Tom Kosiec- Freelance Content Writer

2022 gave gamers another incredible year for video games. Besides playing last year’s games, I spent 2022 catching up on older games. Such as Final Fantasy 7 Remake, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Read on for a summary of my favorite games I played in 2022.

God of War Ragnarok

For game value, God of War Ragnarok offers a 10 out of 10 experience. I recommend playing the 2018 GOW before diving into GOWR, though. Since GOWR builds upon the first game’s narrative and acts as a continuation of that story.

NOTE SPOILERS BELOW

What’s to like 

Compared to the first game, GOWR offers more variety in enemies, locations and weapons. Second, besides an axe and Kratos’ trusty chains, you get a spear. The new shield moves and circle cues make things more defensive. Which reminds me of Namco’s Soul Calibur series. Other standout moments include more epic boss battles than in the last game. I also enjoyed the fun side quests, which feel worthwhile. Since you gain critical health and combat upgrades to make combat easier. Finally, Richard Schiff steals the show with his outstanding performance as Odin. He has a friendly bad-guy demeanor comparable to Christoper Waltz in Spectre. 

What’s not to like? 

The game struggles to balance the open world with the linear design of early GOW games. For example, the events of Ragnorak get built up as a huge deal, but the plot’s not urgent. After a slow opening for GOW standards, you encounter Odin and Thor and then don’t see them for around 20 hours. GOWR also feels like the Last of Us Part II at times because you spend a good deal of the game not playing as Kratos. Unfortunately, while Atreus makes a compelling lead, he’s dull to play as during combat. Since he lacks the physical strength of Kratos and you take out most enemies by firing arrows. His jumping melee move rules, though. 

Other gripes? The game’s focus on the quantity of bosses versus memorable encounters. GOWR contains some cool epic one-on-one mini-boss fights early on in the story. However, the game reuses them in the second half too much. Instead of introducing new enemies, Kratos fights two minibosses at once most of the time. Lastly, the menu for armor selection desperately needs a revamp! The upgrade options in the menu don’t feel clear and took me out of the gameplay experience.

Despite my complaints, I enjoyed GOWR. Even though I prefer a 10-15 hour incredible linear action game to a pretty good 25-35 hour open world game. For the next GOW, the series needs another reboot to freshen things up again. How about Egypt mythology Sony Santa Monica?

Gran Turismo 7

Sony hits gold with number 7 in its premiere racing franchise. The graphics look stunning, and the cars feel amazing to drive. I love the idea of using a cafe for car introductions. Plus, getting a history lesson from professionals makes the single-player more exciting. The music track-style racing offers a fun diversion, too. A bummer you don’t get rewarded for finishing them like other single-player events, though. I didn’t finish the game, but I’m excited to return later this year, and the VR mode sounds incredible. 

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC

Another delicious helping of Cuphead, indeed. I finished the original game and loved it despite the difficulty. The best thing about the new DLC involves the removal of the frustrating platform levels. Instead, new encounters reliant on strong parry skills take their place. So far, it seems like a welcome improvement.

However, the most significant addition involves the new character, Ms. Chalice. Who adds a new dynamic to the game while acting as an easier nudge into Cuphead’s brutal difficulty. Like the last game, the DLC contains an easy mode to beat all the bosses. But to get the whole experience and ending, you must fight the bosses on normal difficulty.

You’ll want to since the bosses feature very imaginative combat encounters not seen in the easy mode. For example, one boss, you continue the fight inside their belly when you get eaten alive.

Cuphead can get frustrating fast, so to limit frustration, play in short sessions. Once you learn their attack patterns, it becomes second nature to dodge enemy attacks. I’m curious about what’s next for Cuphead or what new IP and genre the studio focuses on next.

Immortality

I loved Telling Lies and enjoyed Her Story, so I’m always excited to see Sam Barlow’s new work. From what I’ve played, Immortality doesn’t disappoint. It is definitely the most ambitious live-action FMV video game I’ve seen. I’m pleased to see it on Netflix for free too.

The gameplay works like Barlow’s previous games. But, instead of using a search bar, you pause the game to find clues in the environment. Such as a plant, facial expressions on actor’s faces and a film clapperboard. It’s very impressive the developers shot three whole movies for this game too. Revealing any more would ruin the surprises, so I recommend you give Immortality a try. Even if you don’t think it’s for you.

Echoes of Mana

Secret of Mana! My favorite video game besides The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. So this mobile spin-off that resembles a greatest hits collection excited me. Unfortunately, it contains gatcha from mobile games, and the art’s not as good. Instead, Echos of Mana uses high-resolution models of the old games. I prefer it over the Secret of Mana remake’s crappy graphics, though!

I enjoyed seeing old characters from the past game return, and the combat’s decent. It does get complicated, and playing earlier levels to power up feels grindy. The equipment and item usage do feel too cumbersome and lack the simple ring system of SOM. Still, as a Mana fan, I’m compelled to play more and at least finish the main story. Which I’ll have to do on YouTube since, unfortunately, the game’s servers recently shut down.

