Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby has been a beloved series for years but has always stuck to 2D or 2.5D adventures. That all changes with Kirby and the forgotten land, the first full 3D platformer in the franchise, and one that takes a bold step. Kirby and the Forgotten Land looks to do for Kirby what Super Mario 64 did for the Mario franchise when it reinvents the series on Nintendo Switch in March.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land had a big challenge, being the first 3D Kirby game and it succeeded in its task. The outstanding game managed to take Kirby in a new direction while remaining true to the roots of the series. The result is the groundwork being made for a new series formula for new entries in the future to follow and there is so much potential for new games to follow on from here.

Triangle Strategy

The latest from Square Enix’s  HD-2D line, Triangle Strategy is a unique strategy RPG taking cues from classics like Final Fantasy Tactics. The game will be both character-driven, and full of new twists on the Strategy RPG genre, taking into account elements from the Bravely Default series as well. Set in an interesting world and complete with mechanics to help breathe new life into the Strategy RPG genre, Triangle Strategy will shine on the Nintendo Switch in March.

Many Strategy RPGs released this year and Triangle Strategy stands among the best of them. Not just the visual style of the game, but the balanced gameplay and the excellent story made this a must for any fan of RPGs and Strategy games. Considering Octopath Traveller is getting a sequel, hopefully, this will also.

Elden Ring

The next evolution of the Dark Souls formula, Elden Ring will take the gameplay of previous titles and expand it to a new open-world setting. From Software has said this game will cause less stress to players without cutting down on the difficulty, and new innovations in the controls are good changes to the set gameplay formula. Elden Ring will swing its way onto PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series in February.

Easily one of the best games of the current century, Elden Ring shattered all expectations fans had for the game and showed the Soulslike genre still had much to give. The open world actually feels like a character in its own right and the new gameplay mechanics pushed the genre in new directions. This one deserves the praise it gets.

The King of Fighters XV

A previous mention last year, King of Fighters was an honourable mention because it had no set date and can therefore be included in this year’s list.  King of Fighters XV looks to bring the gameplay to the next generation of systems with refinements to the combat, returning favourites and new characters alike, and improved online play as well as a story mode. Fans can punch their way into King of Fighters on PC, Xbox Series PS4 and PS5 this February.

The King of Fighters XV was a good step forward for the series but felt a bit held back in some regards. The combat is indeed refined and there are some great character additions, but something just felt like it was missing here. It is still a great game, but could have been more

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Mario+ Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a game that seemed ridiculous when it was leaked and yet quickly won over many people with its detailed strategy RPG gameplay and fun humour.  The game captured the feel of classic Mario RPGs, even with the change in genre, and Sparks of Hope looks to recapture that feeling with what they are referring to as a spiritual sequel. The devs have described this as a new take on the tactical genre with new combat mechanics, and it will blast its way onto Switch this year.

A sequel that surpassed the original, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is to Mario+ Rabbids Kingdom Battle what Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door was to Paper Mario 64. Everything that didn’t work about the original was removed, the gameplay was refined and expanded, and the story was even better, this is a must play.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

It has been a long road to get here, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is really coming this December for Xbox Series and PC. The game will take full advantage of next-gen technology to create a fully immersive first-person survival horror experience set in the infamous region of the Ukraine. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl will take fan feedback into account in the development and the developers have shown that is not just talk with their abandonment of NFT plans. Fingers crossed, that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl will have a smooth launch at the end of the year.

Sadly this game was delayed and this time it was for reasons beyond the developers’ control. The ongoing conflict caused by the Russian invasion of the Ukraine caused the developers to put development on hold for a time, but it is now planned for 2023, with the spelling changed to Chornobyl to use the Ukrainian reflect the region being in Ukraine.

Horizon Forbidden West

Aloy’s adventures continue in this action RPG sequel to the hit game Horizon: Zero Dawn. This time, the map will be much larger and have new explorable areas, while having ruined versions of a number of real-world locations. The devs are hyping up underwater exploration as a major aspect of the game as well, in addition to enhanced climbing and new skills. While Horizon Forbidden West will release for both PS4 and PS5 this February, the PS5 version will be a far more improved version of the game, and is the one to keep an eye on more.

Sadly this game did not get the attention it deserved in 2022. Horizon: Forbidden West improved on the original in every way, including deeper RPG mechanics. Perhaps it was just released at a bad time, but this is a game that just feels like it came and went when it deserved more

God of War Ragnarök

The conclusion to the current God of War saga, God of War Ragnarök looks to take what was established in God of War for PS4 and build on it in new ways. The story will get bigger as more features of Norse mythology are brought in, including a showdown with Thor, but the relationship between Kratos and his son will be a main draw still. God of War Ragnarök will bring the adventure to an explosive end when it launches on PS4 and PS5 this year.

Proving the franchise could still rise to even greater heights God of War Ragnarök released to great acclaim this year and deserved every bit of it. The gameplay was improved from the already incredible previous entry, the story was well done and the visuals were amazing. There was so much to explore and do that God of War Ragnarök never really got old.

Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta’s first two outings were the peak of 3D Action video games, earning countless accolades. The third entry drops this year on the Nintendo Switch and promises to be bigger and better than before, with new abilities for the main character, including merging with her summons and taking direct control of them in some sequences. With an intriguing new story,  Bayonetta 3 has a lot of pedigree behind it and is definitely one to watch this year.

The conclusion to the trilogy was another over the top action game, but slightly constrained by the aging Switch hardware. The Story went in an interesting direction and leaves open many possibilities for future entries in the series. It may not be the best action game PlatinumGames has ever made, but it is one of the best, and easily one worth playing.

