It’s become harder and harder to keep up with things as the industry grows and grows. There are a number of different systems out right now and each of them do their own thing and do it pretty damn well. That’s the cool thing about being a gamer right now; you literally have your choice of anything you could ever want and a metric shitload of it on offer if you don’t mind playing older titles or remastered classics. I hadn’t touched a Call of Duty game until I broke down and gave Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered a go since it was super cheap. Two months later, I either own or have every title I’ve been to find between Xbox One X and PlayStation 5.
Getting into a game like Call of Duty in 2022 feels like those scenes in teen movies where the parent makes an ass of themselves trying to be cool about 20 years past their prime. I’m glad I finally gave them a try, but I also didn’t have many gamer friends trying to convince me to give it a go. I’m just glad I’m there and I should stress that Call of Duty probably isn’t the best example of this, but it also got me thinking of games people might have missed because time just passed them by or they never knew it existed. I figured I would throw together a short list for you all to try out in your spare time, so here are a few titles and the system(s) they’re on.
Spec Ops: The Line (Xbox 360) — Did I just start with an Xbox 360 title? Sure did. I picked this one up on my Xbox One X through the Microsoft Store off the recommendation of a friend and it did not disappoint. If you’ve played Call of Duty or Sniper Elite and enjoyed those franchises, you’ll definitely enjoy the story this old 2K title offers up. It’s one of those games that was a critical hit but a commercial failure, and then developed a cult following. It’s easy to see why when you sit down and take on this extremely dark story about the horrors of war as a U.S. Army Delta Force operator tries to take down a rogue battalion in Dubai. I won’t say more so as not to spoil the story, but I can vouch for the story in this game. It’s truly wonderful and will stick with you.
It Takes Two (Xbox Series/One X and PlayStation 5) — This is one of the most unique and interesting games I’ve ever played. It’s a two-player game and unlike most games, it’s not optional. You must play with another person. You can do this locally or the game will pair you up with someone on the same part of the story as you and the two of you can do it together online. There’s little else to do in the game, but work together so the online players are incentivized to actually play since anything else would just literally be wasting their time as people can drop them if they’re griefing and report the player to the game’s robust online community. The reason you have to have two players is the story is about a married couple who decide to get divorced, but don’t realize their daughter can overhear them. She cries while making a wish and her parents are transformed into the little “voodoo” dolls the girl had made of their likenesses. As May and Cody, you must work together to figure out what’s going on and how to get back to your daughter. I’ve never played a game like this and genuinely hope we get a sequel, just with a different couple because that poor kid.
Kirby & the Forgotten Land (Nintendo Switch) — If you’ve never played a Kirby title, I urge you to check this one out. If you’re into Nintendo platformers like Mario and whatnot, you’re going to love this one. You play as the very lovable Kirby as he tries to rescue his friends, the Waddle Dees, from the clutches of an unknown foe who pulled him into a strange land where he found he had strange powers. These powers enable Kirby to inhale larger-than-normal objects in a Mouthful Mode, where Kirby can become a car, a vending machine, a cone, a roller coaster and more. It’s disgustingly adorable and you can’t help but love every minute of it. I’m not gonna say this game is super challenging, but it offers some fun stuff for everyone and has some challenging tasks!
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) — This game is super odd, super morbid, and somehow still playable for all ages and a true joy to play. Kena is a young woman who helps recently deceased people transition from the physical world to the spirit world. She’s aided in her quest by these adorable spirits who were inexplicably given the name The Rot. When it comes to consoles, the game is a Sony PlayStation exclusive. If you happen to be a PC game, you’re in luck and can pick it up on Windows.
Blood & Truth (PSVR) — Since I happen to own a PSVR, I’m throwing this one for the VR crowd. If you’ve never played this game, order it tonight. It’s a first person shooter developed by Sony specifically for their PSVR headset. It’s a fun spy/paramilitary storyline combined with dual-wielding gun play. This is probably the most fun game I’ve ever played on VR and I really hope that London Studios and Sony crank out a full-blown 40-hour story using these characters and mechanics for their upcoming PSVR2. You already know I’ll be a Day One buyer, but i’ll be banging down the door if this is a release title!
