Playstation Wrap-Up 2022

It is finally time for one of my most anticipated blogs of the year - Playstation Wrap-Up! Checking out Playstation's annual breakdown of my time spent playing video games is always an exciting and largely shameful experience, but it's always one that I look forward to. This year's results provided a few big surprises and shook up my Top 5 in a way that hasn't happened in years. Let's take a look, shall we?

Editor's note: When this blog was originally published on December 28, 2022, it was based on Playstation statistics as of December 22. Playstation later refreshed its data to reflect stats through the end of the year, so an updated version of the blog was made on January 3, 2023, to present the more accurate information.

Total Hours:

I've always been skeptical of the number of hours Playstation says I spent playing - it's a well-documented concern. This year's total hours are just a bit higher than in 2021, so even if the numbers aren't 100 percent verifiable, at least they're consistent.

My console generation scale is leaning slightly toward the PS5, but I can confirm that I spent quite a while cleaning up completion percentages on PS4 games this year, so that seems about right.

Overall, I have no considerable issues with the calculations thus far. Let's move on.

Games Played:

That's a lot of games. I mostly attribute this to my habit of going back and playing old games that I haven't touched in a few years to try to boost my overall completion percentage, even if it means I play it one time for 45 minutes to get a trophy really quickly then never touch it again for the rest of the year.

Top Five Games:

Ok, I knew I played a lot of WWE 2K22 this year; there was no debating that. But I was genuinely surprised to see it at the #1 spot for the year. (First of all, why on earth did they use that particular image of Rey Mysterio for the game's main image in the Wrap-Up? It's horrifying and I don't think he has ever actually worn a mask that looks like that on TV. Weird.) I digress.

After the folks at WWE 2K took a year off after the absolute abomination that was "WWE 2K20," they actually pumped out a pretty good game this year. The return of "MyGM Mode" was fun (although a very short, one- or two-time experience), but I pumped hours and hours of time into "MyFaction," which is cut from the same cloth as the "MyTeam" or "Diamond Dynasty" modes from the NBA and MLB games that have been Top Five mainstays for years.

Speaking of which, this is the first time ever, I think, that I haven't had a basketball or baseball game in my Top Five for the year. I skipped "NBA 2K" this year and just didn't play as much "MLB The Show" as I have in the past. In fact, I'm considering taking a year off from baseball, too, but we'll see what happens.

Disney Dreamlight Valley was the most pleasant surprise of a video game that I can remember in a long, long time. The game - which will eventually be free-to-play at some point in 2023 - cost $30 for "early access," and I am constantly amazed by the amount of content they've included in the story and side missions. If you're unaware of what DLV is, think "Animal Crossing" but with Disney characters. I blogged about my first week playing the game back in September. It continues to impress, and is a game that even my wife and siblings have gotten into. With the developers' regular updates to improve the game or introduce new features, I imagine that my time spent with "Dreamlight Valley" in 2022 is just the beginning, and I'll probably be seeing it in my Top Five again next year.

Making a late push into the Top Five is Gotham Knights - a game that didn't originally make the cut the first time I looked at my results. By the end of the year, "Gotham Knights" surged its way to a bronze-medal position, which I think is awesome. Despite it taking me a second to come to grips with the fact that "GK" was set in an alternate universe than the "Arkham" video games, I really enjoyed it. I thought all four of the playable characters were compelling, liked a somewhat different spin on Penguin and would love to see additional stories told in that same world. I documented my best usage of Photo Mode while playing "Gotham Knights" in a photo blog; one of my pictures of Red Hood is an all-timer.

I got access to Ghost of Tsushima for free through Playstation Plus, which gave me an easy reason to check out a game that I'd heard tons of good things about from my friends and coworkers. "Ghost" is a samurai slasher with a dense story. Clearly, it took me a decent amount of time to hack my way through it, but it was largely enjoyable and only became a bit tedious when I was trying to wrap up 100% completion, which required me to, literally, complete every single side mission in the entire game. To check out some of my best photos from "Ghost of Tsushima," check out my photo blog by clicking here.

I have no idea how I clocked so many hours of Stardew Valley this year. I fully admit to putting in a lot of "Stardew" time, during the pandemic, especially, but I had no idea that this game was going to crack my Top Five. I guess this just goes to show that I'm still down with the simulation-style games that I enjoyed on the computer growing up. Instead of "Harvest Moon," which I had on a Super Nintendo emulator as a kid, I've got "Stardew Valley." Instead of "Rollercoaster Tycoon," I have "Planet Coaster." Instead of "Sim City," it's "Cities: Skylines." Instead of "Animal Crossing" on the GameCube, there's "Dreamlight Valley" on Playstation. Time is a flat circle, as they say. (I have no idea what that means.)

