2022 wasn’t simply the yr that I began right here at Kotaku, or the yr that I by accident went viral for daring to ask wealthy guys to decorate good at awards exhibits—it was additionally the yr that I pressured myself to stretch exterior of my consolation zone.
I’m a online game jock, all the time looking for the excessive of a win earned in buzzer-beater performs by strong communication amongst teammates. I spend most of my spare time enjoying aggressive shooters in an try and mimic the sensation I get once I PR on the gymnasium, or beat our rival co-ed footy crew after an particularly bodily match. Very like how I’m as an athlete or only a common ol’ civilian, I’m not a fan of attempting new issues that I might probably be dangerous at. It’s why I stop guitar classes after a month, why I doggedly refuse to go bowling, why I can solely do karaoke if I’m completely pickled drunk.
However this yr, I attempted some new stuff—and never all of it was technically new. I took aggressive breaks from Overwatch 2 with spherical after spherical of Marvel Snap. I sunk hours into Elden Ring after swearing off Soulslikes. I gave Cyberpunk 2077 an precise effort, fairly than simply ragging on it to anybody who would pay attention. I wouldn’t say that is probably the most well-rounded GOTY listing you’ll discover right here at Kotaku, nevertheless it’s indicative of my development as a gamer.
I can attempt new issues, and I can like them. Simply don’t fucking take me bowling.
Overwatch 2
Its battle cross isn’t nice, its cosmetics are too costly (individuals need loot bins again, for fuck’s sake), and as a healer important I’m nonetheless bored with getting my ass beat in 5v5 fight, however Overwatch 2 has consumed me ever since its launch. It’s the one sport I play persistently with individuals I additionally hang around with in actual life; we ship one another every day texts because the workday nears its shut that simply learn “ow?” Then, we spend the night time ignoring our respective companions and screaming weird Overwatch slang into our headsets.
With Overwatch 1 useless and gone, Overwatch 2 is the one option to scratch my hero shooter itch. And despite the fact that there are features of it that deliver me nice ache (the transfer in the direction of a extra generic, shooter-y shooter being the principle challenge), I nonetheless get a lot satisfaction from a hard-fought comp win. I’m an Overwatch-er for all times, sadly. I want I knew tips on how to stop you.
Cult of the Lamb
Not lengthy into my Cult of the Lamb playthrough, considered one of my cultists (a cow my associate named Cunty), tells me that he needs to eat shit. Actually. He has all the time wished to attempt to eat poop. So, I’m going and gather some shit produced by a fellow cultist of his, cook dinner it up right into a meal, and serve it to him. He’s joyful. He’s extra of a believer. I’m assuming that is what Scientology is like.
Cult of the Lamb is just about this throughout: dumb enjoyable that appears actually good. I discover I benefit from the village cultivation greater than I benefit from the roguelike parts, however the latter is so easy and strong that it’s straightforward to zone out and spend a number of hours hacking away at enemies. Then, once you return to your village, there’s all the time one thing silly ready for you, whether or not it’s a dissenter speaking shit or a loyal follower consuming it.
Marvel Snap
Once I first joined Kotaku, everybody was deep within the throes of Marvel Snap. I felt somewhat disregarded and wished to make myself likable as shortly as potential, so I downloaded the cellular card battler on my first day in workplace. The remainder, my little goblin pals, is historical past—Snap consumed my each waking second whether or not I used to be on the subway, strolling to the subway, ready for the subway, in-between rounds of Overwatch 2 comp, or on the bathroom (the latter of which I’m positive my gastroenterologist will probably be very upset with me about).
For some time, I caught with a construct that one other Kotaku staffer had helped me out with, however then, as my Snap senses improved, I began constructing decks to purposefully fuck with different gamers. Now, I’m the Snap satan. I’ve solely been right here a number of weeks and I’m unbearable. I’ve been instructed by family members that the horrific, evil giggle that escapes me once I hit an enemy participant with Elektra one flip, then Killmonger the following, then Shang-Chi after that’s regarding, and I must agree.
Future 2: The Witch Queen
Bungie’s finest bit is coming round annually to remind you that it nonetheless makes a few of the finest campaigns of all time. The Future 2 dialog so usually will get slowed down in sunsetting content material, skill-based matchmaking drama, and the worth (or lack thereof) of the grind, however when an growth like The Witch Queen drops it’s all anybody can discuss—and for good motive.
The story of Savathûn managed to fill gaps in Future lore, set up her as the very best villain the sport has ever seen, and lay out a path for the ideological struggles that can proceed into the franchise’s future. It was a legible hunk of narrative meat (a rarity for Future, which wants video explainers to elucidate its video explainers) that cashed in on plot threads Bungie has been spinning for years. Plus the Witch Queen gave us a sick raid and new Void talents for gamers to go gaga over. Future good.
Stray
I’m NYC licensed in Entice-Neuter-Return and cat colony administration and I’ve three rescue cats (considered one of which I caught and socialized myself), so in fact I like the cat sport. It’s a sport the place you play as a cat and do cat issues. There are cat sounds. My cats just like the cat sounds and generally they watch me play—that is all very healthful shit.
