I absolutely hate this game, but it's in the top 10 games I've ever played. Maybe top 5. It's genuinely difficult to describe how the game makes you feel, only that it makes you feel strongly. Prior to playing this game, I would've said that a game 'fails' at its core if it isn't fun - that's what video games are, in the many things that can mean to different people. However, I can't honestly say Fear & Hunger is even a little bit 'fun', and yet it was absolutely worthwhile and enjoyable upon reflection, which has made me question the very nature of video games. Behind the frustration of being thrown into a world with many punishing systems and intentionally left to figure them out for yourself, there is an endlessly compelling atmosphere and awe-inspiring world building, as well as a game that is very rewarding of experimentation - something more games should strive to be. Everybody that is comfortable with extreme content (and I do, seriously, mean extreme, with not-uncommon depictions of graphic SA among the constant gore) should play this, as it's a unique gaming experience, albeit a necessarily miserable one. Fear & Hunger is genuinely special in the gaming landscape, a bizarre-yet-important milestone in gaming culture that I'm glad is receiving its recognition.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is criminally underrated, and easily my GOTY 2022. Gorgeous, engaging, and with an innovative combat system that felt fluid and immersive after getting over the learning curve, it's unfortunate that it was overshadowed on the landscapes of both RPGs and gaming overall by Elden Ring (which is in itself a great game). The writing here is genuinely funny and characterful, the story, whilst predictable at some points, features some expertly designed boss fights and impactful emotional beats, and the city itself is coloured in by a vibrant, mystic art style tying it all together.