Every Game I Played in 2022 Ranked
Only games that I played for the first time this year, otherwise it would just be my favorites of all time.
19 Games
Despite my unrivaled love for Super Mario Galaxy, this may very well end up being my favorite game of all time. I've never seen a video game that was so well made for the gaming medium. Many games could probably be translated into shows or movies, but MGS2 cements itself as a game that pushes the limits as to how effective storytelling can be in video games. This would not work as a movie, show, or book, only a game. It's mind boggling to think that even the advertising of the game before release ties back into its central themes.
Raiden's character growth and the way its presented is the most profound thing I've ever seen. Raised as a child soldier, he tries to forget his past. He didn't want to acknowledge the monster he used to be. This made him the perfect test subject of The Patriot AI, who aimed to censor out humanity's past wrongdoings to increase evolution. It isn't until Raiden breaks his cycle of violence through Solidus that he realizes that he can be whoever he wants to be and pass whatever he wants to onto the future. He may not like the person he used to be, but he has to still recognize the person he was in order to change. Snake's speech to Raiden is iconic and easily one of the best moments in the series.
I could gush about the characters of this game all day; Snake, Otacon, Emma, Solidus, Rose, even Fat Man, they're all amazing. That's better suited for a full review, though. I haven't even mentioned the gameplay yet. There's an amount of polish here that's simply unseen in today's gaming sphere. So much depth to the simplest actions. So much recorded dialogue most players won't see, so many secrets that are a pure joy to find, and so many ways to just mess around. Incredibly tight sneaking with infuriating but fair soldier AI that gives this game some of the best sneaking around. I could go on all day about this game, but I'll spare you the time for another day. This is the most profound gaming experience to exist and truly defines the gaming medium as something exceptionally special.
Raiden's character growth and the way its presented is the most profound thing I've ever seen. Raised as a child soldier, he tries to forget his past. He didn't want to acknowledge the monster he used to be. This made him the perfect test subject of The Patriot AI, who aimed to censor out humanity's past wrongdoings to increase evolution. It isn't until Raiden breaks his cycle of violence through Solidus that he realizes that he can be whoever he wants to be and pass whatever he wants to onto the future. He may not like the person he used to be, but he has to still recognize the person he was in order to change. Snake's speech to Raiden is iconic and easily one of the best moments in the series.
I could gush about the characters of this game all day; Snake, Otacon, Emma, Solidus, Rose, even Fat Man, they're all amazing. That's better suited for a full review, though. I haven't even mentioned the gameplay yet. There's an amount of polish here that's simply unseen in today's gaming sphere. So much depth to the simplest actions. So much recorded dialogue most players won't see, so many secrets that are a pure joy to find, and so many ways to just mess around. Incredibly tight sneaking with infuriating but fair soldier AI that gives this game some of the best sneaking around. I could go on all day about this game, but I'll spare you the time for another day. This is the most profound gaming experience to exist and truly defines the gaming medium as something exceptionally special.
1
Aside from some of the boss fights, this gameplay is absolutely perfect. The CQC, the weapon play, the sneaking, it's just perfect. I can't imagine playing this game without the crouch walking, it's the most useful addition to the series and didn't get implemented until MGS4. There's no radar, but I think that works to the game's benefit. Enemy soldier's have surprisingly effective camouflage, making sneaking much more engaging. There are some annoyances, like having to pause the game basically every time you get hit to check your injury, but it's not a huge deal. The boss fights are incredible, all having several unique ways to beat them. The End is notably a standout fight, being a slow paced sniper fight in the woods, with both parties hunting each other. You can even kill him early when he's present on the dock.
The story I think is a bit overrated, but still amazing nonetheless. Some characters simply aren't important or interesting. The Cobra Unit may have great boss fights, but none of them have any character or background outside of The Sorrow. Volgin is a fun villain, but he's just evil for the sake of being evil and plays second fiddle to The Boss. Everyone else is great, though. Eva and her fruitless attempts to seduce Snake into falling for her, Ocelot and his angst and gun twirling, Snake and his geek love for guns, and The Boss with her overwhelming charisma and commitment to her country. I find the message important today now more than ever, with us as people not being able to change the times, but rather, have to change with the times and adapt to the new circumstances the world puts us in. I can see why people say its the best MGS game, incredibly thrilling journey from start to end.