Stray isn’t going to interrupt any boundaries however it will allow you to scratch up a sofa like a cat would, and it does function a few of the prettiest degree design of the yr. I’m additionally an enormous fan of how the robotic NPCs react to your little cat: I’ll always remember once I jumped up on a floor and interrupted two of them enjoying a tabletop sport, simply to trot previous them a couple of minutes later and see them nonetheless struggling to select up all of the items.
Neon White
Neon White is loopy, horny, cool. This sport has all of it: pop-art visuals, speedrunning mechanics, a soundtrack from Machine Woman, and a set of enticing demons known as Neons competing to purge heaven of their demonic ilk. It’s arduous to outline Neon White, because it feels nearly just like the anti-game-genre sport—there are FPS parts, positive, however there’s additionally courting sim stuff, and quite a lot of platforming. There’s playing cards, nevertheless it’s not a deck builder. It’s received puzzles. You’ll pace by a few of its ranges in below 20 seconds, whereas bigger, boss-y ranges might take you a couple of minutes—however nothing in Neon White will eat up your time except you let it. Belief me, you’ll let it.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is all the time there for me once I want it. It’ll lay dormant in my gaming pile for months, however each time I return, it persistently offers me the tight, targeted shooter gameplay I crave after some wonky Warzone 2.0 matches or a irritating Overwatch loss. Apex Legends is likely one of the finest live-service video games on the market proper now due to a near-perfect combine of latest content material, mandatory patches, and sensible, measured updates. Respawn is all the time shaking up the maps and weapon pool simply sufficient to maintain the sport contemporary, however not an excessive amount of that it upends its impressively precarious stability.
Catalyst, the sport’s newest playable character, dropped simply in time to obliterate an annoying meta that had been build up for months, and introduced together with her one more reminder that Respawn is likely one of the few standard video games unafraid to heart trans and non-binary people. That’s in all probability why I discover members of the alphabet military in so lots of my Apex Legends lobbies—and I reside for it. Apex Legends is my security web. It’s going to all the time be on any GOTY listing of mine.
Cyberpunk 2077
Like many who participated within the two-year watch for Cyberpunk 2077 to develop into playable, I lastly determined to check out CD Projekt Purple’s newest RPG this yr. From the second I noticed the character creator, I knew that it was going to be the form of time-suck sport that might threaten my relationships, gymnasium classes, and private hygiene. I pored over each inch of my V, from her buzzed head to the smattering of freckles throughout her cheeks. I agonized over her physique mods and tattoos. Once I lastly left the character creator and began enjoying the sport, I’d pause and take screenshots anytime her shiny chrome nails have been in view.
Once I give myself the time to get misplaced in Evening Metropolis, I get misplaced misplaced, and emerge blinking into the daylight of the actual world half a day later, crunchy thumpy techno music nonetheless ringing in my ears.
Bizarre West
I previewed this top-down, twin-stick RPG from Raphael Colantonio final yr and it was completely brutal. It’s nonetheless simply as brutal right now, however getting some correct time with it helps drive house that this can be a rock-solid immersive sim set in a supremely cool world. Undead miners and sirens lurk in all places on this alternate-universe Wild West, however together with an arsenal of weapons you’ve received ample alternative to make use of the setting to maintain your self alive.
And the world of Bizarre West remembers. At one level, I employed a bodyguard to accompany me throughout the plains as a result of I used to be sick of getting my ass kicked. Collectively, we efficiently made it by a troublesome part, however as we emerged into the following space and received jumped by some zombies, I by accident lit him on fireplace. I didn’t assume a lot of it as he died in entrance of my eyes, however I did pause to rifle by his pockets for spare change. Hours later, once I returned to the city the place we first met, an NPC sitting close to the saloon was mourning their misplaced member of the family. “Oops,” I mumbled below my breath. Bizarre West doesn’t need you to think about its characters as disposable, asshole.
Elden Ring
Till Elden Ring, I used to be a proud Soulslike hater. The video games have been the epitome of all the pieces I despise: frustratingly troublesome, punishingly merciless, and filled with avid gamers with superiority complexes. I had tried and did not play each Darkish Souls Remastered and Bloodborne and wished no a part of Elden Ring—till it was revealed that you simply’d be capable of freely roam by its world, avoiding annoying early-game bosses and honing your talents so that you simply’d be robust sufficient to take that boss down with one flourish of your workers.
From the second I rose as a Tarnished within the Lands Between, I knew that this was the form of title that might be thought-about a benchmark in gaming historical past. For it to reside as much as and exceed the hype that surrounded it for years is one thing particular, however what’s exceptional is how Elden Ring ushered in a wholly new participant base due to its open-world alternatives. The flexibleness of Elden Ring and its lovely, weird world made me FromSoft-pilled, and now I’m able to undergo the studio’s whole portfolio.