Thanks for reading. Besides the new Zelda and PlayStation VR2, I’m excited most for the Resident Evil 4 remake and Final Fantasy XVI. Microsoft’s lineup of Redfall, Forza and Starfield all show promise too. Bring on 2023 games!

Besides chronicling my favorite games from last year, I enjoy downloading game demos. It helps me control my urge to buy games right when they come out and at their most expensive. I appreciate that demos made a comeback recently, and even better, many of them let you carry over your save file to the main game. Read below for my thoughts on the best demos from 2020.

Trials of Mana 

This remake to the sequel to my favorite video game! The original release, while not perfect, remains one of the highlights of the Mana series, and the new gameplay changes make it even better. First, the graphics look gorgeous and don’t feel cheap, like the Secret of Mana remake. Second, the more detailed map alleviates the frustration of getting lost in the original release. Lastly, the core combat controls feel so much better with the improved 3D controls and expanded combos. I am looking forward to playing this one more to see how it compares to the original.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

I enjoyed the first Hyrule Warriors, which offered Legend of Zelda fan service in spades. This time the gameplay mirrors The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the graphics look fabulous. I appreciate the focus on the story, and the ample voice-acting helps bring typical modest TOZ story dialogue in a new way. The Hyrule champions and fan favorites like Impa make the combat feel fresh and give the usually repetitive Mosou games some much-needed variety. Another pleasant surprise includes the ability to play as the divine beasts for epic large-scale battles. If the entire game offers enough variety shown here in the demo, then this looks like one Zelda spin-off you won’t want to miss.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

One of my most anticipated games ever! I’m so happy Square Enix didn’t go the safe route with this game. They took liberties to put a new spin on Final Fantasy VII while remaining faithful to the original. The real-time combat mixed with turn-based commands, along with the stagger mechanic from Final Fantasy XIII, works great. Just from playing the demo, the voice acting and strong production feel leagues above the original. If Square Enix strikes a balance between remaining faithful to the original while modernizing the gameplay, this looks like one of the best videogame remakes yet.

Resident Evil 3

Reviews seem divided, but I enjoyed my time with the Resident Evil 3 demo. The RE Engine continues to do wonders, and the graphics look amazing. I enjoyed the nearly-hour demo and savored playing cautiously. Gathering supplies and eliminating enemies one by one makes taking on multiple zombies more manageable.

The original RE3 struck a nice balance between action and horror, so I’m glad to see a faithful remake. However, I’d like to see some more creative risks similar to the FF7 remake, which doesn’t seem like the case based on reviews and playing the demo.

One thing, though, that holds up well remains The Nemesis. Who feels as terrifying as ever and made this demo close strong. 

Thanks for reading, and be sure to give some of these demos a try later.

2020 sucked. Yet, video games provided people with joy when they needed it most. The industry continues to experience explosive growth and shows no sign of slowing down. More people played games than ever before for the first time too. Another bright spot included the launch of four new systems: the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S, the PlayStation 5, and the retro console Turbografx-16 Mini. Like past lists, I’ve highlighted games I’ve finished and not completed below. Enjoy and consider trying some of these games out for fun later.

GAMES I BEAT

Spider-Man: Miles Morales

I chose to get Spider-Man: Miles Morales with my shiny new PS5. Right off the bat, I’m impressed with the instant load times and beautiful ray tracing. Swinging around New York feels terrific too. I also enjoyed the venom powers and Mile’s camouflage ability since I like to play stealthily. The story moves quickly, and Miles rocks as a lead superhero. The game doesn’t feel bloated, and despite some over-reliance on combat, I found the game more consistently fun to play than 2018’s Spider-Man. 

Astro’s Playroom

Astro’s Playrooms astounds as a fantastic showcase of the PS5’s DualSense’s innovative controller capabilities. The four worlds each contain unique gameplay, and the music in the lobby makes you smile. AP’s also a fantastic nostalgic trip through PlayStation’s history. It’s worth a second play-through to collect all the PlayStation memorabilia. Highly recommended as the first game you play on PS5, and I hope Sony greenlights a full-fledged sequel similar to Portal 2.

Shovel Knight: King of Cards

Shovel Knight: King of Cards offers the most extensive campaign since the original and contains the most depth. The King of Cards plays differently than Shovel Knight, and you must master his spinning moves to succeed in SKKOC. In addition to the main adventure, each world map contains lots of content and tons of side levels. Seriously, don’t skip the medallions, or you’ll miss more gameplay!

I enjoy the world map too, which mimics Super Mario World with hidden shortcuts in the levels. In comparison, the airship where you upgrade abilities calls back to Mass Effect’s Normandy. All these extra touches extended my game length considerably. My only complaint involves the card game. Which I found boring. I’m glad you’re not required to engage with it though. I am excited to see what’s next for Yacht Club Games, and I hope Shovel Knight gets included in Super Smash Brothers someday.

