Games Whisperer

Top 10 Games of 2022

To me, 2021 turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The first full year of a new console generation never ends up being as strong as the following years. This time though, the opposite ended up being true.

2022 has had some great games, one game I’d consider an all-time great, but if we’re talking overall, it’s still been a weak year. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy each and every game in my top 10 list, so let’s go through them!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #10- Return to Monkey Island

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8/10

Return to Monkey Island had a lot to live up to. A classic series from the 90’s now been brought into the modern world- and I can happily say this game stayed true to its roots. Wit, puzzles, and Guybrush Threepwood’s clumsiness all make their appearance to give that Monkey Island experience us fans have been waiting for.

The earlier, shorter chapters may feel a bit easy puzzle-wise that lacked that clever logic of its predecessors, but it’s all made up for in the much longer and complex chapter later in the game. The basic choices Guybrush can make do dumb down the puzzles a bit, but fans should still enjoy this latest entry, even if it doesn’t come close to the series’ best games.

Top 10 Games of 2022: #9- Cult of the Lamb

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.2

Well wasn’t this game a pleasant surprise? It’s always great to see indie developers experiment with different genres and successfully pull them off. Seeing the rogue-like and management sim genres together worked surprisingly well.

Though to be honest, I think the rogue-like and combat side of things could have been a bit more fleshed out, as I spent far more time building and managing my cult, but still had fun either way.

Aside from the feeling of repetition by the time you get to the second half, Cult of the Lamb’s charm, art style, and addictiveness should win over most gamers hearts.

Top 10 Games of 2022: #8- Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.5

Personally I never really got into Kirby, I even tried 2018’s Kirby Star Allies and really, really didn’t like it. But to my surprise I really, really enjoyed this particular game. Similarly to Super Mario Odyssey, Kirby can take the form of many different objects, from cars to vending machines. Let’s not forget all the different abilities Kirby can use which gives such refreshing variety.

It’s not a very challenging game but it’s just fun. Every level has many secrets to find and each level having its own set of objectives makes exploring worthwhile and satisfying. If you’ve never played a Kirby game before, or never really cared about Kirby, I’d strongly recommend you give this latest one a go!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #7- Triangle Strategy

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.6

I think everyone who played this great game can agree that Triangle Strategy was the most underappreciated and ignored game of the year. It didn’t seem to make much of an impact but those who actually gave it a chance were treated to solid gameplay, great writing, and fantastic storytelling (despite the weaker middle portion of the story).

The Scales of Conviction segments were truly conflicting moments and really helped this game stand out. Making difficult decisions that actually felt like they mattered were easily one of the highlights for me. If you missed this game in 2022, be sure to check it out because it’s certainly worth your time!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #6- A Plague Tale: Requiem

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.7

When the 2019 original was released, I think it took everyone by surprise. Two young protagonists journeying across the land, avoiding millions of terrifying rats along the way, really gave us something special and memorable.

A sequel was all but assured, and in many ways gave us something grander and more epic. A more adventurous story, amazing voice acting, and more skills/abilities to navigate the dangerous rats and soldiers.

This game would easily have made my top 5, but too many frustrating stealth sections, and lame character motivations in the middle of the story kept it just outside of it. Regardless, this is still a worthy sequel, and let’s not forget THAT ending!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #5- Tunic

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.8

The best indie game of 2022 comes in the form of Tunic. It plays similarly to last year’s best indie- Death’s Door, and while the gameplay wasn’t as good, it was still solid overall. But what won me over was the game’s ‘Golden Path’, or rather the path to the true ending.

The puzzles here are phenomenal and I would have rated this game higher if these puzzles were there throughout the whole game, rather than at the end portion of it. Also the in-game manual was also a stroke of genius and completely added a new layer to the game. Revealing new abilities and giving cryptic clues about progression gave Tunic that something extra special, and turned what could have been average into something great!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #4- Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.2

Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a triumphant return to this new series. Still the most bizarre mash-up in gaming, but clearly one of the best. They’ve taken what was great about the original and have improved upon it. From more open worlds to explore, more freedom in movement during combat, and just more content outside the main story.

But more importantly, this game is just pure fun. The strategy is still there and you do need to think your way through battles. This comes down to correct character selection, equipping the most relevant sparks, etc. Then you’ve got a decent RPG system and skill tree that adds more depth to an always great game. The best Switch game of the year for me.

Top 10 Games of 2022: #3- Horizon: Forbidden West

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.3

Horizon Zero Dawn, back in 2017, gave us one of the most visually impressive open worlds we’ve ever seen. Along with the combination of futuristic and prehistoric vibes, you had yourself a pretty unique experience. One of my main complaints of the original though, was its uninspired storytelling. The overall story was great but the way it was told was a little generic.

That’s where this sequel erases those criticisms and therefore turns Forbidden West into one of the very best games of the year. I was captivated by the story pretty much the whole way through. Let’s not forget that action movie-like combat! So smooth, fluid, explosive, and incredibly fun. You’ll also find more interesting characters and just a better cast overall. If you enjoyed the original, this sequel is a no-brainer!

Top 10 Games of 2022: #2- God of War Ragnarok

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.5

The original God of War (2018) is considered by many to be the best game of the previous generation- for good reason too! Amazing storytelling, great characters, fun but challenging combat, and a very unique bond between Kratos and his son Atreus, which is something we don’t often see in gaming.

Now after an agonising wait, we have the sequel and it delivered on every front. A more epic story, more bigger locations to explore, and even more variety in combat. In terms of gameplay, the balance of combat, puzzle, and exploration is spot on! I think if the storytelling was a little more cohesive, then this game would have had an even better chance of being my Game of the Year.

So while the original raised the bar to a new golden standard for modern gaming, the sequel to me, simply met that bar without truly surpassing it. Still clearly one of the best games of 2022 anyway!

Top 10 Games of 2022: Game of the Year- Elden Ring

Games Whisperer Review Score: 10

Wow. Just wow. Where to start?

Elden Ring has the best open world design in gaming history. I don’t even think it’s close, and I don’t think any developers are going to attempt to even replicate it. This particular open world has it all- wide but dense areas to explore with treasure (and dangerous beasts) in every nook and cranny, plenty of smaller dungeons to conquer, and of course the massive legacy dungeons that give us that addictive and complex level design, complete with the most challenging bosses to take down.

The combat and RPG system is some of the most flexible you’ll find in gaming. The freedom this game gives you is insane. Any class you want to play as, Elden Ring accommodates, and only encourages multiple playthroughs. Not to mention some new additions to the Souls-like combat such as summons, that help with accessibility and takes some of the heat off the battles.

It’s just one of those games I wanted to thoroughly explore and do everything I possibly could, and I enjoyed every minute of my 300 hour playthrough doing so. With so many stunning locations too (Crumbling Farum Azula, Lyndell Royal Capital, Lake of Rot, just to name a few), the visual design is just beautiful!

I could still go on and on about why this game is such a masterpiece, but more than that, it feels like such an achievement in gaming. The level of trust FromSoftware place in the player to explore their world and approach their game is such a rarity nowadays. It will very interesting (though unlikely) to see whether any game this generation will come close to Elden Ring’s scale, ambition, and execution.

Top 10 Games of 2021

2021 was the first full year of the next gen consoles- the PS5 and X Box Series X. In my experience, the first year of a console generation is usually a weak one (2014 anyone?).

So how did 2021 fare? I’m actually genuinely, and pleasantly, surprised that it turned out to be a pretty good year for gaming! I’ll admit the first 8 months felt pretty weak, but the line-up after that certainly gave us a strong end to the year.

This year we had a great selection from long-time franchises, original IPs, and indie games that will make up my top 10 list. But first, enjoy my honourable mentions!

Honourable Mentions

Normally I try to have about 3 honourable mentions, and always feel like they ‘just missed out’. That’s not really the case with this year’s choices, they didn’t seem top 10 worthy, but were still good games nonetheless.

My first honourable mention goes to Persona 5 Strikers. As a super huge fan of Persona 5 (my 2017 GOTY), I was super excited about this even though it wasn’t a traditional Persona game. I knew Strikers more a much more action-oriented game, but was very surprised how it still captured the charm and personality of Persona 5. A very welcome addition to the Persona universe.

