There have been no lack of good games this year. So, we took the time to put down our main recommendations of games that came out this year. Yes, this will include some DLC releases, but it does require that they be substantial to qualify (20+ additional hours of content).

 

Pokemon Legends Arceus (January)

This was a very different Pokemon game in a few regards. Pokemon roam freely and will attack the Survey Corps Member you play as. You are thrown back in time by Arceus. Coming from the Modern day, you are less afraid of Pokemon and more readily see them as helpers. So many of the people are simply scared of even the most mundane of Pokemon. In completing requests and helping people understand Pokemon, they become more accustomed to their presence and see their usefulness. The perfect set of requests to demonstrate this is the farmland inside the Village. You can only expand the fields by bringing in particular Pokemon to lend to the farmers there. It's only with their help that the farmers can reach the full 4 fields. There are also the Research Objectives that you have to complete. Having to level up your understanding of the Pokemon is one of the biggest things. Before I've never been challenged to do particulars with Pokemon in quite the same way (and actually get a “material” reward for the effort).

 

The battle system also got a fun little change with the “Move Mastery” system. As your Pokemon Level Up, the moves they natually learn will be “mastered”. This allows you to choose between the Agile and Strong style. Agile-Style moves are faster with less power, meaning you can gain turns in the battle order. Strong-Style moves are slower with more power. With status effect moves like Hypnosis, the effect changes, with Agile-Style losing some duration while Strong-Style gains duration. Both usually improve accuracy a little as well.

 

Mix in the moderate emphasis on Stealth throughout this game and you've got something very different. Opposed to Pokemon hiding from you, you are hiding from the Pokemon. This allows for some easy catches when using the right Balls for the right situation (as always), but also adds a new challenge for you when trying to find and catch a skittish Pokemon, like Togepi.

 

This is the recommended Pokemon game of the year. More so than Violet and Scarlet, which are still solid, but don't quite reach the same heights of being unique.

 

Elden Ring (February)

Something not always apparent is that I like the Soulsborne Games. I enjoy the tactical challenging combat. Given there's a Let's Play of Dark Souls on our Youtube channel, there's at least a hint of it. Elden Ring takes all this in a new direction. The controls continue to evolve, giving you more control and taking influence from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Dodging and Parrying are more important than blocking to survive in the fight. Even more than that is the VAST world to explore. There is no lack of secrets or lore to find throughout the vast, vast world. This makes it harder to give any real summary without a LOT of spoilers. But it a recommended game.

 

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen (February)

This is the other game which is the reason why I'll include the DLC caveat. The Witch Queen was the Destiny 2 Expansion for the year. Not only was there a substantial campaign to playthrough (on normal and Legendary difficulties), lots of secrets were added with Savathun's Throne World. So, summary, Mars has reappeared (it vanished about 2 years about along with Io, Titan, and Mercury(sort of)) because of the Darkness. From this temporal disruption, we have gain access to the Queen of Lies throne world. The biggest twist here is that the Hive have gained the Light. Somehow Savathun was chosen as a Light Bearer after the events in Season of the Lost. Along with the new Exotic Weapons, we gained the ability to craft weapons. Originally with a lot of components, it got simplified down to 2 things, Resonant Element and Ascendant Alloy. On top of that, we saw the revision of ALL the Light Subclasses with Solar, Void, and Arc 3.0. Everything is now FAR more customizable than ever. Adding in that much makes it a very distinct new era within the game.

 

We also got the Vow of the Disciple Raid, the remastered King's Fall Raid. The Vow of the Disciple is easily the most technical raid in the game. There are a lot of mechanics and a vast number of call-outs with all the unique symbols that it has. It was also the first Raid to heavily feature the newest race: the Scorn. King's Fall was my favorite raid in Destiny. I went out of my way to complete it EVERY WEEK that I could with every character that I could. The atmosphere, the challenges, the lore and the secrets were all things that I loved about it. The best part of it coming back is that all that was improved upon. The fights were completely retooled, the challenges remade, and a few new secrets were added.

 

We got the Duality and Spire of the Watcher dungeons as well. I haven't played through Duality, but it's twin world mechanic is very unique and offers a lot of challenge. Plus, Claus is a low key character I love learning about. The entirety of this dungeon is Calus telling us “his story.” Plus, having Eris Morn as a lead character is usually a good thing. Spire of the Watcher I fell in love with very quickly. The Circuit sequences take some practice to really execute and it's rewarding to be able to pull it off in the heat of the intense fire fight you are usually in.

