That’s what I’m able to live for.
The horizons of my videogames have grew quite a bit over the past few years, but, first and foremost, my love for narrative games has never burst into a wave. While 2022 has been a great year for both thematically and mechanically, it’s certainly a good year. From heavy hitters like “Let the Lamb” and “Pawnar” to heavy hitters like, to high-moving titles like “Alive and Survivors”.
If they were rooted in optimism, or in an introspection grounded, I was always reminded why I’m very excited for games to continue paving the way for the future as our youngest and more dynamic storytelling medium. Here are some highlights of what I think is among the most compelling narrative games to have come out in 2022, so if you’re interested in interactive storytelling, and still haven’t played through these yet, I recommend adding them to your backlog ASAP.
Stray
Stray surprised me a lot. That is a game I realised, and had a good time, as a cat lover. I don’t think it was a much better game than some funny, but very interesting gameplay and easy gameplay. Although I really found myself enjoying the platforming mechanics that helped me see the world from a cat perspective (particularly in the most open-play slum section, The Slums), it was because of its story that I found unexpectedly interesting and uplifting.
I didn’t expect me to care for a tiny AI robot that at the time seemed to be familiar or that a game with a cat as a protagonist would be one of the most delicate and thought-provoking stories about the end of the world that I saw as a fan of apocalypse fiction.
In my opinion, what really worked for Straywas more in its minute, subtle interactions with the NPCs and the environment than in its more comprehensive narrative itself, but the game managed to keep me strong before the end of the story. It’s a game that I have read more often, and now, as it happens, I will return to that game sometime.
NORCO
Since it was first seen in Tribecas Games Festival back in 2021, I followed Norco, and while it was snubbed by this years game awards, I still feel the love that it had. I live in the South, eat south gothic storytelling and the noroman did the best for a few years to explore the United States sinceKentucky Route Zero.
Some of the gameplay elements weren’t my favorite, but that’s definitely what it’s like for people who like point-and-clicks and its storytelling should definitely not be overlooked.
Signalis
Signalis is a game I wasn’t sure that I could play at all because of my attitude toward horror, but I’m glad I was able to progress. This way, an era of less traditional stories, and more to be used as a kind of “misperger” than I could just imagine: a bit of a semblance of some kind of sense of humor. I like a story that poses lots of questions, and while Signalis provided many more questions than answers, it succeeded immensely at exploring the lengths of the world that we would love to go for, especially if we have nothing to lose.
When you enter a ruined space station the story ofSignalis looks just like it has already happened, the player left wondering how it all could have gone down differently. It leaves you with the sense of futility and yet still hope. It is a story that you feel better than just think you’ve done it. So, it has more heart than any game I’ve played in a long time.
Pentiment
I think there are two kinds of gamers in the world: those who likePentiment and those who don’t. The game, which was originally translated into a polarizing genre, was already developed, but when people found the games authentic medieval style, they soon decided that the game was or wasn’t for them. Let’s say I had enough time to explain so it will be better for those who wrote it off. It’s a truly powerful murder mystery I’ve ever played in a game, and it’s helped in reducing some of the more tedious modalities that often come with.
That’s a game that surprised me ever again in a true best way; but what really matters most is the way a player refuses to answer the question, which re-contextualizes the whodunit genre, and it really frustrates us. This game has incredible replay value, so I’ll probably begin another playthrough before the years out just to see how much everything goes on a different path.
Immortality
For me, the interplay is not only a perfect game of the year, but also a milestone of the mediums’ success in the world: the future of the mediums continues to expand and develop, with Disco and Last of Us being one of the best interactive experiences of all time, and the last of Us. It’s a medium and imposing way to explore their themes, and then it’s easy to know how well the three films of Marissa Marcel are played. This game has some of the most spectacular acting performances of the past year, and the gut-wrenching twist is one of the games that will hold my hands over for the rest of my life.
When people talk about video games as art, particularly an art of storytelling, the universality should be in the top of the list. It is a narrative that can be hardly true about an interactive experience. I think that I could discuss the depth and complexity of the game, and, in the end, I’ll get to know it now, after playthroughs. For now, though, I still don’t think it is the same thing as I once in a while, and again, I’m about to try and find out how the last time I have been missing is all.