- DB
Other Games Played in 2022 | not game reviews
Some real ups and downs here - both the games and 2022 in general.
There are some games that you just bounce off right away and not necessarily because they're bad, but they're just not the right kind of game for you - or it can be just because they're bad. There are also some games where you wonder why developers bother with a demo when that's enough to get a full experience of a game and put people off.
I still wonder why developers let 'influencers' play through linear, narrative-heavy games, because if there's no way to influence the story, then why not just watch it rather than pay the ridiculous cost of a new game these days? And then there's Game Pass, which has exposed me to more games than I would've otherwise tried, but only finding out about some just as they were about to leave the service has been a little frustrating.
Below is a list of games that fall under most of the above descriptions that I played for at least a little while in 2022, along with my brief experiences with them all.
Streets of Rage 4
Speaking of finding out about games being on Game Pass just as they're about to leave the service, that fits Streets of Rage 4 to a tee. I loved, loved, loved Streets of Rage 2 back on the Mega Drive, but I think side-scrolling beat 'em ups are no longer my thing. I really like how the game looks and there's nothing wrong with how it plays, but I didn't feel that disappointed that I'd just missed out on it either.
Yes, Your Grace
Now this I was annoyed to have just found about as it was only a couple of weeks away from being taken off Game Pass, especially as I usually have several games on the go at once and so only just got to the point where the game really opened up and then it was gone. It was somewhat different to what I was expecting - which was something a bit more graphically impressive than Reigns, a mobile game I really like rather than the more involved RPG it turned out to be. Unless it comes back to Game Pass with my save game intact, I'm not sure I'd be too bothered about starting from scratch though.
GreedFall
Apparently, GreedFall was deliberately styled after BioWare's RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect - and very much feels like it - I really wish I'd got to spend more time with this game before it also left Game Pass. In contrast to Yes, Your Grace, I'd definitely go back to this if it ever came back to Game Pass, even if the movement controls are a little wonky.
Prose and Codes (demo)
This is very much one of those demos that really shows you everything the game has to offer, which is a fun enough brain-teaser, but there's enough in just the demo to scratch that particular itch for me. The game itself is pretty cheap, so it's worth at least trying out the demo to see if you'd enjoy more of the same.
Death and Taxes (demo)
Much like Prose and Codes, it feels like this demo gives you enough of the game to make a decision on whether to buy it or not - so pretty perfect as a demo then! - but the story just didn't have enough to keep me interested and the gameplay wasn't exactly gripping either. I don't want to be too harsh as it was enjoyable enough, but that's not a positive enough sentiment to pay for the full thing either.
Project Wingman
This is a weird one: I have no idea if the game was buggy or there's was something wrong with my download, but I just couldn't get the controls to work for me and spent a good 20 minutes or so continuously crashing before giving up and uninstalling it. Considering that I've played other flying games from Sky Rogue to Ace Combat 7 to Microsoft Flight Simulator without any issues, I have no idea what went wrong here.
Scarlet Nexus
Much like GreedFall and Yes, Your Grace, I found out about this game a little too late and had other games to get through too, meaning I played very little of it. However, I did really, really enjoy what I played and would absolutely download it again if it ever comes back to Game Pass - hell, I've added it to my Steam wishlist too in the (highly unlikely) eventuality I can get my backlog reduced a bit.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
As another side-scrolling beat 'em up like Streets of Rage 4, this just wasn't my thing and I've got to say that the more retro look isn't either. I was hoping for a nice, breezy game considering the licence and the look, but this is a proper fighting game and I just couldn't be bothered to persevere when there are so many other games I'd prefer to play over this.
Desert Child
I can't remember why or how I own this game, but I gave up pretty quickly thanks to the racing sections really messing up my eyes and giving me motion sickness or at least something similar. I can't really offer much more than that as I had to stop playing or I was going to be sick - but that's not a judgement of the game's quality, if your eyes are fine with it, you might enjoy it but I definitely won't!