The story I think is a bit overrated, but still amazing nonetheless. Some characters simply aren't important or interesting. The Cobra Unit may have great boss fights, but none of them have any character or background outside of The Sorrow. Volgin is a fun villain, but he's just evil for the sake of being evil and plays second fiddle to The Boss. Everyone else is great, though. Eva and her fruitless attempts to seduce Snake into falling for her, Ocelot and his angst and gun twirling, Snake and his geek love for guns, and The Boss with her overwhelming charisma and commitment to her country. I find the message important today now more than ever, with us as people not being able to change the times, but rather, have to change with the times and adapt to the new circumstances the world puts us in. I can see why people say its the best MGS game, incredibly thrilling journey from start to end.
2
The more I think about this game, the more I appreciate what it accomplished. It's the most technically impressive game I've played, with so much going into something as simple as sound design. Did you know that Kojima's team gave enemy soldiers many different kinds of shoes and then recorded sounds for every single kind of shoe? That's a level of effort you simply don't see today. The gameplay is stellar and is peak MGS gameplay in my opinion (MGSV has great gameplay but strays a bit from the gameplay norms due to the new engine).
Some characters kind of piss me off in the story. Meryl comes back as a veteran of war, no longer the rookie we met her as. She then randomly falls in love with Johnny, who's only character trait is that he farts and shits. He's also really hot for some reason. Liquid Ocelot just confuses me. I love him and his plan makes sense in the end, but it's super convoluted and strange. Did he really allow Naomi to get captured because he anticipated Sunny would create a virus to shut down The Patriot AI, which he had on board his own ship, and then allow Snake to insert the virus himself? There's just too much going on. Drebin showing up out of nowhere and calling Snake just to give him backstory on the worst group of villains in the series. Vamp is also an antagonist and I don't have a clue as to why.
However, all this largely pales to how expertly the game cares for it's most important characters. Snake, a man who was given the worst hand in life now works towards making the most of it and building a future. Despite him dying because of accelerated aging, he sticks to his ideals and aims towards a future free from control. Otacon, a tragic scientist who looks to make the world a better place with Snake. He takes full accountability for his actions in developing REX, unlike his father, and hopes to correct his mistakes for the new generation. He's met with so much tragedy, as everyone he has ever loved dies. Despite this, he faces his hardships head on and does what he can for the good of the world. Raiden, someone traumatized by war finds himself back on the battlefield after misunderstanding what Snake tried to teach him. He yearns to follow in Snake's footsteps, but learns that living his own life is what he needs the most. He still fights for what he believes in and helps Snake eliminate The Patriot AI, but is finally able to reconcile with himself and find peace. His conflict with Rose I hated at first, but now love. Some of it was lost in translation, and it is a bit confusing, but Rose holding out for Raiden's return cements their relationship as the absolute best. And finally, Big Boss, a man so lost in what he thought his mentor wanted for the world that he turned bitter and created a cycle of war with Zero. His final confrontation with Snake, fully knowing that he would not survive the encounter, is absolutely beautiful. Him finally coming to realize what The Boss meant by uniting the world and begging Snake to live out his last moments in peace as he realized his way of viewing soldiers was wrong. Soldier's minds could leave the battlefield, and there was no need for war. His entire talk with Snake is the best scene in the series.
MGS4 is incredibly problematic, but what it did right, it absolutely did right, and it's hard for me to hate it when those perfect aspects exist and cap off the story of the greatest video game protagonist. A true labor of love.
