A game’s atmosphere can make break immersion. This is how much dread it makes you feel just being in the world. It can make you a feeling of nostalgic adventure, it can transport you back to a time when you were a kid…or one of the worst times of your life. It’s very hard to have a game’s atmosphere be consistent and pull you in. This usually isn’t tied to the story or anything like that, but graphics do go hand-in-hand.

The Callisto Protocol

Say what you will about how much of a Dead Space clone this game is, or it’s average combat, but the game really gives you a sense of dread, loneliness, and desperation that a lot of games can’t pull off. Even if you throw out the horror themes there’s a lot of fear in the world itself. Claustrophobic hallways, prison cells, and being stranded on a derelict planet doesn’t help. The opening scene really gives a sense of fear and sucks all hope from you.

Runner-Ups

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Elden Ring

Scorn

Not for Broadcast

Stories are probably the most important aspect of a game for most genres. It can supersede visuals and sometimes even gameplay if it’s good enough. Sadly, great stories in-game are hard to come by these days. Memorable characters, interesting twists, and turns, and a fantastical world packed full of lore. There are many ways to tell a story either through text, visuals, or voice acting.

God of War: Ragnarok

Picking up exactly where the last game left off, Ragnarok continues the story of Kratos and his son Atreus on their epic quest to stop Ragnarok. Not only is the entire story interesting and full of fantastic Norse lore, but the characters themselves are insanely entertaining to watch on screen and you can’t get enough of it. It’s hard to turn the game off especially when that next bit of story comes along and teases the next chapter.

Runner-Ups

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Elden Ring

Horizon: Forbidden West

Not for Broadcast

Sounds are incredibly important in a game. They can transport you to another time, realm, universe, or planet. From crunching footsteps in the snow to foreign aliens to screeching animals. Gurgling bloody screams, realistic-sounding cars, and even the boom coming from your subwoofer at just the right time. Sounds are just as important as visuals and can sometimes even compensate for them.

God of War: Ragnarok

God of War’s soundscape is insanely detailed. From magical chimes and clanking of chains to the sound of your axe swooshing through the air. There’s so many sounds happening in this game to help make it come to life that it helps draw you into this world. The sheer variety and otherwordly things you listen to help draw you in and hold your attention. Some of the best visuals of they year help as well.

Runner-Ups

Gran Turismo 7

Elden Ring

The Callisto Protocol

Scorn

We all love our 5-year-in-development big-budget AAA titles, but the indie games are the ones that have been carrying the industry through the slump since the last video game crash of 2008. These games have been the only ones pushing genres forward, defining new series, establishing beloved worlds and characters, and imaginative worlds.

Not for Broadcast

Not for Broadcast isn’t just the best live action FMV game ever made, but probably the funniest. It pokes fun at politics, the recent pandemic, and has phenomenal acting. Being the broadcast censor really makes things a lot of fun and adds layers of gameplay and challenge. The game really makes you feel like your choices matter, and the side story of dealing with your family in this dystopian world adds just one more layer on the cake. This is a fantastic, unique, and wholly original game that has never been done before.

Runner-Ups

Tunic

Stray

Cult of the Lamb

Rogue Legacy 2

Voice acting has been in games since 3D games have been a thing. Over time the visuals and motion capture have advanced to the point in which we are playing interactive movies. Real-life movie stars can put all of their skills to use as well as talented newcomers. This year had some fantastic voice acting done by incredibly talented people.

God of War: Ragnarok

Christopher Judge’s take on Kratos has been one of the best things to ever happen to gaming. He breathed life and a new persona into Kratos. He’s no longer the tired angry God cliche that he was before. He was shallow and hard to like. He now has feelings and an insane amount of depth to him. The other actors such as Sunny Suljic did a fantastic job on their part. Every character is memorable and perfectly cast.

Runner-Ups

High on Life

Horizon: Forbidden West

The Callisto Protocol

Not for Broadcast

Technical graphics usually push the latest hardware to their limits or look so real you can’t tell if it is or not. These games can exist on consoles especially if they can pull off amazing feats of trickery. Right people are looking for the first game that looks next-gen. Sadly, until we get away from the cross-generation releases that won’t be in full swing.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Requiem may not be perfect, and may set the series back a few steps, but one thing that can’t be denied is that this looks like a true next-generation title. The graphics are unlike any other this year. While many games looked very good in this regard A Plague Tale impresses with it’s insane lighting, ray-tracing, sweeping vistas, incredibly detailed textures, and character models. This is probably the first true next-generation game as it wasn’t released for older consoles.

Runner-Ups

Gran Turismo 7

Horizon: Forbidden West

God of War: Ragnarok

The Last of Us Part I

We all love our favorite established characters, but when a new character comes along with charisma, charm, a great design, or a fantastic voice actor it’s something to celebrate. This year had a lot of great new characters in new games and returning franchises. Some talked and some didn’t.

Jeremy Donaldson – Not for Broadcast

Not for Broadcast isn’t only the funniest game to be made in a long time, but the characters keep you hooked in the game. This FMV style game is probably the best to ever do it. The Monty Python style British comedy mixed with politics and dark humor is just cleverly written, cast, and made. Jeremy Donaldson is a miserable news anchor who hates the world and people around him. He oozes a charm and keeps you glued to your screen.

Runner-Ups

Alejandro Vargas – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Lamb – Cult of the Lamb

Lunar Princess Ranni – Elden Ring

Odin – God of War: Ragnarok

A brand new category this year. Rogue-likes (or rogue-lites) have become a huge and popular genre that’s now here to stay. From the father of the genre, From Software, with King’s Field to the mobile hit on iOS Infinity Blade, the genre has blown up and become the masochist’s favorite way to play. This year saw a great number of them from indie developers, and they were all impressive.

Elden Ring

Was this a surprise? Even if you hate the game and think it’s too hard that’s the whole damn point. I suck at the Souls series, but love the lore, atmosphere, creature design, and combat. I have yet to even get close to finishing this game, but I always dive back in because of the open world nature that changed the entire way we play this series. It’s a fantastic game that many more people should at least try.

Runner-Ups

Rogue Legacy 2

Cult of the Lamb

Vampire Survivors

PlateUp!

This was a solid year for shooters. There was a lot of variety this year, and surprisingly, there is something better than Call of Duty. From indie to AAA budget there was something for everyone this year.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

With a slew of new content, advancing the addictive gameplay loop, a great story, and fun RPG elements makes The Witch Queen a fantastic game. It’s not just a DLC package, but a full on package that makes the base game than it’s ever been.

Runner-Ups

High on Life

Prodeus

Metal: Hellsinger

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Every game has artistic graphics. It takes an artist to put them into the game. However, the best usually have a flair, style, design DNA, or something unique to them that set them apart from any other game. It makes them iconic and instantly recognizable or it can make you stop and soak in every scene and detail in the game.

Scorn

It may not be a very good game, but my God does it look good. It’s one of the best looking games ever made and the art inspired by H.R. Giger is prevalent and beautiful. It’s dark, depressing, lonely, and hopeless. The scenery invokes a lot of emotion when playing despite the awful combat and derivative puzzle designs. I just wish a good story accompanied this work of art.

Runner-Ups

High on Life

Cult of the Lamb

Elden Ring

Stray