The Best Video Games Of 2022

As 2022 draws to an end, we are reflecting on the outstanding year of game releases we've seen this year. While there were several titles that unfortunately have been pushed into 2023 and beyond — notably "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora," "Deliver Us Mars," "Forspoken," and "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" just to name a few — there was still plenty to look forward to. That is why we've decided to host a little Game of the Year lineup of our own. There is, of course, "Elden Ring," which finally hit shelves back in February. "Stray" amassed a devoted following on social media platforms, leading to a successful launch in July.

We definitely can't forget "Modern Warfare II," the 19th "Call of Duty" game that debuted last month. It's been a smash among gamers and somewhat of a hilariously trending icon even among non-players on TikTok — but we'll leave you to discover that on your own, if you haven't already. 

Overall, there's a lot to thank our favorite developers for this year before we get to see what 2023 has in store.

"BONELAB" hit shelves in late September, and is compatible with the Meta Quest 2 (not the OG Oculus Quest, though), and PC VR via Steam with Oculus Rift or Valve Index. It's a product of developers Stress Level Zero, which also created "BONEWORKS" and "Hover Junkers."

We appreciate the effort that SLZ put in to improve on "BONEWORKS" in its creation of "BONELAB." This highly-anticipated game secures the best virtual reality experience title this year for its clever use of the immersive VR experience in its puzzle-shooter hybrid gameplay — where you, an outcast, must make your way through a labyrinthine underground in an attempt to escape your death. The player's tasks in the physics-oriented simulation are much more tactile, realistic, and engaging, in our opinion than your typical VR cheap shots.

Some reviews of this game (via Oculus) mention bugs, especially with hand controls, but we didn't experience any. The avatar customization and the perfectly-balanced palette of play — there are physical challenges like jumping and ledge-climbing, there's hand-to-hand combat and melee and shooting, a good campaign current but interspersed sandbox opportunity, not an ostentatious amount of gore and just a touch of an otherworldly factor — combined with impressive graphics makes "BONELAB" an easy W. 

We had two major contenders for best remaster bragging rights, but the 2022 "Chasm: The Rift" remake pushed out this year's "The Last of Us: Part I" redo by a hair's breadth. The zombie apocalypse adventure shooter's new graphics are undeniably beautiful (via Sony's official trailer) and a major level up from the dark, almost gritty picture in the 2014 "The Last of Us Remastered." But even with the sprinkling of new features and improved specs, including heightened frames per second and resolution as well as a new "Speedrun Mode" (Playstation), we weren't all that interested in playing the game's storyline over again in the name of better graphics — that's not a bad thing, though. We were just plenty impressed with the game the first time and didn't possess a burning desire for another — especially with the 2020 high remarks for "The Last of Us Part II."

Now that we've thoroughly defended our position for not picking one of the year's most-anticipated reworks, let's talk about "Chasm: The Rift." This reworking of a 25-year-old game welcomes the return of nostalgic, guts-and-glory old-school arcade shooters — this time in 4K. It's not a game that we are likely to return to year after year, but if you ever want to spill some monster blood 90s-style, "Chasm" holds a lot of appeal for anyone old enough to remember games from several decades ago. Just don't come in with the intention to compare this FPS against modern graphics and controls, and you'll have a blast.

"Elden Ring" is more of an open-world and RPG hybrid, but let's consider it the latter for the purposes of this lineup. Any and all fans of epic, fantastical, drawn-out gameplay and some truly unmatched visuals, from breath-snatching landscapes to goosebump-drawing beasts — which, if you haven't plunged into the universe of this game yet, you can get a very good feel for through the Youtube trailer — are absolutely writing love ballads to this game right now. 

We'll share very little about the storyline because it would be an incredible crime to spoil this game, but it does follow a familiar "you are meek but seeking greatness" trajectory. The design of "Elden Ring" is perfectly laced together to hold the player's unwavering attention. Some of the opponents you encounter along the way are maddening — to the degree that, depending on the player, will either hypnotize you for hours until the challenge is won or send you away in defeat only to return for battle another day. The occasional difficult combat scenes do well to hold you at arm's length, ensuring that the gameplay, which will likely place you somewhere in the neighborhood of 75-100 hours, is taken in small doses. 

The sheer volume of information you need to retain throughout the story — names, backstories, terminology — without the help of a built-in record makes a repeat play-through necessary. True to the legacy that it established with "Dark Souls," FromSoftware created another game universe that is intricate, harrowing, complex, and beautiful. 