Some characters kind of piss me off in the story. Meryl comes back as a veteran of war, no longer the rookie we met her as. She then randomly falls in love with Johnny, who's only character trait is that he farts and shits. He's also really hot for some reason. Liquid Ocelot just confuses me. I love him and his plan makes sense in the end, but it's super convoluted and strange. Did he really allow Naomi to get captured because he anticipated Sunny would create a virus to shut down The Patriot AI, which he had on board his own ship, and then allow Snake to insert the virus himself? There's just too much going on. Drebin showing up out of nowhere and calling Snake just to give him backstory on the worst group of villains in the series. Vamp is also an antagonist and I don't have a clue as to why.
However, all this largely pales to how expertly the game cares for it's most important characters. Snake, a man who was given the worst hand in life now works towards making the most of it and building a future. Despite him dying because of accelerated aging, he sticks to his ideals and aims towards a future free from control. Otacon, a tragic scientist who looks to make the world a better place with Snake. He takes full accountability for his actions in developing REX, unlike his father, and hopes to correct his mistakes for the new generation. He's met with so much tragedy, as everyone he has ever loved dies. Despite this, he faces his hardships head on and does what he can for the good of the world. Raiden, someone traumatized by war finds himself back on the battlefield after misunderstanding what Snake tried to teach him. He yearns to follow in Snake's footsteps, but learns that living his own life is what he needs the most. He still fights for what he believes in and helps Snake eliminate The Patriot AI, but is finally able to reconcile with himself and find peace. His conflict with Rose I hated at first, but now love. Some of it was lost in translation, and it is a bit confusing, but Rose holding out for Raiden's return cements their relationship as the absolute best. And finally, Big Boss, a man so lost in what he thought his mentor wanted for the world that he turned bitter and created a cycle of war with Zero. His final confrontation with Snake, fully knowing that he would not survive the encounter, is absolutely beautiful. Him finally coming to realize what The Boss meant by uniting the world and begging Snake to live out his last moments in peace as he realized his way of viewing soldiers was wrong. Soldier's minds could leave the battlefield, and there was no need for war. His entire talk with Snake is the best scene in the series.
MGS4 is incredibly problematic, but what it did right, it absolutely did right, and it's hard for me to hate it when those perfect aspects exist and cap off the story of the greatest video game protagonist. A true labor of love.
3
The more I think about this game, the more I can't help but recognize how messy Raiden's character is. Him embracing Jack the Ripper would probably work if MGS4 didn't exist, but Raiden has already learned twice now that the past does not define you. Despite him using Jack the Ripper for good and not letting his bloodlust define his actions, he still ultimately is succumbing to the worst part of himself and weaponizing his PTSD. Not a huge fan of that.
Outside of that, the writing is great. Every character reflects and challenges Raiden in their own unique way. Mistral relates back to his upbringing, Monsoon challenging why he fights, Sundowner glorifying war and treating it as the end all be all of humanity, and Sam being the very thing Raiden swore not to be: someone with no ideals simply fighting because they can. Some changes to Raiden's character were made to compensate, like his new profound sense of justice, but I think outside of Jack the Ripper, it all works very well. Armstrong is obviously the highlight, as someone who wants to give complete freedom to and unite the American people by first using corrupt means to get elected. His charisma and over the top nature practically revived the game in the public space.
The gameplay is simple, but effective. I've played through the game several times and usually just mash during combat sections unless I really want a specific ender. Every attack flows into another seamlessly, which makes the game easy to pick up with some decent depth (although that depth could be a bit deeper). The parry and dodge promote relentless aggression, and I'll never get tired of seeing Raiden pull out someone's electrolytes and crush them with his fist.
The music is INSANE! How have more games not used this method of music? The lyrics not kicking in until the last phase, or in Sam and Armstrong's cases, when the Murasama is being held, creates dynamic music that enhances the dynamic of the fight itself. Not to mention the lyrics of each song tie back into each character's beliefs and/or their conflict with Raiden. DMC5 is the only other game I can think of that uses a somewhat similar music method and it's a damn shame because this is literally peak sound design.
Not a perfect game by any means, but the story is deep without being too profound, the gameplay is simple but fun, and the music is unparalleled. Unfortunately not canon, but I love this game for the experiences it gave me and how it got me into the rest of the series.