Trophies Earned:

For the second straight year, my total number of trophies has decreased, but I can take great pride in the fact that I earned a personal best 18 platinum trophies in a single calendar year. Here is a list of the games that I beat to 100 percent completion during 2022:

1. Hot Wheels Unleashed - January 9
2. Sackboy: A Big Adventure - January 23
3. Batman: Arkham Knight - January 23
4. Horizon Zero Dawn - January 24
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - February 6
6. Assassin's Creed Origins - March 31
7. Road 96 - April 18
8. Mass Effect 1 - May 1
9. PGA Tour 2K21 - May 12
10. MLB The Show 22 - June 1
11. Marvel's Avengers - June 16
12. Ghost of Tsushima - July 17
13. Monster Energy Supercross - August 5
14. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham - August 21
15. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - October 4
16. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - October 25
17. inFamous: First Light - October 30
18. Gotham Knights - December 18

After quickly looking over that list, a couple things come to mind:

• Three of those games - "Hot Wheels Unleashed," "Sackboy: A Big Adventure" and "Road 96" - were games that I mostly played with my wife, so that was a lot of fun. My two-year-old son really liked playing "Hot Wheels" (not that he was good at it or anything, but it was a game where he could hold the controller and make the cars go, which was cute).
• I completed three different Batman games and two "Assassin's Creed" games, so that's somewhat noteworthy.
• I got three platinum trophies in the span of 24 and a half hours, between January 23 and 24, which is a feat that will almost certainly never happen again, as long as I live.

One major highlight for me, trophy-wise, this year was that I boosted my average completion percentage above 60 percent, according to PSNprofiles.com. When I first started using that website to track my trophy hunting, I think I was somewhere in the upper 30s, so I've come a long way.

Just because a game didn't crack my Top Five or hit 100 percent completion doesn't mean it wasn't fun. Here is a list of some other Playstation games that I enjoyed during 2022:

• Marvel's Midnight Suns (started too late in the year to make a noticeable dent but definitely a game I'm going to spend a lot of time with)
• Two Point Campus (a silly college simulation game, and one of my final games played in 2022)
• Evil Genius 2 (a silly world domination simulation game)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (a fun game but - like most LEGO games - one that's going to take a ton of effort to get that platinum)
• NHL 22 (...which got bumped out of my Top Five by "Gotham Knights")
• NHL 23 (...and I made the jump to PS5 after playing the previous installment on PS4)
• MultiVersus (which I didn't play for very long but was decently fun for a free-to-play button masher and definitely contributed to "Fighting" being my top genre of the year)
• Moving Out (a wacky co-op game that my wife and I will probably re-visit, at some point)
• EA Sports UFC 4 (free for Playstation Plus users back at the beginning of the year and a ton of fun for a couple weeks)
• Fallout Shelter (spent a ton of time trying to clean up trophies on this old dog - made it all the way up to 79 percent before bailing on the three most time consuming tasks)

Analysis and Conclusion:

I am actually pretty ok with this year's results. I still put in hours that make lesser men blush but I think I'm being more efficient with the time spent with a controller in my hand. Less hours played, more platinums earned - that's good, right?

I sort-of re-read last year's Playstation Wrap-Up post and I can happily say that I made two predictions a reality - I finished off the "Avengers" game and did end up with a record-setting number of platinum trophies. Hooray. Go, me. I also can confirm that, as I indicated in the last Wrap-Up blog, I did finish several games in 2022 with my wife, which was fun and removes some of the guilt and shame associated with these blogs in the first place.

All in all, I'd say that it's a pretty good time to be a gamer. Playstation may still, unconceivably, be having trouble getting store shelves stocked with PS5 consoles, but at least now they're putting out games that justify taking the plunge.

*****

There we go. Another year in the books. What games did you play most this year? Did any of the games in this recap pique your interest? Do you you have any recommendations for what to play next? Let us know in the comments section, let me know on Facebook or hit us up on Twitter (here and here).

Until next time.

Gotham Knights: Photo Blog

I'm a sucker for pretty much anything Batman-related, so, initially, I was intrigued when they announced a new Batman video game months ago. However, when I learned that "Gotham Knights" was not set in the same universe as the "Arkham" series, I admit that there was a little skepticism about how excited I should actually get. On top of that, the only reviews or word of mouth that I heard was that the game wasn't good and that it was "only eight hours long." Eight hours is not long at all, in terms of video game storytelling, and not worth a $70 price tag, in my opinion, so I held off on purchasing "Gotham Knights" for a while.

I'm also a sucker for good deals, so when I saw that "Gotham Knights" was going for nearly 50 percent off for Black Friday, I finally bit the Batarang (as it were) and bought the game.

"Gotham Knights" lets you choose between four different Bat-characters - Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Robin (Tim Drake) and Red Hood (Jason Todd). I typically rotated my character each time I played, and I played nearly equally with all four of them - possibly leaning a little heavy on my usage of the gun-toting Red Hood. I thought all of the characters were good, in their own ways, and all of them provided compelling reasons for which to use them. I thought all of the back-story stuff for each of the characters was great, too, with emotional stories for each person.

