Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – CD Projekt Red (2023)

I have a note on my phone from 2020 that perfectly sums up the launch of Cyberpunk:
“The game is more fun to talk about than to play right now.”

Fast forward to the end of 2023, and Cyberpunk 2077 has been completely overhauled with update 2.0 (new Perk tree, improved police, vehicle combat etc.) Alongside this, the game’s only expansion, Phantom Liberty, was released, bringing a spy-thriller campaign and the new Dogtown district.

I decided this year it was time to give the game another shot, so I created a character that combines the hacker and tech-savvy skills of Lisbeth Salander with the combat prowess of Battle Angel Alita.

I had the most fun in expansion Phantom Liberty. Dogtown, a lawless district run by renegade General Kurt Hansen and his militia of ex-commandos, offers a much more vertical experience compared to the rest of Night City. Rival factions constantly contest regular airdrops (and you can, too, if you’re feeling brave), which adds a lot of opportunities for emergent gameplay. Combine that with a tense storyline involving sleeper agents and the U.S. president, and you’re in for an exciting ride.

The game is packed with Cyberpunk lore and memorable characters (Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand is a standout). I loved exploring the diverse districts, taking on gigs, and tracking down Cyberpsychos – each with their own intriguing backstory. All the while listening to the Night City radio which is now conveniently available on the go.

If you loved Cyberpunk, I highly recommend reading Synners by the “Queen of Cyberpunk” Pat Cadigan. Synners explores a near-future world where people can experience simulations through wires and sockets implanted in their heads… what could go wrong?! Like the game, it has a lot to say about the implications of evolving tech and “always being online”.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Ninja Theory (2024)

If you’re expecting a bigger game from the first one with more systems, game mechanics and a longer story then this isn’t it. This is the Hellblade experience pt.2 but more refined: puzzles are clearer, mo-cap is outstanding (especially combat), and haunting 3D audio with a Heilung soundtrack. Just the beginning of what Unreal 5 can do!

Frostpunk 2 – 11 bit studios (2024)

Frostpunk 2 combines the survival genre with city building and wraps it all in a snowy blanket of ice and bleakness. The first game was a blast as you prepared the city for the looming “long night”, forcing you to make some *ahem* tough moral choices along the way.

In the sequel, the scope is broader. Not only do you manage the usual city-building tasks, outposts, and expansions, but you also have to balance rival factions. I enjoyed playing the role of a steward, “gently” guiding votes in the council while having a secret police force carry out orders on the ground.

Expanding the scale in Frostpunk 2 feels like a natural progression from the first game (playing them back-to-back would work really well). I can’t recommend enough for anyone who enjoys a cold, post-apocalyptic setting. A TV series set in the Frostpunk world would be awesome!

For fans of:

• The Day After Tomorrow
• The Last of Us
• Snowpiercer
• The Long Dark
• This War of Mine (also by 11 bit studios)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Campaign – Treyarch & Raven (2024)

Another year, another weekend spent playing the latest Call of Duty campaign. Black Ops 6 is set during the Gulf War in 1991 and alongside Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, you’ll find yourself in thrilling covert ops and heists across post-Cold War Europe.

A few missions take an open-world approach. In Iraq, you get a Far Cry-style setup for tackling outposts and objectives, leading up to a final assault on one of Saddam’s palaces. Later, in Russia, there’s a focus on stealth as you’re tasked with sabotaging multiple targets, it’s not a complete sandbox but does remind me of Hitman and Metal Gear Solid.

There’s also a brilliant survival horror section influenced by Resident Evil, with nods to Control and Returnal through paranormal elements and battles of the subconscious mind playing out on screen. The safe house puzzles are another highlight, reminding me of the nursery rhymes in Alan Wake 2.

And I had to mention these quality-of-life features that I hope make their way into more games:

• when you aim at enemies, allies will call out if taking a shot will blow your cover or go unnoticed
• the option to walk around during important dialogue between characters (like in Cyberpunk), you can even leave the area while conversations continue

Alan Wake 2 – Remedy Entertainment (2023)

Another survival horror game that hits all the right notes. Inspired by True Detective, Silence of the Lambs, and Twin Peaks (among others), this game blends an FBI murder investigation with folk cult horror, all wrapped in Remedy’s signature meta storytelling. I loved the “mind palace” feature used to track clues and profile characters – it made me feel like I was actually solving a mystery, rather than just following the game’s instruction.

Helldivers 2 – Arrowhead (2024)

The marketing for this game caught my interest from the start, and Helldivers fully embraces the satirical humour of Starship Troopers in everything it does. The game perfectly captures the chaotic rush of trying to extract from a planet where everything is out to kill you.

This brought a lot of people together, especially those who don’t often play online games (that’s me!). I have fond memories of the first couple of weeks, when there was a lot of “accidental” friendly fire as we all discovered planets, weapons, enemy types, and missions for the first time.

SIGNALIS – rose-engine (2022)

Signalis is a retro survival horror game developed by the two-person team at rose-engine. The game is creepy and unsettling, delivering a genuine survival horror experience with an intriguing (though quite confusing) story. I won’t pretend to understand everything that happened, but I was hooked!

Hi-Fi Rush – Tango Gameworks (2023)

 

Tango Gameworks (previously The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo), clearly had a blast making Hi-Fi Rush. The cel-shaded art style and vibrant characters immediately catch your eye, and the writing is full of heart and humor.

Combat revolves around timing your attacks to the beat of the music. You’ll be juggling combos, enemies, parries, and companion attacks – button mashing won’t get you far unless you happen to be in time with the beat. The game’s UI gives you loads of pointers though and the environment literally pulses to the beat.

My favorite levels were the ones that used licensed tracks from bands (Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, The Joy Formidable, etc.) rather than original songs. These levels perfectly combined intense action with a killer soundtrack – something that Metal: Hellsinger nailed.

Ready or Not – Void Interactive (2023)

 

As a teenager, I played two games religiously on my underpowered laptop until the fan broke: Rome: Total War and SWAT 4. While I still dabble with the Total War series, I had forgotten about SWAT 4 – until this year, when I discovered Ready or Not by Void Interactive.

Ready or Not is a spiritual successor to the SWAT series and early Rainbow Six games. This tactical shooter puts you in command of a SWAT team, facing a range of intense and complex situations. There’s no running around with guns blazing here – you’ll need to 

clear every room carefully and be mindful of civilians and unauthorised force.

One issue I remember from SWAT 4 was the lack of progression between missions. Ready or Not addresses this by adding layers of depth: your team can suffer stress and even resign, so you need to rotate them. You’re also free to explore the police station between missions, where some are linked; discovering evidence in one can provide clues for another. The fictional city of Los Sueños is grappling with a violent crime wave. As you progress, you’ll confront the city’s issues, from corruption and terrorism to gang violence and human trafficking – some pretty harrowing stuff here.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ready or Not and am looking forward to the checking out the DLCs: Home Invasion, which is set in the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane and Dark Waters, making that 2 games this year set on an oil rig.

For fans of:

• SWAT 4
• Operation Flashpoint
• Clean House mission from Modern Warfare
• Films SWAT & Sicario

What’s your favourite game played this year?