Outside of that, the writing is great. Every character reflects and challenges Raiden in their own unique way. Mistral relates back to his upbringing, Monsoon challenging why he fights, Sundowner glorifying war and treating it as the end all be all of humanity, and Sam being the very thing Raiden swore not to be: someone with no ideals simply fighting because they can. Some changes to Raiden's character were made to compensate, like his new profound sense of justice, but I think outside of Jack the Ripper, it all works very well. Armstrong is obviously the highlight, as someone who wants to give complete freedom to and unite the American people by first using corrupt means to get elected. His charisma and over the top nature practically revived the game in the public space.
The gameplay is simple, but effective. I've played through the game several times and usually just mash during combat sections unless I really want a specific ender. Every attack flows into another seamlessly, which makes the game easy to pick up with some decent depth (although that depth could be a bit deeper). The parry and dodge promote relentless aggression, and I'll never get tired of seeing Raiden pull out someone's electrolytes and crush them with his fist.
The music is INSANE! How have more games not used this method of music? The lyrics not kicking in until the last phase, or in Sam and Armstrong's cases, when the Murasama is being held, creates dynamic music that enhances the dynamic of the fight itself. Not to mention the lyrics of each song tie back into each character's beliefs and/or their conflict with Raiden. DMC5 is the only other game I can think of that uses a somewhat similar music method and it's a damn shame because this is literally peak sound design.
Not a perfect game by any means, but the story is deep without being too profound, the gameplay is simple but fun, and the music is unparalleled. Unfortunately not canon, but I love this game for the experiences it gave me and how it got me into the rest of the series.
4
3D Mario is SO good. I exclusively played 3D World with three other people. It was chaotic as hell, for sure, but that chaos is an inherent part of the experience. I don't look back on it with frustration, in fact, I wouldn't have had it any other way. The levels were fun and creative, with solid gameplay to boot. I would say my only gripe is that unlocking the final world takes a bit much, but it makes sense as a 100% reward. Good music, sound design, power ups... I really can't say anything bad about this game. I'm sure there are many fair criticisms people can make, but in terms of gaming experiences with other people, this is one of the best I've had.
Bowser's Fury goes HARD. The 3D World movement feels a bit weird in an open world setting, I primarily miss the double and triple jump, a more reliable long jump and dive, and a stronger side flip, but it works just fine. The world is a bit incoherent; it doesn't feel like a whole world, just a collection of islands with no cohesion. It all works surprisingly well, though. The islands are designed around your 3D World movement and make the most of the options you have. Fury Bowser is such a notable idea that I hope comes back in some form in a later game, it is genuinely the coolest thing done with Bowser since Bowser's Inside Story. Pretty much every good thing about 3D World also applies here, but its a pure single player experience (you can have a second player as Bowser Jr. but I only did that once). 3D Mario is peak gaming, there's no way around it.
Bowser's Fury goes HARD. The 3D World movement feels a bit weird in an open world setting, I primarily miss the double and triple jump, a more reliable long jump and dive, and a stronger side flip, but it works just fine. The world is a bit incoherent; it doesn't feel like a whole world, just a collection of islands with no cohesion. It all works surprisingly well, though. The islands are designed around your 3D World movement and make the most of the options you have. Fury Bowser is such a notable idea that I hope comes back in some form in a later game, it is genuinely the coolest thing done with Bowser since Bowser's Inside Story. Pretty much every good thing about 3D World also applies here, but its a pure single player experience (you can have a second player as Bowser Jr. but I only did that once). 3D Mario is peak gaming, there's no way around it.
5
One of the most beautiful stories in all of fiction. I hesitate to say its the best because I didn't find it as profound as later titles, but is still incredible. The way this game gets you to feel through the music and voice acting is astounding, and I think actually works better with the low poly models. I think the gameplay suffers a bit, especially compared to later titles. It feels awful playing this game without crouch stance, reliable CQC, or hold ups. The stealth is way too volatile; you get seen once, you basically die. The PGS1 sniper is way too clunky to aim, the inventory gets way too cluttered, the shooting is unreliable, etc. However, all that doesn't matter because you play this game for the story, and its one hell of a story. Liquid is my favorite antagonist in the series, it's unfortunate this is the only time we really see him.
