Into the Breach …For 2018
Played on: PC
Into the Breach
The premise of Into the Breach was a ‘had me at hello’ moment.
Earth is under attack by giant aliens and our last hope is a squad of time travelling pilots armed with technology from the future. This is a roguelite game with Chess-like qualities. Players direct their giant mechs to intercept alien bugs and protect buildings full of innocent people before eventually assaulting the insect hive and saving humanity, one reality at a time.
Into the Breach is a much easier game than FTL: Faster Than Light and it’s one that plays a lot quicker as well. It may not have the same longevity, but Into the Breach: Advanced Edition (recently released by Netflix) did upgrade the core game with more squads, more weapons, and more of Ben Prunty’s wonderful music to freshen things up.
Look forward to an updated tier list soon!
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice …For 2019
Played on: PC
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
An action-adventure game set in a mythical rendition of feudal Japan must be like comfort food to FromSoftware. If the results are always this good though, I’d be happy if the team indulged itself more often.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice clings to some of the best bits of the Demon’s Souls formula, whilst edging closer to third-person adventures like Ninja Gaiden and God of War. The action detaches itself from the rigid RPG trappings of the Souls formula in pursuit of swordplay that feels faster and more intense. In a pure gameplay sense, you could argue this is the best game FromSoftware has ever made.
Sacrifices were needed to achieve that smoothness. Sekiro has no multiplayer and fewer character builds than Dark Souls, and some players will struggle with the steeper difficulty curve.
I’ve only completed Sekiro once. Since release though, a free update has patched in some bonus features to attract players like me back to the wartorn lands of Ashina, hopefully very soon.
Streets of Rage 4 …For 2020
Played on: PC
Streets of Rage 4
The final two entries on this list arrived during a quieter time for new releases. The year 2020 was of course during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and amid the stressful state of things back then, my enthusiasm for playing video games was at an all-time low.
So despite the somewhat medium reception I gave it during my review, Streets of Rage 4 gets the nod here because it was literally the only new video game I played in 2020!
At the time I complained about a “boring soundtrack” and “contentious design decisions” whilst still accepting this to be a faithful sequel overall. Credit where it’s due though, the developers did address some of those niggles I originally took umbrage with in a free update accompanying the Mr. X Nightmare DLC.
I also said that I’d need to listen to the soundtrack separately to see if my lukewarm feelings there would change. After purchasing the soundtrack though, I don’t feel like they have that much. The menu themes are really good and the first level sounds exciting, but after that I struggle to pay attention.
The final boss tune by Das Mörtal is a cool cut though, so give that one a listen if you haven’t heard it before.
Inscryption …For 2021
Played on: PC
Inscryption
By the time 2021 arrived I had given away my laptop and for the first time in decades, found myself without any dedicated gaming machine.
Whilst I did reacquire an original Xbox and enjoy a considerable amount of Slay the Spire on iPad, it wasn’t until the final few days in December where I’d play another new release. It just so happens the one I did play was a bona fide gem.
I’m of course talking about Inscryption; the most recent game from auteur Daniel Mullins. It’s a card-driven roguelike where the rules of play are frequently broken in frequently hilarious ways. Inscryption is the sort of escape room drama that’s best gone into completely blind; an experience that surprises and horrifies from one unexpected chapter to the next.
Since release it has enjoyed critical acclaim from all corners of gaming fandom and it feels even more deserved now that a free expansion called Kaycee’s Mod exists. This official add-on transforms the core game into a more traditional Slay the Spire clone with ascending difficulty modifiers, and it’s all supported by a new story that reveals fresh snippets of lore.
With Kaycee’s Mod acting as a wonderful post game scenario, Inscryption has even more replay value than before, and it’s an essential play for anyone curious about the weird and wonderful places video games are currently taking us.
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