My second honourable mention goes to retro platformer Cyber Shadow. This game was everything you could want from this type of game. Good ol’ fashion tight platforming and very challenging bosses. This made for a satisfying experience, even though it didn’t innovate or give us anything new, it simply gives retro fans exactly what they would expect. Nothing wrong with that!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #10- Shin Megami Tensei V

Games Whisperer Review Score: NA

It seems like most gamer’s favourite RPG in 2021 was Tales of Arise. But for me, I enjoyed Shin Megami Tensei V even more, and for one main reason- its superior and addictive RPG mechanics. Admittedly its storytelling was very uneven and its characters were uninteresting and felt non-existent.

But the game’s demon fusion made every level up exciting, and always needing to upgrade your team with newer and more powerful demons, made it a constantly refreshing experience. The combat was very challenging and required some real tactical thinking if you didn’t want to easily get wiped. Just for the RPG aspect alone, I would recommend SMT V to any fan of the genre.

Top 10 Games of 2021: #9- Resident Evil Village

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.3

Resident Evil Village feels like more of a celebration of the RE series so far. As you progress through and make your way to the various regions, you’ll realise that these sections of the game resemble previous RE games. Lady Dimitrescu’s mansion is reminiscent of the original RE game, while the brilliant House Beneviento section will remind you of the creepy horror of RE7.

The newest edition, or what uniquely belongs to Village, is the titular village that acts as a more open hub area that connects everything together. Unlike some of the other hit-and-miss sections, the village area was an enjoyable and welcome addition, and shows that even though it’s important for a long-running franchise to stay true to its roots, should also be finding ways to innovate and keep the franchise relevant and fresh.

Top 10 Games of 2021: #8- Chicory

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.6

Chicory was one of those overlooked indie games that I think is important for everyone to play. It tackled issues of self-doubt, which is something everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Apart from the story, it deals with this issue very cleverly by giving you creative freedom to colour the landscape, recreating images your own way, and will always make you feel good about how you expressed yourself. There’s no incorrect way of doing things, and painting away is just fun, relaxing, and satisfying.

The game contains a whole series of puzzles as your progress and explore and were mostly all very well-designed. Using the unique paintbrush mechanic allowed obviously for unique puzzles, and they only got better as you made your way through the game. Don’t let Chicory slip by your radar!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #7- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.7

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart really shows what the PS5 is capable of- and it’s spectacular! The Pixar-like visuals, super smooth animations, and general chaos all happening at once is quite mind-blowing. This seems to be many people’s reasoning as to why this game is a GOTY contender. That of course, isn’t enough for me.

Luckily this game is quite solid across the board and does everything really well. The storyline is fine, as is the platforming and general gameplay, but the action is first and foremost the best part of the game. With so many weapons at your disposal, it was a lot of fun to just let loose and throw everything you had in already hectic action moments. Ultimately it did feel like just ‘another Ratchet and Clank game’, which is why it’s not ranked higher in my top 10, but it was still a super polished experience.

Top 10 Games of 2021: #6- The Forgotten City

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.9

The Forgotten City almost slipped by me. I played it not long before constructing this list and I’m so glad I did! I love a game with a unique concept, story, twists, and this game delivered all of that! It also brought up thought-provoking themes of morality, and more, which only added to its depth.

In The Forgotten City, you must investigate and prevent the Golden Rule from being broken and must utilise a time-traveling loop mechanic to do so. The storytelling and progression may be non-linear, but it does come at the expense of a lack of direction. The action/combat wasn’t great and fairly unnecessary for this type of game. But despite all that, my overall experience was very positive and didn’t want my time to end. Such an amazing accomplishment for such a small development team!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #5- Death’s Door

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9

The best indie game of 2021 comes in the form of Death’s Door. Inspired by classics like Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls, this game manages to form its own identity, and overall was a surprisingly polished and refined experience.

Death’s Door was simply a whole lot of fun in almost every regard. The combat was challenging and satisfying, and exploring dungeons and solving puzzles was so enjoyable too- I just wanted more of it! If you’re going to play just one indie game from 2021, make it Death’s Door!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #4- Psychonauts 2

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.2

After a long wait from fans of the original game, a sequel has finally emerged, and isn’t it great when it’s as good (or even better) than expected? Sadly I never played the first Psychonauts, but the general consensus is that this sequel has surpassed the original. As a newcomer, all I can do is appreciate everything this game accomplishes.

The game’s art style/direction is the best of 2021. Each mind you visit is visually represented perfectly, both from a storytelling AND aesthetic aspect. The 3D platforming is also the very best of 2021, which involves great use of timing, reflexes, and Raz’s abilities which all combine to give us challenges that are always fun and satisfying to overcome. The game’s story and characters have plenty of depth that make this such a memorable experience and tackles all sorts of issues but in a mature way. At the same time Psychonauts 2 contains so much humour, it’s rare to laugh this much during a game, let alone one with a more serious tone. It doesn’t matter if you never played the original- don’t miss this game!!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #3- Returnal

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.3

Returnal was actually my GOTY for a lot of 2021, that is until September came around. What an absolute thrill this game was! You play as Selene, an astronaut who crash-landed on an alien planet and must break the cycle to escape, putting it simply of course. There’s been plenty of games with similar concepts, and while Returnal’s character/upgrade progression may not feel as satisfying or addictive as other rogue-likes, the game’s action, atmosphere, and challenge are out of this world!

Returnal’s got to be one of the hardest games on the PS5, but defeating those bosses and making it to the next area feel like one of the biggest accomplishments you’ll have in 2021. The gameplay, both combat and platforming, just feel so good and kept me coming back time and time again. I’m afraid the game’s difficulty will prevent a lot of gamers from continuing, but if you can break past that high barrier of entry, you’ll see why it’s the best action game of the year!

Top 10 Games of 2021: #2- Metroid Dread

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.8

If I were to base my GOTY purely on fun factor, Metroid Dread would win hands-down! I’ve always considered Super Metroid the best Metroid game (and best Metroidvania), but Metroid Dread has me reconsidering. What makes this game so damn good? Where to start?

The game’s level design is the best in the franchise and genre. Full stop. The levels are complex, the different areas are intertwined, and that feeling of satisfaction of accessing new areas with new abilities has never felt better. The platforming is also top-notch and controlling Samus just feels so polished. The action has been taken to another level, now being harder than ever before. Boss fights will take some time to overcome, but nothing feels cheap and you really have to earn each victory. This amounts to even more feelings of satisfaction, not only from winning, but from the rewards and abilities you’re constantly gaining.

I could go on and on, but I think I just convinced myself (and hopefully you) to have yet another playthrough of this metroidvania masterpiece!

Top 10 Games of 2021: Game of the Year- Deathloop

Games Whisperer Review Score: 10

While Metroid Dread gave us incredibly fun gameplay, Returnal gave us intense action, Psychonauts 2 gave us great narrative and art direction, and The Forgotten City gave us a unique concept and great twists- Deathloop gave us ALL of that and more.

It’s so rare for a AAA game to give us something that was so refreshingly new, original, innovative and creative, but Deathloop managed to do just that. Looping your way through the same day, trying to change the events to force the Visionaries to appear in different places, and then attempting to assassinate them ultimately in the one loop was a memorable and fun experience I’ll never forget!

To top it off, the way the game catered for both stealth and gunplay so flawlessly was just the icing on the cake. Deathloop allows you to be so experimental when it comes to gameplay styles and your unique abilities.

There’s just so much personality to this game, from its characters and voice acting, art style, music, there’s really nothing else like it. Games that show this much originality and creativity NEED to be celebrated, and combined with just how much fun I had, made it an easy choice for my Game of the Year 2021.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review

As someone who never got into the early days of Assassin’s Creed, I’ve been able to enjoy these latest iterations of the series. They’re certainly never low on content, as you’ll easily spend well over 100 hours if you want to complete these games.

That brings me to my first point- is AC Valhalla too long for its own good? I certainly felt so. This game could have been half its length and still been considered long. What developers need to grasp is that gamers want quality, not quantity. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy a lot of what Valhalla had to offer, but it had a major case of padding. A few regions into the game and you’ll realise just how overwhelming it can be.

