my own and others with my sister in coop or by being in the same room.

Let me bring out a big gun first.

Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4 Pro)

Technically, I started in 2021, so I am already cheating. But I finished the base game plus the Frozen Wilds in January 2022. Like with the Gears universe, I adore the world and the characters Guerilla Games has conceived. The introduction to my review already spoils my love for the game.

Best. End-of-the-World Story. Ever.

Read my review to learn how the world ended (I am actually not spoiling anything).

The Gunk (Xbox Series X)

I enjoy many triple-A blockbusters, yet this nugget was released in early 2022 on Game Pass.

The Gunk is a fun little 3^rd-person adventure platformer with a simple combat mechanic, some puzzle-solving, and storytelling through the communication of two friends. It is a short game, about five hours, and very enjoyable. I liked the colorful visuals (60 fps), and the voice acting was top-notch. The latter is very important since The Gunk contains a lot of spoken dialogue.

If Powerwash Simulator is too simplistic for you, give The Gunk a try. The game contains many similar zen-like moments cleaning the world of gunk, and it intersperses them with puzzles, some light combat, and a story about the alien planet the game takes place on.

Scarlet Nexus (Xbox Series X)

Scarlet Nexus is a tricky one. I absolutely enjoyed the diverse set of characters and the game’s story. The comic-like graphics added to the anime setting and over-the-top combat. The game tried to tell its story from the perspective of two characters that cross paths many times. This means you must play both storylines to get the complete picture. There is one big, fat caveat, though. The gameplay loop becomes dull rather quickly, especially since you repeatedly visit the same area for a slightly different purpose. The combat system does not feel good enough to overcome the groundhog-day level design. There is a high degree of level recycling, which gets boring fast in the second playthrough. The game is relatively long, ranging between 15 and 20 hours per campaign – between 30 and 40 hours in total.

Horizon Forbidden West (PS4 Pro)

And I’m back to a heavy hitter. Guerilla’s Horizon Franchise definitely dominated my 2022, and it will make another return later on my list.

Forbidden West improves upon the first game in almost every area. Some aspects are not ideal, as they fell prey to generic Open World design principles. The parts that count, though, are exceptional. Combat is more complex and flexible, and the depiction of conversations made such a jump that I see Forbidden West as the current benchmark in that category.

Read my review if you are angry with Sylens.

A Plague Tale Innocence (Xbox Series X)

Asobo Studios created a unique and engaging adventure with one of the most frustrating and infuriating controller input handling I have ever seen. The longer I played, the harder it was to find the motivation to continue weekend over weekend. And I am not alone in this opinion, as my sister shares the same sentiment. We took turns playing the game, yet we both agreed that it feels so horrible to control the camera that we ended up watching the last 40% or so on YouTube. Would you like to control the action when the camera feels like it is wading through a puddle of mudd?

(Recognize the reference? You’re old!)

A Plague Tale is a good game and best enjoyed with a mouse and keyboard. Foreshadowing!

(I do not have a screenshot, unfortunately.)

Trek to Yomi (Xbox Series X)

I really tried to like this one since I adored the art style. The gameplay became very frustrating, unfortunately. Enemy attack patterns are trivial to spot, but enemies can easily interrupt your attacks and deal damage through them, unlike your hero. On top of that, the game includes a ton of attack combos that it rarely explains. I had no clue about the benefits and weaknesses of each. There was a ridiculous amount of combos to memorize, and I didn’t even know what they did.

And if I recall correctly, the performance was horrible as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy (Xbox Series X)

Guardians is another game I have a love-hate relationship with, and you may start to notice a recurring theme. First, its controller input handling is terrible. I managed to somewhat work around it, but it never felt acceptable – more like borderline bearable. Secondly, the combat system was uninspiring. Peter’s damage output was laughable, and you must constantly advise your party members to use their powers. In a way, it is similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake, but way less engaging – I’ll get to FF later.