Anyone who didn't live under a rock over the summer more than likely heard chatter of the open-world adventure game backdropped against an abandoned urban sprawl through the eyes of, unexpectedly and adorably, an orange tabby cat. "Stray" comes to us from a small French dev team and firmly stole the attention of gamers this year in the indie space. The lonesome feline dodges some antagonistic robots, befriends a few others, and fights to escape a mutant bacteria that was originally created to decompose garbage in the post-apocalyptic cybercity. There isn't a human character or NPC to be seen, which gives the game a tranquil but haunting overtone.

You just can't help but cheer for your new furry friend, hoping that your gameplay can reunite it with a human caretaker or even another living being that isn't a malignant, flesh-eating bacteria. We think BlueTwelve Studio did a good job of giving us some room to explore this dark and forgotten city while keeping us grounded in a storyline that follows the same path for every gameplay — choice doesn't make a difference in how the tabby's fate with the city draws to a close. The ending to "Stray" brings us heroism, tragedy, and a glimmer of possibility that a sequel may await us in the game's future. 

This PlayStation exclusive was certainly a hot topic this year and, even though it's been barely a week since "God of War: Ragnarök" dropped from developer Santa Monica Studio, overwhelmingly approving marks are already pouring in. Ragnarök had quite the beefy list of PS exclusives to contend with for the golden child spot this year, being up against the releases of "Gran Turismo 7," "Horizon: Forbidden West," "Stray," "Ghostwire: Tokyo," and "Babylon's Fall." Several of these made our ranking too, they were so good.

But what makes Ragnarök so good? "God of War" has been expertly maintained for almost two decades, and the 10 installments in between the first game in 2015 and this year's most recent release has been a gallant effort to keep a fanbase both loyal and intrigued. The storyline of this Greek-mythology-themed franchise has a strong core, excellent emotional appeal, and well-thought-out character arcs. We have a fond spot ourselves for "God of War's" impressive storytelling, the thrill of Norse combat, and a system of RPG exploration. Ragnarök builds on the franchise's strengths with all of the modern strengths in gaming graphics and specs.

We don't have any first-hand experience with "Grounded," but this RPG survival game received very high marks from Xbox users. The Microsoft exclusive, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, had a lot to compete with this year when we also saw titles like "CrossFire X," "Warhammer 40K: Darktide," "CrossFire X," "Tunic," and "Ark 2" come only to Xbox exclusively before later expanding to other platforms. 

Reviewers say that this game, which follows the journey of a group of shrunken children seeking to return to full size, is a very thoughtfully elaborate and creative role-play and survival hybrid. Witty dialogue, intense boss fights, and lovely design are among the highlights, per IGN. "Grounded" combines the dramatic dangers of a survival game with the lighthearted spirit of childhood backyard exploration. There's scrappy crafting, building, foraging, and — of course — lots of battling off the insects that are suddenly twice your size. A Youtube review anoints the game as "stunningly creative and consistently funny." 

With all the quality and care invested in its development, "Grounded" takes the slot for this year's best Xbox exclusive. It's something to check out if you ever fantasized about playing a role in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" or "A Bug's Life."

Those of us that have been playing Pokémon for a long, long time — since Game Boy was the reigning handheld console — had come to know what to expect when a new game comes out: a turn-based strategy and very linear RPG with the same very familiar themes and mechanics. But with "Pokémon Legends: Arceus," that formula was rewritten after 25 years.

Game Freak saw that the vibe in the main series Pokémon games had gotten a bit musty, and Arceus held our attention more than any other installments of recent years. Arceus takes the linear strategy of traditional Pokémon — insert a young trainer who yearns for greatness and travels from town to town to overcome Gym leaders — and gives it some curve. For the first time ever, open-world elements had been incorporated into the main series Pokémon while trainer-trainer battles were withdrawn from the primary focus of the game. For the efforts to keep a decades-old and much-beloved series alive, we definitely wanted to see Arceus on this ranking.

The concept of cozy gaming has only started to see more definition in recent years. It describes games that are meant to relax the player rather than excite — or infuriate — them. Caretaking, sim-style activities like farming and baking, open-world exploration, magic, mystical storytelling, minimal combat and weapons, laid-back exploration, and usually a whimsical art style are all solid indicators of a cozy game. While some high-profile titles have certainly emerged in the infancy of this genre — think "Stardew Valley" and "Animal Crossing" — there is a lot more to be discovered by smaller developers, and "Bear and Breakfast" is easily our favorite pick for new cozy games of 2022. 

