Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
It’s difficult to add further praise or discourse to an experience that has already captured the gaming and wider public zeitgeist and won a host of awards to boot, but let me put it this way: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has one of the most self-assured openings of any game I’ve experienced.
The ending of the prologue (so to speak) quite literally had me in tears, and the way these threads are explored and expanded on in the rest of the journey sells the experience regardless of the intricate combat (great way to integrate dodging/parrying!) and impressionistic visuals. Or perhaps it’s because of the combat and visuals? With a game this good, the parts are equally as great as the whole.
Avowed
I missed the world of Eora after Pillars of Eternity 2. It was a grittier take on high fantasy, with chunky systems and involved philosophical musings harking back to its Black Isle Studios lineage. Avowed’s release crept up on me, pretty much. But my initial thoughts were positive, and they held true throughout the game.
Although one of the more static Obsidian games—you won’t find much in the way of dynamic NPC cycles or environmental reactions here—Avowed is beautiful and faithful to its history and the fabric of the world established in the prequels. It helps that combat and terrain parkour are pretty decent for a first-person RPG, and spells and magic are integrated well into this aspect. I’d definitely make a promise to revisit this world in future.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Now hear me out: it’s not going to change your opinions on Ubi-jank, and its stealth, equipment-level, and perk systems themselves are none too different from what began with Origins nearly a decade ago. But damn, sixteenth-century Japan is beautiful in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Of all the games I’ve sunk time into this year, Assassin’s Creed Shadows had some of the most fulfilling vistas, and fulfilling in the manner of fitting the spectacle and theme. Watching Naoe overlook a snowy, bamboo-forest temple or tracking prey through falling cherry blossoms was an almost archetypal experience when I think of assassins, deadly grace, and stylised murder.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
If Avowed felt gritty to me, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was down in the muck and weeds. This was a beautiful game that took time for me to appreciate the simulation of life, combat and everything in between from my hazy memories of the original. I’d forgotten the importance of food: eat just enough, and watch out for mouldy food. I’d forgotten the importance of sleep: don’t try to swing a sword with zero energy. I’d forgotten the danger of one measly bandit: you will get your ass whupped by lunging madly with the same sword strokes.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a game where planning a trip to an objective point actually means planning. Do I have food for the journey? Is my equipment in decent shape? Have I enough current endurance and nourishment to reach my objective and deal with any dangers? Have I spoken to enough folk to ascertain what I know about the area? It nails low-fantasy stakes with a pleasing degree of tension. Most fantasy has epic quests to save the world or gather legendary equipment and allies. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, just getting to that new map point over the hill and then back to your bed safely brings a sense of satisfaction like no other.