Basically, my point is that you can't say too many bad things about this game because Psycho Mantis has the coolest boss fight ever.
Basically, my point is that you can't say too many bad things about this game because Psycho Mantis has the coolest boss fight ever.
6
If the MGS series got me invested in cinematic games, Asura's Wrath cemented my love for them. I knew exactly what I was getting into with this game and enjoyed it immensely. The seamless transitions from cutscenes to gameplay, combined with the constant QTEs make it feel like a playable anime (which is exactly what the devs were going for). Although there's somehow only an hour of gameplay in this 7 hour long game, its spread out in a way to where it never feels like you're not engaging in some kind of gameplay element. The story is cheesy, but great nonetheless; Asura and Yasha are fantastic characters. The soundtrack is surprisingly good, greatly matching the sci-fi/hindu aesthetic. I can't believe Capcom has not given this game any attention, especially when it has the absolute coolest DLC of any game ever. It might be lacking in some areas, but if you know what you're getting into, this is a perfect game.
7
Due to the level design and gameplay as a whole, this is easily the most repayable game I've played. The ability to choose your own weapons, a buddy, an outfit, landing at a certain time of day from multiple different areas, etc. The complete freedom to go about missions however you want entices you to experiment and find what works for you. The base management stuff can be annoying sometimes, but I never found it too tedious (unless you play on PS3). The story is way better than people claim it is. Although it having a few different endings for different characters that don't really mesh well together is a bit irritating, I still found it's themes and messages to be quite effective, even more so than PW. The only absolute downside I would say is music, as outside of cassette tapes you can find, there aren't a whole lot of notable tracks. Great game with infinite replayability.
8
This Mario sports title has one of the most interesting team building mechanics in any game I've ever played. Chemistry essentially allows certain characters to have better stats when paired. They'll throw the ball faster to each other, hit the ball harder when the next is up to bat, can do special outfield moves when next to each other, etc. It adds a lot of interesting team dynamics, where it may be worth sacrificing chemistry in favor of purely strong hitters. Miis can make special chemistry links that were otherwise impossible, meaning choosing them despite being relatively weak on their own can be the right play in the long run. Gameplay is good too.
9
Although not perfect, definitely a step in the right direction for the blue blur. Running around the open world is loads of fun, especially at top speed. The boss fights are incredibly over the top and the music is insane. The constant boost pads and rails everywhere can be annoying, but its fun to chain short challenges together. The 2D challenges are really annoying, especially on the third island. Cyberspace is a novel idea, but Sonic just can't seem to escape these short boost type levels with generic locations. The final boss might be the most disappointing final boss ever. Quality wise it should be lower, but I had a lot of fun with this one.
10
Incredibly fun but short time. The main story mission is only about a half hour long, but exploring the base has its own merit. A small, open world base with missions that involve you infiltrating and getting as familiar with it as you can. A smaller base like Camp Omega with the open world aspect of MGSV is a combination for perfection, I honestly wish MGSV had more bases like this one. The Deja Vu and Jamais Vu extra ops are also some of the most fun I've had in an MGS title. The latter is a fun, aggressive shooter experience where you play as Raiden, and the former is a love letter to MGS1 as you recreate scenes from that game, complete with Robin Atkin Downes doing his best impressions of literally every character. Overall a good time, its unfortunate that this game doesn't have the greatest reputation.
11
The small community that keeps this game alive is awesome. They're very welcoming to new players and help you out when needed. However, I can never see myself getting too into this game purely because everyone else has been playing this for years on end. I turn the corner and get immediately head shot and there is literally nothing better I could've done in that specific scenario. I wish there were options to play as the unique characters more, as they were the only reason I got into the game. Can be fun when I'm not getting steamrolled, and I admire the fine people who work to keep this game alive.
