2022 was a bit of a mixed bag of a year generally. Things moved forward just a little bit and then moved backwards twice as fast. But one thing the year did nail was gaming. Some stellar titles landed in the last 12 months. It was also a year that seen the return of gaming expos as we sort of know them and it looks like stock of the next-gen machines have finally started to flow freely. So, picking a top ten of 2022 was a lot harder than past years. The standard of games this year was outstanding as a few titles vied for consideration for games of the year.
But I have checked my list twice and come up with the ten games most deserving of your time from 2022.
Number 10 – Sniper Elite 5
Rebellion returned in 2022 for a fifth instalment in its head smashing, lung destroying and ball popping sniper series. This time around our hero Karl Fairburne was heading to France to stop the Nazi war machine once again.
More a case of evolution, this instalment takes what the studio has learned over the long running series and created the perfect snipers playground. From an arsenal that would make Schwarzenegger smile, to having huge open maps to do battle as you see fit.
Plus the signature x-ray kill cam is back in all its bloody detailed glory. Sniper Elite 5 isn’t just a title that hits the mark, it’s a title that leaves nothing standing if you’re looking for a thinking man’s shooter, over your run of the mill run and gun fun.
Number 9 – Grapple Dog
Not all games have to be huge AAA offerings to make a mark and that is very much the case in this criminally overlooked indie gem.
Grapple Dog entered a world that is full of loved and well known titles, but it does that rarest of things…dare to try something new and to its credit, it really pulls it off.
If you love 2D platformers with an old school vibe, this is a no brainer and with it just making the jump to all the major consoles there no better time to grab it, as it really is the dogs.
Number 8 – Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels/Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Top Gun: Maverick Edition
Bundling two titles together is probably cheating. But both Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels/Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Top Gun: Maverick Edition are truly the best DLCs of the year. adding hours of fun to a truly brilliant game and the other breathes life into a hit for one last hurrah.
Read More: Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels – Ultimate Die-Cast Playground
Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels is the first expansion for Microsoft’s premiere racers, so had some real challenges to overcome with the passionate fanbase. Especially as we had a Hot Wheels DLC not to long ago.
Whereas Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Top Gun: Maverick is more than a fitting final swansong for a brilliant game, that adds a bit of Hollywood flare with what Top Gun fans want. All while giving hardcore airheads something new to get stuck into, making it truly the best of the best when it comes to high flying action.
Number 7 – Endling: Extinction is Forever
One thing that was front and centre in 2022 was people fighting to save the planet, as well as climate change – which is a thing that is affecting ALL of us and there is no getting away from it.
So trust gaming to deliver a touching and heartfelt tale about family, but also the cost of what we are doing to the planet.
Read More: Endling – Extinction is Forever review: Family Till the End
Endling – Extinction is Forever is a short sharp kick to the feels, that is a truly lasting title that stays with you long after the credits roll. It has some real impact and isn’t afraid of tackling hard subjects, all the while giving a new perspective on an age old tale, which will ultimately make you smile but also cry in equal measures.
Number 6 – Splatoon 3
Every year, all the big shooter boys come to the table with new games, modes and Battle Royales, fighting to claim the crown of best multiplayer shooter. But 2022 was the year Nintendo sneaked in and grabbed it with its inky tentacles.
Splatoon 3 is a pure joy from start to finish it’s just that simple. It’s packed with wonder, charm and a unique style that fans of all ages will have a blast with, whereas newcomers can have a great time too, as it’s by far one of the most inclusive battlers in a long time.
Read More: Splatoon 3 review – Ink-redible Third Instalment
Add to that a solid co-op mode, surprisingly good campaign mode and a solid flow of events and updates and you have a real crowd pleaser.
Number 5 – Bayonetta 3
Nintendo have had a really strong year with a stream of big hitting first party titles throughout the year with many battling it out to make this list. Sorry, Kirby.
But one of the real surprises was when the publishing titan teamed up with legendary developers – Platinum Games for the third instalment in the Bayonetta series.
Which it’s fair to say had a bit of a bumpy ride just before launch and its maybe the first game that pushes the Switch to its limits, as the aging hardware does struggle to keep up at times.
Read More: Bayonetta 3 review – Chapters Ahead
But Bayonetta 3 is stylish, over the top and a tonne of fun and it’s a real treat for long-time fans of the series but also an outstanding stepping on point for newcomers, as well ahead of next year’s prequel Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon.
Number 4 – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
This year will be looked back on as the year of two Pokémon games, though each sits on the other side of the spectrum.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was first out the blocks in early January and was a brave move that the series needed. It really divided the fan base in equal measures at the time, as it gets a lot right while moving the series forward. This is something that hadn’t happened for years.
Though it did miss a few key corner stones of the series that fans would have expected, it was a real look at the future of Pokémon games.
So much so that just eight months later we got Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the less said about those the better.
Number 3 – Elden Ring
Elden Ring is what happens when you take one of the most loved but also frustration-inducing gaming genres of the past decade and just tell the developers to go wild.
FromSoftware have crafted a true tour-de-force making the best Soulslike game to date. That really does feel like the studio has put into action everything they have learned over the past decade.
Taking what fans love, but also adding new and smart elements to create an open world you really want to explore. But also uncover all its secrets, though as is the way with FromSoftware games just be prepared to die. Again and again and again.
Number 2 – God of War Ragnarök
No-one out there right now does single player epic games like Sony, and it’s a fact that has been hammered home tenfold with God of War Ragnarök.
A true tour de force of what a single player game is all about, building on the foundations of the 2018 sort of soft re-boot. Ragnarök takes what it did so so well and turns it up to eleven.
From combat to storytelling and even the pacing of the action, this ups the bar on the past game in every area. And when you’re dealing with a 5/5 game as the base level, you know this is going to be truly special. This isn’t just a must buy for fans; it’s a system seller and one of the finest games ever made.
Number 1 – Road 96
Odds are your personal GotY will be my number two or three and I totally get that, because both are brilliant games in equal measures. But when it came to looking over all the of games that I have reviewed this year, one stood out and really stayed with me.
Road 96 is an indie title by French studio DigixArt that tells a coming-of-age tale through a number of different teens trying to make their way in a world that just doesn’t care.
If you look at it in certain ways, it could be a tale that mirrors current events and themes. And that’s why it struck such a chord with me. It’s fair to say this one stayed with me long after I completed its fairly short run time.
Road 96 is a truly interesting and gripping tale that as it unwinds, will have you questioning your own moral compass, as to whether you’re really looking after yourself or the greater good.
As well as throwing light on some truly heavy real-world questions about politics, refugees and daring to help others. All of which make this a journey well worth taking.