There are a handful of classic villains to fight in the game, and I was 

Without going into much more detail, I'll just say this:

• The game was way longer than "eight hours long" - I put in nearly 45 hours by the time I hit 100 percent completion.
• After an hour or two, I totally accepted and embraced "GK" being unconnected to the "Arkham" franchise.
• When all was said and done, I really, really enjoyed this game.

I really got into using the Photo Mode feature on the game and was able to capture some pretty cool stills, which I'll share in this post momentarily. I will forewarn you that there are some spoilers for the plot, so if you're not interested in seeing those, I'd recommend that you play the game first, then look at these pictures afterwards.

In conclusion, I loved the time I spent with "Gotham Knights" and would certainly endorse it to any like-minded Bat-fans out there. And heck, if you want to hit up some two player co-op, let me know - that's the one aspect of the game that I didn't get to touch the first time around. I'm only a message away.

With no further gilding the lily, here are my favorite photos from "Gotham Knights" on Playstation 5:

Once again, Gotham is safe... safer?... anyway, whatever. The good guys live to see another day, and if they make "Gotham Knights 2," I'm in. For more superhero gloriousness and caped-crusading adventures, feel free to follow us on Twitter (here and here).

We'll catch you next time, here at Signs of the Times - same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

A-Town Playlist: Top Spotify Songs of 2022

 

You blink, and suddenly another entire year has passed. You know what I mean? But with another December upon us, Spotify has blessed (or cursed) us with another year of Spotify Wrapped. It's a judgment day of sorts, for many of us - a reminder of what weird stuff we listened to most often. I've griped in the past about my doubts that the report is 100% accurate. (How could we forget last year when Spotify inexplicably said that Weezer's "Island in the Sun" was my top song of the year? I love Weezer, but "Island in the Sun" certainly couldn't have been my #1 song of the year - it wouldn't crack my Top 10 songs in the band's whole discography.) Nevertheless, it is fun to look at the recap and see what songs and artists show up from year to year.

Admittedly, I only listen to a fraction of the music I did back when I was working in an office; now that I'm approaching year three of the Work From Home era (insane), my days are usually filled with children's television programs - more often than not, animated shows that prominently feature do-gooder dogs, resourceful cars or talking babies. (If they ever make a "Streaming Services Wrapped," SIGN. ME. UP. I need that data!) "Paw Patrol" notwithstanding, I still clocked 9,000 minutes of listening in 2022 - that's 150 hours and an average of about three and a half hours per week (January through October), but who's counting? So anyway, my results don't hold a candle to most people out there but at least it's not nothing.

As has become tradition, I've decided to condense Spotify's 100-song playlist down to my favorite 50 songs for everyone's listening pleasure, and I've even thrown in a 51st song this year... but I'll explain that later. Let's break down this year's results.

Spotify Wrapped - Top 10 Songs

1. Wish I Knew You - The Revivalists
2. Say It Ain't So - Weezer
3. Smooth - Santana (feat. Rob Thomas)
4. Uprising - Muse
5. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
6. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
7. Up Around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. Africa - Weezer
9. Starlight - Muse
10. Could Have Been Me - The Struts

Analysis: Overall, this is a pretty solid Top 10. "Wish I Knew You" was a bit of a surprise as the top song, but not an overwhelmingly surprising revelation. I would have put money on "Say It Ain't So" or even Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" to be #1, but hey - what do I know? I'm glad to see a song from Santana as a headliner this year. We saw Santana in concert this summer, so I chalk "Smooth" up as concert prep. "Seven Nation Army" is an all-time banger; I wonder if Jack White had any idea what would become of that song when he wrote it. It was interesting to see that two songs from Muse made the list. "Could Have Been Me" is down from the #2 spot in 2021, but certainly remains one of my favorite songs. Perhaps the biggest surprise this year is that I don't have any major complaints about my Top 10. Good stuff. 

Top Artists

Spotify Wrapped usually gets my top artists of the year right, and I think it was no different this year. There was a little shake-up and some new contenders, but it can all be explained, which makes it all right with me.

Weezer has been my top band on Spotify three out of the past four years and was also named my Artist of the Decade, so it's basically expected to have them on the throne each December.

The Revivalists make a big leap up to #2. Good for them! Sometimes, when I need something to listen to as I work (if Stockton will allow it), a chill band like The Revivalists just hits the spot.

Earth, Wind & Fire and Santana! Look at them go! I'd be surprised if they ever make it back to the top of the mountain they climbed this year. These two bands put on a heck of a show this summer at USANA Amphitheater at a concert that we literally waited years to see. This show was put off due to COVID for three years, and we finally got the chance to see them, at long last. I spent a lot of time listening to them before and after the concert, so having them as two of the top five bands this year makes total sense.