Cadence of Hyrule

This game arrived in 2019 but received a physical release with all the DLC in 2020. So, I’m okay with adding it to my favorite video games of 2020. Cadence of Hyrule excels as a great Zelda spinoff with an excellent remix of classic Zelda tracks. I’m not a fan of the original Crypt of the Necromancer or most roguelikes since it means redoing levels over and over again. So I felt worried that I’d end up hating this game.

Luckily, COF includes save points and plays like Zelda, so my roguelike fears went away. Fixed Mode’s a godsend and not having to match attacks to the beats helps a lot. This game gets hard, like The Legend of Zelda II: Adventures of Link, but the Zelda atmosphere kept me playing.  Just like that game, I found collecting heart containers before doing dungeons made the game way more enjoyable. 

Enough with the bad, though. What I love about COF the most involves the callbacks to Link to the Past. Like LTTP, COF packs tons of secrets in a dense game world. The bosses offer a novel twist on traditional Zelda boss battles. Plus, you must use strategy to time your attacks and movement on the map, even in fixed mode. It’s almost like playing chess or Fire Emblem sometimes.

COF includes a meaty campaign that took me around 10 hours to find all the items/hearts and complete the game. Similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it does a great job of letting you explore independently.  But if you get lost, visiting a fortune teller points you in the right direction. I recommend this one if you enjoy Zelda games, even if you’re not a fan of most roguelikes. The Zelda touch and incredible remixed music make it worth the early frustration.

What the Golf? Post-game and DLC

My favorite Apple Arcade game that keeps giving and giving. What the Golf ? features an astounding amount of content! While I don’t think I’ll 100% it, I almost did everything. 

I immensely enjoyed the Olympic DLC, which themes the golf holes around Olympic events. Such as pole vaulting, hurdles, curling and more. While the Christmas DLC adds a lot with the dynamic of snow and the winter physics. I can’t wait for a sequel that improves upon the formula.

Super Mario Bro. 35

An exciting take on the battle royale genre with a clever Mario theme. I only played a little, but I enjoyed the concept. A shame that Nintendo put an expiration date on it, though. However, glad I played it, and definitely a fun way to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary.

There you have it, a sampling of my favorite games from 2020! Despite game delays, 2021 I’m most excited for Neo: The World Ends With You and hoping for an update on the sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Thanks for reading, and I hope you consider trying some of these games.

Due to other things in my life, I didn’t finish every game that came out last year. So I like to publish my honorable mentions for video games that I only played for a few hours and didn’t reach the ending point. Below you’ll find a sampling of these games I enjoyed and plan to finish later.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

A pretty barebones 35-year celebration collection, and disappointing that Nintendo didn’t do more to celebrate their most famous game character. Seriously, Nintendo make more of an effort than a simple HD resolution upgrade and include more bonus features besides a music selection. Mario’s incredible 3D game legacy deserves better, and why no Super Mario Galaxy 2? However, despite my complaints, owning three fantastic 3D Mario games bundled together on Switch still rocks. 

Super Mario 64 plays so much better on a proper analog stick over the DS version making this the definitive version for handheld. Super Mario Sunshine holds up with the innovative water-spraying dynamic reminiscent of Spaltoon, and I dream of a sequel one day. Lastly, Super Mario Galaxy remains a delight, and its creativity with each level ranks up there with the best 3D Mario games. Not the best way to celebrate 35 years of Mario, but for many Nintendo fans, everything here makes this an essential purchase.

Last of Us: Part II

A brutal video game experience. I’ve only played up to the halfway point, but my game time surpasses the original Last of Us’s total playtime. The sequel offers better stealth gameplay and reminds me of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, where you crawl through the grass a lot. The combat’s much better, too, and it feels more like Tomb Raider. I appreciate that I can fall back on explosive arrows when I get caught, or going the silent route isn’t an option either.

Also, similar to Uncharted: Lost Legacy, early on in the story, you explore an open world level. By doing all the sidequests, you gain new weapon upgrades and health packs. I did every optional sidequest to stand a chance against enemies in brutal encounters.

When I say brutal, I mean it. The Last of Us Part II makes you feel each kill, and the violence gets intense. I felt uncomfortable when dogs entered the mix. Since keeping Ellie alive sometimes means killing most of them. Fortunately, the dogs don’t show up too often.

Finally, I’m glad I didn’t rush to push to finish this game because of spoilers. This game’s story unfolds slowly, and your enjoyment improves if you take your time. I am excited to play the second half from Abbie’s perspective later.

Disco Elysium

I have a Mac, so I don’t play most PC games. However, after hearing all the rave reviews for Disco Elysium, I prioritized playing it. I appreciate how the gameplay reacts to your choices by making your character and gameplay experience unique. It contains a fascinating world, with fantastic writing and voice acting too that kept me playing.

My only sour spot involved a bug where I lost my save file with a Mac update. I only played about three hours in, so not the end of the world. Now that the newer version with more voice acting and better design improvements, I’m excited to return to this fascinating game later. 

