This year has been super busy, not sure if it is just me but it’s absolutely flown by. Here’s a list of my favourite games I’ve been passing time with this year.
5) Hogwarts Legacy
I have divided opinions about this one, shrouded in controversy before its release and the topic of many online discussions. It was fun to fly around Hogwarts and all the grounds. Wand fights were fun and the game was a good mix of stealth and fighting. The storyline was paced well and it was all right. The side quests were different enough from each other that they did not feel like a repeat of the same thing over and over. However it’s not a game I’ve felt compelled to pick up again since completing it and certainly not one that I’ve been going for 100% completion on. That’s not to say it was a bad game, perhaps just not the best it could have been.
4) Spiritfarer
Released in 2020 but I only got round to playing it this year when it became available with PlayStation Plus. If you’ve not played it and you love cozy games I highly recommend it. You take over as the Spiritfarer and build your boat and complete quests with spirits you meet along the way. Your main goal is to help them reach the point where they feel ready to pass on. It’s a game where you make friends, help them and then have to learn to let go. It has everything, mini games, building, friendships and a cute animal companion.
3) Disney Dreamlight Valley
As a long term Animal Crossing fan and a long term Disney fan, Dreamlight Valley has been a perfect escape. I started playing in 2022 during early release but have been enjoying the game ever since. There’s not much really to say about it other than it’s your average town building game with side and relationship quests with a very Disney underlying story. It’s definitely aimed at both children and adults. The story has elements to it that I think a lot of older fans can relate to; a heavy focus on losing that childlike innocence and finding ways to regain it and be okay with it.
They are forever adding new characters so if your favourites not there yet don’t worry, they probably will be eventually! My favourite thing to do is run around the valley with Stitch by my side. Whilst my valley isn’t the most perfectly presented aesthetic Dreamland as of yet…it is mine and I’m proud of it.
2) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
I became hyper fixated on this game instantly. As a big fan of 2018’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales I loved seeing the stories of the two Spider-Men come together. I only wish the story line had been longer and a little more time with the main villain would have been great. If you know, you know. I’ve unlocked everything in the game so I am looking forward to a new game plus so I can experience it all over again, and I can’t wait for the next one.
1) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Did it feel a little like Breath of the Wild DLC…..yes… it did. Did I love it anyway? Absolutely! I plugged hours into this game. As always the storyline was the best bit. I enjoyed the dungeons more this time around as they felt a little more fleshed out, however I did feel they missed some more of the cleverer puzzles we have seen in previous Zelda games. Whilst I did feel the games main twist was a little obvious from the beginning I still enjoyed it. The final fight also felt like a proper final fight. I enjoyed the building mechanic but I’m definitely not technically minded enough to make my own marvelous creation, but loved seeing others mechs and robots. I’m looking forward to seeing where they go next with the series.
Written by Clarissa.