The yr is gone, and earlier than we will consider what’s to return subsequent we should as soon as once more look again upon the yr and evaluation it – as a result of if we don’t unhealthy issues will occur?
2022 was an attention-grabbing yr for Nintendo, two huge Pokémon video games, extra RPGs than letters in role-playing video games and the return of some huge names. How did all of it go, who was the most effective?
The beneath was determined by the whole Vooks crew.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/GOTYS-2022.jpg?resize=842%2C472&ssl=1)
Pokémon Legends Arceus & Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (tie)
There’s some 3000 phrases in my Xenoblade Chronicles 3 evaluation, however I might in all probability discuss it for days and days and days… okay, perhaps not the most effective concept, there are many different video games that have been launched this yr, and quite a lot of them are nice. However none actually hit that proper steadiness of familiarity, freshness, and refinement to the purpose of perfection fairly like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 did.
Going into Xenoblade 3, it was actually tough to know what we have been gonna get. Xenoblade 1 was nice, however kinda cheesy and tacky with some irritating mechanics. Xenoblade 2 had an unimaginable fight system, and its characterisation was excellent, however its storytelling was… goofy, I suppose.
Xenoblade 3 took the most effective elements of 1 and a couple of, discarded all of the unhealthy elements, and added an entire bunch extra. Its characters and storytelling are virtually flawless, and its fight techniques are about as near good as you may get for a sport like this. It helps, too, that it appears and sounds higher than just about anything on the Swap — Monolith are absolute wizards.
Positive, it’s higher if you happen to’ve performed via the primary two video games, a 200-hour dedication earlier than Xenoblade 3’s personal 80+ hour runtime, however even performed by itself, it’s nothing in need of spectacular. – Ollie
Honourable mentions: Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/GOTYS-Indies.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge and Cult of the Lamb (tie)
There may be at all times one thing so welcoming about seeing outdated video games get a brand new lease on life, however once we get new video games in beloved sequence, that’s much more particular and that was the case with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. The sport was created by replicating the look of the unique arcade titles however including in just a few trendy touches, like extra colors. The foremost change for this title although, was the inclusion of on-line multiplayer, that means you could possibly play the sport with mates, irrespective of the place you have been, a far cry from the necessity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder within the arcade.
The sport was additionally a nostalgia journey from begin to end, at the least for many who grew up within the 80s, full with a remade intro sequence. The resurgence of side-scrolling beat ‘em ups has been a beautiful experience and this sport, is maybe the most effective of all of them and if you happen to needed to maintain the Turtle Energy sturdy, there was additionally that nice assortment. 2022 was really a beautiful yr to be a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder’s Revenge reveals simply the place the sequence can go from right here. – Luke
Relying on what you first noticed of Cult of the Lamb, you have been probably given the concept it was an Animal Crossing sort sport or a generic rogue-lite actioner. While you loaded into the sport each features kind of got here entrance and heart, however then the sport took a darker flip. The video games complete premise is that you’re accountable for rising a cult, full with sacrificing of us when wanted, all within the hopes of unleashing the one who saved your life.
The place the sport shined was in combining all these features collectively, you could possibly dedicate your self to serving to your followers develop, however when it got here time to sacrifice, the onerous decisions got here into play. In fact, if you left the security (and pooped crammed) village and began to discover the world, fight performed an enormous half. It provided an actual problem the additional you went and as you needed to preserve going to get huge rewards, the danger would continue to grow for you. Some gamers loved one side greater than the opposite, however the actual appeal was within the relationships that you simply constructed along with your followers and as you could possibly finish any of them at any given time, it was one thing many hated to do. Not me, when it got here to providing up somebody, I served them up, after all then having to cope with their ghost was a ache, however hey if you run a preferred cult, it’s a must to make the onerous choices. – Luke
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/cult-of-lamb.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Cult of the Lamb
Domestically made video games are at all times good and there’s a motive why Cult of the Lamb was so properly obtained and it ain’t simply because we Aussies love our lamb. See above for why this was a sport that captured our hearts. – Luke
Runners up: Wylde Flowers, Wayward Strand
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/dissapointment-2022.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Nintendo Swap Sports activities
It’s not that Nintendo Swap Sports activities is a nasty sport in any respect. It really works, it’s enjoyable with a bunch of individuals, and you may play it on-line (when it’s not down as a result of an replace went askew). There are new issues to unlock weekly.
So what’s the issue?
Following up on Wii Sports activities needs to be a house run (even if you happen to don’t embody Baseball). As a substitute, Nintendo Swap Sports activities is simply alright, however you’ll be able to inform, and Nintendo has informed us that getting it to the state it’s in has been difficult.