The Struts have become another Top Artist mainstay, including having been my top artist of 2019, so it's good to have them back again for 2022.

Top Genres

Ok, this one is going to require some explanation.

• Rock: Obviously. I learned, to a large degree, that there is nothing new under the sun, as far as my musical taste goes. The old standards graced my Spotify Wrapped in abundance this year, featuring tons of the same music that I've been listening to since high school and college. 
• Movie Tunes: WHAT?!? This truly boggled my mind. My second highest genre of the year? No. No... but wait... Yes? After some thought, I remembered that I created a huge playlist of Disney music for our trip to Disney World in February and I spent tons of time listening to it. I've included a couple Disney-themed songs in the condensed playlist as a memento. Also, there was one Sunday morning where I augmented my study of the Old Testament with a few rousing songs from the excellent "Joseph and the Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat" soundtrack, so I suppose that's also partially to blame.
• Pop Rock: I'm looking at a Spotify playlist called "90s Pop Rock" right now. It features bands like Weezer, Everclear, Sister Hazel, The Wallflowers, Sugar Ray, matchbox twenty, Collective Soul and R.E.M. So, I mean... yeah. Guilty.
• Adult Standards: I'm now looking at a tailored Spotify playlist to see which bands they consider to fall under this category. Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra. Ok, it's all making sense now. We had a casino party at our place with some friends back in October and we were rocking "Vegas" music all night long. Fair.
• Dance Pop: This was another weird one. Let's pull up another Spotify playlist. "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon, "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai, "Kings & Queens" by Ava Max - all guilty pleasures. There's a lot of stuff on this list that I wouldn't listen to, but I guess they busted me for a handful of songs I crank from time to time. If this genre was any higher than 5, though, I'd riot.

Other Fun or Otherwise Notable Songs in My Top 100

• You're an Ocean - Fastball (#11 - a hidden gem)
• Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne (#13 - heck yes)
• Are U Gonna Be My Girl - Jet (#14 - throat clearers of the world unite)
• The Throne Room - From "Star Tours - The Adventures Continue" (#23 - my top "Disney World" song of the year, apparently)
• September - Earth, Wind & Fire (#25)
• Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon (#26 - honestly shocked this wasn't in the Top 10)
• Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (#32 - a Rock Band classic)
• The Cave - Mumford & Sons (#41 - I remember this playing VERY loudly during one of my recent workouts)
• Thnks fr th Mmrs - Fallout Boy (#59 - also a frequent workout tune)
• Burning Love - Elvis (#70 - I'll be honest: I intentionally tried to get Elvis as a top artist this year... didn't work)
• San Francisco - The Mowgli's (#71 - a new song introduced to me by my brother, Cody; I'll overlook the incorrect use of an apostrophe)
• Me and My Broken Heart - Rixton (#81 - a catchy song that probably qualifies as "Dance Pop")
• The Three Caballeros - From Grand Fiesta Tour (#86 - Stockton was only 1 1/2 when we went to Disney World, but we could tell that he loved the Three Caballeros ride)
• Finale - From "Harmonious" (#88 - probably the best fireworks show I've ever seen, courtesy of EPCOT)
• Don't Speak - No Doubt (#96 - there is NO WAY this song was only the 96th song on my list; I would have imagined it being Top 10 or, at the very least, Top 25 - I swear it came on every time I was listening to music while doing the dishes)
• You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC (#100 - the "Mr. Irrelevant" of Spotify songs)

The Bonus Track

I've cut down my 100-song playlist provided by Spotify to 50 songs, as I've been doing since 2018, but I'm adding a bonus track this year, for a total of 51 songs. Why, you ask? Because (wisely) Spotify stops tracking music after Halloween, which means that you can listen to Christmas music to your little heart's content once November 1 rolls around. However, this tactic prevented one song from making my personal list - and if it had, I think there's an extremely, EXTREMELY high probability that it would have been my #1 song of the year. That song is none other than "Good Tonight," from the movie "The Bad Guys," which my son Stockton watched on repeat for like three weeks straight.

For a while, this song was a bargaining chip to get him to willingly leave the house and get in the car. Once he discovered that we could play "Bad Guys" in the car, that was all we listened to for many a car trip in the month of November. As I write this sentence, in fact, I'm playing the song on my tablet and Stockton is trying to discover where the sound is coming from. I don't mind the song, and Stockton will adorably sing along with the first couple of lines, so I can live with it.

Condensed Playlist

I'll embed my 51-song playlist below, but in the event that that ever breaks here on the blog site, you can also access it by using this hyperlink.

That's gonna do it for this year's most musical blog, folks. Enjoy yourselves as this year comes to an end and always remember: the Grinch's heart grew three times that day and so can yours.

Until next time.