On the bright side though, the variety and quality of a lot of the open world activities are actually quite good. There are some genuinely fun things to do, such as the fun dice game Orlog, the surprisingly good Flyting mini game, and the many small and unique world events (essentially mini side quests).

The way the main story is presented does have its pros and cons. For the pros, each region you tackle contains its own individual story, and I looked forward to each one. Some were on a grander scale, like helping to overthrow a jarl (this storyline was repeated multiple times for some reason), and some were more light hearted like helping your blacksmith gain a wife. Completing all the regions quests are all an attempt to gain their favour and become allied with them.

And that brings me to the cons of the main story. For all that is building up throughout your journey, a main story is never really established. Well it sort of is, but it never seems to be a main focus, and it really feels like a massive series a side quests that isn’t really building up to anything. Sadly, that’s kind of how it ends up. For all the alliance-building you go through, you’re left wondering all through the game why you’re even doing it in the first place. There needed to be something there to bring it all together and give the story more purpose, but it really falls flat. I think if there were simply less regions but with more fleshed out storylines within each one, it would have felt less of a chore and had much more impact.

Valhalla does repeat the same idea of the Cultists from AC Odyssey, this time in the form of the Order. I do love this concept, but it’s so copy and paste in Valhalla, with no new ideas brought to the table which is a real shame. At least in Odyssey, the Cultists felt like a real threat to the world, but the Order seem like an afterthought. Like the main story, more focus and attention here would have really elevated this game, but it seems like the developers just forgot about it.

General gameplay like combat and stealth are fine in Valhalla, but definitely nothing ground-breaking. Combat seems pretty standard but there’s certainly much better open world combat out there. Stealth mostly felt unnecessary because action was more of the focus and swinging your axe at enemy’s faces was just quicker, easier and more satisfying. The parkour system is still not quite fine-tuned, as I would occasionally jump in the wrong direction, resulting in failing certain activities, or even plummeting to my death.

Exploration is obviously a major thing in Valhalla, and each region has plenty to discover like I said previously. While it is satisfying to 100% each region, the rewards themselves sometimes just aren’t that great. Most of the treasure you find are ingots, used to upgrade your gear, but you’ll always find more than you need, making most of treasure meaningless. There is gear to find, but is baffling just how little there is considering Valhalla is still an RPG. I don’t think I’ve played an RPG with so little gear, but at least you can upgrade them so you can dedicate yourself to the one set.

A lot of other rewards you earn are mainly for cosmetic purposes, like parts for your ship, tattoos, etc. But it is strange that even though you can make changes to your ship and crew, none of it adds anything other than cosmetics, which is again baffling considering it’s an RPG. There’s no stat upgrades for these things and it felt pointless.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review Summary

It might seem like I’ve really torn this game apart, but that’s only because it had big shoes to fill from AC Odyssey. I think they just played it really safe and didn’t take any risks to push the series into bold new directions. Despite all this, I actually did enjoy AC Valhalla, but I grew fatigued over my whopping 4 months of playing it. To be honest, I’m not sure if I want to play another Ubisoft game again, even though I don’t actually dislike them. Here’s hoping they can surprise us with the next Assassin’s Creed?

Score: 8/10

Top 10 Games of 2020

2020…what a crazy year! Everything that could happen- did happen. But we’re not here to talk about any of that, we’re here to talk about what everyone did during their lockdowns…and that is play video games!

And what a year it was! While 2020 may not rank as one of the best years for gaming, it certainly held its own with some really strong games to end the generation. Many would consider 2020 to be the final proper year for the Playstation 4 and XBox One, with their next generations out and ready to begin another 7 years of console wars!

But now it’s time to celebrate what I consider the absolute best games of 2020, starting with the honourable mentions, and climbing all the way up to my Game of the Year!

Honourable Mentions

This year had some strong honourable mentions and easily deserved a place in my top 10. I was lucky enough to play quite a few great games this year, but with so many to choose from, unfortunately some games just had to miss out.

Darksiders Genesis gave us a completely different entry to the underrated Darksiders series. While the first 3 games were a third person action/adventure hack and slash affair, Genesis took a different turn and gave us an isometric twin stick shooter/hack and slash RPG hybrid. I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t overly excited for this game, but it more than surprised me once I gave it a chance. The amount of value for a relatively small game was impressive; and the combat, exploration, and puzzles were all quite fun. It’s safe to say I’m glad I gave Darksiders Genesis the chance it deserved.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is my second honourable mention, and it did temporarily make my top 10. I thoroughly enjoyed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, as it was the game that finally brought me into the franchise, so Valhalla had a lot to live up to. Whether this is considered disappointing or not, but Valhalla is very much more of the same, but it is Ubisoft don’t forget! To be fair, there are some improvements here over Odyssey. The open world activities are much more varied and quite fun. They’re actually more varied compared to many open world games, which was a pleasant surprise. The story is also more interesting and kept me more captivated than its predecessor.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #10- Spiritfarer

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.6

Click here for Spiritfarer review.

This game may be about death and moving on, but it’s presented in such a colourful and charming way. Here you’ll be helping a number of characters with some form of unfinished business as you guide them through the Everdoor- aka the afterlife.

Gameplay mostly consists of light platforming, crafting and resource management. Spiritfarer is a fairly relaxing game, allowing you to do things at your own pace. It can get pretty addictive too, but the constant resource gathering does overstay its welcome in the second half of the game. Regardless, it’s still a journey worth taking.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #9- Fall Guys

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.5
Click here for Fall Guys review.

Now there’s no way I couldn’t have this game in my top 10! I’ve played this game consistently ever since its release. The allure of beating 60 other players and earn another glorious crown is too much to pass up. In fact, that feeling of surviving every elimination round and making the final, only to somehow pull off a win, is one of the best feelings I had in gaming in 2020. That feeling never gets old, and will always drive me back for more.

If that isn’t enough reason to keep coming back, there are regular updates (or seasons) that keep this game fresh with new levels, costumes, and even variations of older levels. Even other issues like server disconnects and dodgy physics have been mostly ironed out, making it a better game than when I originally reviewed it.

I was never into the battle royale genre before Fall Guys, but due to its reliance on skill-based platforming, chaotic nature, and general silliness, I couldn’t resist the craze of the genre any longer. As long as the developers and fans keep supporting this game, I don’t think I’ll ever stop playing it.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #8- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Games Whisperer Review Score: 8.8
Click here for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim review.

If you’re a fan of science fiction, anime, complex storytelling, and RTS gameplay, look no further than 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. This game takes a very unique approach as a video game, where most games seamlessly combine story and gameplay together, 13 Sentinels divides both into two specific modes, allowing players to choose where their fancy takes them.

The gaming portion is your typical RTS gameplay. It’s nothing too special but was enjoyable nonetheless. But to me, it was the story that makes this game great. Told in a very fragmented way, you may have trouble trying to piece together this over-the-top science fiction story. At times it will seem convoluted and confusing, but it will still engage and captivate you the entire time.

Told from the perspective of 13 different characters, you’ll get to know each one well, and each storyline is fascinating in their own right. By the end, everything should all make sense, and will definitely be worth the journey through time.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #7- Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9
Click here for Animal Crossing: New Horizons review.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was my very first Animal Crossing game. I wasn’t sure if it would be my thing, and while I still don’t consider it my type of game, that didn’t stop me from play it every single day for two months straight!

Just knowing that there was wood to collect, rocks to gather, and debts to be paid, I just couldn’t put this game down. Even though most of what I was doing were absolute chores, they were still enjoyable and borderline addictive.

What impressed me the most was the ever-evolving nature of the game, how the day/night cycles, seasons, and real world events, can actually make a big impact on this game. It makes it feel like a dynamic and liveable world, and since so much is extremely customisable, I can understand why fans would never want to leave this paradise.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #6- Ghost of Tsushima

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9

Ghost of Tsushima was a dream come true for the samurai fan. Set in feudal Japan, this game contains one of the most beautiful open worlds you’ll ever explore. The world feels so alive, with trees swaying and leaves flying with the wind, not to mention the gorgeous colours of the flora, and you’ll be excused for thinking you’re actually in living in this world.

Along with the stunning visuals, Ghost of Tsushima has quite possibly the best combat in an open world game. It’s challenging enough to be fun, but not so much to be frustrating. It may seem difficult at first, but as you get better, you’ll be relishing every enemy encounter you find.

