What games have you played in the last 365 days that stand out to you as the most memorable experiences?
I think the most common answer is going to be Tears of the Kingdom, and that is one for me that stands out for sure, but I will try to add some more unique inputs as well. Many are games that came out longer than a year ago, but i didnt get around to playing until more recently.
-Escape From Tarkov, Single Player. Okay look, I have 3000 hours in EFT Live/regular. There is nothing that competes with it, nothing like the experience. But there are so many excessive and unlikely to be changed negatives to the experience that I simply cant put more time into it anymore, much less recommend it to others. LUCKILY the SPT version exists, and it is so fucking fun and refreshing. No cheater, no long load times, no disgusting server desync. No busted ass rogue and boss AI. Hate the stupid base exp rates? change them. Hate the ridiculous hideout install times that only exist to keep people from bullrushing high tier ammo in week 1? change them. I have mods installed that vastly improve the enemy AI, that fix the truly deranged shooting/recoil physics, that show you more data on different ammunition in game so you dont need a wiki open constantly, sell you gunsmith compatible guns so i dont have to build that shit for the 1000th time. Shit I even turned off fall damage so i could yeet myself off cliffs and chase down gun shots. It is simply much much much more fun. Its really the only Tarkov experience i can recommend these days.
-Mechabellum. This game is what ive wanted from the auto battle genre since it first popped up. Its got the perfect blend of conceptual strategy (think chess, the first game in the genre was auto-chess after all), randomness (the starting loadouts and perks on each round work as a very effective randomizing seed) and LACK of high APM micro bullshit that makes traditional multiplayer RTS a nightmare to pick up and learn. Its wonderful and im going to be playing so much of it as they are adding more coop modes and maps. 150 hours already.
-Monster Hunter Rise. This last year was the year that monster hunter really clicked for me, after like 5 years of on and off trying and failing to get into it. I think what changed was finally understanding that the game is just pushing you to improve on a purely mechanical perspective, constantly. In the same way that dark souls combat rewards you for 'getting good' (learning the movesets, knowing when to push and pull back, etc) Monster Hunter just wants you to be a goddamn badass, but youll have to work for it. Go slap that dragon with a big fish. 250 hours (yeesh)
-Hades. This is one of maybe 3 games ever that i could actually describe as 'perfect'. Im sure a lot of people have read this sentiment online, but here's the thing; I tried Hades 3 times previously and, while i did enjoy the experience and got like 2-5 successful patricides, it never really clicked into place. Until this time. The entire reason i got back into it was getting a steam deck, which i cannot recommend enough (if the price is right, be wary that a steam deck 2 in late 2024 is quite possible). but that was just a trigger. What actually made the difference was me slowing down a bit to appreciate the absolutely unparalleled and breathtaking attention to detail that the game constantly fulfills. 21000 voicelines, and ive never heard a repeat in 80 hours. Still unlocking new things like 30 or 40 successful runs in. Even the most supremely minor things: There is a decoration you can buy for your room, a big harp. you can run up to it and pluck some gross discordant notes. Neat, this kind of thing is in a lot of games, but still neat. EXCEPT plucking this thing enough gives you unique dialogues with a certain character. plucking it enough in between different runs shows you actually improving, making some less gross notes, then gross chords, then less gross chords, all with unique dialogue unlocks as you go. and eventually you pluck it and produce some real music. I cannot emphasize enough, this is a silly little decoration in your room that is totally optional and it wouldnt shock me if 95% of players completely miss it. THIS is the level of detail the game is constantly operating on. Super rare niche legendary boon from Demeter that kills stuff with a certain condition when its at 10% hp? bam, unique demeter voiceline for using it to beat the final boss. shit like that, is why this game is special, and what makes it next-level.
-Project Wingman VR. I love PW, i put like 30-40 hours in the regular game and it stands out to me as the best arcade flying game(ily AC7 but AC8 has to step up). But I recently got my VR headset working properly and tried PW in VR using my modest T.16000M throttle and stick, and oh my sweet lord there is something so transcendent about the experience. So rarely do i feel goosebumps when i play a game anymore (getting old) but this was like 2 straight hours of goosebumps. I also literally, actually, shit my pants a little when i collided with another plane, so thats nice.
Well, that's a good exercise, I've actually completed more games in the past year than I thought I did...
Lunar: Silver Star (Story Complete) - I'm not usually fond of "typical" turn-based RPGs, but there was something about Lunar's fairly simplistic gameplay, beautiful art and sound design, the quirky translation from Working Designs, it's just a very "charming" game and it's been on my mind for a while since then, everything kinda comes together to form a really memorable experience. I'm looking forward to playing Eternal Blue sometime soon-ish.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - Okay, hear me out: Golden Abyss is sort of the black sheep in the Uncharted franchise and I wouldn't say I love it - it can be very frustrating at times, the story is somewhat subpar compared to mainline games and as a showcase for the PS Vita, it can also be pretty gimmicky - however, it was my first Uncharted game, back in 2012, and I had to wait until I got a PS5 (in 2020) to finally experience the other games. It was well worth the wait, I absolutely love the series and that's why I wanted to replay Golden Abyss (for that bit of nostalgia) last year.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - I've been on a (fairly recent) journey to try and explore my own mental health through various mediums, with video games being one of my primary passions/hobbies/time sinks, I've been trying to find games that explore this subject specifically - Hellblade is, of the ones I've played yet, the one that does it best. It's a very intimate game and it can be really sensory heavy at times (I don't think I would've been able to play it, were I in a less than ideal mental state at the time), but it's such a rewarding experience, being able to see and feel Senua's tale that way. I can't wait for the second game.
A Plague Tale: Requiem - This is the most memorable and emotional experience I've ever had in a video game, bar none. I played Innocence and Requiem back to back and I enjoyed it so much, I can't recommend it enough. I fear my words wouldn't do the game(s) justice tbh. And that OST is wonderful.
Nier: Automata - What does it mean to human? I would say this is one of the games which had me reflect on our own condition and society the most, haha. Beyond that, I really enjoyed the gameplay (that's usually more my kind of RPG - Action focused), with various other interesting mechanics (shmup gameplay, etc). The OST is one of the best I've ever heard. One of those games you wish you could erase from your memory and relive all over again.
GRIS - Another game with a focus on mental health. Simple, beautiful, emotional. No spoken words, yet I felt like I went on a journey at a time when I feel I needed it most, I cried multiple times, but I'm really grateful for what I experienced. Probably the most memorable sound design I've experienced last year!