 

All in all, this remains my “MMO” of choice. With it being free to play, its easy enough to join in.

 

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (March)

Little know fact, that the founders of GameShampoo met playing TTRPG's. A mutual friend brought us together by having us both in a Mutants and Masterminds campaign and our own friendship grew out from there. Mix in the break out successes we've had with the Borderlands Guides we've written, and this game was a shoo-in for our list. It does keep the core Borderlands experience of going for rare and unique guns, with a bit more emphasis on melee than any of the previous games. On top of that, you have stats to manage on top of the class skills you select. Even more, you can multi-class! These expansions to how anything in Borderlands plays make it a very different title. The “outside” characters of Frette, Valentine, and Tiny Tina make for a great trio of commentary. It's you as the Fatemaker making all the big choices, except for hunting for Seawarg teeth in one... really would have done that. They play off each other very well. Tina's role as “Bunker Master” is very fitting as she crafts the massive world of the Wonderlands. It is a lot of fun to explore. You have random encounters, dungeons to take on, shrines to complete for bonuses. The ways you can improve your loot luck are there as well. You can get permanent buffs as well as items that help it as well. The grind of the game itself isn't bad, but it doesn't do much to iterate on what we've had before.

 

It is a good game with a lot to offer. The biggest problem has been the DLC. They've all been small, not really expanding a lot on the core gameplay. The best one was the most recent and that was because we got the Blightcaller class added to the game. Getting a few weapons and cosmetics are nice, but just adding in a new grind isn't always going to be something to keep people interested in the game. The core game has been really fun to play because of the small changes. The DLC, not quite as much. It's something I'd recommend renting somehow, or watching some Let's Play footage to see if it's something for you. If you want the DLC, the season pass remains the better deal when it's on sale. If you just want the Blightcaller, just get “The Shattering Spyglass.” But I will say, that character who is the narrator for the DLC is amazing! That does make it a bit more disappointing, but there is some hope in it.

 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade (June)

I really liked playing through Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It took the Midgar section of FF7 and expanded it into something far beyond what the original was. On top of that, the original timeline has effectively been shattered. Everyone is on a completely different path now. Intergrade adds a little more to the core game with some additional cutscenes. Where it's really got everything is in the Intermission. This explores what Yuffie Kisaragi, a member of the Wutai Ninja clan, was doing while the main party was going through the main events. She arrives in Midgar to meet with her partner, Sonon. The pair fight through Shinra security in search of the “Ultimate Materia” that Shinra has been developing in secret. Sonon has an idea of where to find it. A lot of the systems remain unchanged from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is a good thing. We see that they get expanded a bit with Yuffie's ninja arts and the synchronization attacks with Sonon. This game is one of the reasons by I said there would be DLC. It very much is DLC, but even without its attachment to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, it would be a solid stand-alone game.

 

Stray (July)

Stray was one of the games I was personally just waiting for. As soon as it released, I was playing it. This is a third cat platforming game with some light action. There is feline death possible throughout the game with an achievement tied to dying 9 times. More than anything though, it's a heart-felt story. There is just a LOT being told throughout the game with B-12, the Cat and the various robots that you help out. The cat wants to make their way back to the surface after they get separated from the group thanks to some bad luck. The winding path back has plenty to take in with B-12 and the cat. Plus, being able to play a game as an Orange tabby is simply amazing. Stray has plenty to offer with its low-key music, and simple controls. You can get through it in 2-5 hours without much difficulty. There are a few spikes to deal with, mostly when you need to run or sneak. But it is a highly recommended game. Especially for cat lovers. Plus making it all the way to the ending gives you something truly amazing.

 

Vampire Survivor (October)

This game falls under a weird set-up. It entered early release in 2021. At the low price tag of $3, it was an absolute steal for everything that it offered. The price has gone up to $5, and it's still a bargain for everything you get this game. It's a Rogue-Like Shoot'em up with an auto fire. All attacks work on a timer, firing at predictable intervals. You level up, choosing new support items and weapons from a limited random select, and continually battle your way through a never ending horde of monsters. It's as much about killing everything you can as it is managing your one key resource: Health.