A part of the problem comes from how the shooting is implemented. As I mentioned, the damage Peter deals is meager. The other half is the flow of combat. All you do is run around enemies while the auto-aim locks onto your target. It looks ridiculous when Peter sprints toward the camera with his arms twisted behind his back while shooting at monsters. But since the controls are so imprecise, this lock-on aim assist is desperately needed. I cannot imagine an Uncharted shooting mechanic working in this game. It would be more fun with proper controls, though. Combat is also very reminiscent of The Avengers, meaning it is Action-MMO-like without being an MMO.

Now to the good part: the story and its presentation. Simply outstanding. It is a shame that the gameplay was so lackluster that I had to watch somebody else play it. The graphics performance wasn’t ideal, though. The only viable modes were the 30 fps options. It looks stunning, though.

Cyberpunk 2077 (Xbox Series X)

CD Projekt Red took its sweet time to optimize its latest masterpiece for the current generation of consoles. While performance is not ideal in all situations, it is good enough. Most importantly, it is stable in gun fights. Continuing my tale of controller woes, Cyberpunk 2077 does not go unmentioned. To CD Projekt Red’s credit, the input customization options are extensive, and you can tune the controller behavior to your liking. I merely found the default settings to be trash.

Once I resolved this issue, I enjoyed fantastic storytelling and characters in an enormous and breathtaking world.

Check my two reviews for detes (game review and ending review).

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

I purchased this twin-stick coop shooter together with its successor for a total of about four eddies. Because of other games, we haven’t finished either. But the games offer some fun action and light puzzle mechanics.

Life is Strange True Colors (Xbox Series X)

Thanks to Game Pass, this is my first time playing a Life is Strange game. And thanks to Game Pass, it wasn’t the only one of its kind. More later.

Games of this kind focus heavily on characters and stories and your decisions in specific situations. Depending on your choice, events down the road play out differently. Amidst all the action-oriented games I played, a calm and emotional adventure like this was very welcome, and I liked every part of it. The visuals were appropriate without trying to be too realistic. The voice acting was on point, which is vital in such a title.

If you have the option, give it a try. You experience an equal amount of delightful and emotional moments.

Chorus (Xbox Series X)

I have seen previews of this space-flight shooter and was immediately interested. Chorus has a strong story focus, something I am always looking for. Unfortunately, the space-shooty gameplay could not win me over. It became boring quickly, and I fear I will also not like the supposedly excellent Star Wars Squadrons.

While it wasn’t my jam, I cannot find anything objectively against it. I did not spend too much time in the game to properly evaluate the quality of its story or missions.

Tell me Why (Xbox Series X)

Here we have the second entry of the Life is Strange type of game. The story focuses on a brother and a sister coming back together after a long time to sell the place where they grew up. The central topic revolves around one of the characters being transgender and the issues he faces now and has faced in the past.

Just like Life is Strange, this game is very emotional. While I liked it and devoured it in just a few sessions, I prefer Life is Strange. By no means does Life is Strange True Colors have a fun story at its core. However, its core subject is socially less provocative. There is less room for emotional conflict, if that makes any sense. Despite their love for each other, there was palpable tension between the two siblings in Tell me Why. Depending on how you play, you can resolve this, of course.

I like both games and commend Dontnod for gracefully addressing and handling such a topic.

Edge of Eternity (Xbox Series X)

I liked the characters and how the developers tried to tell a story. The visual presentation was extremely outdated but bearable enough. However, the combat was utterly boring. There was no pumping music or flashy sound effects to accentuate the on-screen events. The adventure was over after about an hour.

Weird West (Xbox Series X)

Like Edge of Eternity, it felt hollow. There were almost no voiceovers and only a few western ambient sounds. It felt sterile and unengaging to be in the game. The game spammed me with many pop-up messages early on and many “Press A to continue” prompts – after every loading screen.