Persona 5: Royale

I love Persona 3 and Persona 4 but have yet to play Persona 5 despite already buying it. Glad I waited for this enhanced edition, though, and from the 20 hours I’ve played so far, I’m impressed. This game oozes style. You feel like you’re in Tokyo with a slick presentation and strong voice acting. The last point feels especially welcoming after spending 2020 mostly at home. 

I’m pleased that the dungeon design feels vastly improved, and the combat offers more depth. Something that always felt dull in P3 and P4. The tutorials help make more sense of everything, and the UI design rocks. The grappling hook helps with dungeon navigation, and the seed upgrades give you more incentive to explore.

Lastly, my favorite part of Persona involves the social links system, which remains as good as ever. Also, I thought I’d prefer playing handheld as I did with P3 and P4, but I’m glad to play this on a big screen instead. That way, I soak in the HD visuals and hear the incredible music better. I am excited to dive into another 100 hours of P5 once I finish some more games.

Thanks for reading!

2019 went by in a flash and so did my gaming time! I didn’t play many new releases. I actually spent most of my time clearing games from 2018. Such as the Secret of Mana remake. Still, I did manage to finish one 2019 game and play three others. Read on for my impressions and recommendations.

GAMES I PLAYED

Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts 3 finally came out last year! I’ve only played up until the Tangled world but I’m enjoying my time with it. What a delight to go through Toy Story my favorite Pixar movie from a new perspective. It’s a bit too easy and button mashy even on Proud Mode though. Still, it’s a joy to explore Disney worlds. And while the story remains convoluted as ever it keeps me on my toes. With the DLC out, I’m more excited to dive back in and finish it this year.

Devil May Cry 5

Another game I’m only a few hours in to give a full verdict. I’m relieved that most of my concerns from the demo I played last year don’t bother me anymore. Enemies feel more formidable and combat feels easy to grasp. As always Devil May Cry games ooze style and DMC 5 continues this trend. I love Nero’s ability to switch out multiple arms to enhance his combat style. I’ve been savoring the game just one mission at a time between backlog games. That way I appreciate the combat and story more. However, what I’ve played feels promising and lives up to past DMC games.

What the Golf

What do you get when you mix Wario Ware and golf? What the Golf? A clever game that redefines how you look at golf. Some of the golf scenarios feel equally creative and ridiculous at the same time. Golfing with the actual putt. Using a cow as a golf ball. Exploding barrels and cars. Golfing in space with gravity physics. This game constantly impresses me with each course and makes me glad I invested in Apple Arcade.

THE ONE GAME  I FINISHED

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Ever wanted to star in a pop album? Sayonara Hearts lets you live that dream. The game reminds me of Rez and the touch screen works well on the iPad. I only struggled with one level. The one where you had to predict where obstacles appeared on the road randomly. The rest of the game feels sublime and I enjoyed playing it in one sitting after I beat it. Queen Latifya’s narration and the confident art style keep you engaged too. Don’t miss out on this incredible audio and visual experience.

That’s it for this year. Hoping to finish more games in 2020 and excited for new consoles.

2018! Wow! Another incredible year of video games. So many great titles and so little time to play them. This year I didn’t even finish 10 games. Some big life changes happened to me. I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area without a TV! I still played a lot of games, but mostly old games and I ended up canceling my GameFly subscription. The Switch, Vita, 3DS, iPad mini and Wii U all kept me playing though and helped me survive gaming withdrawals. Besides gaming at home, I also found time to play at E3 and GDC.

So for this year’s list, I’ll be compiling my honorable mentions with my game list into one blog post. Read on for my favorites games from 2018.

 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Detective Pikachu

My last GameFly game before I canceled my membership. While I didn’t finish it, I found it enjoyable. I got a kick out of hearing Pikachu talk and seeing his love for coffee. He knows hows to wear a Sherlock Holmes cap well. I like a good detective game too. While the story isn’t as gripping as L.A. Noire, a Phoenix Wright game or Hotel Dusk I’m excited to play more.

Devil May Cry V Demo

I’m a huge Devil May Cry fan and the original ranks as one of my favorite action games ever. So, I eagerly anticipated the demo on Xbox One released after the 2018 Game Awards. The full game releases in March and from what I played it looks promising. The new gimmick this time involves Nero’s missing arm. It’s very cool to see him switch weapons on the fly and it reminds me of Mega Man.

Pros- The combat felt smooth after I got comfortable with the controls. The Goliath boss felt challenging and very spectacle. The graphics look great and the new character Nika who gives Nero new skills, weapons and items seems interesting.

Cons- Enemies sit around and do nothing and the tutorial doesn’t teach you the combat well. I had to look upon my own and from past experience to get the hang of fighting again.

Gripes aside Devil May Cry 5’s off to an explosive start. I’m confident Capcom delivers an action game that rivals the original Devil May Cry.

GAMES I FINISHED

Kirby Star Alles

For the most part, Kirby consistently delivers new and unique fun gameplay experience. While Kirby Star Allies lacks depth compared to Kirby: Planet Robobot. Or Kirby: Triple Deluxe. I still enjoyed this one.

