Sometimes, in the business of critiquing games, there comes a moment where you have to ask yourself if your expectations of the creators behind projects are too high. Are you holding people, and their work, to too great a standard? Would you be strong enough, focused enough, bold enough to make the choices that lead to this game existing in the first place? Can you really say that, in their position, you’d do better than they ever could? I think about all of that, and then games like GORDY fall into my lap to remind me that having standards is important too. Sometimes, games are hollow, ambling, and slapdash in their construction - being able to acknowledge those failings and examine them in detail helps us understand and celebrate how other games prevail where this particular experience fell short. And if there’s one thing to be said in GORDY ’s favour, it’s that it isn't lacking for teachable moments, however much I may wish it did. Developed and published by MyGrandfather Games...
So that happened.
2021 managed the feat of being potentially more demoralizing and negatively revelatory than the year before, both in personal terms and when looking at the state of the globe. Naturally, the game industry being what it is (in part, an intensified and distilled expression of the state of art, technology, wider cultural and political concerns, and the values of humanity for good or ill), that meant that what went wrong in 2021 - pandemic-related or otherwise - was all the more evident in and around the games.
Still, I'm a believer in the idea that for the wretched things in gaming there are still things (and people) worth fighting for, now and yet to come. And, thus, I feel obliged on some level to acknowledge that there are indeed projects coming down the pipeline that show the most promise, that seem best prepared to revitalized and refresh other folks' love of the medium. So, without further ado, here they are...
The Runners Up
SIFU - The studio's last game Absolver was built on a conceptually interesting premise but felt so arch and cut-to-the-bone so as to lack impact. This next project and its "death equals greater experience but less strength" hook to an otherwise familiar action premise seem like they could stand out more. We'll see.
GOTHAM KNIGHTS - WB Montreal being a relative underdog for the wider WB Games umbrella and the expanded Bat-family being long overdue for their own moment in the (gaming) spotlight beyond Batman, I'm hoping my misgivings about the RPG-alike aesthetic to this thing are unfounded.
SLIME RANCHER 2 - Gonna need to see more for sure, but if it's basically just the first one with more Slime variety, that's fine.
The List Proper
6. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Surprised as I may be by its very existence, this unexpected Pokemon spin-off seems poised to deliver something delightfully distinct from the mainline series. For one, it’s intriguing how Legends: Arceus is set in a version of the Sinnoh region that draws upon historical and artistic cues from Japan’s feudal and early modern periods. Then there’s the actual gameplay, which appears to filter the familiar rhythms of battling and catching the titular monsters through a more restrained, minimalistic lens than normal. If the game’s quality can match up to how compelling its visual and mechanical choices seem, we’re in for a good time.
5. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
At this point in the history of Lego’s licensed video games, one ceases to ask if the upcoming title could be good and instead moves on to the more pertinent question of “How will this be meaningfully different than previous works?” From the look of things, The Skywalker Saga looks to answer that inquiry by going in a more grand and detailed direction than before. The game’s set to feature multiple explorable worlds beyond the usual structured levels, more variety to the combat, and even sharper visuals benefitting from Traveller’s Tales’ new game engine. As reasons to return to this familiar if undeniably solid brand of games go, that’s not bad in the slightest.
4. Blood Bowl 3
Though Cyanide may not have the most consistent track record with their games, every so often they manage to put together something special, such as 2015’s Blood Bowl II. Though rough in some technical regards and burdened with a bit of a learning curve, its blend of black comedy, riffs on both football and fantasy elements, and genuinely compelling turn-based gameplay made for a fun time. It’s a promising sign, then, that Blood Bowl 3 seems intent on pairing those strong aspects with a greater emphasis on the sports parody angle and welcome additions like customization and new playable teams.
3. Weird West
Speaking of unusual pitches, here’s one whose influences and overall aim could render it an unexpected hit in 2022. The inaugural outing by WolfEye Studios, Weird West pivots on a dark fantasy rendition of the American Frontier, with all the six-shooters and supernatural misdeeds that implies. Furthermore, the game is being billed as a blend of the open-ended action seen in Dishonored (as is fitting for a game lead by Dishonored co-director Raphael Colantonio) with the isometric perspective and long-term narrative consequences of the early Fallout games, a combination with delightfully grim implications.
2. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Typically known for sticking to a comfortable formula even as it plays with new mechanics or aesthetic conceits, the Kirby series looks ready to toss a honest-to-God curveball at its audience this year. Kirby and the Forgotten Land not only stands as the first full-3D game in the mainline series, but it also appears to deviate from the familiar cute fantasy feel of past titles in favour of a dilapidated urban apocalypse setting. It’s also not lost on me that the moment-to-moment play, as seen in the limited promotional material, appears to hew closer to Super Mario Odyssey than that of previous Kirby games. Taking these shifts in design into account, I’m left curious and excited about what this means for the final game.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
In my heart of hearts, there'll always be a place for any project seeking to revive the heyday of Ninja Turtles games. Shredder's Revenge, then, seems like a full-on godsend; it's being made by Tribute Games (a studio with experience in quality licensed games) and looks like it's drawing upon both the aesthetic of the 1980s cartoon and the gameplay rhythm of the 1990s beat-em-ups. Even if it "only" amounts to being a competent revitalization of an older model of game, this is a delight to behold.
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