 

Something amazing about the game is the pacing. You will die a lot on a fresh file. But as you unlock characters and purchase upgrades with the Gold you get in your runs, it gets easier and easier to reach the “time limit” of 30 minutes. New items unlock as you reach particular milestones in the game. It's all laid out in the achievements section, making it very possible to chase after characters or item unlocks. This game was original released in October for the MacOS and Windows. It got subsequent releases on Xbox in November and just earlier this month, a release on Android and iOS for FREE (it has ad support). Even better, the PC release just got the first DLC, Legacy of the Moonspell. This added a new map, that is truly massive to explore, new monsters, new characters, and new weapons. If there's a game I'll just want to play that isn't Destiny 2 right now, it's usually this (or Final Fantasy V). It's worth the $5-7 to get this game. The treasure chests jingle slaps very hard when you get the 5 items. The characters all offer a unique playstyle and it's easy to find favorites (looking at you Imelda, Arca, and Pugnala). No two games are the same in what you're trying to do. Definitely start off playing this blind to get a good feeling for the game. After a few runs, when you're curious about things, then look into the details of the unlocks and weapon evolutions. The game does a lot to help you out as you get the unlocks, including a grimoire that tracks the unlocked weapon evolution combinations you need. That's right, the weapons you get throughout the run can “evolve” into a more powerful version. By getting the combination of a weapon at level 8 and the right support item, you can open a chest and evolve the weapon. This vastly increases it power and goes a lot way toward making your characters monster slaying machines! When you get the right set-up there, it's easy to just enjoy running around and watching the numbers of up as the enemies fall over.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster

This one is just here as a note. It's a great classic JRPG. It's a massive cast, compelling story, an iconic villian... it was the defining Final Fantasy game until the release of Final Fantasy 7. Most would still say that FF6 outshines the original (but that isn't too hard to do with the NES release, now the subsequent releases...). All that aside, it is the pinnacle of the classic 2D Final Fantasy Games. If you want a solid 60+ hour classic epic adventure, this is the game for you.

 

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

There are a lot of games that are deserving of a modern release. One that had previously been left behind was this one, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. This is the modernization of a PSP port of the PS1, Valkyrie Profile. You're in control of Lenneth, 1 of 3 Valkyries. Ragnorak threatens the world and Odin has called you forth to bolster the forces of Asgard against the invading Vanir. The game takes place over 8 chapters, with limited time for Lenneth to roam Midgar to find worthy souls to ascend to Asgard and fight alongside the Aesir as Einherjar. Lenneth will “recruit” souls by finding them at the moment of their death. Then, with her and the other Einherjar, they much grow, learning skills needed by the Aesir to combat the Vanir.

 

With it's multiple endings, vast cast, cheesy voice acting, and outstanding soundtrack, it is a highly recommended game. There is a lot to learn playing the game but it is very much worth the effort. The difficulties can very much influence the game as well. 1 ending is unobtainable on the Easy difficulty. Of course, this is the “Canonical True Ending”, Ending A. The story's course has plenty of twists and turns with rare items to find and plenty of challenges to overcome. There is some very good post-game content as well with the Seraphic Gate, which requires a Hard Mode completion to get access to everything. It's a classic game, and easily one of the more valuable titles to own for the original Playstation.

 

Chrono Cross:The Radial Dreamers Edition

This is a game that was very deserving of a remaster. The “sequel” to Chrono Trigger, we go on an inter-dimensional journey, gathering a massive party along the way. You play as Serge, found in the El Nido tropical archipelago. It is a great story once again, but it didn't get quite the same level of attention as the first game. There are 45 characters that you can recruit across numerous playthroughs. There is some debate in regards to which is better, the PS1 version of the Remaster for Chrono Cross. This is because of Frame Rate issues. The PS1 game actually has better frame rates in numerous parts of the game. This can be rough on people who are big on that. Sometimes you won't notice but there are also times where it is going to be very obvious to everyone. But there is one other reason this game is getting a mention. This game has the first full official localization of Radical Dreamers. Mix in it was originally released for the Satellaview. That made it a very difficult game to get for a long time even for a Super Famicom game. But the rom got released and a Fan Translation was made. This visual novel was an attempt to flesh out an unresolved plot point in Chrono Trigger but also works to tie it to Chrono Cross with its cast of characters. It is a sprawling affair to go through, but it does its job very well.