The gameplay hook this time revolves around Kirby’s enemies. Who in this game join you as allies. This gives Kirby Star Allies a New Super Mario Bros like feel. With some occasionally unique puzzles added to the formula. Everything looks lovely in HD too and the final boss impressed me. It’s definitely one of Kirby’s most epic boss fights in the whole series.

However, it’s too simple for me and way too easy. Also, unlike most Kirby games I didn’t feel the need to replay the story mode. The optional side stuff lacks excitement. Fortunately, Nintendo significantly patched the games since it’s the initial release. So I may end up replaying this again once the price drops.

Spider-Man

What an incredible Spider-Man game! Insomniac nailed the web-slinging. I never got tired of the wall running on buildings and free-falling from the sky. The story feels fresh and exciting. Thankfully it isn’t origin story about Green Goblin again. All the actors do a great job and the story keeps you motivated to see it through the end. Almost, the perfect Spider-Man game. My only nitpicks involve the side quests. A lot of the open-world missions feel underwhelming. Like the stealth missions for Miles Morales and Mary Jane which feel kind of boring. Love those pigeon chases and the creative Osborn challenges though! I imagine Spider-Man 2 will surpasses this one and remedies its flaws with ease once it hits PS5 in 2021.

Thanks for reading!

In 2019 I’m excited for Kingdom Hearts 3, playing more Devil May Cry 5, Death Stranding and more. Check back in 2020 for my top games of 2019.

2017, what an incredible year for video games! I spent most of 2017 paying off my student loans and saving money for San Francisco. Which didn’t give me a ton of time to play video games. But I still sampled quite a bit of this year’s best games to make a top 10 list. Like previous years, I make it a rule to finish each game. So, that’s why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey and Horizon Zero Dawn didn’t make my list because I’m not even close to finishing them. Now on to the games!

10. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe (Switch)

An excellent port of the superb Mario Kart 8. I played the crap out of the original game on Wii U. So it doesn’t rank high on my list this year since I included in my 2014 list. However, Nintendo wisely added enough content to justify the double dip and its inclusion in my 2017 list.

First off, I don’t plan on trading it in ever. Since it’s possible to play Mario Kart anywhere now thanks to the Switch’s handheld mode. Second, the DLC tracks I missed out on the first time rock! And I hope the eventual Mario Kart 9 borrows from the design. Making tracks outside of the MK universe allows for fresh takes on the MK formula. Such as the Legend of Zelda’s iconic Temple of Time and F-Zero’s Mute City. Finally, the multiplayer modes add even more replay value and eliminate the main weakness of the original release. Play it if you missed it on Wii U. You won’t regret it.

9. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (3DS)

Kudos to Yacht Games for continuing to support Shovel Knight with free content! Specter of Torment retreads common ground from the first game but still feels unique. I liked the flashback sections the most since they feel like new levels.

Specter of Torment 1up’s Plague of Shadows for me because I enjoy playing as Specter Knight more. His levels feel more satisfying to traverse with a scythe than using bombs. While I’d rather play Shovel Knight 2, I don’t see much to criticize here. I’m all for Yacht Games releasing more expansions that complement the base game. Even better they do it without charging original buyers a dime. I’m excited what the final expansion Shovel Knight: King of Cards hitting this year brings to the table.

8. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition (PS4)

I’m no stranger to Bulletstorm. I even wrote an article about its controversy when I went to school at UW Milwaukee. Well, it only took me seven years to finally play it and I now understand why so many players found it so fun. Like MK8, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition updates a classic with modern features. Since I never played the original Bulletorm it ranks higher than MK8 for my top 10 list this year.

The core gameplay remains solid and still plays, unlike any other shooter. While playing I always looked for what creative ways I could annihilate my enemies. Why shoot them point blank when it’s more fun to lasso them into a blade saw with my trusty whip? Bulletstorm encourages you to think outside the box and that’s why I love it.

7. Agents of Mayhem (PS4)

Sick of waiting for Crackdown 3? Then consider checking out the criminally overlooked Agents of Mayhem. AOM offers a variety of agents to play as and no agent plays the same way. It’s a blast to switch between all three protagonists at once and it adds a layer of strategy that Grand Theft Auto V lacked. It’s almost like playing a tag team fighting game like Tekken Tag Tournament. Where when one character gets low on health you switch to the others. I sampled out each character in their respective story missions. And each one’s backstory features a Saturday morning action cartoon cutscene that brings the game to life.

Sadly, the plentiful character variety doesn’t extend to the story missions. And it’s not surprising that AOM received scathing reviews for its repetitive structure. You’ll go to legion lairs and clear out wave after wave of enemies. Some missions even require you to do this before you start the actual mission! Still, the core shooting remains entertaining enough to compensate for the lack of mission variety. Some cool missions do exist though. Like the one where you sabotage a pop star’s performance so his fans see him for a fake.

