Would you look at that? I mean, it's hard to believe that we have already come to the end of yet another year, when it feels like just yesterday we were ushering in a new one. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond grateful to be here, still scribbling down my thoughts and ideas on this very blog. But Jeez Louise, where did all that time go?
And it is in pursuit of that very answer that I must now spend the next few days reflecting on the past year, or more specifically, the games, TV shows, songs, movies, etc. that kept me occupied. So sit down with your beverage of choice, dear reader, and strap in as we begin this week-long journey with a ranking of my Top 10 Best Games.
10. Ruffy and the Riverside
It's only fitting that we kick things off with Ruffy and the Riverside since it was the very first game I managed to roll credits on this year. Developed by Zockrates Laboratories, the game is a love letter to the 3D platformers and collectathons of the N64 and PS1 era. But it was ultimately its blend of hand-drawn 2D characters set against low-poly 3D environments that drew me in, and its unique copy-and-paste swap mechanic that kept me going until the end.
9. Little Nightmares 3
I can already hear the groans from those questioning how Little Nightmares 3 could possibly make it onto any Top 10 list. After all, those "mixed" reviews on Steam should tell you all you need to know about the overall sentiment about the game. But this is my list, damn it, and one of my most anticipated games of the year. So despite the game itself being more of the same, it still delivered enough of what I was hoping for to secure its placement here.
8. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
One game whose inclusion shouldn't cause any groaning is Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Because from the moment we first caught glimpses of what Sega was cooking at The Game Awards in 2023, you could tell we were in for a treat. The game boasts some of the most stunning hand-drawn art to grace PCs and consoles this year, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering it was developed by Lizardcube, one-third of the team that worked on Streets of Rage 4.
7. Blue Prince
As I continue to warm up to more games with roguelike elements, I still find myself struggling with their heavy reliance on RNG. Given the choice, I would rather have carefully constructed levels than ones pulled from a pool at random. But despite all that, I still knew I had to experience Blue Prince, a first-person puzzle adventure game reminiscent of 2013's Gone Home. And what an experience it has been, even as I am still trying to unravel every last mystery of the Mt. Holly Estate.
6. Pokémon Legends: Z-A
After finally evolving the gameplay in its Pokémon series through its first Legends spinoff, Game Freak has shown that it still has more goodies stashed away in its bag of tricks. And the biggest change in Pokémon Legends: Z-A comes in the form of real-time battles, with players only needing to wait for cooldowns to issue commands to their Pokémon. Sure, the graphics might still be a bit of a mixed bag, but the overall charm of the series remains fully intact.
5. Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Beat 'em up fans have been eating good lately, between Marvel Cosmic Invasion and another game further down this list. The first of those two games was developed by Tribute Games, the same studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, and their new game makes good use of its Marvel license with a roster that includes fan favorites like Captain America and deeper cuts like Phylla-Vell. But it is its smooth gameplay that would no doubt have you coming back for more. It also helps that the whole thing is brought to life with some beautiful stages and sprite work.
4. Hades 2
I purposely waited for Hades 2 to come out of early access before diving in, because I knew I wanted the full, fat version 1.0 experience, with most of the bugs and other kinks ironed out. And sure enough, the game has proven to be well worth the wait. Unlike the first game, you play as Melinoë, whose ultimate goal is to defeat the time titan, Chronos. But much like that game, you can expect the same buttery smooth gameplay and great sense of progression.
3. Absolum
Developed by Guard Crush Games, another third of the team that worked on Streets of Rage 4, Absolum is the new gold standard for modern beat 'em ups. From its gameplay to its presentation, music, and sound design, the whole thing comes together in a way you seldom see from the tried and tested genre. And remember how I said I wasn't the biggest fan of the overreliance on RNG in roguelikes? Well, it turns out the solution to that particular pet peeve was to throw some sweet beat 'em up gameplay into the mix, making each run feel less like a slog.
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong
For a hot minute there, it seemed like Hollow Knight: Silksong was nothing more than a running gag, considering how the game completely dominated all discourse during the various game showcases, even ones in which it didn't make an appearance. And now that it is finally here, sitting in our various game libraries, I have to say that it was certainly worthy of all that hype. Yes, I'm still licking my wounds from its punishing difficulty, but that only makes my triumphs all the more rewarding. If this were any other year, the game would be sitting at the very top of this list, which brings us to...
1. Dispatch
In a year already brimming with superhero shows with great storytelling, it is somewhat ironic that the best of the bunch was not even an actual TV show. That is the power of Dispatch, an eight-episode adventure game by Adhoc Studios, a team formed by former Telltale Games devs. And if there is one thing their new game did for me this year, it was to remind me how much I loved those Telltale adventure games, and how they would completely dominate my year-end lists.
But the true brilliance of Dispatch is not in how it tries to replicate the thrills of those games, but rather, how it streamlines them. The game plays more like an interactive movie than a proper adventure game, so what it loses in explorable environments it makes up for in story and pacing. Simply put, this is all killer, no filler. So whether you are an Invisigal stan or a Blonde Blazer glazer, chances are you'll be craving more time with the Z-Team by the time the credits roll.
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