Starfield

Bethesda Game Studios is known for The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, so a new IP from the studio has been met with great anticipation. Described as NASA-punk, this new RPG will see players explore the stars in new ways, in an adventure Todd Howard described as Skyrim in space. With backing from new owners Microsoft, including new quality control, Starfield will be an absolute must-play when it launches on November 11.

Sadly this has been delayed into 2023. Hopefully, it will be worth it.

 

Honourable Mentions:

While it did not make the list, we wanted to mention Shadow Warrior 3, which looks to be the best in the series yet, and a true expansion of everything that came before, while taking the series down a new path.

I will be brief, this was an unsatisfying end to the trilogy and very poorly optimized at launch. Just a disappointment.

We also discussed two other games separately.

Warhammer 40, 000: Shootas, Blood & Teef

Warhammer 40, 000: Shootas, Blood & Teef will be full of intense run n’ gun mayhem and will have multiplayer options as well. Players can work together, or in true Ork fashion, take out each other to see who the top Ork is. The visual style also looks amazing, taking the best of the comic book art from Guns Gore and Cannoli and adapting it well to 40K, to create something special.

A refreshing change from the usual 40K games, Warhammer 40, 000: Shootas, Blood & Teef was hampered by the awkward twin-stick control system on consoles as well as slowdown, bugs and various other issues. The thing is though, it was still a fun game and something any 40K fan should enjoy, especially fans of the Orks

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge

This four-player brawler uses a throwback style pixel art look and is being made by Tribute games, developers of the fantastic Panzer Paladin. Tribute Games is also composed of team members who previously worked at Ubisoft on titles like Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game, so there is experience with brawlers there. The team even worked on a decent TMNT beat em’ up for the GBA while part of Ubisoft so this is not their first go around with the heroes in a half shell.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge does not just have a good look, but the combat appears to be just right and captures the spirit of the classic games. But Tribute Games and publisher Dot Emu have gone further and have made fan favourite character April O’Neill Playable, with potentially more characters to be announced. The initial trailer also implies Splinter will join the roster, so fans have a lot to look forward to.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge is the best TMNT game released so far. It is not easy to surpass the classics, but Tribute Games and Dotemu did a great job here. Everything is bigger and better and with more characters than ever before, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge just never stopped being fun.

But that is not all. Many games on our 2021 list were delayed and released in 2022, so we will cover them now.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Fans of Warhammer 40,000 and the Vermintide games rejoice. You will be able to play a 40K game starring the non-Astartes figures like the Imperial Guard taking on the hoards of chaos in a co-op fps that looks to offer a lot of variety. You will have a multitude of classes to choose from, and you can even play as an Ogryn in this game. With excellent looking visuals and fast-paced action, Warhammer 40,000 Darktide looks to bring the grimdark worlds of 40K to life like never before. You will be able to play this on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Well, we are still waiting on the Xbox version but the PC release is out and mostly lived up to fan expectations. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but the game caught on well and even helped introduce more people to 40K. Hopefully, the game continues to be supported, because it is awesome.

Rune Factory 5

The Rune Factory series is a very beloved action RPG that acts as a cross between the Mana series and Story of Seasons ( classic Harvest Moon if you are unaware), and its fourth entry had an excellent port to Nintendo Switch with new content. Now the fifth main entry is on the way and the game is looking fantastic again, with 3D visuals, new combat mechanics, and more day-to-day life options and events. You may be attracted to the combat, but the farming and interactions with the community will quickly win you over when this launches on Nintendo Switch

After seeing a release on Switch and later PC, it is clear that Rune Factory 5 is something special. It is the game I spent the most time with this year and a game that just makes you want to keep coming back. The Switch version struggled at times, but is still very playable, and while the open world could have used some more polish, this is a special one.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo is a racing series with a proud legacy. The games helped move racing games away from the arcade style to the sim style that is now more pervasive. The series has always been about pushing racing games forward with new innovations and Gran Turismo 7 looks to be no different. There is a lot of potential as well here for how the game will use not only the PlayStation 5 console to do new things, but also the PS5 Dualsense controller to interact with the game on a new level.

Yea, this one wasn’t fun. The gameplay and visuals were amazing, but the grind and loads of microtransactions ruined what could have been a great game.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

The latest title from Shinji Mikami’s studio Tango Gameworks, Ghostwire: Tokyo is something different from the games you usually play. A mix of action-adventure and fps, you will use psychic abilities to deal with ghosts and spirits haunting Tokyo, who have invaded after all of Tokyo’s citizens disappeared. There will also be a mystery for you to solve, and amazing looking visuals to take in. This is a game that looks to be trying something new, and could very well be a major hit this year on PlayStation 5 and PC. The game will come to Xbox next year, due to Microsoft not doing away with the timed exclusivity Bethesda negotiated with Sony before the Microsoft purchase.

This game was criticized by many as a disappointment and lacklustre, but I honestly think this was a great game and one that I keep coming back to. There is just something special here and I think many of those who were disappointed may not have understood the game or expected something different. Do not let the negative hype deter you from this game as it actually is extremely fun.

And we even have one from our 2020 list that was delayed to this year

Digimon Survive

A celebration of 20 years of Digimon comes to a head with a new survival game, with characters made by Uichi Ukumo, and music by Tomaki Miyoshi. Digimon Survive brings on a new group of teens led by Tokuma Momozuka. In a high stakes SRPG styled 2D game, where choices matter and death is abound, Digimon has never been this cool.

A victim of both the pandemic and setting wrong expectations, Digimon Survive landed with a thud this year and disappointed many who did not realize what the gameplay was actually going to be. With new Digimon games on the way, hopefully, the franchise recovers.

And there you have it. Look for our list of games to watch in 2023 coming later this week.