2022 will be a slow year for gaming, but by no means a bad year. This year, I’ve spent a lot of time playing games I’ve never seen myself play before, and finally got my hands on some games I’ve been waiting for. Bottom line, it’s been a fantastic year for horror games and reveals, which I’ll always devour eagerly.
However, in the middle of it all, I experienced something I didn’t expect; I fell in love with the Pokemon series all over again.
Pokemon Scarlet – Nintendo Switch
My personal game of the year for 2022 is Pokemon Scarlet. The release of Pokemon Sword and Shield in 2019 left me with a sour taste, seeing me step away from the Pokemon series for a while. While it may be a series primarily aimed at kids, Pokemon also has a large adult fan base, and Pokemon Shield is a real hit when it comes to hand-holding. By the third gym, I couldn’t take it anymore and never looked back.
That is, until Pokémon Legends: Arceus came out. To me, it wasn’t a top-notch Pokemon game, but it set the stage for brilliant games to come, and that’s what we received with Pokemon Crimson and Violet at launch. I’ll be the first to admit that the quality of the game is really bad, but, with Pokemon involving the most ridiculous bugs and glitches, it actually became part of the fun for me.
Now, that’s no excuse for Game Freak and Nintendo to release a game in this state. Other than that, though, it’s the most fun experience I’ve had in a Pokemon game since Pokemon X, and the open world shows great promise for where the series can go with some extra TLC. With that, and a new focus on the Pokemon Trading Card Game, I’ve had enough. New Pokemon, traversal mechanics, even a picnic for my Pokemon party; I love where everything is going with Pokemon gameplay and can’t wait for more.
Back in 2019, I never would have expected this to happen.
Vagrant – PC
My Game of the Year runner up has to be Stray, which I’ve been patiently waiting for since it was announced many years ago. So, when it arrived and it was more than I expected, I was overjoyed. I struggled with this review, trying to find words that could explain the magic of this game, but I still feel like nothing I said did this wonderful cat game the justice it deserves.
Stray is the perfect playground for cats. The most beautiful cyberpunk environments are full of detail and charming robotic NPCs, full of objects to topple, ledges to climb, and naps. But the game is about much more than immersing yourself in the life of a cat in a strange world.
Stray tells a story of loss and friendship, and often reminds you how important animals are to humans, or at least entities that mimic humans. Our protagonists have enormous responsibilities, but their adventures are flawless as they use their feline dexterity to bridge the gap between these lost civilizations and find their way home. Stray made me walk away feeling more considerate of those around me and made me browse cat adoption sites…
Stray was the only game this year that made me cry, and it didn’t take long, but the story it told and the message it hid hit me like no other game this year.
Signalis-PC
When we were discussing our Game of the Year as a team, video producer Jim Trinca thought my game was “grim, or downright scary, with nothing in between,” and rightfully so. Signalis is the latter.
A week after Silent Hill Transmission announced several Silent Hill games, including a remake of Silent Hill 2, I’m hungry for some of Konami’s best. I chose Silent Hill 2 for my PS2…but I found myself playing Signalis. Although it’s a very different game with pixel art and robots, it draws huge inspiration from early 20th century survival horror.
As Elster, you walk through hallways filled with hostile Replika enemies, almost like a Silent Hill nurse, and one of the bosses you face is basically a reinterpretation of Silent Hill 2’s flesh-lipped enemies. This, combined with the industrially synthesized soundtrack, makes Signalis the best Silent Hill game, and honestly, it’s not even a Silent Hill game.
Like a good Silent Hill game, Signalis will screw you over. It breaks the fourth wall, frustrates you with puzzles, and ultimately, it’s one of the best horror games I’ve played in years. With a short runtime and a slot on Xbox Game Pass, I can’t recommend Signalis more to the horror fans among us.
2022 is sure to be something. I also spent a lot of time suffering from an Elden Ring hangover after playing the game straight for a month, before moving on to Kirby and Forgotten Land soon after. Those two games were easily my Game of the Year picks, but in the end, Pokemon, Stray, and Signalis took the top spot.
As for next year, I have high hopes. I can finally play Resident Evil 4 Remake and hopefully jump into Replaced, a pixel art sci-fi platformer shown at The Game Awards that looks pretty cool.