I believe this game could have made my top 5 if only for a few flaws. The story was good, but fairly basic and has been done before. The mission design was quite unoriginal, and also the open world activities become repetitive pretty fast. That being said, I was never actually bored at any point, making it still an enjoyable experience from start to finish.

In terms of storytelling though, it was the way the major side quests were handled which were one of the highlights. Side quests involving the more important characters were carried out throughout the whole game, giving us multiple storylines that helped draw us into the world and getting to know these characters better. Overall, this was a polished experience that hopefully will pave the way for more excellent combat within the open world genre.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #5- Final Fantasy VII Remake

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.4
Click here for Final Fantasy VII Remake review.

As a life-long fan of Final Fantasy VII (and the whole series), my excitement was at an all-time high to experience one of my favourite games with a modernised makeover. I was not disappointed. Journeying through this new vision of Midgar was a surreal experience for me. It was such a special moment every time I entered a familiar area, like Wall Market or Shinra HQ, but seeing it so much more alive than ever before.

But this remake isn’t just a graphical overhaul, as the combat system has completely been overhauled too. This game’s combat and character development has combined elements of previous Final Fantasy games and is better than ever before. This was possibly the most fun I’ve had ever in RPG combat, combining real-time and turn-based, and contains much deeper layers of strategy than you would expect from the genre.

Certain story changes that should affect future FFVII remake releases has caused some concern, along with cringeworthy writing, filler side quests, and some unnecessary bloating has held this game back from being called a true masterpiece like the original. But this journey through the Midgar portion of FFVII was still a magical ride that will get me excited for the next instalment- whenever that will be.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #4- Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.5
Click here for Ori and the Will of the Wisps review.

To my own surprise, the original Ori game didn’t have me gushing like it did with everyone else. Of course, the story, visuals, animations, and music were all top notch. But the combat was weak, the exploration didn’t satisfy me, and the platforming wasn’t great until towards the end of the game.

But this sequel changed all that. The combat actually felt great, with satisfying weight behind every strike. The platforming was excellent right from the beginning, with plenty of upgrades and abilities to constantly change things up and keep things fresh. The exploration was also greatly improved, with plenty more to discover in the form of many collectibles, side quests and time trials. Everything felt worth doing and it was a joy to revisit old areas for completion.

This sequel still carries on the quality of the heart-warming story, visuals and music from the original. Sequels should always strive to be bigger and better than the originals, and this game achieves that perfectly.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #3- Doom Eternal

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.8
Click here for Doom Eternal review.

Back in 2016, the legendary Doom franchise was revitalised. Instead of being remade into the more slower, set-piece driven FPS’s of today, the 2016 Doom stayed true to the original. At least in terms of pacing that is. It was fast, frantic, chaotic, and any other similar description you can throw at it. I enjoyed this new version of Doom, but maybe didn’t love it like many others. This meant I wasn’t super excited for the sequel, and wasn’t even intending on buying it. Oh boy am I glad I did!

Doom Eternal is one of the most fun games I’ve ever played! A huge statement to make, but when every single encounter feels like a thrilling roller coaster ride, I feel justified in saying that. While combat may seem like just dumb ‘run and gun’ encounters, there’s so much to consider throughout every SECOND, and that’s no exaggeration. Trying to juggle between your health, armour and ammo in attempting to keep them from depleting, you’ll be required to constantly be changing up your tactics as you go in order to survive. It’s just a constant thrill ride! When you throw in the fact that almost every enemy has some kind of weakness to exploit, and having a huge array of upgradable weapons to choose from, the variety you’ll experience during combat will never get dull.

That’s just the combat I’ve mentioned so far, as the great level design will allow for satisfying exploration along with worthwhile rewards to discover. There’s elements of platforming which is surprisingly fun for an FPS. The only chink in the armour is the game’s weak story and storytelling, but with this type of game, who really cares? Overall, Doom Eternal was one of 2020’s standout pieces of entertainment that I’m incredibly glad I decided to play.

Top 10 Games of 2020: #2- The Last Of Us Part 2

Games Whisperer Review Score: 9.8
Click here for The Last Of Us Part 2 review.

Trying to equal, or even surpass, a game that’s already considered an all-time great seems like a near impossible task, but I believe Naughty Dog have managed to achieve that. There were some controversial and risky decisions were made in regards to the story, which understandably some players took issue with. But Naughty Dog being the master storytellers that they are, managed to pull it off and tell us one of the deepest, multi-layered storylines of the generation.

The many themes woven throughout the story are testament to the care and intricacy that Naughty Dog are capable of showing, as they themselves have evolved along with their games to become the supreme storytellers of modern times.

Gameplay has also reached new heights for the series, featuring so much more variety than its predecessor. The stealth is as intense as ever, the gunplay remains solid fun, and the puzzles, exploration and platforming are more prominent and varied than ever. Combine that with bigger, bolder, and more interesting level design, and you have one of the most complete games of 2020. The most ambitious game of the year and hopefully encouraging signs for the future of gaming, not just from Naughty Dog, but from all developers looking to raise the high bar set by The Last Of Us Part 2.

Top 10 Games of 2020: Game of the Year- Hades

Games Whisperer Review Score: 10
Click here for Hades review.

At the start of 2020, I firmly believed my Game of the Year would be either Cyberpunk 2077, The Last Of Us Part 2, or Final Fantasy VII Remake. Little did I know that a ‘little’ indie title from Supergiant Games would surpass all of them!

What these developers have done is taken a well-known genre, the rogue-like, and somehow created the best game they possibly could out of it. They clearly have a great understanding of the genre and used it to the best of their abilities. The way they cleverly constructed the story in giving bite-sized pieces with every escape attempt and victory was brilliantly done, giving you so much incentive to try again and again.

The gameplay itself is phenomenal! Every escape attempt you’ll be given random rewards and boons that enhance your character Zagreus and changes his game style, meaning almost every run will feel different as you’ll need to constantly adapt to new strategies and combination of abilities. Sometimes your ability combinations will make you feel unstoppable, other times not so much, but the unpredictable nature of it is what makes it thrilling.

The replay value is what really sets this game apart, as there’ll always be something new to discover or unlock, even after many hours put into the game. After you’ve unlocked the true ending, the amount of post-game content is quite unbelievable, and because this game is always fun you’ll never feel the need to stop.

I don’t have any criticisms for Hades and everything it does, it does brilliantly well. I know that I’ll be playing this game for a long time to come, and having just as much fun as ever. There’s even more I could on about why Hades is so great, and that’s why it’s definitely worthy of my Game of the Year choice.

The Last of Us Part 2 Review

The original The Last of Us, released in 2013, is regarded by many as one of the greatest games ever made. It’s universally loved by pretty much everyone who played it and main characters Joel and Ellie rank as one of the best duos in gaming. Big shoes to fill for the sequel? You bet! Now in order for me to properly review this, I’ll need to bring up certain sections of the game that would be considered minor spoilers. I’d be too vague if I didn’t, so be warned!

There’s a lot worth talking about with this game. Naughty Dog put a tremendous amount of effort in almost every aspect of this game, but first I must talk about arguably the most important part of The Last of Us 2- the story. I actually wrote a much more in-depth article about the story, which you can check out here. For this review, I’ll have to tone it down a bit.

Story

The sequel begins 5 years after the events of the original game, as you’ll continue this story as a 19 year old Ellie. Now fairly early on, tragedy befalls a loved one of Ellie, and she vows revenge against the perpetrator. Along with her lover Dina, they set off on a journey to track them down.

Now this is a decent spoiler I need to mention before continuing- but after you complete Ellie’s story, you then spend the next half of the game playing as the character Ellie is tracking down- a WLF soldier named Abby.

First I’ll talk about Ellie’s story, as both stories are fairly different from each other. Ellie’s quest for revenge is much more focused than that of Abby’s story. In order to track Abby down, she must track down the other members of Abby’s group when her heinous act took place.

It was great to be able to play as Ellie, as she was the real main star of the original. In the sequel, Ellie seems a lot more toned down in terms of her personality and attitude. It’s understandable considering what she had to go through, but I certainly miss that unrestrained sassiness that we saw from Ellie previously.

