Welcome to our 19th Annual Game of the Year Awards where we celebrate the best games of 2022. It has been an exceptional year for gaming, and next year looks to be even bigger. There were some amazing new games out for the new consoles if you were lucky enough to get one, and PC gaming surged to all-new heights with new CPU’s and video cards from all three manufacturers. We reviewed over 130 games in 2022, and 20 of those were good enough to earn nominations for our Game of the Year Awards.
As with our past awards lists, we’ll be keeping things simple with a summary of the top ten games spanning multiple systems and genres, along with a few specific shout-outs for Best VR games and Best Remake/Remaster games. We’re also including some Honorable Mentions for those games that just missed the cutoff. We have links to several reviews and videos if you want to learn more about any of these games.
TOP TEN GAMES of 2022
10. Stray (PC, PS5) – Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Roam surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by curious droids and dangerous creatures. Guaranteed to delight gamers and cat lovers alike.
9. Neon White (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) – Neon White is a lightning-fast first-person action game about exterminating demons in Heaven. You are White, an assassin handpicked from Hell to compete with other demon slayers for a chance to live permanently in Heaven. Some of the best parkour moves since Mirror’s Edge.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch) – Bash your way through gorgeous pixel art environments and slay tons of hellacious enemies with your favorite Turtle, each with his own skills and moves – making each run unique! Choose a fighter, use radical combos to defeat your opponents and experience intense combats loaded with breathtaking action and outrageous ninja abilities.
7. Plague Tale: Requiem (PC, Xbox, PS5, Switch) – After escaping their devastated homeland, Amicia and Hugo travel far south, to new regions and vibrant cities. There, they attempt to start a new life and control Hugo’s curse. But, when Hugo’s powers reawaken, death and destruction return in a flood of devouring rats.
6. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch) – Play through all nine Skywalker saga films in a game unlike any other. With over 300 playable characters, over 100 vehicles, and 23 planets to explore, a galaxy far, far away has never been more fun!
5. Need for Speed Unbound (PC, PS5, Xbox) – Criterion is back with their first NFS game since Most Wanted in 2012. Outsmart the cops and enter weekly qualifiers for The Grand: the ultimate street race. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style. Flashy decal graphics enhance the visual experience while a strict racing calendar keeps you on track.
4. Gran Turismo 7 (PS4, PS5) – Gran Turismo 7 brings together the best features from past installments of the series alongside the future. An even more realistic driving experience awaits thanks to haptic feedback, which brings to life what it’s like when the tires hit the road.
3. God of War: Ragnarök (PS4, PS5) – God of War Ragnarök will take you to the previously unreachable Vanaheim, Svartalfheim, and Asgard – as well as to new areas from locations featured in the last game. Exploring the realms will take you everywhere from verdant, otherworldly jungles to intricate subterranean mining networks. This was very close to earning the top spot, but there were just too many ties to last-gen tech that held it back.
2. Elden Ring (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox) – Escape into a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series; and best-selling author, George R.R. Martin where danger and discovery lurk around every corner. This game was always bouncing around the top three spots and finally landed here.
1. Horizon Forbidden West (PS4, PS5) –
Honorable Mentions (In alphabetical order)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Marvel Snap, The Quarry, Return to Monkey Island, Rollerdrome, Signalis, Tunic, Vampire Survivor
TOP 3 VR GAMES of 2022
3. Star Wars: Squadrons (PC/PSVR) – In classic Star Wars tradition, enjoy a complelling single player campaign, with the Rebels and the Empire both getting their own sides of the story. But if fighting CPU-controlled opponents isn’t satisfying you, there’s also online multiplayer where you can assert your position as a flying ace.
2. Wanderer (PC. PSVR) – Built for VR, Wanderer is a time travelling action adventure that features a unique blend of escape room style puzzles, tactile hands-on interactions and action arcade sequences. You are Asher Neumann, an unwitting hero thrust into a time-bending journey to change the course of history.
1. Moss: Book 2 (Steam, Quest 2) – Continue Quill’s journey from the first game in which she aims to defeat the evil powers that corrupt the world. During her adventures, players will meet new and old friends along the way. Similarly, to its predecessor, Moss: Book 2 is an excellent combination of three-dimensional puzzles, action with unique controls, and storytelling that uses virtual reality to its advantage.
Honorable Mentions (In alphabetical order)
Among Us VR, Bonelab, Cities VR, Hubris, Red Matter 2, Tentacular
TOP 3 REMAKES/REMASTERS
3. Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection (PC/PSVR) – an interactive journey through 50 years of video games via interviews with designers, developers and industry leaders, documentary footage, product design documents, high-res original artwork, and a curated list of more than 90 playable games.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (PC, PS5, Xbox) – Behold the dark fantasy world of the Continent like never before! This edition of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been enhanced with numerous visual and technical improvements, including vastly improved level of detail, a range of community created and newly developed mods for the game, real-time ray tracing, and more.
1. The Last of Us Part I (PC, PS5) – Remastered using the engine from the sequel, the original and heartbreaking survival adventure has never looked or played better. Every visual asset is updated, and quality of life gameplay enhancements makes this a journey worth taking again.
Honorable Mentions (In alphabetical order)
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed, Crysis 1-3 Remastered, Life is Strange Remastered, Pac-Man World: Re-Pac, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
COMING in 2023
With current-gen gaming consoles mostly available worldwide, and a whole batch of over-priced PC tech flooding the market 2023 is going to be all about the games, and what an assortment we have coming. Atomic Heart, Colossal Cave, Dead Island 2, Dead Space Remake, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Forspoken, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Call of the Mountain (PSVR2), The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Pikmin 4, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Stalker 2, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Starfield, Street Fighter 6, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are just a few titles we have our eye on, and with so many other titles it’s going to be a busy year ahead for gamers and nearly impossible to pick a favorite, but here we go… Our pick for most anticipated title of 2023 is…
That pretty much wraps up our picks for the best of 2022 and what we’re looking forward to in 2023. There were so many awesome video games this year and even more to look forward to next, and we’ll be here to cover it all. Stick with us for all the latest news, trailers, reviews, live shows, and more. We will also be covering the launch of Sony’s PlayStation VR2 and all the launch titles in February.
See you next year…