12
The biggest strength of this game is also its biggest weakness: the complete overabundance of moves. Every character in this game has WAY too many moves, some which are completely useless, and although not all moves are useless, you'll only be using about 20 or so moves per character. This overabundance of moves turns every single match into a knowledge check of what is safe, what you can duck, when you can step, etc. It's fun to go online and use moves I usually wouldn't because my opponent doesn't know what to do, and playing against friends can be fun as we both figure out what moves we can and cannot reliably use. I can't see myself ever learning every notable move of every character, but I will still play this with people I know, its much more fun in that regard.
13
Easily the worst mainline MGS game, but not a bad one at all. Pretty fun gameplay with a nice variety of weapons to choose from after upgrading MSF. This somewhat falls flat because of the linear level design, though. Speaking of the level design, this game is WAY too easy. Sneaking is as simple as crouch walking and getting tranq gun headshots. The CQC is fun to mess with, but also makes tense situations where you're crowded way too easy to get out of. The story is alright, but not the least bit profound like every other MGS title. Big Boss is the only character I really care about, everyone else is just there for the sake of it. There are too many villains that don't get enough time to shine on their own, and most of their relevant background is present in the cassette tapes, and I don't have the time or the will to listen to all of them. Still, a fun time for what it is, but it doesn't feel much like an MGS game outside of pure sneaking gameplay.
14
One of the most disappointing games I've ever played, but still decent in quality. The gameplay is really fun, with high speed, engaging battles that always keep you on your toes. AMAZING soundtrack, super bouncy and colorful, fitting with both the M&L and Paper Mario vibes. The constant Toad hunts can be annoying, but I found them quite fun after a while. However, the lack of unique characters or an interesting story completely kills why both of these series' are worth playing. It kills me to see two entire worlds of characters go to complete waste in favor of Bowser kidnapping Peach again. I think they do the best with what they were forced to do; the dialogue is as funny as ever, but it still sucks. I can play this game and have a blast, but will never forget the missed potential this ambitious crossover yielded.
15
This was initially fairly high on my list, but after playing the original game, it dropped significantly. It's a perfectly functional game on its own, but practically ruins every good thing about the original. It is nice to see some characters in higher quality models, mainly Liquid, but the voice acting doesn't even hold a candle to the original. The music changes are bad, the atmosphere is weakened, and emotional moments are completely butchered. I still enjoyed myself playing it, but after playing the original, I don't think I'll ever revisit this title.
16
Mindless fun in small doses. I can't play it for too long without seeing its glaring flaws, but I have a lot of fun with this game when I don't think too much. The gear customization can make anyone fill any role on your team, which you can see as a good or a bad thing. Not much to say, I wish there was more to do in this game other than just the soccer, but what's here is fun when I'm really into it.
17
It's mind boggling how mixed people are on this game. I'm not really on either side of the argument, I think it's just meh. The story is more interesting and cohesive than most Sonic stories, with Eggman and Shadow standing out as actual well written characters. The Sonic/Shadow levels are awesome, while most of the Knuckles/Rouge stages were enjoyable as well. However, the writing is honestly terrible even including Shadow's mostly well done character arc, and the remaining Knuckles/Rouge stages along with the Eggman/Tails stages make me want to die. Very mixed on the gameplay and story, but at least we can all agree the music is epic.
18
The only legitimately awful game I played this year, it genuinely boggles my mind how all the top reviews for this game are high praising statements that claim the game isn't outdated in the slightest. The life system in place is literally the most outdated thing I've seen in an older game in quite some time, and it makes it impossible for me to enjoy because dying once means restarting a ten minute level. The combat creativity is there, but I was never pushed to actually experiment with it because I was too afraid of dying. Also the worst camera I've seen in a video game. Ifrit can be fun to use, and the setting is awesome, but I can never get too invested when one death causes me so much pain.
19
2 Comments
Ah, a fellow DMC1 hater I see 🤝
MagneticBurn
1 year ago