This game came to us back in July from developer Gummy Cat. It follows the story of a friendly brown bear that wants to bring humans back to his once-lively woods by revitalizing a bed and breakfast in an old dilapidated shack. Hank the bear also travels around to complete quests for his NPC wildlife friends. At the surface, "Bear and Breakfast" is peak cozy gaming with its laid-back building and foraging, and Disney-movie-esque troupe of adorable woodland creatures. But the underlying story of the forest secrets that Hank is slowly unfolding is what makes truly makes "Bear and Breakfast" the best new cozy game this year. 

2022 is actually a great year for racing game headlines. In addition to the latest "Gran Turismo" installment back in March, the release date for "Need for Speed Unbound" is fast approaching, too. But even if Unbound ends up being an amazing game, we still think Turismo 7 deserves a high ranking. The game saw some player dissatisfaction in a couple of things right after its release, but glowing reviews a few months after the initial upset seem to indicate that developer Polyphony Digital took the grievances to heart.

The rocky start aside, GT7 boasted the best graphics of the decades-long series so far and revitalized the franchise's classic career mode. A Tech Radar review said that GT7 offers "best-in-class racing sim gameplay" alongside lightning-speed haptic feedback on the DualSense, and hyper-realistic car handling across an impressive track lineup. If you were rubbed the wrong way by the initial mishaps that GT7 experienced, you might give it another try while we wait for Unbound.

NBA 2K has come a long way since it debuted in 1999 — coming from the hilariously awkward and hulking design of the original game's players to graphics so good that you can see the sweat on Michael Jordan's forehead. The latest NBA 2K hit shelves in early September, and while reviews have been kind of a mixed bag, we have to applaud NBA 2K for the effort it continues to put into an aging series. NBA 2K23 seems to have acknowledged the main weaknesses and complaints associated with previous installments and refreshed the approach. Similar to Pokémon, the NBA series, in our opinion, had been operating on a "good enough" mentality for just a bit too long. 

2022's NBA 2K saw improved and expanded mechanisms in shooting and dribbling, as well as all-new systems to customize jump shots, capitalize on hot streaks, and more intelligent defense AI. We also see the return of the Jordan Challenge — which hasn't been around since 2K11 — and a number of features designed to be nostalgic of old-school games and basketball eras gone by: the Magic vs. Bird Era, the Jordan Era, and the Kobe Era. Hopefully, the new perspective from NBA 2K23 is kept in mind for future sports game developments to maintain an attentive and enthusiastic crowd.

Sometimes you just need a game that doesn't really fit in any boxes. Sometimes you just need to amass a cult following of farm and woodland animals in a religiously corrupt world. This indie adventure-strategy game by Massive Monster Studios is a peculiar combination of doe-eyed, adorable creatures, eerie forest artwork, and a whole lot of cultish weirdness: tarot cards, rituals, and demonic possession. Our protagonist is a lamb who has a debt to pay — recruiting new members and establishing your following as the "one true cult" — after he was exercised from possession by a mysterious, hooded stranger. 

"Cult of the Lamb" feels like a nice linear structure with an impressive number of side-quest offshoots — although it may not be compelling enough of a game for you to return to after the first story completion. The eccentric aesthetics and dark themes  — we can't say we've ever seen a game idea where a baby sheep brainwashes new cult members before — make it an easy pick for the weirdest game of this year, though. 

"Jitsu Squad" by Tanuki Creative Studios brings vibrant Sonic-esque caricature to classic beat-'em-up style arcade brawls. The story mode of the game challenges the players to defeat an evil sorcerer and bring peace back to the galaxy by blasting through enemies across many stages. There's not much to read into with "Jitsu Squad" — combo-focused combat for avatars with unique skill sets is about as standardly arcade beat-'em-up as it gets. There is something very appealing in that simplicity, though, especially when you're coming out of a game that was more mentally laborious. The artwork is vibrant and detailed, a sort of modern remaster of old-school arcade co-ops — and speaking of co-ops, four players can fight together locally on "Jitsu Squad," which is nice.

