2022 was a little bit of an odd yr for video games. I’ve seen a whole lot of people, together with some positive individuals right here at Kotaku, counsel 2022 was fairly unhealthy on that entrance. I’ve noticed the other take, too! Personally, I’m squarely within the “2022 was a terrific yr for video games” camp. I imply, after I first began making an attempt to resolve on my 10 favorites I spent about an hour going by all the pieces I performed and whittled it right down to…15! Then I spent one other 20 minutes reducing it right down to measurement. So yeah, 2022 was a great yr for video games, when you ask me, even when the world round us continued to spiral right into a hellscape of ailments, conspiracy nuts, loss of life, and capitalism (sorry, I’m repeating myself.) However not less than we had some top-notch interactive video video games to get pleasure from by all of it…
Anyway, let’s get on with this factor. Listed below are my prime 10 video games of 2022 in addition to some honorable mentions. As typical, this listing is in no specific order till the very finish, the place I’ll drop my private favourite sport of the yr!
TMNT Shredder’s Revenge
I’m not an enormous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. I don’t actually have a lot love for outdated arcade beat ‘em ups, both. And but, I nonetheless had a blast with Shredder’s Revenge, a sport that’s a lot enjoyable I ended up enjoying by it 4 occasions with totally different individuals. And all of them had a blast too, mashing buttons and kicking ninja ass on this implausible retro-inspired throwback. It’s a terrific sport, and likewise among the best co-op video games on Sport Move proper now, too!
Neon White
G/O Media could get a fee
Like Shredder’s Revenge, I wasn’t so certain about Neon White. It regarded very anime-ish, and as somebody who by no means actually received into that stuff, I had misgivings. However I gave it a shot and, properly…yeah, it’s some anime bullshit. But it surely additionally has a few of the tightest and most satisfying first-person platforming and fight I’ve skilled in years. Mix that with great music, a slick look, an enticing storyline, and a leaderboard that reveals your mates’ finest occasions and also you’ve received one in every of 2022’s finest video games.
Vampire Survivors
I held off on enjoying this for a really very long time. I want I might clarify why, however I truthfully do not know. I used to be simply an fool. After I received a Steam Deck earlier this yr I lastly loaded it up, because it got here extremely advisable for transportable play. And yeah, you had been all so proper: Vampire Survivors fucking rips. What a tremendous time. For a sport that has so few interactive parts—you simply transfer round and the sport auto-fires at enemies—it’s onerous to cease enjoying it. The facility-ups! The sounds! The joys of watching a large crowd of skeletons get melted in seconds! So good. So rattling good.
Diablo Immortal
Uh oh! I’m actually kicking the hornet’s nest by together with Diablo Immortal on right here, huh? However after I cease and take into consideration video games that got here out in 2022 that I performed a ton of, Diablo Immortal is close to the highest of that listing. Sure, I’ve heard that it’s a big money-sucking vampire that isn’t honest or no matter. But, months and months have passed by and I’m nonetheless having a good time killing demons and discovering loot. I may not have the very best gems or no matter, however I additionally don’t care. Immortal has grow to be my go-to sport after I need to chill on the sofa and zone out after working all day.
Two Level Campus
A number of months in the past I received very, very sick and through that point I spent far, far too many hours enjoying Two Level Campus, the following sport from the individuals behind Two Level Hospital. Like that prior sport, Campus has you constructing foolish services (for coaching Knights, or robots) which are additionally crammed with stuff like sensible loos and trash cans. However this time you’re creating huge faculties. And like in Hospital, you’ll have to steadiness all of the wacky hijinks with extra mundane issues like ensure you have sufficient locations for college kids to sleep or eat. I particularly love the in-game radio, which options DJs and the proper tunes for spending hours establishing the proper dorms and school rooms in your varied college students.
Marvel Snap
One other cell sport on my prime 10? Am I making an attempt to make individuals hate me? Perhaps! However actually, after I cease and give it some thought, Marvel Snap simply makes the reduce. It’s simply so rattling enjoyable. The combo of quick matches, small decks, and random areas makes it really feel not like another card sport on the market. Plus it has cross-progression throughout my telephone, pill, and PC. Mainly, I can by no means escape this free-to-play card battler starring superheroes and villains, and I’m positive with that.
