There were some great triple-A games this year, but the titles that really impressed me didn’t come from studios that employ thousands of people. Instead, they were crafted by smaller groups of dedicated developers who were propelled more by vision than budget. And I think the end results speak for themselves.
10. MultiVersus
Of all the Smash clones I have played in my life, MultiVersus is the first one to get it right. That isn’t to say it is perfect. It can be a bit janky, and I am not happy with the direction that the monetization is going in, but the game itself is still a blast to play. The emphasis on dodging makes it an extremely fast-paced platform fighter. The developers have also been adding characters at a surprising rate. And all those additions feel pretty unique and fun to play. It is already an impressive package; I can’t wait to see what it looks like in a year or so.
9. God Of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok felt like an adventure. The previous title was tighter. But Ragnarok is far grander. There is more variety here; you aren’t just fighting trolls this time around. And the combat still feels great. There is a weightiness that I don’t always love, and sometimes I feel like the controls are fighting me a little when I am trying to maneuver my way around the battlefield, but the synergy between the weapons, and how you can creatively string attacks together, is top-notch. Also, it has a great parry, and that is always worth celebrating!
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
It is amazing that we received so many great TMNT games sequentially, only for developers to struggle to make a half-way decent entry in the series for multiple generations. Turns out that if you just do the thing that works, you get excellent results. Shredder’s Revenge feels like a true sequel to Turtles In Time. It adds complexity to the combat engine while maintaining a simple feel, is packed with content, and looks great. It is everything you want from a TMNT game.
7. Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors is an absurdly simple game. Just move around the battlefield and choose what upgrade you want. The rest is done for you. But while that may sound painfully dull, the game is an absolute thrill. It is perfect for people looking to jump in for a quick playthrough. However, watch out, the one-more-run mindset may trick you into spending more time than you were originally intending. Oh, and it is easily the best podcast game to release this year. Maybe ever?
6. Sifu
Sifu is razor focused on delivering its vision. The story is minimalistic but effective. Unlike so many modern action films, it doesn’t overcomplicate matters. This is a revenge story. Your goal is to track down those who have wronged you and dole out justice, one acrobatic strike at a time. And that combat is good. It is damn good. Everything is so precise and deliberate. I never felt like any of my losses were unavoidable. I was always in control of my own fate. Button mashers will probably find the combat frustrating, but if you want to interface thoughtfully with your actions, then I can’t think of many games that do combat better than Sifu.
5. OlliOlli World
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The first two OlliOlli games were Vita standouts. Blending simple, intuitive controls, with engaging level design, the OlliOlli games are great for pick-up and play sessions. Everything clicks. OlliOlli World is a massive expansion of everything those games established, adding a bright new art style and far more elaborate stages. It is a game that takes everything up several notches. It is everything I wanted from a big-boy, console follow-up to the original bitesize offerings.
4. Elden Ring
The scope in Elden Ring is staggering. It is the most densely packed open-world title I have ever experienced. While the open-world content doesn’t have that level of handcrafted detail that has earned FromSoft the reputation of producing some of the best-designed levels in the medium, the legacy dungeons are able to bring that meticulous quality to Elden Ring. In all honesty, I do think that Elden Ring ends up sacrificing some quality for quantity, but there is still more than enough quality here to shine through and make Elden Ring an instant classic.
3. Return To Monkey Island
I had lost all hope of a new Monkey Island release. It just seemed like the IP was dead. But not only did we receive a new entry in the series, but we got a damn fine one at that. Return to Monkey Island is a wonderful love letter to the franchise. It is sharply written, consistently funny, and filled with puzzles that sit in the sweet spot between absurd and intriguing. Does it pander a little too much to Monkey Island Stan in the first chapter? Probably. But I’m willing to forgive that given that it is the first legitimately great Monkey Island game in well over twenty years.
2. Tactics Ogre Reborn
This is a tough one for me. I want to favor titles that are wholly new, but while Tactics Ogre Reborn isn’t a new title, it does way more than any other remaster that came before it to shake things up. The combat has been overhauled. The way classes work, and how you build your units, has been fundamentally altered. Some of the new mechanics, such as the boost cards, may be a little controversial, but the touch of chaos they add helps Tactics Ogre Reborn feel distinct. And hey, it is still Tactics Ogre. This means that it is among the finest games to have ever been crafted. If this were a new release, it would have been my top pick. Easily.
1. Rollerdrome
In an era where the extreme sports genre of game seems to have gone missing, Rollerdrome is very clearly the developers at Roll7 saying “Fuck it, I’ll do it myself.” Rollerdrome has that same emphasis on pursuing the longest line of tricks possible, but it also smoothly integrates a combat element into the mix.
But Rollerdrome isn’t just THPS with guns; the feel of Rollerdrome is unlike any other extreme sports game I have played. Twisting your body 180 degrees midair to shoot a rocket out of the sky, landing backward, firing pistols at enemies as your momentum takes you in the opposite direction of the camera, and then pulling off a sick flip trick is exhilarating. Wrap it all in a Running Man-esque aesthetic, pair it with a minimal, but enticing, story, and then add a killer synthy soundtrack, and you have a true classic on your hands.
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