2022 was a fantastic year for video game enthusiasts because of big releases like God of War Ragnarok, Elden Ring,Modern Warfare 2, and many more. Apart from story-focused titles, this year also gave us the much-awaited sequel of the legendary competitive title Overwatch, which in my opinion, is great, but still not better thanValorant.
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When I wasn’t questioning my life choices while playing Valorant this year, I was catching up on older releases likeReturnal,Guardians of the Galaxy, andCyberpunk 2077(only mentioning the ones I loved, anyway). But, there were some 2022 releases that caught my attention, and for the right reasons. Of course, there were a few titles that didn’t live up to my expectations, but I had a hell of a time with most titles I played this year.
10Apex Legends Mobile
Apex Legendsis one of the bestbattle royale gamesout there. I’d even say - at the risk of invoking Kyle Knight’s wrath - that, in some ways, it’s even better thanWarzone. Initially, I thought the mobile version of Apex Legends would not be as enjoyable and fun as the PC and console versions. Let’s just say I was wrong. From graphics to UI to gameplay mechanics, everything is top-notch in Apex Legends Mobile. I am not saying it’s perfect, but it’s definitely the best battle royale game for mobile right now.
As soon as the game launched on mobile, I tried it with one of my buddies and instantly got addicted to it. Each character in the game works well, but I mostly spent my time playing Bloodhound and Fade, the first mobile-exclusive character in the game.
9Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivorscame across to me as a rather simple and uninteresting game at first, but my perception changed once I downloaded it on my phone. It is one of those games that gets you hooked purely on the basis of its rock-solid yet simplistic design.
There were times when I got tired of playing AAA titles or wanted a break from the competitive madness of Valorant and Overwatch 2, and Vampire Survivors becametheperfect game to soothe my mind. There are very few games that can offer you a quick escape from a hectic schedule, but Vampire Survivors offered me just that.
8Ghostwire Tokyo
Some people might not agree, butGhostwire Tokyodid introduce some extremely unique gameplay elements. While there were a few things about the game that didn’t land well with me - like its weak narrative - but I did enjoy everything about its gameplay. Playing around with different elemental abilities and Talisman was a lot of fun, and the game’s excellent use of DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback only enhanced my experience further.
The game’s story was forgettable, but I never got bored of ripping out the enemies by grabbing their cores. The developers at Tango Gameworks tried to bring Japanese Urban Legends to life through Ghostwire Tokyo, and for the most part,their efforts paid off.
7Overwatch 2
As a guy who loves everything about Esports, it’s compulsory for me to try out new competitive shooters. I never got to play Overwatch when it was still relevant, but its much-awaited sequel gave me an opportunity to experience its chaotic yet engaging gameplay. For the most part, I enjoy Overwatch 2 because of itsunique heroesand some frustratingly massive maps, even though it doesn’t exactly scratch the itch for me as well as Valorant.
Because of the longer matches, Valorant feels more demanding and punishing, but that’s not to say that Overwatch 2 is not fun. The best part aboutOverwatch 2is that it’s playable on the console, so whenever I feel like not gluing my eyes on my desktop, I sit comfortably on the couch and frustrate the enemy team by placing Torbjörn’s turret on unusual spots.
6Rumbleverse
Rumbleverseis the most unique take on the battle royale formula. In this free-to-play title, a cannon launches 40 players at Grapital City, where every player must fight to be the last one standing. However, the best part about Rumbleverse is that players do not fight with weapons and guns; instead, they use melee fighting elements like punches, elbow drops, chokeslams, and kicks.
Honestly, I was reluctant to try out a new battle royale game this year, but one of my friends compelled me to download Rumbleverse by repeatedly intimating that it’s"incredibly fun"until they wore me down. Well, it’s a good thing I trusted him, as hardly a day goes by when I don’t drop into the madness of Rumbleverse. I love that you don’t have to worry about getting good weapons in this game. There are, of course, vicious attacks and potions that players can use, but for the most part, you have to rely on basic melee fighting elements to defeat opponents.
5Blacktail
In my opinion, Blacktail is one of the most underrated titles to release in 2022. I didn’t learn about this game until I saw its launch trailer, and I was instantly captivated by its visuals and music. The trailer made it look a lot like Ghostwire Tokyo (a game that I also loved), so I justhadto dive in.
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Blacktail drops you in the middle of a beautiful forest, and even when you don’t see many NPCs around you, the forest very much feels alive — it seems like the devs poured every bit of their imagination into it. I was so charmed by it that I couldn’t help but explore every bit of its world and interact with every creature I saw along the way. The RPG elements in Blacktail are also fantastic — my choices in the game impacted what skills or quests I’d unlock, so rather than choosing an option randomly, I really thought about the implication of my actions. Overall, it’s a beautiful game that put its focus in all of the right places.
4The Last Of Us Part 1
Naughty Dog’sThe Last Of Uswill always have a special place in my heart. It’s a masterpiece, and I usually judge people based on their opinion of this title. Every moment in this game is breathtaking, and the Remake,The Last of Us Part 1, perfectly enhanced the experience with revised gameplay.
The game obviously looked more beautiful, the combat was more fun because of improved AI, and, well, the story touched my soul, again! Really, what else can I say here? They improved on something that was already near-perfect — a sure winner.
3Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden Westwas, without a doubt, one of the best releases of 2022. Guerrilla Games did fantastic work at establishing a post-apocalyptic world withHorizon Zero Dawn, and they outdid themselves with Forbidden West. The sequel offered an even more massive and beautiful universe, and I loved exploring every bit of it.
I loved that the devs made the gameplay more punishing by introducing several new dangerous enemies. The weapons and combat were definitely better than in the first game, and Aloy did showcase some incredible skills to fight off the new threats. I truly lost myself in this one, not just for its spectacular story, but because I felt compelled to see every corner of its beautiful open world. The best part for me was riding Sunwing and witnessing the world of Forbidden West from the sky.
2God Of War Ragnarok
Santa Monica Studio blessed the video game industry in 2018 by revivingGod of War. And well, they did it again by giving us a fantastic sequel in 2022. For me and millions of other fans,God of War Ragnarökwasthemost-awaited video game for this year. I was so hyped for this title’s release and hadvery highexpectations. The game offered every bit of experience I had hoped for, and to my surprise, it even surpassed my expectations.
I do have to say that I liked the boss fights of the first game a wee bit more. For instance, the final battle against Baldur was so much better than what we saw in thefight against Odin. That being said, I feel Ragnarok had so much more to offer in terms of story. Despite several sick action-packed moments and breathtaking visuals, the driving force for God of War Ragnarok was its outstanding build-up on the story and the epic conclusion to its venture into Norse mythology.
1Elden Ring
I’ll be honest — I never played any previous Souls game, but all the excitement around Elden Ring made it impossible for me to avoid investing some time into it. As advertised,Elden Ringinstantly opens up with a massive open-world environment. I spent several hours doing nothing but just taking in the beautiful scenery in this game.
At first, I didn’t realize how important it is for a player to explore different areas in the game to level up. I was being stupidly confident and went in to fightMargit the Fell Omennearly off the bat (don’t judge, please!). And there was a time when I thought of giving up - it’s a good thing I didn’t, though. Defeating the first boss after maybe 50 failed attempts gave me a much-needed boost of confidence.
After spending approximately 10 hours in Elden Ring, I finally started to appreciate why several people - including thereformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton- love Elden Ring’s punishing gameplay design. Playing Elden Ring introduced me to a different form of gaming experience, as it undoubtedly did for so many others, and that alone is worth the supreme vote here. I can’t wait to try out other titles from From Software, starting withSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
