The Best of 2022: Which Games Came Out on Top?

by Mike Alexander / Editorials, Articles, Top Lists / 23 Feb 2022

With just over a week left in 2022, we can safely say that there will be no more big releases this year. And boy, what a year it was. From the plains and underground cities of The Lands Between to the embattled 9 realms dealing with the repercussions of Ragnarok, gamers have certainly had their hands full in 2022.

But, just which of these adventures and experiences made it to the top of the pile this year? With so much to do and so many different games to play, the competition has been absolutely fierce. But, we’re going to try to narrow down the greatest games from this year in The Best of 2022: Which Games Came Out on Top?

Rollerdrome

First on our list is an absolutely fantastic indie game you might have missed. Combining the rollerblading and stylish trick system of Jet Set Radio with the no-holds-barred gunplay and over-the-top action of My Friend Pedro was a stroke of genius, and the resulting game is one we were addicted to for quite a while this year: Rollerdrome.

From the varying creative stages/arenas to the trick-based ammunition system, we kept moving, styling, and blasting our way to the top of Rollerdrome’s in-world death game sport. We are afraid it might have gotten buried in a month that also saw the release of Rumbleverse, Saints Row, and Inscryption, but it is definitely one of our favorites from this year.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby’s latest adventure made a splash with gamers even before release thanks to the announcement of the terrifying-yet-useful Mouthful Mode. Being able to partially suck up machines and objects in a post-apocalyptic world in order to get around and solve puzzles is extremely creative, and it left a huge impression on everyone who played Kirby and the Forgotten Land, as well as some nightmares for small children catching a glimpse of the feature.

For all of its cuteness, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was full of intrigue and mystery. What is this world? What happened? What does it mean for humanity if Kirby is able to functionally become a car? We ate it up, and all we can do now is look forward to whatever wild silliness HAL Laboratory will cook up for Kirby next.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

The adventures of Hugo and Amicia de Rune continued this year with the long-awaited A Plague Tale: Requiem. The first Plague Tale game surprised us with a story and situation that continually took a turn for the strange and supernatural as the end approached, and the sequel continues that precedent.

Now armed with all kinds of unearthly powers, both brother and sister must continue to fight for their survival in a world that is cruel and unkind. Asobo Studio upped the ante for Requiem in terms of cinematic visuals, gameplay, and creative mechanics, and whatever they come up with to close Hugo and Amicia’s trilogy will be great, without a doubt.

God of War Ragnarök

It took an extra two years in the oven, but God of War Ragnarok is now safely in the Realm of Gamers. It basically swept The Game Awards, and for good reason. God of War Ragnarok is massive in terms of cinematic quality, gameplay, and narrative. It feels like two games in one, and it definitely wraps up some loose ends from the first game, as well as sets many of our favorite characters on a path to future adventures.

After all of the action, triumph, and heartbreak, God of War Ragnarok left us humbled. We were honored to have experienced a story so heartfelt and affecting that also managed to bring us even more action-packed set pieces than the first game. It’ll be a long while before we see a game like this again, which makes God of War Ragnarok one of our favorite games from this year.

Elden Ring

Another long-in-development title made its big debut earlier this year, and it didn’t just break records. It completely smashed them, vaporized the remains, and made sure it would be near impossible for any future games to attain this level of success again. It’s George R.R. Martin’s and FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, and you probably don’t need a rundown on how amazing this game is.

A simple concept: open-world Dark Souls. That’s all they had to do, but FromSoft wasn’t happy just to give the fans what they wanted. They created a game so enormous and packed with detail that it outdoes everything they have ever made before, which is definitely saying something. Elden Ring is another once-in-a-generation game, and we were so happy we got to play it in 2022.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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