To sum up, Agents of Mayhem isn’t the greatest game ever. Yet, it’s over the top silliness and fun shooting kept me playing until the end. I don’t regret playing it and wholeheartedly recommend it if you enjoyed Crackdown.

6. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Xbox One X)

If you look past Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s controversial loot boxes, you’ll find a decent Star Wars game. One that fulfills your dreams of playing something that looks like the movies.

For me, the single-player campaign takes the spotlight over the multiplayer. Iden Version played by Jania Gavinka from True Blood gives a great performance. And I didn’t expect so many Rouge Squadron-esque levels or lightsabers to make an appearance either. Once the campaign finishes three additional DLC story missions keep you playing. While not amazing, they lead the story to a proper conclusion which the main game lacked.

Outside the campaign, I dabbled in the arcade mode’s 20 short levels that offer three tiers of difficulty. In arcade mode, you play various horde-style modes until a timer runs out or you get enough kills. It provided a few hours of fun, but once I got to tier three the difficulty spiked too high. Online multiplayer didn’t grab me either. However, I found some enjoyment out of the Blast, Strike and Heroes vs Villain modes. The Starfighter Assault and the Galactic Assault battles lost their appeal after a few times since the matches dragged on too long for me.

Once I tested everything in SWBII I felt satisfied and don’t plan on going back to it. Still, I enjoyed my time with it and if you’re a Star Wars fan at least rent it. If only to see a Star Wars video game that finally looks like the films that inspired it.

5. Arms (Switch)

A fresh new IP from Nintendo always gets my attention. The Wii U gave us Splatoon and now with the Nintendo Switch, we get Arms. I spent a long weekend playing Arms and getting to know each new character. Like Overwatch, each character plays uniquely. So you’re sure to find someone who matches your playstyle. While it’s disappointing there isn’t a proper story mode, the Grand Prix mode offers hours of fun. And the Tekken style mini-games provide a nice break between matches.

What’s Arms greatest strength? It’s easy to pick up and play even if you’re terrible at fighting games. Something Splatoon did well for multiplayer shooters. Your list of commands isn’t rocket science and easy to remember like Super Smash Brothers. And half of the fun comes from faking out your opponent with one move. While the other half involves lining up your second attack. Also, not since Soul Caliber does a fighting game demand you pay so much attention to your defensive play. In Arms, a strong defense matters as much as a strong offense.

I’m glad Nintendo took another risk on a brand new IP and I hope an Arms 2 irons out its faults. With an improved single player, Arms 2 could revolutionize the modern fighting game.

4. Prey (PS4)

Prey starts out with a fantastic intro. Which sets the stage for an epic journey to discover your past on Talos 1. A lavishly designed space station filled with secrets. However, when you encounter your first typhoon enemy the game falls apart.

Chief culprit: Prey’s over-reliance on combat. While it’s possible to sneak past enemies, often it’s unavoidable and fighting the typhoons feels frustratingly dull. Since you’re vastly underpowered and you’ll struggle to find ammo. So you’re better off running away from enemies instead.

Prey does give you a wrench and encourages you to freeze enemies with the glue gun, but it’s tedious. I didn’t enjoy smashing tiny enemies that move quickly with a crowbar in Half-Life and I’m not a fan of Prey’s take on it either.

Luckily, Prey gets better the more you play. Once you get a shotgun and learn to create your own ammo combat gets less aggravating. Which lets you focus on doing the dozens of side quests alongside the main storyline.

Seriously, don’t overlook the sides quests! You get tons of neuromods for upgrading your abilities and they add more detail to the storyline. I did most of them. And before I saw the end credits of Prey my game time surpassed the 30-hour mark. I’m glad I stuck with Prey. Even though I almost gave up several times. It’s an engrossing game and while it doesn’t hit the same high marks as Dishonored it’s worth playing.

3. Splatoon 2 single player (Switch)

Splatoon’s multiplayer on the Wii U never grabbed me like it did others. I enjoyed it, but for me, the single player trumped it. It brought back warm memories of Super Mario Sunshine and I didn’t want it to end. I’m happy to report that the sequel’s story mode lives up to the original and feels right at home on the Switch. It’s not a revolutionary leap over the original. But I enjoyed all the new guns, mission variety and grinding on ink cables still never gets old.

However, Splatoon 2 falls short of the original game in one small way. The final boss battle. It’s fun and features a cool ending song, but it’s nowhere near as epic and bad ass as the first one’s multi-phase gauntlet. Nintendo’s bound to remedy that with the eventual Splatoon 3 though. So I look forward to what final boss battle they come up with next time.

2. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4)

How could an Uncharted game without Nathan Drake work? Pretty remarkable actually. Without a Drake to focus on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy finds creative ways to shake up the standard Uncharted formula. First, with no extensive backstory to wrap up LL doesn’t overstay its welcome. LL adventure time feels substantial without the filler that plagued Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

Second, clever open world design make the experience feel different from past Uncharted games. Like Uncharted 4, multiple paths lead to the same destination. But LL features sides quests that Naughty Dog lets players tackle in any order. Third, LL plays like a greatest hits version of Uncharted. It takes the best parts of the franchise and combines them into explosive action set pieces. LL even offers a clever take on the typical helicopter boss battle seen in many action games.