God of Conflict Ragnarök
I anticipated large motion within the newest entry within the long-running God of Conflict franchise. I additionally knew there could be big boss fights. Likewise, I wasn’t stunned by the wonderful visuals or the epic music and setpieces. What did shock me (in a great way) was how Ragnarök takes time all through its important marketing campaign to let issues get quiet, to permit its characters time to simply exist and chill collectively. Among the finest moments within the sport occur not when persons are screaming or punching, however when they’re simply sitting round a desk coping with their feelings and fascinated with what to do subsequent. In such an enormous, loud sport, these moments stood out and had been a lot appreciated.
Midnight Suns
I didn’t understand I wished a turn-based superhero pinball simulator with social parts till I performed Firaxis’ latest sport, Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Okay, it’s not really a pinball sport, however an enormous a part of the fight in Midnight Suns revolves round flinging heroes and unhealthy guys across the varied maps, usually bashing them into one another, partitions, or off ledges. And once you aren’t smashing Iron Man into Physician Unusual, you may learn their tweets, hang around and play video games with them, or simply chill by the pool. I imply, Midnight Suns is a sport that permits you to grow to be finest associates with Blade and do yoga with him after drop-kicking a nasty man into Wolverine. What else do you want? Oh, you need the flexibility to take photos of Ghostrider’s butt, body them, and hold the pictures round your room? Guess what? You are able to do that too, you weirdo!
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
The newest Mario and Rabbids tactical crossover is splendid, and a lot enjoyable that I used to be in a position to ignore the unimaginable efficiency points it has due to the getting older Change I used to be compelled to play it on. However even with these technical hiccups, I nonetheless really loved Sparks of Hope, which expands on the gameplay discovered within the Battle Kingdom, including extra characters, extra talents, and bigger worlds to discover. In addition they gave Bowser a rocket launcher. ‘Nuff stated.
And now, my favourite sport of 2022?
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It’s wild that it took this lengthy to lastly get an enormous open-world Star Wars sport that options practically each important planet and metropolis from the 9 important movies. And it’s even weirder that it occurred in a Lego sport first, however no matter. I don’t care. I’m simply so blissful it exists.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga isn’t only a cute, pleasing family-friendly motion sport crammed with Star Wars characters and music. It’s additionally an extremely dense sport in which you’ll simply lose 100 hours if you wish to unlock all the pieces and clear up all its puzzles. And also you would possibly find yourself doing that, as a result of it performs so properly due to adjustments produced from earlier Lego video games. That is now a third-person motion sport, full with trendy FPS-like controls and combo-based melee fight. Oh, and don’t overlook: It additionally has tons of satisfying area fight and highly effective floor automobiles.
And someway this sport nonetheless runs like a deal with on trendy consoles. Whereas the various Star Wars memes and jokes usually made me genuinely cackle, you don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to get pleasure from Skywalker Saga. (However if you’re, you actually, actually ought to play this sport.) And fortunate you, it’s now on Sport Move. Go play it and revel in my favourite sport of 2022.
So there we go! If you wish to learn my 2021 picks, 2020 faves, or 2019 notables, simply click on these hyperlinks and revel in. Or get offended about my selections! No matter makes you’re feeling higher, I assume. You can even see practically each sport I performed this yr over right here when you care about that stuff.
Earlier than this will get too lengthy, listed below are some honorable mentions. I actually loved my time with co-op loot shooter Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, however the crossplay points and bugs at launch soured my emotions about it. Future 2 and Fortnite remained a few of my favourite issues to play, however they didn’t come out this yr in order that they don’t make my listing. (I’ve guidelines, individuals!) Nightmare Reaper and Lil Gator Sport are very totally different, however equally great video games that nearly ended up on my listing. And whereas it by no means actually had an opportunity of creating my prime 10, I nonetheless liked Evil West.