There were some truly great moments within Ellie’s story. The main highlight for me was the small open world area very reminiscent to what was introduced in Uncharted: Lost Legacy. Here, you get to explore a decent-sized area filled with optional secrets, and it was genuinely fun to thoroughly explore. This is something Naughty Dog needs to keep doing in their future narrative games because it works great here as well as in Lost Legacy. The only thing is there’s only of these areas in the whole game as more would have been very welcome. Another highlight I must mention is the Museum flashback, and I think it’s even better than the giraffe scene of the original.

But now onto the Abby’s half of the story. It’s understandable why some people won’t be happy having to spend the second half of the game playing as the perceived villain. To be honest though, I found Abby’s story far more interesting than Ellie’s. It may have been less focused, but it did naturally grow into something pretty fascinating. Abby was also quite an interesting character, especially in the different ways she is portrayed. This is where I give Naughty Dog huge props, as they’ve done a masterful job of blurring the lines between hero and villain. It’s an extremely ambitious and bold form of storytelling. Regardless of anyone’s thoughts of this particular game’s characters and story, I think every developer should take note and not be afraid to take risks like this.

Even though Abby’s story already held my interest more than Ellie’s, it was the build towards the end that really had me captivated. We already know what happens up until a certain point, but the end of Abby’s story ramped up the momentum to fever pitch and I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation. It builds up to something pretty special, in some ways heart-wrenching, and other ways powerful.

What Naughty Dog have done here is they’ve created such a deep and multi-layered storyline that far exceeds what has been done before. It goes far beyond a simple revenge quest, and contains themes of perspective, tribalism, loss, moving on, and so much more. As a result, a lot of the lesson learnt here could also be applied to the real world, and that’s how powerful video games can be nowadays.

Visuals and Atmosphere

Naughty Dog have given us some absolutely gorgeous games and The Last of Us 2 is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the best looking games of this generation. Environments look not only realistic but are full of little details you can’t help but admire. Whether it’s outside areas, or indoors, so much effort was put into making this game’s world look incredibly life-like.

Every character, like the environments, looks so realistic and so human. Facial animations are absolutely spot on, and even more impressive is how the main characters facial animation change depending on the situation and their mood. This is referring to gameplay, not necessarily cutscenes, making it all the more impressive. If they’re feeling angry about something, or scared, you’ll actually see it on their face.

Like the original, the atmosphere is just as great as you might remember. Those dark spore-filled indoor areas feel as creepy as ever before. It didn’t feel like there were as many of these areas because the story doesn’t focus on the infected anywhere near as much, but they are still there scattered through the various locations you visit and are just as intense as ever.

Gameplay

To me, the gameplay is a huge step up from the original. Each area you traverse are much bigger and less linear than before. Outside of combat, you have plenty of optional areas to explore, filled with materials and ammo to scavenge. But because there’s so many more places to explore, it really does stretch out your playtime and you’ll find yourself filled to the brim with materials. A bit of balance was probably needed there, but the very flexible adjustable difficulty can fix that.

The impressive level design made areas just feel more natural, even though they had to be designed within the constraints of still being a video game. One thing I was impressed by was the amount of puzzles and variety compared to the original. If there was one criticism of the original, it’s there wasn’t enough to do in between the stealth/combat sections. In this sequel, they’ve greatly improved upon it.

They range from searching through clues to find combinations for safes, finding windows to break to get into locked rooms, or using the awesome rope mechanic to find a new way around. So much more effort was put into breaking up the gameplay and keeping things feeling new at all times. Absolutely nothing felt like filler, and everything felt so hand-crafted and I very much appreciated this level of care they put in. My only real criticism of the game is that some parts of the story tend to stretch out a bit too long, but since every section feels so intricately designed, it’s pretty much forgiven.

In terms of enemy encounters, you’ll still be stealthily making your way past enemies, but now even more has been added to enhance this part of the game. You can now go prone and crawl your way through tall grass. It reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 3, and that’s a massive compliment. Stealth was already done well in The Last of Us, but this one extra move made it all the more fun and tense.

Combat itself remain more or less similar to that of the original. There’s some new weapons introduced, but nothing else that can be consider a major change. That is in terms of your arsenal, but enemies have certainly upped their game.

In an attempt to humanise the enemies, whenever you kill someone, the other enemies might call out there names as if they are real people. While this increased the immersion of the game, I never felt bad for killing them, but maybe that’s just me. I think what got to me was a new form of enemy- the dog. I love dogs and the idea of having to kill them, along with hearing their names called out, did fill me with some sort of sadness. It’s just another level of detail we’ve never seen before, and shows just how much work was put into this game.

Sometimes the enemies felt like human beings as they thoroughly searched the area when they suspect you’re around. I felt like I had to play smarter if I wanted to get past them all. The AI was fantastic, maybe even some of the best I’ve seen in a game. The way they react and change their actions make them feel like I’m up against real people, and that’s the biggest compliment you can give when it comes to AI.

Review Summary

The Last of Us Part 2 is a massive achievement in game design. Naughty Dog have shown ambition and boldness that I’d like to see more AAA studios show.

The storytelling is almost revolutionary and a big step forward for gaming. The amount of themes and messages this game was trying to tell was masterfully done, and I feel Naughty Dog are the only ones capable of pulling it off this well. There were so many great and memorable moments all throughout the journey, even if some sections may have dragged on a bit too long. The hard work that went into this game is evident, and I’m still mind-blown by it all.

The visuals, gameplay, voice acting, animations, presentation, and pretty much everything else remained at the high bar set by the original, even surpassing it. Naughty Dog has set such a high bar that I don’t think many developers will even bother to try to reach it.

Score: 9.8

The Last of Us Part 2- Story Thoughts

After playing through The Last of Us Part 2 for a second time, and with a better understanding of it, I felt inspired to write on just the story and storytelling alone. This game’s story is a multi-layered and complex one, and is far from just a simple ‘revenge quest’ story.

Naughty Dog have proven that they are one of the very best in storytelling in the world of video games, maybe even entertainment as a whole. Unlike other studios who seem to rely on what they know works, and keep giving us what would be considered safe, Naughty Dog have always tried to push the boundaries and evolve over time.

Please note that there will be heavy spoilers in this post, so if you still plan on playing the game and don’t want spoilers, please come back another time! But before I get into one of the most finely-crafted stories in gaming, I thought I’d address the very large elephant in the room first…

All Aboard The Hate Train

About a month before the game’s release, leaks about the story had been revealed online, and the internet went ablaze. Many people were upset about what was revealed as the story didn’t exactly go according to what they wanted (whatever that was). Those most vocal about it seemed to hate the game before they had proper context.

While I did my best to avoid all the spoilers, I couldn’t avoid everything. At the same time, I still was unsure as to what people were so hateful about. I wanted to go into the game all hyped and ready to go, but that’s not exactly what happened. I thought because there was so much hatred for it, there had to be some good reasons, so going in I was fully expecting to eventually hate the game.

This made it difficult to fully immerse myself, as I was just waiting for the moment(s) that would turn me off. Thankfully there was never a point where that actually happened, though I did feel a bit funny about certain events that took place, but that ended up being more about me not understanding it properly. That’s why I felt the need for a second playthrough, and also to get my thoughts out with this post.

Killing Joel Was The Right Choice

Yes that’s right, as much as we all loved Joel from the original game, killing him off and setting the whole story in motion was the best decision from Naughty Dog. Based on early trailers, it was made out that Ellie’s lover Dina was the one to die, and Ellie’s revenge quest would be based off that. At least that was my understanding of it. But that would not have been anywhere near as effective, as we didn’t know Dina at all, and we wouldn’t have felt that anger and sadness that Ellie would have felt.

But because we all felt emotionally connected to Joel, and also felt the connection between Joel and Ellie, this made for a far greater impact. It was risky, but a great decision. It drove us just as much as it did Ellie, and the messages that Naughty Dog tried to teach with this game is just so much more impactful. It also allowed us to build a quick hatred for his murderer- Abby. But to then have us play the second half of the game as this same person we were supposed to hate? Another, if not more, risky move that only helps hit home the messages taught to us by Naughty Dog, but I’ll go into that a little later.