I was hoping for an entertaining twin-stick shooter that also allowed for a tactical and stealth approach. Unlike Edge of Eternity, I actually put in a couple of hours. As much as I tried, I could not find the cowboy feeling rise in me. So I did not follow the man in black across the desert.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4 Pro)

I teased this game earlier, and here it is. I knew the combat mechanics were a bit weird, so I tried the demo first. Combat was challenging, and learning to control it proved quite complex. Therefore, I started watching on YouTube, but I quickly realized how good the story and character development was. I wanted to play that for myself, so I tried the demo again, on Easy difficulty this time. It was too easy but allowed me to enjoy the game by myself. I switched difficulties many times during my playthrough but tried to go with Normal as much as possible.

Final Fantasy shares a few ideas with the Guardians combat system. For one, regular attacks only deal reduced damage and mostly serve to pass the time until you can use the powerful special moves. In Guardians of the Galaxy, you wait for timeouts to pass; in Final Fantasy, you fill your “ATB Gauge” using regular attacks. Despite that, Final Fantasy feels like you have more control over the combat, irrespective of how chaotic it can be. Since it is mostly close-combat based (excluding Barret), you get to be more active than just pressing the “Fire” button and letting auto-aim do its work.

I wish the game had a tactical mode that paused the action. Navigating the tiny menu in the bottom left in the heat of a battle is cumbersome.

Both combat systems had their problems, and Final Fantasy also included some offputting sequences like the bike racing against giant tanks or aerial enemies. I understand the underlying system and its goal, and I think the idea is pretty cool. Many combat sequences, though, bosses especially, turn into an endless war of attrition and resolve, seemingly never ending, even on the easy difficulty.

Final Fantasy’s story was absolutely incredible, though. I enjoyed the cinematic cutscenes, the characters, their voice actors, and the fantastic soundtrack. There is so much to like here. If only the combat were slightly more accessible. I’m unsure what I will do once the second part of the remake is released.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Couch-Coop (Xbox Series X)

Shredder’s Revenge was a fun and short game we finished in couch-coop on new year’s eve as a trio. The game contains enough “trash talk” and commentary by the characters to make it feel alive. It does not suffer the Weird West fate. The game has exactly the right length and can be finished in one sitting. TMNT was a good title to get some variety and relief from the giant AAA games.

I do not see it as the ultimate super game as some retro enthusiasts do. It was entertaining, a reminder of my younger years, and that’s about the extent of it.

Uncharted – The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4 Pro)

The PlayStation version of Tomb Raider, and one might argue the better one. But, as always, it depends on which type of game you prefer. Both are unique in their own right. Uncharted is a synonym for shooting hundreds of enemies and shameless destruction of all these ancient archeological marvels. And some frustration with the controls 😉.

Read my review if you want to go on a demolition spree. It’s short and sweet for a change.

Kena Bridge of Spirits (PC)

Kena is a game I have wanted to play for quite some time but never purchased for the PlayStation. After I built the PC after the one-year hiatus, it was the first title I picked up. And it was very much worth it. Kena has a Souls-like combat system – although I suspect it is not as hard as a Souls game – and is wrapped inside a Pixar movie-like story and matching graphics. I hoped for a fun game, and Kena did not disappoint. It was definitely one of this year’s highlights.

Read my review for all the adorable cuteness.

Stray (PC)

PC-palooza, or so it seems. Another PlayStation exclusive I played on the PC. Next to Kena, Stray is such an adorable and exciting adventure. Who would’ve thunk that playing a regular cat as the protagonist could be such fun? I thought about writing a review, yet I never found the motivation to do so. I was having A Productive Day. Stray is full of attention to detail. You can drop things from ledges. You can meow at “people” and see their reactions. You can stuff your head into a paper bag, inverting the controls, and gain the Curiosity killed the Cat achievement. Or you can just lie down and sleep.

Besides all that catty stuff, you get to explore a city and uncover what happened to the “people” living there. Do it and be a cute kittie.

Metal Hellsinger (Xbox Series X & PC)

Metal is my jam, and a game focused solely on delivering double-bass and vicious growls certainly caught my attention.

