About the author: Scott Ellison II
- Profile
- Scott is a disabled Marine veteran, married to his wife Nicole and has three kids. Scott also has a full-time job with Fastly as the Manager of Tier 3 - CSE. Scott is most well-known for founding, and writing for Saving Content, but you can find his other work on G4@Syfygames (defunct) and GameCritics.com (active).
Posts by Scott:
LONE RUIN Review
Jan 11, 2023
Cuddle Monster Games is back with another action roguelike bullet hell shooter, but instead of it being a platformer, it’s arena-style combat from the top-down perspective. LONE RUIN stands out visually, as the developers chose voxels over sprites, and has a striking and vivid art style that really compliments it all. Leaderboards play a vital role in its replayability, creating incentive to start another run to do better and achieve that top spot. Cuddle Monster Games makes highly replayable games with simple concepts, but LONE RUIN just needed a little bit more to keep me for the long term.
Scott Ellison II’s Top 10 Games of 2022
Dec 31, 2022
All of us at Saving Content fully support the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦. We are in constant awe of the resilience and perseverance they all show, and will continue to support them during and after this time of war. If you’d like to help, consider donating to United24, founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In all the years of doing these end of year lists, I follow a certain set of rules that only apply to me: All games had to be released in 2022 in order to be considered for the list, and the game has to be fully released (it can’t be in Early Access). These are in place mainly due to the fact that I play a lot of games, mostly ones to review that often results in a growing backlog. This year alone, I reviewed over 50 games, which made the selection process incredibly tricky. And trimming this list to a “Top 10” is always hard, though this year has been the hardest it’s ever been, though I think there’s a solid mix of expected placements to hidden gems here.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Review
Dec 16, 2022
Relationships are important to have and maintain. They take a lot of work from all parties for it to be successful, whether it’s between friends or something romantic. Which is the exact reason I don’t want to have to cultivate and juggle all of them in Marvel’s Midnight Suns in order to maximize party potency. It’s a game that I wholeheartedly enjoy the combat for, but everything that exists outside of it feels like a chore. Firaxis is back with Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a turn-based tactics game where they can flex different muscles that isn’t about aliens and permadeath. It’s a surprisingly deep, complex, and varied game that is part RPG, part deck-builder, part tactics, and part relationship sim. The confluence of all these parts is actually what makes Marvel’s Midnight Suns so great, it’s a brilliant and fully realized game that goes beyond anything else in the genre.
High On Life Review
Dec 12, 2022
Comedy legend John Cleese has said “Sense of humor is so much more subjective than anyone believes”, and High On Life had me laughing for what has to equate to hours. I’m not caught up on Rick and Morty, but the brand of humor that comes Justin Roiland just results in hearty chortles. This is a game I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced, and it didn’t disappoint from the moment I picked up a talking gun with a face on it. HIgh On Life is a first-person intergalactic comedy with unique shooting, exciting traversal, and ejaculation jokes to be the perfect end-cap for the year.
The Callisto Protocol Review
Dec 09, 2022
The Callisto Protocol comes from Striking Distance Studios, formed from key people who worked on the Dead Space games. You’d think that given the pedigree of the people involved, and the caliber of those games, that this would be a slam dunk. I wish I could say that it were true, but, it misses the mark on being as impactful as Dead Space was, and only feels like a lesser imitation. That said, the game’s production quality and incredible design are on another level to be lauded. The Callisto Protocol has all the makings of something great, but the focus on melee combat exposes its weaknesses.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Review
Dec 05, 2022
Since 2015, Fatshark has been holding the torch for having the best co-op horde survival game, earning its a “Very Positive” rating on Steam. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 has received so much support over the years, even receiving DLC just a couple of week sago. With Darktide, we’re flung to the grimdark future of Warhammer 40,000 that brings the series closer to Left 4 Dead with the inclusion of guns and melee weapons, but makes it far more evolved. While some things get lost along the way, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide takes the formula of Fatshark’s predecessors into the 41st Millennium for a sturdy base to build on for years to come.
Two Point Campus: Space Academy Review
Dec 02, 2022
It’s been four months since the release of Two Point Campus, and the first DLC is here that actually shoots for the stars. In Space Academy, you’re faced with the arduous task of making going to space an attractive option. There’s a whole lot to love here, and is my favorite theme throughout the whole game. Because of the kooky humor that Two Point Studios is known for, Space Academy is a delightful space oddity.