Cycle of Violence

The cycle of violence is one of the main themes of The Last of Us Part 2 and is portrayed many times throughout the game. Obviously the biggest example is in the game’s main story. It all started (as far as we know) when Joel felt he had no choice but to kill many Fireflies and the surgeon who were just about the kill Ellie to create a vaccine. When he had escaped with Ellie, he had killed the surgeon who turned out to be the father of Abby. She then went on her own revenge quest to kill Joel, which she succeeded at the start of the sequel. As we know, this prompted Ellie to begin her own revenge quest, which brought about the deaths of many people in her way.

This cycle is also reason why there was an escalating war between the WLF and the Seraphites. Some Seraphite kids were gunned down by WLF soldiers, which caused the Seraphites to further break to truce between the two factions, which then lead to the massive war on the Seraphite’s island.

Naughty Dog really wanted to hammer home this theme, as the violence only grew out of control due to violence being the only answer in this game’s world. It was Ellie’s unhealthy obsession with getting revenge on Abby that continued this cycle. When she had the chance to go with Jesse to help find Tommy, she stay laser-focused on her revenge. The look on Jesse’s face as she refused to go with him really showed how obvious this obsession was. Later in the game when Dina begged Ellie not to pursue Abby anymore, it was clear that the thirst for revenge was more important than her perfect life with her family.

Ellie had a chance to continue this violence as she held Abby underwater. This particular scene was a powerful one, as Ellie was moments away from fulfilling her goal. But it was in that moment, and the scene shown afterwards, we learn that there was more to it than simply getting revenge. Ellie wasn’t quite ready to forgive Joel at around the time he was killed, and when that happened, Ellie had missed her chance. It’s absolutely heart-breaking because we all know the amazing bond those two had. When Abby took that chance away, that’s what drove Ellie’s obsession because she no longer had the chance to forgive Joel. When Ellie was moments away from killing Abby, she thought of that conversation with Joel about wanting to try to forgive him, but without actually doing it. When she spared Abby, she let go of that obsession, and in a way was able to forgive Joel, and therefore end her own cycle of violence.

By the end, it cost Ellie almost everything, and her actions had strong consequences. It’s unknown whether her family left her, but their perfect home was abandoned. Ellie had lost two of her fingers in the fight with Abby, and now she was clearly unable to play the guitar that Joel left behind for her, almost in a way severing the connection she had with him. There’s many ways this part of the ending could have been interpreted, but my understanding is that it was a major cost of her unhealthy desire for revenge, and it will forever be a constant reminder of how far she went because her chance to forgive Joel was taken away from her.

Does this mean one of gaming’s most beloved characters is now a shadow of her former self? Is she just weak and damaged goods from now on? No, if anything, I think this journey of hers ultimately made her stronger, she just has the battle scars as a result. She was going down a dark path, but she had to reach her lowest point before she could overcome her demons and become a better person from it. It may seem like a sad and a grim story/ending, but we may have a stronger and more mature Ellie as a result, she just had to do it the hard way.

A Matter of Perspective

Another one of the more controversial decisions was to have you play as Joel’s killer, Abby, for almost the entirety of the second half. As bizarre as this idea may seem, it was yet another brilliant one. The point wasn’t to anger the fanbase, but to help the player eventually feel empathy for a character they were supposed to hate. Why do this though?

For a long time, in video games, movies, and most forms of entertainment and storytelling, there was always a clear cut difference between good and evil. The villains would always do bad things, and the good guys would always do good things, and also tried to stop the villains from doing bad things. But is anyone really purely evil or purely good?

This is a daring question that Naughty Dog has asked, throwing away typical storytelling tropes to give us something to think about. I remember a particular conversation in Final Fantasy VIII where the main character Squall was asked whether the Sorceress was pure evil. Squall thought to himself “No one is pure evil, it’s just two sides with different perspectives”. The same thought is applied here to The Last of Us Part 2.

We’re supposed to see Abby as the villain and Ellie as the good guy, but as you play through both storylines, the roles are reversed. Us players have been put in the shoes of both characters, and can see that neither are necessarily evil, but only from the perspective of that character.

You’ll eventually learn that Abby is very human, with her own set of weaknesses, and it’s for that reason you really start to empathise with her. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, or at least understanding their motives, is not only one of the many themes of this game, but an important lesson we can all learn from outside video games.

The Parallels of Ellie and Abby

In order to help us gamers understand what I just explained about perspective, Naughty Dog cleverly included many parallels between Ellie and Abby’s story. Some of these were subtle and others not so subtle. For one both characters include a pregnant character that act as turning points for Ellie and Abby.

For Ellie, killing Mel made her realise the mistake she had made, and what her revenge had driven her to do. It didn’t exactly end her revenge quest, but definitely put it on hold. For Abby, it was the moment she showed mercy to Dina and Ellie. It may have taken some influence from Lev, but both pregnant women played pivotal roles.

Both Ellie and Abby had an important partners in their lives that helped them in some way. For Ellie it was obviously Joel, who she grew to see as a father figure. For Abby, it was Lev, who taught her about overcoming fear and showing mercy.

Another parallel came in the form of a flashback scene for both. One of the best scenes in the game came from Ellie and Joel’s trip to the museum. On Abby’s side, her and Owen share a similar moment where they explore the Aquarium. A shared moment between the two sets of characters helped tell us that they really aren’t that different, their life experiences can be very similar but their circumstances can make all the difference as to who is friend and who is foe.

The Ellie and Joel Museum Scene

This particular scene was so magical and joyous that I wanted a whole section dedicated to it. No doubt many people saw this scene as a “what could have been” for The Last of Us Part 2.

I don’t believe Naughty Dog included the museum scene just to taunt us and make us wish for more of it without giving it to us. At least I don’t think they would be that cruel on purpose. I think this scene was added just to remind us of how great the bond was between Joel and Ellie. It makes us believe that Ellie can ultimately forgive Joel because of moments like this.

But I also believe this scene was so great because it acted like a light in the darkness. This game is so grim and dark, that something like this showed that there can still be light in this game’s dire world. If anything, the dark nature of the game only amplified the greatness of this scene. So when people say they wanted more of those moments, would they really as special if it happened all throughout the game? Of course not. To give us just a taste makes it more special and more reason to cherish it.

Final Thoughts

No doubt there’s even more I could have spoken about, but that just goes to show how much depth there is to this game’s story. It’s a deep, complex, multi-layered storyline that will have fans pondering about for years to come. If you see the story in a simple way, like I originally did, you’ll miss out on all the layers this game provides.

That’s why I’m so glad I replayed it again, because it was only then I was able to truly appreciate how intricate and detailed the story is. It’s both event-driven and character-driven in all the best ways possible.

To anyone who wasn’t able to put their hate aside, or saw it as a simple ‘revenge quest’ where both characters failed and nothing came of it, hopefully this article will help shed some light on how great it actually is. For years Naughty Dog had always said they would only do a sequel if there was a story worth telling, and while it may not have been the story some people wanted, what we got was far better than that.

I don’t remember playing a game with storytelling of this much depth, and I feel like there’s so many more topics that could have been addressed. But that just goes to show the level of care and detail that was put into this game, and I’m so grateful I was able to learn so much from it.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Review

If you’re unfamiliar with Vanillaware’s work, you’re really missing out. Generally known for side-scrolling hack and slash games with gorgeous visuals (like Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown), they decided to change it up and try something very different. They did thankfully keep those same gorgeous visuals, but have changed the gameplay up with Real-Time Strategy, which is quite the departure for what we expect from them. How does this change-up compare with their previous efforts? Read on to find out!

Remembrance

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has two main modes- Remembrance and Destruction Mode. Remembrance is the mode that tells the many series of events that make up the game’s storyline. You’ll play from the perspective of 13 characters from different eras, with each of their stories ultimately leading to the final battle against the Kaiju- a form of machine-like invaders coming to destroy the world.

Gameplay-wise, it’s very much a case of walking around, talking to characters, and accessing different words in your Thought Cloud. The Thought Cloud is a collection of keywords you use to either hear the character’s thoughts, or to bring up that topic with another character. The game also displays a flowchart of the different paths each storyline can take, and you’ll occasionally need to replay sections and try something different to take the story in a different direction.