My first experience on the Xbox was horrible. The controls are way too inaccurate to stay on beat and aim with a controller. Additionally, you cannot change the fire action to a button that immediately triggers. The right trigger has a lot of travel before anything happens, which messes with the timing.

On a PC with a mouse and keyboard, the experience was much better. It takes a lot of practice, and focusing on shooting, evading, and hitting the beat is very challenging and requires quite an amount of concentration. Unfortunately, this was too much for me to enjoy for several hours. I felt constantly confined, like claustrophobia, because I could not act on my terms. It’s an excellent game, and the inclusion of the music is outstanding. Sadly, it’s just not for me.

As I usually do when something interests me that I do not really want to play, I went to the YouTubes. At one point, I was in the kitchen chopping veggies to the beat 🤘🏻. That worked, oddly enough.

Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox Series X)

Earlier I mentioned Tomb Raider in the Uncharted section, so I guess I must reference Uncharted in the Tomb Raider section. With that out of the way, I am happy to report that the controls are slightly better than in the 2013 reboot – good enough to play to the end. I had an inkling to play myself, but I mostly finished it a second time for my sister. She has some gaming knowledge gaps 😉.

Rise of the TR is probably the best entry of the rebooted series. The most unfortunate part is the choice of locations. Although the graphics tech looks good, you spend a lot of time in the white snow or muddy and gray areas.

A Plague Tale Requiem (PC)

Holy crap, does this game look breathtaking. And holy crap does it eat hardware for breakfast. My 3060 is hard at work with DLSS set to the Balanced Mode and most visual settings adapted to the medium position. Despite that, it is still a treat to behold. Sadly, controller handling is just as horrific as in the predecessor, which is why I am playing on my PC. I haven’t finished the game yet, but I am roughly 55% through, and I am curious about how the story plays out.

I enjoy the larger areas with more options to get from A to B, and, once again, the storytelling is exceptional. I must mention Charlotte McBurney, the voice of Amicia, who is doing such an outstanding job. The breadth of her performance is unbelievable, and I think she was robbed of the Best Performance award at the Video Game Awards show. I am not downplaying Christopher Judge’s work. I just think she was much better.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Xbox Series X)

Continuing with the Tomb Raiders, the last one standing is the Shadow. We’re still pretty early in the game because I am relatively uninterested at the moment. It is similar to RotTR, with prettier visuals because of more attractive locations and a much more enormous scope and stuff to find. This is also the game’s biggest downside, as it is too much. In addition, many of the journals you find help to build the lore of the place you are at, but they do not contribute to the story like in the previous games. The core gameplay loop is the same, yet it feels more daunting because of the unnecessary fluff. Classic scope creep.

Horizon Zero Dawn (PC)

As I said, I love the Horizon franchise. As such, I revisited part one on a PC with 70+ fps. While the PS4 Pro version played perfectly at 30 fps, the additional visual information you get contributes so much to the perceived level of detail. The fluidity of animations reveals so much more of the effort and love the devs have put into the game. I cannot wait to experience Forbidden West on the PS5. Not only will it run at 60 fps, but it will also be graphically so much more stunning.

Zero Dawn’s PC port started a bit rocky. The version I played at the end of 2022 was almost flawless. With the inclusion of DLSS, I could crank everything to eleven and still get a stable framerate at 1440p. When I lowered details a little, my rig also managed a steady 60 fps at 4K with DLSS set to the Balanced mode. It was quite a treat to enjoy it this way on my TV.

The game also supports hot-swapping between a gamepad and a mouse + keyboard. You can even hot-plug gamepads if you want. I used an Xbox and a PS4 controller, and the game updated the button prompts accordingly. Kudos!

Halo Infinite Coop (Xbox Series X)

The last game of 2022 that is worth mentioning. I finished the campaign in single-player mode at the end of 2021. At that time, I was convinced that Halo Infinite was best suited for coop sessions, and now that the online coop mode is finally out, I know I was correct.

