Did your favorite title make the cut?
As gamers gather around the fires of victory at the end of another successful gaming year, players may have conflicting thoughts on the overall winner of this epic battle. With the clashing of bone and blade, the thunk of rock against the temple of an enemy, and the general continuation of emotional turmoil, 2022 was another excellent year for the Action genre.
However, while plenty of excellent choices entered the area, only one could emerge victorious. In a year stacked so full of excellent options, many battles were fought long and hard over video calls and chatrooms. While the overall choice was clear in our hearts, the thoughts and feelings of every writer here echoed louder than the war that ensued. Here is the Attack of the Fanboy choice for the Action Game of the Year.
AOTF Action Game of the Year: Bayonetta 3
Pushing the boundaries of the Switch in the right direction, the wild and wacky adventure of Bayonetta 3 was more than enough to steal the hearts of the writers on our staff. Not only did this title fly us to the moon to play among the stars, but it also stole the whole sky with its over-the-top narrative.
While it may not have completely nailed the ending, the meat and potatoes of this epic action game lead gamers on one of the most memorable adventures that the year had to offer. A spot well deserved on this list, and helps set the groundwork for more titles to aspire to.
Honorable Mentions For Action Game Of The Year
God Of War Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok fought a tough battle between our group of passionate writers, but in the end, emerged victorious. With the overall advancements made upon its original debut with its strong 2018 entry, players cannot seem to get enough of the adventures of father and son throughout the world of Norse mythos and legends.
However, what helped solidify its lead in our hearts was the increased attention to overall storytelling and worldbuilding. While God of War 2018 was a strong action game, its narrative left something to be desired, and Ragnarok took that critique to heart and delivered one of the strongest narratives of all time in the medium. As we stated in our review of the title:
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Speaking of stories in video games and the medium in general, A Plague Tale: Requiem is something that all players should take the time to experience. Alongside an improved combat system that will give players more resources than ever before to dispatch foes, players will find themselves fighting for their lives as they experience the story of one of the most tortured protagonists in gaming history.
God of War Ragnarok is an outstanding game that will stand as a beacon for what storytelling greatness should be.
Set after the events of the first title, Requiem is not a feel-good game in any sort of sense. The consistent feeling of dread and despair is felt in every action that the player experiences, alongside some of the most memorable set-pieces of the year, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a tale that everyone should embark upon. As stated in our review of this particular title:
Elden Ring
A journey throughout the lands of the lost, Elden Ring was a cultural phenomenon when it was released. Upping the ante of any title released before, From Software delivered near-perfection on their first attempt at a true open-world Souls-borne title. Should we have expected anything different from the pioneers of the craft?
A Plague Tale: Requiem deserves your time in every sense of the word. It is a story that will live on in my mind for years to come and that is for great reason.
People that have never heard of the Dark Souls franchise were inspired to make their journey into The Lands Between, and with its narrative decision to drop players in and learn as they go, one of the finest crafted games of not only this year but of all time was born. As we stated in our review of this title:
Sifu
Sifu burst onto the scene with a very unique hook: kung-fu action that causes the player to age every time they fail in battle. Alongside the brutal difficulty, the act of inching closer toward death with every missed attack helps push players into becoming true masters of the art. Alongside the unique visual style and excellent quality animations, Sifu is a title that players need to experience.
Elden Ring might be the best open world RPG in the last decade and right up there with Red Dead Redemption for peak of what we’ve seen from the open world genre itself.
While the game has been expanded since its release to include new difficulty options and ways to help players make their way to the end, we recommend playing it in its classic form. It’s brutal, difficult, and offers a tremendous challenge, but stands tall as one of the most memorable experiences of the year. As we mentioned in our review:
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is the black sheep of the family. Putting players in the shoes of Jack Garland is a bold step for those that have dug into the franchise, and making him the most unlikeable protagonist that players will quickly fall in love with was an even bolder one. Cloud Strife could never listen to Limp Bizkit and make it cool, but honestly, neither can Jack.
Sifu is an incredible journey. Featuring top-notch animations, music tracks, and visuals that are hard to match by even a big-budget animation studio, you will find your jaw-dropping as you make your journey through this story of revenge.
Many players were quick to brush this title off to the side, but those that did jump into this experience for the memes or the action were treated to one of the finest Action experiences of the year. Lightning fast combat, incredibly responsive controls, and an overall narrative that ends on an excellent note, fans of this game have been unable to stop singing its praises to those that were skeptical of it upon its release into the world.
More on Attack of the Fanboy :
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