Evil West Review
Nov 21, 2022
Evil West is the third Flying Wild Hog game this year, and it’s not quite the barn burner I was hoping it’d be. I was reminded a lot about Darkwatch while playing this, not just because of its setting, but that it also felt like a game from a bygone era, for better and worse. Taking place in an alternate history Old West where the occult is as normal as breathing. While this an interesting premise, Evil West is a middling third-person shooter with melee combat that doesn’t do enough to make a lasting impression. When you’re in the flow of combat things are good, but those good times don’t last and Evil West is just an ultimately forgettable adventure.
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) Review
Nov 18, 2022
SteelSeries is one of the leading companies in gaming hardware, and the Apex Pro TKL is another reason why that is. There’s many steps forward, with a focus on the new OmniPoint 2.0 switches and dual-actuation, this is an absolute game changer for a keyboard feature. There’s a lot of cool things going on underneath its aircraft-grade steel, but it will become apparent not long after using it. It’s a tactile, responsive, and colorful keyboard. While the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) is not a full-size keyboard, but is full of features you soon won’t live without.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PC) Review
Nov 18, 2022
With the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales onto PC, this makes five Sony games to make their way here, confirming their commitment to the platform. This also gives us a game made for PlayStation 5 on PC, and it comes only two years after its original release. Miles Morales is such an interesting character, it’s so awesome to see him take center stage here, and the game as a whole makes for such a great fit on PC. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales renews focus on the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” with a new flavor and style that makes it another must-play from the people at Insomniac.
McPixel 3 Review
Nov 14, 2022
McPixel 3 is the follow-up to the 2012 indie darling from one-man developer Sos Sosowski, and it’s a welcome return. Astute observers might notice that the second game was skipped, which is explained in a mini-documentary you can watch. Instead of pondering about what we didn’t get, we can then focus on what we actually do have, and it’s a wonderful palate cleanser of a game. Following the adventures of the relentless hero that needs to save the day, is the eponymous McPixel, who does everything to save oneself from harm. McPixel 3 is silly, unconventional, and is honestly one of the most entertaining games of the entire year.
WRC Generations Review
Nov 10, 2022
WRC Generations is the 11th in the long-running series, and it is (at least for now) the last outing from KT Games and NACON. The developers have been behind-the-wheel of this series since WRC 5, and the series has only gotten bigger and better year over year since. After last year’s entry, KT Games has been riding high on it’s great reception. What we have here is a game filled to the brim with cars and modes that exceeds its predecessor, ever so slightly to be a great sendoff. WRC Generations is refined rally racing and simulation to be the pinnacle of the series.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Review
Nov 08, 2022
Infinity Ward is able to capture lightning in a bottle once again with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. This continuation of the reboot series opting for more grounded stakes, rules, and characterization. The campaign is a modern action movie with all the militaristic schlock and backstabbing. The co-op mode with the auspicious title of Spec Ops picks up where the campaign leaves off for some open-ended missions. Then the multiplayer is where you’ll spend most of your time with a more methodical, slower paced approach. While I find some aspects lacking, the series hasn’t been this good since three years ago. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the best Call of Duty we’ve had in years.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PC) Review
Nov 03, 2022
Sackboy is most notable for being the face of the LittleBigPlanet series of games for the PlayStation brand. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a spinoff game for the lovable plush figurehead is really enjoyable for players of all ages. From its simple controls and gameplay to its colorful and detailed visuals, there’s a lot to like, and plenty to do here. At its core, Sackboy: A Big Adventure exemplifies the joy of gaming to the fullest, and proves 3D platformers have more to give.
Shatter Remastered Deluxe Review
Nov 01, 2022
Shatter Remastered Deluxe is exactly that, a remastering and expansion of Shatter that released 13 years ago on the PlayStation 3. Shatter was my favorite game from that year, and the year following when I bought it again on PC. At it’s core it’s just a brick breaker, one that’s been duplicated countless times, but developer Sidhe without hyperbole, reinvented the game and genre. Everything that made it amazing in 2009 remains in 2022, and Shatter Remastered Deluxe is the best brick breaker on the block.
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