All the boring Open-World traversal is a blast with a buddy in the Warthog firing at random 💩. The integration of the story in the coop mode is as you would expect. Once a cutscene is triggered, both players are dropped into the cinematic, and when it is over, you get control back. The connection has always been stable, and we have never experienced any random drops or latency issues. Halo Infinite even supports cross-play. Once or twice I played on my PC while my sister was on her Xbox. This is the way to play Halo.

Read my review if you want to finish this fight.

Who’s the King?

Before I drop this bomb, let me quickly state that my pick is based on the games I played in 2022, not the ones released this year. My game list is all over the place, and selecting the top title based on its release in 2022 wouldn’t be much of a competition.

My strongest candidates are Horizon Forbidden West, Cyberpunk 2022, and Kena Bridge of Spirits.

In 3^rd place would be the neon-yellow-purple giant that is Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 has one of the best storytelling and character writing I have experienced this year. Its atmosphere is incredible, and the music contributes perfectly. Unfortunately, the gameplay weighs down these positive elements to some degree. It never felt satisfying enough for me to want to do more than the major storylines. I had fun, and I strongly recommend this game. It just was not enough to get past Kena.

Second place this year is Pixar Movie the game: Kena and her Rot friends. Compared to Cyberpunk, the story is not as engaging and emotional. It is lighter and more family-friendly. The other parts of Kena Bridge of Spirits are engaging, however. It is an overall more well-rounded experience. It was such a joy to explore the world, solve environmental puzzles, and experience challenging combat. Oh, did I forget to mention all the adorable animations and interactions and the attention to detail? Kena was such a surprise and an absolute blast to play. Therefore, it only had to bow before Aloy and her machine-hunting skills.

As we know, Aloy does not bow – and so she wins. In all seriousness, Horizon Forbidden West is a superb game, and my 100 hours are a testament to that. When I sum up all my time in the two Horizon games this year, I accumulated well over 200 hours of machine hunting, Cauldron exploring, and Tallneck climbing. And I plan to do it all over again on the PS5 – provided I can handle the controller ergonomics. Horizon is a puzzle of many pieces, and all fit together nicely. The world, the characters, and the stories are outstanding. The combat is challenging and flexible. Audio quality and voice acting are top-tier, and the visual presentation is, without question, one of the best showings this year, considering visual fidelity and playability. And that goes for all platforms. Remember, I only played the PS4 Pro version.

Well done, Guerilla Games. Please continue to refine the experience and deliver us more such great games. I hope that the success of the Horizon games does not turn it into a Star Wars universe where every janitor is getting their own story. I’m fed up with Star Wars and do not want to feel the same way about the Horizon games.

Famous Last Words

Last year I played 39 games based on my 2021 review. A handful I put on hold, and I aborted even more. This year I counted 25 titles. I think I managed to avoid the duds more successfully, but I also encountered other challenges, like the controller woes I mentioned. My game selection is more diverse, I would say. I’ve played triple-A monsters, but I added some smaller productions or genres I have never played before, like Life is Strange.

Next year will probably be big for gamers in general. I do not even recall close to everything that is supposedly coming out. I am not interested in all of them. Right now, I only want to play Horizon Burning Shores. That’s the only new game I am interested in at the moment. No surprise there, right? I’d like to finish Plague Tale Requiem and maybe Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Other than that, I’d like to fill some knowledge gaps in my sister’s gaming history and maybe tackle Half-Life 2, Mafia Remake, and the recent single-player Wolfensteins.

In coop-land, we currently have Diablo 2 Resurrected on the menu, and the Lego Skywalker Saga is also on the shortlist. Apart from that, I have no idea what else to play. Maybe we’ll give Gotham Knights a shot, hoping its flaws are less noticeable in coop (like Halo Infinite).

I think I’ll leave it at that. Maybe I’ve given you some gaming ideas?

Thank you for reading and indulging my musings.