The campaign doesn't take long to push through, but this is a great game to hold on to if you entertain often and want something around to play with your friends that's not an actual party game ... or "Mario Kart." Don't get us wrong, everybody loves a round or two on Rainbow Road, but it's nice to change things up.

Co-op-only campaigns are few and far in between, so we are always super interested when one arises. The "We Were Here" series is, in our opinion, one of the best franchises for adventurous gaming buddies. Working with your partner to solve puzzles and escape the perilous and snowy landscape surrounding a haunted castle. The fourth installment of the game, "We Were Here Forever," came earlier this year, and the imprisoned duo's efforts to reach freedom continue. The devoted fandom of the franchise may have had a tough time mustering up the same amount of enthusiasm for the fourth when it was originally believed to only be a trilogy and a third go-around in the dark castle halls wasn't super appealing. 

But this release smashed any uncertainties out of the park. There are many refreshing new landscapes but with the familiar dusky, surreal aesthetic. WWH Forever doesn't have to be preceded by the first three games, which is a major selling point for anyone that doesn't want to put in a bunch of time to get the retrospective storyline. The gameplay is a solid mix of serious thinking for the puzzle scenes and lighthearted mischief — perfect as a new hobby with your gamer bestie or spouse.

Mobile games are a beast of their own to rank and review. More compact displays, simplified campaigns, and rudimentary controls are some of the major challenges that mobile games face. However, the barrier to entry for developing a mobile game is usually less than console games and can appeal to a wider crowd (just about everyone has a smartphone, but you can't say the same about consoles). Some titles are even adapted to both mobile platforms and consoles, albeit with many adaptations and different development schedules for each. 

That's the case with "Marvel Snap," a mobile game that was made available last month for Android and iOS devices but is also available for early access on PC. We aren't familiar with the game, but it has received widespread approval for its adaptation of the Marvel universe to the growing trend of collectible cards and trading games to a virtual platform. The approach is a nice change-up to the typical rock-'em-sock-'em brute combat that we normally see in Marvel and DC games. A Game Spot review points out that "Marvel Snap" rejects the traditional mechanic of projection in trading card games: purchasing a pack of cards and accepting whatever you've been given at random. Instead, you increase your collection by increasing your rank and upgrading your cards.

"Horizon Forbidden West" may have fallen in the shadow of the new "Modern Warfare" and "God of War" releases this year in terms of chatter and publicity, but it still stands as one of our favorite sequels and our favorite open-world exploration game of 2022. The sci-fi, action-adventure plot is familiar to the Horizon predecessor, but the sprawling and robust map, allowing for a seamless transition between the fiery action scenes and learning the environment and its connected lore, is what makes Forbidden West a great open-world game. The artistic work is beyond incredible, with lifelike detail from the powdery sand on the beaches to the mist settled on the treetops when you're airborne. 

Forbidden West brings all the most desirable elements of an open world together. The map, while expansive, is not exhaustive. There are pockets of captivating lore to maintain your interest and string you along from chapter to chapter, maintaining just enough structure to keep you from derailing. Guerrilla Games pulled out all the stops on this expertly strategized and breathtakingly crafted universe.

This was a difficult category to crown a winner in. There's the obvious "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II," but it seems that there are just as many players who find the COD franchise to be stuck in a familiar rut with no fresh ideas as there are players who are ravished, borderline rabid, by each new COD release. There are a number of other contenders this year in the PvP, PvE shooting space — there's "Midnight Ghost Hunt," which allows players to take on the role of either ghosts or hunters and engage in a hectic cat-and-mouse 4v4 battle. Early chatter of MGH looks to be positive, but the game is only in early access stages with no public full release date, so it doesn't really have an official place on the 2022 list.

"Warhammer 40K Darktide" is expected to be a good one, but that won't be here until the end of the month. We also have the ghastly horror-shooter game "Scorn," but the reviews show some inconsistency between really liking the game and detesting it. "LEAP" is another shooter that was released in early access this year, but even if it were formally available, it's a bit too HALO knockoff for us. The avatars and aesthetics of "The Anacrusis" caught our eye in early access, but reviews are merely lukewarm (via IGN).

So, somewhat begrudgingly, this leaves us with MWII. We had really hoped that an indie or non-series-installment FPS would come out of the woodwork and knock our socks off this year, but since that just wasn't the case, we have to at least hand it to Demonware and company for continuing to capitalize on the same formula that's brought them success since the early 2000s.