The way this game’s story is told is obviously very non-linear and very fragmented. It’s such a unique way of telling the story because it is up to the player to try to piece the story together. You can tell the lengths and effort the developers went through to tell such a complex story while only revealing what they needed to until you progress further. I can imagine the writers of this game with plenty of flowcharts and planning to ensure everything connects together, as it is anything but a simple story.

This works for and against the game though. Me personally, I love a good complex story, complete with twists that totally change how you see things. I’m not going to lie, 13 Sentinels contains a very complex, but at times convoluted, storyline- complete with time-travel and many Science Fiction tropes. It’s so convoluted and complicated that even Hideo Kojima would be proud.

Because of its complexity, it ends up being a very compelling and immersive story where you just want to learn more and more, and that forces you to want to play more. But to its detriment, there were times it started becoming unnecessarily complicated and does start to overstay its welcome. When you’re playing through a long story, is incredibly complex and detailed, and is told in a non-linear fashion, it becomes very difficult to piece together. Thankfully there is an ‘Analysis’ mode that contains what’s called Mystery Files to help recap everything that’s happened, and you’ll most likely be referring back to these to make sense of everything.

To keep the pacing running smoothly, the game will only allow you to play up until a certain point with each character until you’ve progressed with other characters, ensuring the story is told the way the developers intended. When you really dive deep into the story, you’ll easily be able to appreciate how difficult this would have been for them to pull off.

By the end of the game, everything will start to make sense, and you’ll even start to appreciate the sheer amount of detail put into this game’s storyline. There are so many plots, sub-plots, and twists, that for some people this will be an absolute joy to experience. On the other hand, for those who like a more simple story, will find this difficult to be engaged in. Even though the story did become a bit over the top at times, it still does a great job of building momentum and drip-feeding you twists and reveals to constantly keeping you invested, and to me is one of the best storylines to come out of 2020.

Destruction

Destruction Mode is the actual gameplay portion of the game, where you’ll take part in many small RTS sections that also tell the story of the game’s final battle against the Kaiju. Here you select up to 6 of the 13 characters/sentinels for battle, each with their own combat style (melee, all-rounder, long-range, and support). Before you start the battle, you’ll be given a little rundown on what to expect, and this is great in determining your team setup.

Be warned though as there is quite a bit of micro-managing here, as you’ll be dealing with 13 different characters, all with their own set of stats and skills that can be unlocked and upgraded. I think it’s great how the game encourages you to play through both modes alternatingly because you earn meta chips (the game’s XP) through playing Remembrance mode to then spend in Destruction mode. Plus if you progress too far in Destruction mode, you’ll be locked out until you progress to a certain point in Remembrance mode.

The actual gameplay and battles do feel like a more basic version of RTS gameplay, as it really it a simple matter of selecting each character abilities, moving the cursor over the enemies, and watching the destruction occur. Of course you’ll be encouraged to use certain attacks on certain enemies, but I never felt myself having to think too hard. It’s not the deepest RTS you’ll ever play, as the RPG mechanics seem to have a bit more focus than the combat itself. That being said, it was still extremely satisfying to select an AOE attack and fire missiles at a massive group of enemies, taking them all out at once.

To be honest though, this was my least favourite part of the game, but that’s only because of the quality of the story and storytelling. The RTS is still fun, but I was always happy to get a couple of battles out of the way to then jump back into the great story in Remembrance mode.

Review Summary

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim contains one of the most complex, detailed, and immersive stories you’ll play through in 2020, maybe even this whole generation. It does an amazing job of constantly adding more and more layers of plot that will keep you engaged from start to finish. At times it will feel a bit over the top, convoluted, and overwhelming, but it was certainly worth it by the time the credits rolled.

The RTS gameplay, while not as in-depth as other games in the genre, is still a lot of fun. There seems to be more emphasis on the RPG mechanics than the actual strategy, but still ended up becoming a solid and satisfying attempt at Real-Time Strategy.

Overall, as disjointed and fragmented as this game can be, it still manages to come together in a meaningful way that was well worth the experience, even if it did leave me in a state of confusion many times over.

Score: 8.8

Telling Lies Review

Video games are a diverse medium, aren’t they? Some have you jumping platforms, or shooting other people, or driving like a maniac in a busy city. Then there are some that take a little risk and try something different. These types of games aren’t for everyone, but sometimes they can provide a unique experience for the gamer- and that’s what Telling Lies is all about. But sometimes being unique isn’t enough, it’s also about how well it’s executed that determines how good the game actually is. Read on to find out whether Telling Lies’ unique style really pays off in the end.

This will actually be quite a difficult game to review, because even telling you names of the characters would be considered spoilers as this is something you’re meant to discover yourself.

Like one of the developer’s previous games, Her Story, this game has you searching through a laptop for various video clips revolving around 4 main characters. You do this simply by entering a keyword (or words) to find relevant clips. For example, if a character mentions a company or a person’s name, and you feel that may hold vital clues to unravelling the overall story, you search those terms to find clips relating to them. It’s by doing this that you continue to dig deeper and eventually discover the full story and motivations of some of the characters.

Sounds interesting, hey? But sadly, to me, it doesn’t quite live up. The story itself just wasn’t interesting enough even to captivate me throughout most of my playthrough. In this type of game you expect there to be twists and big moments to make digging through clips exciting and even addictive. I’ll admit there were maybe a couple of moments that had big reveals, but they only got a ‘Oh ok’ reaction out of me, rather than a “Wow that was huge!”.

Aside from discovering the story, another goal is working out the role and purpose of each character. I did enjoy this part of the game because each of their individual story threads were very different from one another. But I just wish they intertwined more than they actually did, with one particular character feeling almost irrelevant from the game’s overall story.

The acting of the characters though was actually pretty good, and the way they had to deliver their lines for such an extended period of time (in some scenes anyway), all the while staying in character, was impressive. So that’s at least one positive to take away from the game.

It’s not just the story that felt underwhelming, but the process of discovering it wasn’t much more enjoyable. Watching scenes that range from 1-10 minutes, trying to find new clues and twists, would be a great experience if the contents of the clips were actually interesting. But they rarely are. The vast majority of them feature one of the characters having a conversation with another using video chat on their phone, but because you can only see one side of the conversation at a time, you’ll have to deal with long periods of seeing the character staring at the screen just listening until they finally speak again. It’s both boring and creepy at the same time!

A feature that would have been great is the ability to watch both characters in the conversation at the same time, like having both clips playing side by side so you can get the full picture straight away rather than these awkward one-sided chats. Speaking of the clips, you can only start watching them based on where your specified keyword started in the clip, meaning if you want to watch the entire thing, you would have to use the painfully slow rewind function.

By the game’s end, you should have seen enough of the clips to get a good idea of the story, even if you don’t see every clip available. The ending, and main purpose, of the overall game was interesting, but I was still left a little confused to what the whole point of it is. I won’t give any spoilers, but the game doesn’t give enough explanation to the purpose of the game’s ending. I guess it’s a fitting way to cap off a slightly interesting, but sometimes awkward and boring, experience of a game. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love unique storytelling, if anything, it’s one of the best things about many of my favourite games. I just don’t believe it was executed well here.

Review Summary

Like I said with my review of the game Erica, FMV games have a lot of potential to give us something special and unique. Unfortunately Erica wasn’t the game to explode the genre’s popularity, and neither is Telling Lies.

While the acting is very good from all characters, and there are some interesting moments sprinkled throughout the story, they’re just too few and far between. The unique way this game tells its story is commendable, but just wasn’t interesting enough to keep me feeling hooked.

It wasn’t an overly long game either, and sometimes less is more, so I can be thankful for that. But you can play Solitaire on the game’s laptop, which was probably the most fun I had here.

Score: 6.5/10

Hades Review

Roguelikes have been a popular genre this past decade. We’ve seen many different takes on the genre, each with their own interpretation, but still never deviating too far from the formula. Supergiant Games, after developing 3 consecutive excellent games, give us their take in the form of Hades. How does it fare in the sea of other Roguelikes?

Story

You play as not Hades, but his son Zagreus, as he attempts to escape his father’s Underworld and make for the surface to join the gods on Mount Olympus. This task is not as easy as it sounds, as the Underworld is designed to be impossible to escape with its ever-changing rooms, but nothing will stop Zagreus from trying again, and again, and again.