In conclusion, LL more than lives up to the quality of past Uncharted games. And I’d love to see more games in the franchise. As long as Naughty Dog continues to innovate the formula. Don’t miss out on this awesome experience. Chloe Frasier and Nadine Ross carry an Uncharted game without Drake marvelously. How about a younger Sully adventure next Naughty Dog?

1. Resident Evil VII (PlayStation VR)

Believe it. My 2017 game of the year released in January! Resident Evil 4 remains Capcom’s greatest video game.  But in terms of pure horror Resident Evil VII surpasses it. Not since the Silent Hill days do I feel so excited and terrified to play a video game. REVII plays great on a TV screen, but playing it in PlayStation VR takes it to 11. The incredible immersion with PSVR brings a whole new dynamic to the experience.

Simple scenes like walking past a creepy grandmother in a rocking chair. Or down a long empty hallway feel terrifying! As does hiding behind a table while unkillable enemies a hair away search for you. Sometimes it’s too much and you’ll need to take the PSVR headset off to catch your breath! My heartbeat dramatically went up and down while playing REVII. And even though I felt terrified to go back I couldn’t wait to play more.

PSVR makes REVII a real game changer and once I beat the game it felt impossible to play it on a flat TV screen. While it’s easy for me to fault the game for its second half. Which focuses too much on combat and not survival horror. The first half feels so fresh and expertly paced that I didn’t mind. It’s not perfect, but nothing else last year came close to REVII’s wow factor. The joy and terror of playing REVII in PSVR all add up to an incredible experience that’s unforgettable. Making it an easy choice for my 2017 game of the year.

There you have it. My top 10 games of 2017. I’m going to spend 2018 catching up on the games from last year I missed or didn’t finish. But I look forward to what’s new on the horizon. I’ve already played the betas for Dragonball FighterZ and Monster Hunter: World and look forward to playing the full games. As for what else, I’m most looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Metroid Prime 4.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my honorable mentions.

Did you read Kotaku’s “The Summer of Old JRPGS” blog post written by Jason Schreier back in 2014? I enjoyed it. So this year I decided to create my own “Summer of Old JRPGS” list. But, unlike Schreier’s list mine begins in winter and focuses more on the SNES era. Read on to see some of my suggestions for building your own “Winter of Old JRPGS.”

FOUR ENJOYABLE PORTABLE JRPGS FOR THE MOBILE GAMER

Ever Oasis (3DS)
The newest game on my list and not an old JRPG, but I’m including it anyway. This clever Zelda/Animal Crossing game intrigued me immediately. Mainly because Kochi Ishii, the director of Secret of Mana, and his team at Grezzo worked on it. While it’s not the Secret of Mana successor I hoped for, it’s a fun light-hearted JRPG with interesting town simulator quirks. In fact, I found it very enjoyable building up my oasis with new residents. Which surprised me since I didn’t care for Animal Crossing. It turns out managing their shops, tending to my garden and other chores get addictive. So I’ll give Animal Crossing another spin for sure now.

Complementing the oasis building is the dungeon combat which feels very Zelda like. And the dozens of different characters each with their own unique abilities that help offset boredom. Even though it gets annoying returning to the Oasis to switch them out during a dungeon. It’s a meaty game too. I ended up buying it after renting it from GameFly to avoid rushing through it. Play it if you’re looking for a nice relaxing JRPG before you put your 3DS away for good.

Adventures of Mana (iOS)
Final Fantasy Adventure laid the groundwork for Secret of Mana. So I knew I needed to play this game too.  I never played the original GameBoy release. But I did play the remake Sword of Mana on GameBoy Advance. Which added a little too much story and robbed the game of its original simplicity. However, this new version is the best Seiken Densetsu game since Seiken Densetsu 3. I love the weapon variety and it warms my heart to see old monsters like the Mushbooms and Mantis Ant boss from Secret of Mana. Finally, the music holds up great and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome at around 10 to 12 hours.

What I don’t like is how easy it is to get lost in the overworld. Be sure to consult YouTube if you decide to play AOM. It’s also annoying having to carry keys and pickaxes with you before you enter dungeons. Since you can’t progress without them. Yet, the core gameplay holds up well and it’s a good way to prepare for the 3D remake of Secret of Mana. Check it out on mobile or PS Vita.

Dragon Quest (iOS)
Dragon Quest VII on PlayStation exposed me to this legendary JRPG series back in 2001. But I never finished that massive 100+hour JRPG. Last year I went back to the series with Dragon Quest V which I’m enjoying, but nowhere near close to finishing. So I decided to pick up the first one on iPad and I dig it. Prepare yourself for a lot of grinding though, but it’s a short JRPG and a good entry point for newcomers. Also be sure to have a guide handy so you don’t get lost. It helps for navigating dungeon maps and figuring out where to go next.

