Broc Peterson's Top 5 Games Of 2022 | Winter Spectacular 2022
This year was a bit different. With games being delayed left, right and centre, I was beginning to think I might actually be able to make a dent in my backlog of games. However, some new releases popped up and halted that progress. These are my personal top five games for 2022.
5. Rogue Legacy 2
Good games run in the family.
Take everything that made the first Rogue Legacy great and crank it to 11. Rogue Legacy 2 offers so many ways to play and often encourages you to try alternate playstyles by offering different bonuses for a run. While I might not have loved all classes, the prospect of earning 70% more gold on a run had me rotating through every archytpe and inherited trait the game had to offer. Having so many different perks to unlock and slowly increase in effectiveness to those perks ensures the more you use them, means that every run was meaningful. Being able to dangle permanent progression on the map with the portals is a smart move as it makes the map feel bigger but doesn't ever feel like getting to the end is unattainable. It's a great game- whether you are playing it small spurts or have wonder up in an inevitable "just one more run" cycle.
4. Tunic
A SECRET OF LEGEND!
Tunic so perfectly captures nostalgia for me in a way that I think goes unmatched for any other game. I'm not being hyperbolic in my bio about Legend of Zelda being how I learned to read, I distinctly remember telling my older brother where to go from the sweet gold-covered strategy guide or freaking out when Nintendo Power offered a newfound secret. Tunic reminds me heavily of that discovery my brother and I first experienced, and the fact the game has an in-game instruction booklet that further taps into those memories, it was hard not to get sentimental during that game. Yeah, it looks like Zelda, and yeah it has a Dark Souls dodge, but Tunic is so much more than any one of its inspirations and it all comes together to create something beautiful. I feel like saying more about Tunic would rob the game of the mystery and intrigue that make it so special. Just play it for yourself and go in without looking too far into it. I am certain you will have a good time.
3. A Plague Tale: Requiem
You like being sad? You like being french? Do we have the game for you!
As a big fan of the surprise hit A Plague Tale: Innocence, I was excited about a sequel, and A Plague Tale: Requiem did not disappoint. The performances of the actors cannot be understated, it is some of the most heart-wrenching acting in a video game that I’ve ever seen. The story wraps everything up from the first game in a very satisfying way while also introducing some incredible new characters that are fully fleshed out and as memorable as the de Rune family. My only gripe is that it might be a little longer than it needs to be, but with superb acting and with gorgeous visuals - be it scenic country-sides or the horrifying swarms of rats - everything remains interesting throughout. I love skill trees that grow depending on the way you play so being rewarded by your playstyle was a lot of fun and encouraged switching things up, which again kept things fresh. I am so excited that developer Asobo has made a name for itself, and I am excited to see what comes up with next.
2. Elden Ring
Sup’ dude! You ok? Jus big chillin’. Pretty neat…
Before it was even a fully realized product, Elden Ring was a cultural phenomena, unlike anything I have seen in the games industry. The fact that mainstream audiences were so excited for FromSoftware, let alone cared about a brutally hard fantasy PRG, was surprising. For it to then come out, be so expansive, difficult and tell the player so little, only to then be one of the best-selling games of the year was just as surprising. The sense of discovery with this game was just as fun as the combat for me. There is a story, but like much of FromSoftware’s games, I couldn’t tell you what was going on moment to moment. I had hoped with George R.R. Martin helping with the story it might be a game that relies less on YouTube lore dumps, but the stories that I was carving out on my own were fulfilling enough. Stumbling into a little dungeon and wondering to myself "how many people have found this one yet?" Challenging a boss on the huge map and "wondering if I am ever going to beat that?" Levelling up and then coming back and winning never got old. I am excited about the idea of an expansion to the main game, and I’m delighted for FromSoftware to see this level of success, I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive the company for not bringing Bloodborne to PC yet.
1. Vampire Survivors
Y’all like it when the numbers go up?
When I first fired up Vampire Survivors, Game of The Year awards were the last thing on my mind. As the game continued to receive updates over this year though, it began to creep into the conversation more and more. With each new stage, new character, or new wild weapon combo, I began to realize just how great this game was. I knew it was going to be one of those games where I had to do everything, even though there was a mountain of things to do. Even after the game exited Early Access and I had every achievement unlocked, I found myself coming back to Vampire Survivors. The game does such a good job of making you feel like an overpowered badass, but the random nature of the runs guarantees you won’t get bored and that you will inevitably see something you have never seen before each time. The goodwill that developer poncle has built by engaging with the community and listening to feedback and charging far less than any publisher would allow can’t go underappreciated. Throw in an earworm soundtrack that rocks more than it has any right to and character lore that didn’t need to exist but is so well written, you have something special.