Here is where the Roguelike elements kick in. When you ‘die’, you’ll return back to where you belong, right back in Hades’ Palace to try again. But each time you return back to the start, you’ll notice a greater story at play, and this gives you even more motivation to keep going. That’s the brilliance of this game and they way it tells its story. Minor spoilers here, but every time you successfully complete an escape, you’ll reveal more of the overall story.

This way of telling the story is such a clever way of keeping players constantly having another escape run. What else is brilliant is the way the other characters (all very well voice acted by the way) respond to your efforts. When you fail, your father Hades berates you. Other characters will offer encouragement, sympathy, or ridicule. All this helps create a believable world (or Underworld) and creates that immersion that makes this game special.

It’s one of the more dynamic stories I’ve ever played through. The way it fuses gameplay and story together is done so incredibly well and both complement each other perfectly.

Gameplay

While the story itself is intriguing and reason alone to keep playing, the gameplay is yet another reason to keep you hooked. Hades plays out entering room by room, defeating the enemies inside, collecting your reward, and then moving on to the next room. Before you enter each room, mostly of the time you’ll get the choice of rewards to earn next. This can be in the form of more health, Darkness crystals, or Olympus God boons.

What makes each playthrough unique and random are the rewards you choose as you progress and you don’t know your choices until you win your current fight. What abilities you possess and the style of play you go for is completely unpredictable and each run is exciting as a result. Of course as you unlock keepsakes and permanent abilities, you will have more control over each run, but there will always be that element of unpredictability.

The abilities and buffs you gain as you progress come in the form of boons given to you by the Olympic Gods themselves, as they are trying to help you escape. It’s these boons that ultimately decide the kind of fighter you become. By the time you reach the final area and way to the surface, you have to hope you’re in the best shape and form you can be in because you’ll need to be pretty powerful to get over the line. The game has a habit of making you feel powerful, sometimes even overpowered, but when it comes to the big moments, that’s when you can really put your build to the test. You never quite know if you’ll dominate or be dominated.

Yet another factor that completely changes your playstyle are the different weapons you can unlock, and each of these play in very different ways. So when you mix together the different weapons and variety of boons, each run will be unique, fresh, and always exciting.

Replay Value

What amazes me about Hades (among everything else), is the game’s replayability. Whether it be upgrading Zagreus using Darkness Crystals, unlocking new weapons, increasing your weapons Heat level, renovating the palace, completing the Prophecy Lists, there is an incredible amount of content to constantly strive to unlock and achieve.

I’ve had plenty of successful (and failed) escape attempts, completed the story, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of completing everything is game has to offer. The developers have really done everything they can to give the player the absolute maximum value from the game, all without the need for DLC or microtransactions.

Summary

Hades has it all- extremely fun and thrilling action, unpredictable and unique playthroughs, a cleverly told story, gorgeous visuals, addictive character development, dynamic character conversations, hundreds of hours of fun and value, and even more.

I don’t have a single criticism for this game and nothing but praise. Supergiant Games have done something special and have somehow perfected a genre. I highly recommend Hades to absolutely everyone, it’s an example of perfect game design with seemingly limitless replay value. An obvious GOTY contender for 2020.

Score: 10/10

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Review

The original game, Ori and the Blind Forest, was loved by many. Its beautiful visuals, amazing soundtrack, and heartwarming story are exactly why this game stood out to me. For some reason, the game didn’t resonate with me as much as it did with so many others. In terms of gameplay, the combat was weak and didn’t offer much in variety. The platforming was ok, but didn’t get really good until the final dungeon. Finally there was exploration, which I never felt motivated to do. Every Metroidvania should be enticing to explore every nook and cranny, but never felt I needed to do that in Blind Forest. So with my expectations in a more cautious state, I decided to give the sequel a go once it released on Nintendo Switch, but is it the masterpiece that is claimed by so many?

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the perfect example of what a sequel should be. It carries over everything that was great about the original, and improves everything that needed improving. The visuals are still as beautiful as ever. The soundtrack is exceptional and some of the best in any platformer (or game in general) you’ll ever play. The story remains heartwarming, tragic, emotional, and everything you could want from a video game story. I think my eyes were tearing up during the ending too (I’m not crying, you are!!).

So with all the strengths of the original carrying over to the sequel, what about the gameplay? This time around, I absolutely loved the gameplay! The combat felt so good, swinging your light sword had real weight to it and defeating each enemy was very satisfying. There’s a huge amount of shards to collect which give you passive abilities so you can customise how you want to play and fight. There’s also plenty of active abilities to discover that will cater to multiple playstyles.

Platforming is an absolute joy too. Each area is well thought out and you’ll be challenged more so in this game. With more abilities under your belt, it means there’s just more variety and excitement with every area you enter. It was always a thrill to dash, launch and glide your way through so many dangerous sections, and it never stopped being satisfying. I loved how certain abilities you earned directly related to the area you’re in, making each area feel more distinct from each other, apart from just visuals.

The biggest improvement to me was the exploration and the amount there was to discover. In the original, most of what you found was life and energy upgrades, as well as spirits, which was the game’s currency. In this sequel, there’s so much more! Gorlek Ore for making renovation-style upgrades, shards for more abilities, as well as the expected life and energy upgrades, all filled the various nooks and crannies of this gorgeous and colourful world. To add to all that, there are many side quests to undertake which gives you even more incentive to explore. By the time I was ready to finish the game, I made sure I had 100% in every area, because that’s how fun and addictive it was.

My only criticism is in relation to crashes and bugs. Quite a few times the game did crash, but it was mostly when I fast travelled. The autosave is very generous so I never lost any real progress. There were also a few moments I would clip trough the ground and get stuck in limbo, but a quick fast travel would get me out, assuming it didn’t crash.

I’m very grateful to Microsoft for releasing this game on the Switch because there wouldn’t have been any other way I could play what is easily one of the best games of 2020. From start to finish, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will take you on a magical ride that begs to be explored. Every element of this game is at such a high standard, there’s no way you could not enjoy it.

If there’s a third game to this series, you can bet I’ll be counting down the days in anticipation for its release.

Top 10 Games of 2022: #9- Cult of the Lamb

Top 10 Games of 2022: #8- Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Top 10 Games of 2022: #7- Triangle Strategy

Top 10 Games of 2022: #6- A Plague Tale: Requiem

Top 10 Games of 2022: #5- Tunic

Top 10 Games of 2022: #4- Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Top 10 Games of 2022: #3- Horizon: Forbidden West

Top 10 Games of 2022: #2- God of War Ragnarok

Top 10 Games of 2022: Game of the Year- Elden Ring

Honourable Mentions

Top 10 Games of 2021: #9- Resident Evil Village

Top 10 Games of 2021: #8- Chicory

Top 10 Games of 2021: #7- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Top 10 Games of 2021: #6- The Forgotten City

Top 10 Games of 2021: #5- Death’s Door

Top 10 Games of 2021: #4- Psychonauts 2

Top 10 Games of 2021: #3- Returnal

Top 10 Games of 2021: #2- Metroid Dread

Top 10 Games of 2021: Game of the Year- Deathloop

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review Summary

Score: 8/10

Honourable Mentions

Top 10 Games of 2020: #9- Fall Guys

Top 10 Games of 2020: #8- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Top 10 Games of 2020: #7- Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Top 10 Games of 2020: #6- Ghost of Tsushima

Top 10 Games of 2020: #5- Final Fantasy VII Remake

Top 10 Games of 2020: #4- Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Top 10 Games of 2020: #3- Doom Eternal

Top 10 Games of 2020: #2- The Last Of Us Part 2

Top 10 Games of 2020: Game of the Year- Hades

Story

Visuals and Atmosphere

Gameplay

Review Summary

Score: 9.8

All Aboard The Hate Train

Killing Joel Was The Right Choice

Cycle of Violence

A Matter of Perspective

The Parallels of Ellie and Abby

The Ellie and Joel Museum Scene

Final Thoughts

Remembrance

Destruction

Review Summary

Score: 8.8

Review Summary

Score: 6.5/10

Story

Gameplay

Replay Value

Summary

Score: 10/10

Score: 9.5/10