Mother 3 (GBA)
You’ve no doubt heard of Earthbound. And all the desperate pleas over the internet asking Nintendo to localize Mother 3. Well, I don’t know if it’s going to happen anytime soon. So I went ahead and bought a fan translated cartridge for GameBoy Advance off eBay. Early impressions… I like it! The game definitely packs the same charm as the original. Along with the hilarious dialogue and a similar combat system. You get to play as multiple characters too! What I didn’t expect though from Mother 3 which intrigues me the most is a pretty touching storyline. Which pulls at your heartstrings and goes places I didn’t expect. Mother 3 isn’t afraid to be grim. While I’d rather play it on my 3DS or Switch the small DS Lite screen works for now.

FIVE SNES GAMES NOT AVAILABLE ON THE SNES CLASSIC

Seiken Densetsu 3 (SNES)
Another game I’m sick of waiting for a US release. Although, I’m hopeful now that Square Enix announced a 3D remake for Secret of Mana. I already played Seiken Densetsu 3 once several years ago on an old Toshiba laptop. But playing it on a classic SNES controller feels so much better. Last time I played Hawk’s story and this time I went with Duran. I’m enjoying my second playthrough more than the first time and I’ll play one more time later so I see everything. I still like Secret of Mana better because the gameplay in SD3 feels like a step back from it. Why can’t I cure all my characters with one spell for most of the game and why am I limited to one weapon per character? But flaws aside it makes some impressive improvement to the core Secret of Mana formula.

For one it contains a large amount of replayability. This game features six characters who each play differently and have their own unique intro. The class system helps deepen the gameplay and the graphics definitely look sharper. I also like the changes to the time cycle where certain shops and events open only during the night. In conclusion, there is a lot to like about this game, but it’s unfortunate it’s a bit of downgrade from Secret of Mana. Still, if your Mana fan you owe yourself to play it. And who knows when SD3 will get localized for an American release. So if you’re curious the game is available online or on eBay as a SNES cartridge.

Secret of Evermore (SNES)
I’m surprised I never played this game. It’s how Secret of Mana may have turned out if an American team developed it instead. And some people view it as an apology from Square Enix for not releasing Seiken Densetsu 3 in America. But, taken on its own merits it’s a competent action RPG and if you like Secret of Mana you should play it. The developers even kept the ring and combat stamina system from Secret of Mana.

I’m only a few hours in and it reminds me a bit of Chrono Trigger. The beginning hours take place in a Prehistoric era. That feels similar to the place with Ayla and the Reptites in Chrono Trigger. I also didn’t expect to get my ass kicked by the first boss and spend so much time grinding levels to continue. One thing different from Secret of Mana is the dog companion. Which was ahead of its time. Nowadays it’s a popular mechanic in games like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain and Fallout 4. While it’s a little slow compared to Secret of Mana I’m looking forward to finishing it this winter.

Lagoon (SNES)
Ever heard of this game? If my Dad didn’t buy it for cheap at my local video rental stores(Remember those?) I’d never have experienced it. Which would be a shame because I like Lagoon. It’s not the greatest game, but still enjoyable once you get past its flaws. Its got me interested in the Ys series now too since this game feels like a Ys clone. The biggest flaw in this game is your sword. For whatever idiotic reason it has the reach of a pen. Which means you must get razor close to enemies to damage them. And don’t get me started on those boss battles that demand patience to finish. You can’t use magic and they do a ton of damage. Luckily, as long as you save your healing items and grind levels you’ll be okay.

What I remember most about Lagoon though are the great music and its impressive intro. The graphics still hold up and I enjoyed the story while it lasted. So, if you’re looking for something different consider Lagoon. It’s a nice breezy JRPG that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and unlike anything else on the SNES.

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (SNES)
I’ve heard mixed thoughts about this game and like Lagoon what I remember most about it is the awesome music. From reading reviews online it sounds like this game is Final Fantasy for dummies. Still, that’s not going to deter me from playing it. After all, sometimes it’s nice to play an easy JRPG. Playing it now I see why it’s not very memorable. The graphics don’t look any better than Final Fantasy IV. And the combat along with the story isn’t anything special. So far I’m only four hours in, but it’s decent enough that I’m looking forward to playing more.

Illusion of Gaia (SNES)
Besides all the Mana games and Mother 3, I’m most looking forward to replaying The Illusion of Gaia the most. The illusion of Gaia is one of my favorite SNES games. I’ve beaten the game a few times and found all 50 jewels. I love the gameplay which reminds me of Secret of Mana and Zelda. Playing Freenan the dark knight and Shadow adds some nice variety too. The bosses were impressive for the time and the story wasn’t bad either. After I finish it, I’ll play Soul Blazer and Terringma which share the same developer as Illusion of Gaia.

Thanks for reading. I hope you consider checking some of these games out or building your own “Winter of Old JRPGS”. Have fun.