Nintendo Swap Sports activities includes a lack of selection in sports activities. A roadmap of just one to be added, which took months to be added, is reusing content material from older video games. We additionally discuss how Wii Sports activities had Boxing and Baseball however overlook Nintendo additionally had Wii Sports activities Resort, and whereas we acquired one sport from that – there’s lots extra that might be there too.
The event of this sport appears significantly cursed, and the event Q&A is wild. The crew seemingly tried to reinvent the sport totally and took a very long time to do it – then simply threw all of it away. It’s a unbelievable learn, and whereas it’s nice to see honesty from builders, Nintendo’s drive for innovating and altering issues up generally clouds them from simply doing what everyone knows must be accomplished – the identical factor, simply higher. Generally that’s alright too. – VOOK
Runner up: Advance Wars Reboot being delayed once more
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/surprise-ofthe-year.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Goldeneye 007 involves trendy consoles
In a feat of recent licensing, the Nintendo 64 authentic Goldeneye 007 shouldn’t be solely coming to the Swap however the Xbox as properly. Not solely is the king coming again, however the Nintendo Swap model ended up being the one one with on-line – how does that even work?
Runners up: Microsoft intending to amass Activision-Blizzard, Zelda dated and named on the similar time.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/legends-goty2.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Pokémon Legends Arceus
There hasn’t been a yr the place two mainline Pokémon video games hit each in the identical yr since 2004. Positive there have been spin-offs galore, however two huge open-world video games promising a brand new sort of gameplay and a brand new Pokémon story? Unprecedented.
Nonetheless out of the 2, regardless of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet nonetheless being very enjoyable – simply technically problematic, Pokémon Legends Arceus is the higher sport, we really feel. It’s not simply because it was the primary, however as a result of it took the proper Pokémon sport we’ve had in our heads for years and simply allow us to do it. Stroll round, throw a ball, catch one thing, fly, drop in battle, or run away. There was even a change to the battling system with the Agile and Sturdy assault types, which was enjoyable – and a brand new technique in battles.
It was superb! Then Pokémon Scarlet and Violet get introduced. It’s an open world, a “correct” Pokémon sport to kick off the following technology, a large story and platform for the years to return – and woof. We discover out you could nonetheless stroll round in an open space. However now it’s presumably too open, you’ll be able to’t simply catch issues randomly, and the battle system is again to being conventional (which… is ok), however not solely that – the sport simply runs like a moist canine. Pokémon Legends Acreus wasn’t the prettiest Swap sport (other than the skyboxes, wow), but it surely ran considerably competently. Additionally crystal Pokemon? Meh.
Maybe the response to Arceus from followers was too late to vary the route of Scarlet and Violet. Maybe two huge Pokémon video games in a single yr are simply an excessive amount of. – VOOK
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/non-tendo-goty222.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Stray (PlayStation/PC)
Between having a child, having to evaluation so many Swap video games and enjoying a wrist-injury-causing quantity of Apex Legends, I didn’t play that many video games this yr – however I did play Stray, and I beloved it.
Sure, it has an excellent cute cat, and you may leap, certain and play with that cat, but additionally, the post-apocalyptic universe of Stray was totally its personal unbelievable factor. The gloomy depths, the neon-lit cities and the robots who as soon as served people with no concept what to do anymore and an enemy choosing them off slowly? Nice stuff (not so nice for the robots).
Folks known as the sport quick. I assumed it was good, it did all it might do and be in its run time, and now I’ve that have of that sport, with out the grind or hustle of one thing that goes on too lengthy. – VOOK
Runners up: God of Warfare Ragnarok, Elden Ring
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/silksong.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Hole Knight Silksong
Let’s face it, if Sports activities Story hadn’t launched, there’s a likelihood it may need been included right here, however with that sport lastly out, we needed to choose the opposite sport. Hole Knight Silksong has been extremely desired by followers of the sequence, because it was formally confirmed. In the event you can consider it, it was over three years in the past when there was a playable demo at PAX Australia, one thing we made positive to play and since then the sport has been largely silent. With the sport exhibiting up within the Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase 2022, many are hoping it’s virtually accomplished as all of the video games in that showcase have been famous to be releasing earlier than the top of June 2023. – Luke
Runners up: Fireplace Emblem Have interaction, Pikmin 4
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.vooks.net/img/2022/12/most-anticipated.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It’s the sequel to Breath of the Wild, a sport we kinda love so what extra might you presumably have to know. After the standard a number of delays that every one main Zelda titles undergo we’ve the date and identify, so now it’s only a matter of ready till launch day. – Luke
I imply each Nintendo web site’s award goes to be this for many anticipated, so we simply made its personal factor after which did an award with out. Hopefully no extra delays on this one huh – VOOK