I've been mostly playing through my backlog this year, so I've only dipped into a few new releases. However these 3 are still some of my favorites.
Celeste
In my opinion, this is the absolute best in the genre of uber-hard but not punishing 2D platformers. The reasons range from the clever level gimmicks that don't overstay their welcome, the movement mechanics that slowly have deeper intricacies unveiled as you play, but most of all - the way the story interacts with the gameplay. There are actually 3 mountains in this game. Firstly, the physical Celeste Mountain that Madeline chooses to scale; second, Madeline's anxieties and the realization she must come to regarding them; and third, the "mountain" of difficulty the player has to overcome. All of these feed into each other, and as Madeline climbs her mountains the game encourages the player to climb theirs. It works. It feels authentic, and by the end of the game I felt I had truly achieved something despite all the hardships thrown at me.
Secret Little Haven
I'm an absolute sucker for games that take place in fictional OS. I find them some of the most immersive experiences out there. SLH of course does this really well; it showcases a rose-tinted version of a late 90s PC interface and submerges you into the Internet culture of the time. The game is a kind of visual novel taking place mostly in an instant messenger, where you are given several choices of replies to the different characters. You play as Alex, who is a young trans girl but doesn't know it yet. The narrative revolves around her discovery of herself with the help of her realistically portrayed online friends, each one of whom reminds me of someone I've known at one point or another. The story truly resonated with me and elevated this into more than just a game. It caused me to reflect on myself and my experience of being transgender. I'd recommend the game to anyone who likes a relatively short, but dense and emotional story.
Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion
This single player DLC catapulted Splatoon 2 from a harmless fun multiplayer game that might've been a little too similar to the first entry, into now one of my top games of all time. The aesthetic and atmosphere of Octo Expansion's underground world are unlike any game I've played before, even compared to the rest of Splatoon, a series with an already unique presentation. The story gave us a much deeper look into some really cool characters we've already met, while introducing lovingly weird new ones. There are over 80 hard, to-the-point challenges some of which really kicked my ass, and I
loved that. It all leads up to the final stretch of your journey where the smart level design and interesting setpieces shine the most. Long story short, it was fantastic and now I can't wait to see more from this franchise.
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