2022 was a great year as far as video game releases are concerned. From FIFA 23, to NBA 2K23 and even Call of Duty: MWII, here’s our list of the best games released so far this year.
This year saw a number of huge delays in game releases as well as postponements.
However, despite those setbacks, 2022 saw over 70 games releases in total so far from action to adventure, to sports, shooter and simulation games.
In fact, it’s been somewhat hard to keep up with this year’s best releases, but we’ve compiled a top 10 list of 2022’s games that were really worth the wait.
Scroll through the gallery below:
#1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
As expected the MWII campaign is reliably unrevolutionary, and the multiplayer is bold enough to press against expectations regardless of its flaws. Call of Duty also broke a few records since Activision’s deal with PlayStation.
Activision themselves have also stepped out of their comfort zone with the introduction of football stars (Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, and Neymar Jr) as playable characters in the franchise.
#2 God of War: Ragnarök
Santa Monica’s iconic franchise never fails to deliver. In fact, the God Of War franchise is one of the greatest games in the last decade.
IGN’s review estimates roughly around 60 hours to complete the game. Ragnarok is a shining example of a narrative-driven game at its best.
Even though there aren’t a lot of differences from the first game, it just proves that players aren’t necessarily looking for something drastically new in sequels, but they just want a well-made and well-written storyline—and God of War Ragnarok delivers on all fronts effortlessly.
#3 Immortality
Immortality is a stunningly complex and dense game that encourages intense engagement. There are multiple layers to peel back in figuring out what happened to actress Marissa Marcel, who made three movies that were never released and then vanished.
You start off with one clip of the story, and through context and other clues, you find more footage you can use to piece together what happened.
A huge credit has to go to Sam Barrow mainly because for the most part, playing this game isn’t necessarily about experiencing a story but rather building one, which contributes to a unique sense of interactivity.
#4 Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West sometimes suffers from the bloat that characterizes most open-world games but make no mistake it is one of the most popular video games of all times.
From its colorful and strange post-apocalyptic setting to the brilliant combat moves, which challenges players to uncover the weaknesses of imposing robot dinosaurs, all with basically a bow-and-arrow. It might be an underrated game but it’s surely one of this year’s best releases.
#5 Elden Ring
Elden Ring just had to be on this list because the game is something else. The game is surrounded by a massive dark fantasy open-world scenario with great storytelling mode that allows each player to build their character.
The game encourages an addiction that makes fans want to finish the game and immediately start with a new character class to see what else Elden Ring had to offer. A pure classic.
#6 Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Skywalker Saga gives fans of the series (and Lego games in general) just about enough content to keep them engaged for quite some time.
It also boasts a fun, accessible gameplay, stunning graphics and incredible attention to detail.
It’s faithful to the characters and storylines from the movies, and the Lego style gives players a fresh way to look at the franchise, which is much appreciated considering that more than 100 different Star Wars games have been made up to this point
#7 NBA 2K23
NBA 2K23 is a huge step up from the usual NBA 2K series as far as gameplay and in-game elements go.
The game features additional modes like MyNBA and MyTeam to help the game feel less stale as a whole.
However, the game’s incredibly heavy reliance on microtransactions still continues to hold back what is otherwise one of the most incredible sports game releases in 2022.
#8 Madden NFL 23
Madden NFL 23 is an attempt to bring the EA Sports series back to those humble origins, returning Madden himself to the cover for the first time in more than 20 years and opening with an “NFL Legacy Game” that doubles as a history lesson.
The game features some of the game’s greatest stars, from Brett Favre to Randy Moss, and even going so far as to recreate the original Oakland Coliseum from the 1970s.
In some ways, the NFL 23 package is a tribute to Madden as well, focusing on the less-flashy simulation aspects that John Madden valued so highly.
#9 FIFA 23
The biggest highlight of EA’s final dance with FIFA would be its much-improved gameplay and the new HyperMotion 2.0.
EA has finally made a decent attempt at switching up the pace-dominated metagame from the last couple of editions, opting instead to slow things down and pay more attention to defending.
At least, unlike in the previous editions, players will no longer be victims of lighting quick counter-attacks as the build-up has been slowed down. I mean..the fast players will always be the fast players but they aren’t just much of a menace as they used to be.
Sound is another area where EA really got right with each stadium has its own signature ambience, chants and acoustics.
It also introduced for the first time ever, Women’s club football mode, with the champions league mode set to arrive in 2023.
Surprisingly, most of the new features this year work well, adding to the game rather than introducing new problems but they are still layered on nthe same glitches and bugs fans have been complaining of in the previous versions.
#10 Apex Mobile
Apex Mobile isn’t cross-platform compatible with its console siblings but it’s not a big departure, either.
The game adopts the same basic formula of playing in teams of three, and of the 10 Legends available at launch, nine are the originals from Apex Legends’ launch: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Mirage, Octane, Pathfinder, Wraith.
Apex Mobile uses the core Apex movement really well, including its standout signature run-and-slide move that gives you a slight speed boost, and the movement combos are all there except it’s slightly harder to use.
But if you want something fun, challenging and competitive on your mobile, then this has to be your go-to game.
Pulse
